Firewood Splitter Types And Uses
In the days of the Little House on the Prairie, the men would spend their day chopping down the forest to provide wood to build the newest house or barn that needed to be constructed. They would also keep up their wood stock piles during the year because it was the main source of heat in the winter and the only way the women could cook the family's food on a daily basis. These tasks would be completed by using the latest tools that the technology of that time had to offer: axes and human muscle. It is no wonder that loggers today count themselves lucky to have more options when it comes to a firewood splitter than hard working homesteaders did back then. Of course, there are a few die hard hold out loggers who refuse to use anything other than the traditional means to cut down a tree. These men take exceptional pride and care in what they do, so as to respect the traditions of long ago.
A firewood splitter is the most basic and rudimentary of splitters because they are reminiscent of what Paul Bunyan actually used. There are no fancy motors or engines to worry about, no maintenance to keep up with and no warranties to have to use if the parts break. There is just the splitter and human muscle to make it work properly. A firewood splitter costs less money than the electric or hydraulic log splitters but they can also be very time consuming if one has several trees to cut down or logs to split.
These splitters are the traditional tools which have been used for centuries by loggers who are both professional and do it yourself loggers. The wedge, mallet, and ax are all manual tools which one can use. There is also the two person ax, where a long huge chainsaw- looking chain is held together by two handles on either side of the chain. One person holds one side and another person holds the other side. Then, they begin to cut into the tree by placing the sharp teeth of the chain against the bark and pulling or pushing in coordination with the other person. There is a product called the Smart-Splitter® which makes splitting small logs easily done, but cannot be used for trees.
If the customer chooses one of these firewood splitters, safety is the most important piece to remember. First, be certain the tool of use is sharp enough to split a log. Also, be certain that the logger has enough strength to swing the tool or use the tool for a sustained amount of time. This can cause fatigue, so having another logger to help is a great idea. Second, when swinging the tool, be certain that all body parts and clothing are out of the way of the tool. A trip to the hospital would not be the best way to finish a day of chopping wood, only to have chopped off a foot. Third, splitting wood while intoxicated is never a good idea because much damage could be done, not only to tools but to loggers as well.
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