Yard Machines 4.5-Ton 1.5 HP Electric Logsplitter 24AM5A2A700

Rating

The log splitter came days after it was promised and we had to coordinate being at the house for drop off, so it was a hassle. When it arrived we were very excited (had a ton of wood to split and a bright sunny day). Went outside in our jammies to unwrap and assemble,but it was damaged in a way that couldn’t be overcome. One of the key bolts (heavy, heavy gauge) was bent. Really disappointing–if it had been non-integral damage I would have kept it. Amazon was prompt and efficient with the refund, but the cost to all of us over the long haul for this type of damage is tough in that the cost of handling, shipping, reshipping and processing the refund for a 30 cent bolt is a waste. We went to Home Depot and bought a 4 ton electric splitter (the yellow brand) and it’s fantastic.

Rating

I have one of these which I purchased second hand at an estate sale for a fraction of the cost of a new one. With just an electric motor, I didn’t expect it to do the work of a more powerful gas powered splitter. It has actually performed better than my expectations. It splits most logs 12 inches in diameter or less with no problems, and some logs even larger. I have found a few hard wood logs of about 12 inches that it just couldn’t split. I split these in half with wedges and a maul, and then it did the rest of the job with little difficulty. If it doesn’t have the power just tighten down the hex screw all the way. Unfortunately I tightened the lock nut on the hex screw too tight and twisted the screw off. But it still works just fine with plenty of power so I haven’t bothered to fix this problem yet. Overall I am happy with my Yard Machine log splitter. Sure beats the heck out of doing it the hard way!