Conventional work cycle In a typical log splitter, the operator places a log on the splitter, then shifts a directional valve to route fluid from the pump to the cap end of the hydraulic cylinder. The combined flow from both pumps extends the cylinder's piston rapidly to reduce the time it takes to advance the wedge to the engage the log. A gallon of oil is about 231 cubic inches, so you have to pump almost 1.5 gallons of oil to move the piston 24 inches in one direction. That's a fair amount of oil to pump -- think about that the next time you watch how quickly a hydraulic backhoe or skid/loader is able to move! In our log splitter, the maximum flow rate is 11 gallons per minute. Hand and foot operated models - There are three types of manual log splitters, hand operated models which work by moving a leaver up and down to move the hydraulic ram. Foot operated ones that work by pressing a foot pedal and finally models that have both, which gives you both options. The type of log splitter i.e. vertical, horizontal, 3-point etc. The power of a log splitter needed can vary but for a homeowner splitting their own firewood, a 22-Ton or 27-Ton log splitter is generally adequate. If you're producing large quantities of firewood or splitting hardwood, a 28-Ton to 35-Ton log splitter may be better. The word of log splitting is changing at a fast rate. Apparently, kinetic energy seems to be the wave of the future in this field. Rather than using the hydraulic pumps as most wood splitters do, the kinetic log splitters employ a powerful flywheel system to power your wood cutting machine. A manual log splitter uses a hydraulic jack on one end of the log splitter with a welded wedge on the other end of the log splitter. You will need to tighten down the screw on the jack in order to secure the log so that you can move the cylinder into position. Problems With Task Force Electric Log Splitters By Adam Yeomans ; Updated September 21, 2017 Log splitters take the back-breaking work of splitting cut log pieces by utilizing a hydraulic plate that pushes the log against an axe-shaped cutter, splitting the logs. The hydraulic pump controls the flow of fluid within the pump system. Most log splitter hydraulic pumps will be two-stage pumps, meaning that they can force the liquid within them to move in two different directions, which allows for the hydraulic arm to be pushed forward to split wood, and also retracted so the machine can be reloaded with a new log. I have a manual 10 ton hydraulic log splitter (purchased from Northern Tool) and I also have a problem with a loss of driving force. At first I thought that I had lost some hydraulic fluid so I bought some more fluid. Then I stood the splitter on-end with the reservoir end up (wedge down). An electric splitter is not really much different in functionality than a manual one, they both use a hydraulic pump system to provide the force needed to split the log. However, the chances of entrapment or