Timber Tuff Manual Log Splitter with Steel Slide Hammer, 44 Inch, Green

Wow. This thing is awesome. I've bought hundreds of products from amazon over the years and this is the 1st time I've really felt compelled to write a review. I use it to trim down logs that are too fat for my fireplace (I buy split wood but often the pieces are too large in diameter to really get a good burn and flame in my fireplace). After breaking my back and slaving over a splitting maul outdoors in the cold all winter, I can now produce the same results in my garage with a fraction of the effort. 3 or 4 slides and the log cracks like an egg. Very easy, very fast. Some people have been commenting that it's quite the workout...maybe a little if you're using it for a while, but it's nothing compared to slinging an 8 lb maul like I was. See my tips below for proper usage to save yourself some energy. This tool is amazingly simple, and frankly I'm surprised that something like this wasn't invented long ago. I'm sure people would have loved to have this thing around in the lincoln log days. Tips for usage: 1. USE A CHOPPING BLOCK. It should be about 12" high, depending on your height (I'm 5'7"). If you place the logs on the ground, you will be "hunched over" and it will put a great deal of strain on your lower back, as it is pretty heavy. At the bottom of the slide, your hands should be no lower than your waist. You wouldn't place a log on the ground when using a splitting maul, right? Same concept. 2. Hold the wedge and tap a couple times into the log to get it set. Then slam it and it should split pretty quickly. 3. Pick the tool up by the bottom wedge, as you would raise a maul by the head, because this is the heaviest part. Otherwise it's like raising a maul by the end of the handle-- poor leverage. This really pays off if you're using it for a while.

Timber Tuff is one of several name-branded sellers of these devices. I have 3 from different sellers. All are constructed similarly and operate on the same principle as a post hole driver. The vertical slide hammer action the drives the wedge into the log. This tool is incredible and inexpensive.. 25-35 bucks if you look around. I recommend 2 for greatest versatility. I use them with a log splitter to finish cross-grain splits. Quickly and easily free seized wedges. Will split anything you would use a conventional steel wedge on-- but easier, less body wear, and almost fun. On big stuff, I score the face with a chainsaw to make a groove to set the wedge tip into. Then hammer away. I use a second splitter once a crack is defined. Together, they make fast work of 24" oak rounds. Even drives through knots. Reverse the handle action and you can retrieve the wedge if jammed. Try that with the conventional wedge. Extend the handle up to create a good pry bar effect. Especially useful to spread knitted splits. Once you learn to use this tool and exploit the versatility, it will replace your wedges, sledge, maul, axe and a lot of sweat. I'm a 66 yr. old puny guy who manually harvests and processes about 4 cords of wood per year. Now the products. They are not all alike. Northern sells the best, slightly heavier duty, better welds, and a superior lock nut mechanism. Timber Tuff and Harbor Freight sell an identical, less sturdy unit. Principal complaint is the lock nut is tapped through the channel steel handle. I ripped one out, stupidly, by operating the tool in place. YOU MUST REMOVE THE LOCK NUT during use. Put it in you pocket or buy a couple of spare 8 mm bolts. The Northern tool has a retainer nut welded to the tap hole. All work well so far. I've put them to the test. The weld joints will tell the test of time. But any that fail can be repaired easily. The hammer handle is another point of potental weakness. With repeated hammering, the end of the handle must be a thick and securely welded. I have blown out the back of cheap post hole drivers after some use. Again, if this design fails, re-weld will fix it. My reccommendation: 1) Northern 2) Others

I am new to fireplaces and log-splitting. The ax that came with the house is too heavy for me to swing effectively, so I had been hammering the ax through the wood with a 3-pound sledge. It wasn't easy, and it was extremely loud. And there was a definite limit to how large log I could split that way without the ax getting stuck half-way through the log. Compared to that method, using this log splitter is a breeze. First let me say that the wood had not been stacked, but dumped randomly in the mud and exposed to constant rain, so it was pretty darned wet. The wood had not been seasoned long; some ends had not begun to split yet. Many of the logs (which also came with the house) are larger than 15 inches in diameter, mostly cherry and pine. Many are as long as 3 feet. It doesn't seem to matter how big the log is. Many of the cherry trunks had had several very large branch stumps (up to 4 inches long and 8 inches in diameter) attached to them, making the wood extremely hard and knotty. That doesn't matter either; the splitter usually goes right through the knots and splits the branch as well. It also doesn't seem to matter that some of the cross-cuts are slanted; as long as I prop up the log some way (like between my boots) and get in the first couple of gentle drops to set the blade, that log is going to split. If only gravity is used, the log will split; if a little force is added, it splits about three times as fast. When I had first started spitting wood with the ax and sledge, I had assumed that the huge, branching logs were either going to rot in the pile, or someone bigger than me was going to have to split them. But I was seriously having so much fun splitting logs that I would have spent the whole day doing it if I hadn't had to get to an appointment. I will say that, while I did split a lot of wood bare-handed, using heavy gloves is better. Also, there are better techniques, and worse ones. I watched a couple of youtube videos of people using devices like this. It's much better for your hands to forcefully fling the weight down and let go of the weight BEFORE it hits the blade, than to keep your hands on the weight through the entire stroke. Since the tool holds itself upright as soon as it gets set in the wood, usually after one or two gentle drops, it's easy to do that. Logs with slanted or jagged ends can simply be propped up between other logs. After doing it incorrectly the first day, every joint in my hands was swollen and achy. If you are a newbie, I highly recommend watching some videos first. The splitter is loud. I use Mack's wax earplugs, and try to use the tool on a day when the neighbors are using noisy machines. UPDATE: I added a photo to show a log that I should not have attempted to split; the tool is also pictured for scale. I had been having fun splitting logs that were 13 inches long and 10 inches in diameter. I decided I needed a challenge. The first challenge log was 30 inches long and 6 inches in diameter, and had a branch stump that was 10 inches long and 6 inches in diameter. This log split easily; the main challenge was holding the log in an upright position. The second challenge log was 20 inches long, 14 inches wide, a bit damp, and had several 5-inch branch stumps. I realized my mistake once the head of the tool was about 2 inches into the large log. I wanted to give up, but then I couldn't get blade back out. The problem is, unlike an ax, there is littlehope of rocking or beating the blade out because it is clamped in a perfectly square hole, and the handle is perfectly smooth and round with no outcropping to hammer at. I spent an hour using a hand ax with a sledge to open more cracks, but that didn't loosen the tool at all. Then I tried slowly chipping little bits away--that didn't work either. So I was committed to finishing the job with the splitter. It didn't take more force or strength, just a lot more patience and time than the smaller logs needed. The smaller log-split at the bottom of the pic was used as a wedge to hold open the crack in the large log. I needed to use the wedge because the crack was not opening as fast as the blade was sinking into the log, and the handle got jammed against the wood. To use the wedge, I just set it edge-down in the crack, dropped the tool's handle once or twice, pushed the wedge down a little with my foot, and repeated this process until the split was complete. Though I was successful in the end, I'm disinclined to try to split more logs this big! Splitting the halves into smaller pieces should be easier. I think it was also an energy-saver to drop the weight a couple of times, then rest for 15-60 seconds as the log audibly continued to split itself.

Prior to 18 months ago I never had a fireplace or wood stove so my log splitting experience is shorter than many other people. However, I've split several cords of wood (mostly oak and hickory) with a wedge (I have various styles) and sledge hammer so I'm not a total newbie. I've never been interested in using a maul so have no experience with that. This type of manual log splitter is sold by several stores and I read as many reviews as I could find about the different offerings. It appeared that the splitters were very similar so I went with the Timber Tuff since the price on Amazon was the lowest I could find. I was slightly concerned about the few negative reviews about the Timber Tuff but now that I've used it I can say that the positive reviews are correct. The first thing I did was file the wedge to a sharper edge (dull out of the box). I then removed the screw that keeps the wedge section secure during transportation. It it only in the way when using the splitter. I tried the splitter on 12-14" oak. One blow and the wedge was secured into the wood. Several strikes later the log was split. I mostly just let gravity do its thing and it took around ten hits to split the wood. I then split the halves in quarters and that took only a few strikes. I split another 30 log pieces and the Timber Tuff was easy to use and worked very well. I noticed that after 30 minutes use the slide hammer was slightly less smooth as it went up/down the rod. I sprayed a bit of WD40 lithium grease and the hammer section slid better than when I first used it. In summary, I find the Timber Tuff splitter to be sturdy, and it efficiently and easily splits logs. It is not the fastest way to split wood but it is much lower impact on the body than swinging a sledge or maul. This is a great addition to my lumberjack tools. UPDATE June 2015 - After 2.5 years of ownership my log splitter has broken. While using the sliding handle/hammer in reverse to dislodge the stuck wedge the welded piece on the end of the shaft broke off. As at least one other reviewer has written, I can now see that the weld was mediocre quality so no surprise it broke. I've split approximately 50 log pieces before the tool broke, which is not much. I don't have Herculean strength nor do I abuse my tools. So while I initially judged this to be a nice tool, with more real experience I have adjusted my rating to 3 stars. The tool works well but breaks too easily.

I'm not giving up on my hydraulic wood splitter, but I'm keeping this on the porch to split those pieces of firewood that don't fit well in the wood stove. I bought one of these for my vacation cabin, where I don't want to leave a hydraulic splitter and don't need too much wood, but after testing it and being satisfied, I immediately bought a second one to leave at my farm home for the porch where we store our wood in winter. There is a allen wrench tightened screw on the side that locks the handle in the closed position. It is a bit of a nuisance because when it is opened to make the tool usable, it is rather loose and can easily get lost. I think they should have engineered something simple that did the same thing, like a push button or something, that stays out of the way and can't get loose. A minor complaint. You can just remove it and stick it in your odd bits drawer and you will probably never miss it. If I designed this tool, I would have added a flange below the rubber coated part of the handle to keep your hand in proper position, so you can push against that rather than relying on a super tight grip. I might modify mine with the welder to make that. Another minor issue, it might not seem important to others, just an issue for a better design. The first wood I split was some very tough black locust wood. It took about two whacks to embed the wedge into the top and 3 more whacks to split it. Once split, the halves were quartered with one or two whacks. On easier wood, it would take less effort. I consider this acceptable. Using a splitting maul, it is quite possible I would have wasted more time, especially if I had to switch to a wedge and sledge hammer to finish it. People with lots of axe experience might not find this more efficient, but I had some rotator cuff damage a couple years ago and I was trying to find some solution that didn't put my arm in a position where it reintroduces the injury. A side benefit: this is exercise. I imagine it gives some benefits others find in shake weights and free weights. This would be fine for a half hour of splitting. I think for more than that, I'd find it more efficient to drag out the hydraulic splitter. Some day I might even buy a third one to keep on my UTV firewood minitruck.

The first splitter that arrived bent after splitting only a few logs. The seller paid return shipping and sent a new splitter. The second splitter was very sticky at first. The paint was inhibiting the movement of the splitter, but after a few frustrating logs, the issue resolved itself and the splitter now works as it should. This device is much easier on your back than an ax and much safer as well.Using the device is surprisingly loud, but splitting wood is hardly a library activity. It is fairly easy to use assuming the wood you are trying to split is not too green or too knotty. All in all, this is a good value considering the price. The engineering could be better, but for <$40, it's fine. Update Sept. 2017: When it worked, it was a nifty tool, but the second splitter has also broken. Just does not seem to want to stand the test of time. It's too bad because I really wanted to like this product.

I've had the splitter for a few months and it works great. It works very well on softer aged wood (even with larger logs) but not as good on harder wood or wood with knots. For the harder wood (or wood with a lot of knots), this splitter would sometimes get stuck. In those situations, I had to use my other wedges to assist in the splitting and free this device. I just split 12-14 aged maple logs yesterday and it was extremely easy. I was able to get 6-8 splits per log with little effort. My only complaint is the rubber handle cover. It does not hold up very long and will eventually crack and start to slip. You really need it in place to get a grip on the splitter so I had to duct tape it up! Other than that, this splitter was definitely worth the money!

I had two very large oak trees cut down, I figured if the tree company cut them into 24" pieces, I would split them for my outdoor fire pit. Well, at first, GREAT exercise and worked up a sweat...ALL GOOD. Then it came apart. When It gets stuck and it will get stuck in the wood, i hammered it UP and the weld inside the handle didn't hold and came apart. So I bought a another one thinking it was so effective I needed it to finish the 2 trees worth of splitting. Again, it got stuck and thsi time I DID NOT hammer it UP, and one year later the second one is still working fine. FYI > I use the broken first one to help UNSTICK the second one when the second one sticks. GREAT EXERCISE, makes you feel THOR-like LOL

Do the gob weel,good quality,fast shipping.

The first thing to get used to and manage is how noisy it is when hammer meets anvil to split. Works very well but on behalf of other campers ensure your work is done during the day.

I'll need to give it a work out when the temperature goes down. Above freezing on cherry wood it's a real workout. It's also a little hard if you've got any joint pain in the hands, elbows, shoulders to deal with. Better than an axe though. Certainly worth the price.

It was not big enough for my job

works great for me and my medical condition and for my wife. easy to use