Ten top log splitters to keep the home fires burning

With fuel prices seemingly on another upward spiral the cost of heating the home is now a major expense.
Open fires and especially log burning stoves are an increasingly popular way of keeping the house warm and while you can buy wood from merchants it is far more satisfying to prepare your own logs for the coming winter.
Often there will be piles of old felled branches at the end of the garden and once equipped with a chainsaw and a log splitter you can get cracking on your very own log pile.
An axe will probably split a small piece of ash but if there is any twisted or heavier grained woods you need a log splitter.
So here are our top ten splitters to make preparing the log pile an easier task and probably save you a bad back as well.

First on the list is the MD 5-Ton Electric Horizontal Log Splitter perfect for those with a smaller pile of logs to split.
It is sturdily built and exerts five tons of pressure per square inch, forcing wood to be split against a triangular splitting wedge.
It can take logs up to 25 cm in diameter and 52 cm long and has a 1500 watt motor to provide the force.
You can only operate this machine by using both hands, an important safety feature.
Transport wheels mean the splitter can be moved around and there is also a rubber handgrip.
Buy this machine and you can also purchase a stand for waist height working for £40.
It is delivered free the next working day, has a one year maker’s warranty and costs £159.95 compared with the recommended selling price of £279.95.
Next we have a splitter on special offer from a leading German engineering firm.
The Einhell BT-LS 65U Electric Log Splitter is a top quality machine with a sound tubular steel frame and comfortable to use while standing upright.
The hydraulic mechanism exerts 5.5 tons of pressure per square inch for effortless splitting all types of wood.
Power is from a 1500 watt electric motor and it can handle logs up to 250 mm in diameter and up to 520 mm long.
There is a load limiting feature which protects the mechanism from being damaged.
It too needs both hands to operate, a useful safety device.
The steel frame has two transport wheels to help move it around.
The manufacturer’s recommended price is £379.99 but we have it on special offer for £229.95.
There is a two year maker’s warranty and delivery is free the next working day.
Next is another hydraulic splitter perfect for domestic use.
The Al-Ko KHS5200L Electric Powered Hydraulic Log Splitter has a strong steel frame with legs which extend to make it comfortable to use at waist height.
Powered by a 2200 Watt motor, it produces five tonnes of splitting force and can deal with wood up to 520 mm long and 250 mm in diameter.
It is very safe to use as two operational switches need to be pushed at the same time keeping the hands away from the mechanism.
For moving around it has wide tyres making it easy to transport on rougher surfaces.
It is very competitively prices at £299 plus there is a two year manufacturer’s warranty and free next working day delivery.
Now for a vertical splitter, and it’s another top machine from Einhell and one which is exclusive to us at Mowdirect.
The Einhell BT-LS 610 Log Splitter has an adjustable splitting wedge and a splitting deck with three optional heights and an adjustable splitting wedge height. Plastic guides make it simple to adjust.
It can handle logs up to 320 mm in diameter and up to 1040 mm long and has a splitting force of 6 tons so it can easily deal with all sorts of hard and soft woods.
Adjustable plates and clamps hold the wood and safety switches make sure your hands are out of the way when it is working.
The power comes from a 2200 watt electric motor and there is a voltage trip and emergency stop function as well.
It is robustly built and has transport wheels to make it easy to move around.
This currently is on offer at £250 less than the manufacturer’s price at just £439.95.
There is a two year manufacturer’s warranty and delivery is free within two to three working days.
Another vertical machine which is outstanding value for money is the MD 7-Ton Petrol Vertical Log Splitter, currently £300 less than the manufacturer’s recommended retail price.
This one is petrol powered making it far more versatile around the garden and with its massive splitting power it can handle green and twisted woods.
The engine is from Briggs & Stratton, 6.5 hp, and can work as both as an upright and a vertical machine.
The base plate has three options and can deal with logs up to 52 cm, 78 cm and 104 cm long depending on the adjustment, making it more efficient to use.
This too needs both hands to operate to keep them away from the splitting wedge and the control levers have hand shields to protect from flying chips.
It has transport wheels and a handle to move it around.
It has a one year manufacturer’s warranty and delivery is free within two to three working days.
And it costs just £669, as we said a whole £300 less than the recommended price.
Next we have a real beast of a machine, a petrol powered horizontal machine with a splitting force of 12 tons.
This splitter, which has just arrived, costs just £749, an unbeatable price for a machine with this force and specification.
It is a horizontal machine and has been designed to be towed behind a tractor and is much more versatile for the owner of a very large garden or small estate.
And here’s another powerful machine suitable for dealing with large quantities of thicker grained and twisted wood.
The MD 10-Ton Vertical Petrol Log Splitter has an 8 hp engine and is easily transported around thanks to smooth transport wheels and a transport handle.
Being a vertical splitter it can cope with a wider variety of tasks with an adjustable base plate so the splitting ram never moves further than necessary.
The three positions have a maximum splitting length of 52 cm on the first setting 78 on the second and 104 on the third.
As both hands are needed to operate, it is very safe and the control levers have shields to guard against splintering logs.
This one costs £799 compared with the recommended price of £1199.
Delivery is free within two to three working days and there is a one year manufacturer’s warranty.
Ardisam has a reputation for manufacturing solid workhorse machines and their
Ardisam W1265V 12-Tonne Petrol Log-Splitter has a massive splitting power made to handle large quantities of wood.
It has a 196 cc Viper engine which is clean and cheaper to run than most 2-stroke engines on similar machines.
It can deal with wood up to 21 in long and is designed to be towed from site to site with a telescopic drawbar, and when needed it can be towed at the same time as a trailer.
It has two working heights for greater comfort when in use and again both hands are necessary to operate, a worthwhile safety feature.
There is also a log cradle to make the job easier.
This one costs £949 compared with the maker’s recommended price of £1099. Delivery is free within two to three working days and there is a one year manufacturer’s warranty.
Here’s another of our own brand machines with a massive 22 tons of splitting power suitable for bigger properties and for professional use.
The MD Forest King 22 Ton Tow-behind Log Splitter can cope with even the most stubborn twisted timber and is built on a rigid steel frame with large pneumatic wheels.
This one can be easily towed from job to job with a two inch ball coupler.
Powered by a Briggs & Stratton 6.5 hp engine it is very easy to start – important for professional use.
With its massive splitting force it can also deal with wood up to 24 long and 100 lb in weight.
A strong 6 in wide flange beam holds the wood horizontal and the machine is easily adjusted if you want to use it in the vertical position.
The splitting wedge has wings and tapers to make splitting more effective. It is operated by a simple control valve.
This is exceptional value for money for a machine like this and it is inspected before delivery and is fully assembled complete with hydraulic oil.
The machine has a recommended retail price of £1999, but we have it for £1299, a massive £700 saving.
It arrives with two to three working days fully assembled and ready to go.
There is a one year maker’s warranty.
And finally a true workhorse designed for shifting really huge amounts of wood and logs.
The MTD-Lawnflite LS550 25 Ton Log Splitter can split logs up 25 cm in diameter and with its massive 25 tons of splitting force it can deal with more or less any thick twisted wood easily.
It has a 6 hp Briggs and Stratton engine which is both reliable and easy to start, and with large pneumatic wheels it is designed to be moved around private roads.
It can be used either vertically or horizontally and is highly efficient. Once the log has been dealt with the cylinder automatically returns to the starting position.
It comes with hydraulic oil worth £100 supplied free and is ready to use on arrival.
It costs £1749, a saving on the recommended price of £500. Delivery is free within three to five working days and there is a one year manufacturer’s warranty.
Don’t forget lawns and hedges will still need trimming as autumn arrives and it will pay to keep an eye on our site for end of season bargains.