Roughneck ROU65504 Wood Grenade Splitting Wedge

Product Information

OK, tool No.1: the splitting maul. Now I’ve been hanging my nose over these for years but resisted buying one, choosing to struggle with my axe instead, but I must be getting old, because now I need the extra ‘oomph’ that a maul offers. And lets be honest, it’s the proper tool for splitting logs anyway. Axes are for cutting down trees technically. What makes this log splitter really stand out at first glance is its unique design, which is patented. It’s quite compact yet feels heavy and high quality since the whole single-piece unit is made from cast iron. It has quite a decorative quality to it, which is always a nice bonus.

Each of these four has quality construction, holds up over time, and splits wood both efficiently and effectively. In the sections that follow, we’ll break down everything you need to know about splitting wedges and talk about our top choices.Manually splitting logs with an axe can be extremely tiring, but the Rolson 10780 Wood Grenade Log Splitter promises to help you make light work of the task. According to the brand, using this uniquely-shaped tool with a sledge hammer will enable you to easily split a log four-ways with just a few taps, so I was eager to find out how true this claim really was. What was most impressive was how easy it was to use this log splitter. Simply dropping the weight down the pole a few times is all you really need to do to split most logs. Larger logs, as well as knottier logs, may require you to push the weight down the pole a little more forcefully, but the amount of effort needed really is minimal. To ensure you’re buying the best product for your needs, it pays to be informed on the best things to look out for when buying a log splitting wedge: – Traditional or wood grenade/bomb? A manual log splitter is best suited to small gardening jobs and creating domestic amounts of kindling and firewood. Use them on logs around 15 – 25 cm tall. Hydraulic Log Splitters

If you need to split large pieces of hard, wet, and knotty wood, then, while many manual wood splitters could handle this without a problem, life would be much easier with a hydraulic or kinetic model. If you have nearby neighbours, noise level could be another deal-breaker. Manual log splitters tend to be the quietest, while electric log splitters are much louder. The Swedish Log Splitter really stands out when it comes to its design. It makes use of a weight that drops down a long pole to push a wedge with two blades into the log. When done repeatedly, this splits the log. Other than a couple of washers, all parts of this log splitter are made from metal, which makes everything feel strong and durable. Although all of the log splitters that we’ve reviewed are much easier than using an axe, some still require significantly more force than others.The quality of a splitting wedge is tied to the material it’s made of, but that’s not the only factor at play. Shape After a few minutes with the hand grinder, I was ready for my second attempt, and lo and behold, the 20-inch log was split completely in two in just a few minutes. It had certainly lived up to the hype, and continued to do so throughout our day of testing.
I can’t help but think that the Estwing E-5 log splitting wedge’s excellent performance has something to do with the shape of the product.

Using a splitting wedge also means you won’t be wearing down your axes or risking breaking your tools, such as the axe handle. As electric log splitters go, this machine is very compact and lightweight. At the same time, it feels sturdy and high-quality. Its two wheels give it good portability, and its 175cm power cord offers flexibility. The only downside is its height. Being compact, this log splitter is just 45cm tall when standing on the ground, so you’ll need to use a stand or a bench of some sort. To be fair, Forest Master does sell a stand separately to help with log splitting.

Location – Place the splitting wedge in the middle of the log or piece of wood, in the most central location possible. This will help you break the wood into even pieces and is most effective at breaking through the wood fibers.

Compared to the manual log splitters that I tested, this one is obviously a lot louder, to the point where Forest Master recommends wearing ear protection when using it. However, considering it has a 2200W motor, I didn’t find it to be particularly loud, although any nearby neighbours may disagree! Safety: When testing the range of log splitters in our line-up, I had to take into account a wide variety of safety features. Some products were made so simple that they didn’t need any safety features, and these were ranked high as safety was still paramount to their design. For the electric hydraulic log splitter, I tested the effectiveness of its safety features, including its safety cage. The Rolson log splitting wedge is very good for dealing with logs up to around 25cm in diameter, and can handle larger logs, however I found that controlling the direction of the wedge became a little harder when doing so. Then again this could have has something to do with the fact that I had to use a larger and heavier hammer for the larger logs too, so I had less finesse in my swing. There isn’t much assembly involved with this wood splitter. It comes with four screws that you use to attach the tool to a base log – choose one that’s relatively tall to save you from having to stoop over. Ignore the metal pipe that comes in the box – this isn’t needed unless you also have a tool called the Smart Splitter. If you have numerous big rounds that need to be split into logs, the best splitter will be a hydraulic machine– you’ll save yourself a lot of time and energy. On the other hand, if you’re splitting logs on a smaller scale, or just want to make some kindling, a manual wood splitter will get the job done cheaply.

Introducing the Splitting Maul and the Log Splitter

Weight – Wedges can weigh anywhere from 3 – 5 Ibs usually, but 4 Ibs is the most common weight. Anything outside this range will affect how easy it is to maneuver and actually split the logs. While there weren’t any stand-out safety features incorporated into this log splitter, its simplicity means that these aren’t really needed. Keep your hands away from the log and follow the safety tips in the instruction manual and you should be just fine! I wouldn’t say that ear protection was necessary either; this log splitter is a little quieter than an axe, so it’s not particularly noisy. The most important factor that you need to consider when looking for the best log splitter is the type of wood that you want to split.