Sun Joe LJ600E Logger Joe 5 Ton 2 HP Electric Log Splitter

Rating

This is definitely a light duty log splitter. Some issues I have with it start with: it takes both hands to operate. By design, the power switch needs to be be held in on one side, and the lever to split the log is on the other. The switch can be a little problematic with gloves on. This means you have to bend over with your face about 1 1/2ft from the motor. If a log ever kicks back, your face will be toast. In all fairness, the slow speed and any kicking logs will likely go forward by design. The motor is loud enough in that you can not hear anyone talking to you is they are standing next to you. Releasing the lever, or the power switch, stops the log splitter, so you have no choice but to have both hands on the machine to operate.

Only about 1 or 2 in 10 pine logs split cleanly. I spent almost as much time manually separating the logs after they split, than I did splitting them. It doesn’t quite advance far enough to completely split many of the logs. Any heavy load, and it leaks hydraulic fluid. When the splitter retracts, about half the time it does so in slow motion.

The manual spends more time telling you what NOT to do and safety/legal cover-their-a$$ issues, that it takes some searching to find the instructions on how it operates, though it is quite simple to figure out.

For the price, if you are doing light duty splitting, 10″ diameter or less logs with few knots, then this may work fine for you. Anything more than that, get a bigger one. If I had to do it over, I would have.