Don’t Read This If You Plan To Build A Log Splitter
Do you need a log splitter? While they’ve been used for years in the logging industry, there is a demand for smaller machines. As a result there are several manufacturers producing models of log splitters that are suitable for a small user such as a homeowner or a small firewood outfit. These smaller users may be more price sensitive than industrial users and therefore they would consider building their own log splitter.
The decision to fabricate a log splitter on the part of a small user is usually price driven. They are not looking for industrial capacity. The number of logs they split is considerably less. Building rather than buying means lower cash outlay when they build. With a little research, a user can find several construction plans for a log splitter. Since so many plans are available, it’s cheaper and easier to build your own log splitter. Then you will be well on your way to splitting your own firewood in an economical manner. Right?
In the long run, those savings may quickly disappear as costs and investments in building a log splitter begin to mount. There are several disadvantages in building that cannot be ignored.
Although building your own wood splitter may appear to be the cheaper option to begin with, you need to consider all the other cost implications entailed within it. You need to make sure that you already have the tools and materials needed to complete the project, which, if you want a quality product, can all mount up.
Don’t put your check book away when you’ve finished building. There’s fine tuning and maintaining your newly built log splitter. What if the motor you’ve used cannot handle larger or heavier logs? What if the machine breaks while processing the first log. Now, had you purchased a lot splitter, you could take it back under these circumstances, since it was most likely covered under a manufacturer’s warranty of return policy. This is not an option for someone who’s built the machine themselves. They built it, they’re the ones who have to make it run properly.
The process of actually building the splitter can be just as dangerous as using one. You need mechanical aptitude and understanding to do the job properly. If you do not wholly understand the process involved it can cost a costly mistake.
The biggest factor, though, in building a splitter is time. Do you really have the time to find the right plan for you? Do you have the time to purchase everything on the bill of materials. Are you able to find any specialty tools or items you need? How much time can you invest in studying and understanding the plans? Then, after all of this, how much time, assuming everything goes right, do you think it will take you to actually build the machine? How much time? Just what is the value of your time?
So, when you consider the cost implications, time spent and safety issues, why would you want to build your own wood splitter? It’s far easier, quicker and, in the long run, more economical, to buy one instead.