A Guide to Log Splitting
5th Oct 2022
There are reports of an upsurge in chainsaw sales as more and more people look to get log burners and woodburning stoves for their homes. The cost of energy is thought to be behind the rising popularity.
If you’re one of the many people who’ve newly installed a woodburner, you’ll need a reliable way to chop logs into smaller pieces to burn and keep your home toasty. Here’s a helpful guide to help you choose what will suit you.
Axes
The traditional way to chop logs, an axe makes a great addition to the tool shed. Draper offers a wide range of axes to suit a variety of jobs. For log splitting, we especially recommend our 710mm Fibreglass Splitting Axe – it’s lightweight and versatile, designed to see you through years of use in the garden. The durable fibreglass material helps absorb vibrations, while the added soft grip handle makes it comfortable to use and allows for increased control too. The axe blade is made from high carbon steel to deliver a strong cutting performance.
For complete peace of mind, Draper’s fibreglass axes features a lockable safety storage holster, ensuring the blades are safely protected when not in use. With their bright green colour, there’s no danger of losing these axes in the undergrowth or discarded branches and wood when you’re busy working.
Log splitters
An alternative to an axe is a log splitter – you can use one of these with a sledge hammer or splitting maul. It’s surprisingly simple but effective method to split your logs down into useable pieces for the burner, especially for hardwood. To make the task as easy as possible, chose a log splitter with an extra broad striking shoulder, such as the Draper Log Splitting Star Wedge – this really helps make light work of the job.
Chainsaws
If you’ve got a lot of wood to get through, you might want to consider investing in a chainsaw to chop your logs with ease. Draper Tools offers a comprehensive selection of chainsaws and chainsaw accessories too. If you’ve already got some of our D20 power tools in your collection, you’ll love our D20 40V Chainsaw – it’s a compact, quieter than petrol and lightweight but powerful - and of courses utilises our D20 multi-tool battery technology. High quality petrol chainsaws are available in the Draper range too, take a look here.
A chainsaw is a powerful tool and with that there’s a need to take safety very seriously. Always wear PPE such as safety glasses to prevent wood chippings in the eye and ear protection for petrol chainsaws. We strongly advise you to be protected head to toe with chainsaw boots, trousers and jacket too.
Firewood & log splitting tips:
- You need to let your logs dry out before you can use them as firewood, this can take from three to twelve months. The general advice is that you leave them to dry for six months.
- Always wear the correct PPE when chopping and splitting logs
- Look for the weak spots in the log you’re working on - the points where the wood naturally wants to split, and strike at these first for an easier cut
- Set up in a good space with no overhanging branches around you with a good chopping block
Keep warm
If you’re looking for other ways to keep warm, check out our efficient Electric PTC Heaters for the home and a range of industrial options for the workplace. For any advice on Draper products to help keep you warm this autumn and winter, please feel free to contact us.
