A log splitter is a piece of machinery or equipment used for splitting firewood from softwood or hardwood logs that have been pre-cut into sections (rounds), usually by chainsaw or on a saw bench. Many log splitters consist of a hydraulic or electrical rod and piston assembly and these are often rated by the tons of force they can generate. The higher the pressure rating, the greater the thickness or length of the rounds that can be split.
Most log splitter models for home use have a rating around 10 tons, but professional hydraulic models may exert 25 tons of force or more. There are also manual log splitters, which use mechanical leverage to force logs through a sharpened blade assembly and screw or 'corkscrew' types that are driven directly from an agricultural tractor's power take-off shaft where the splitter is mounted on the three point linkage.
Although smaller firewood splitters are intended for home, there are now many commercial units available. Some commercial splitters are part of a 'firewood processor' that saw logs of timber into lengths, split them, and then carry the wood up an inclined conveyor onto a pile or into a bag, truck or trailer. Specialty producers such as those producing maple syrup use units that split 4 foot lengths. Machines that split and point wood for fence post also exist though they are few in number as it is generally safer and more convenient to saw the posts.
The rising cost of domestic heating gas oil has reawakened a desire for alternative fuel sources and burning wood is carbon neutral. Modern wood burning stoves are efficient and safe. Many consumers that would not have considered splitting their own logs a few years ago are now burning wood fuel for both ecological and economical reasons.