Ryobi 5 Ton Electric Log Splitter

Just thought I'd share a "hack" I found that helps this splitter work on a lot more logs than it did without it.

[@babydawley]

Shopping for a log splitter. Seems like most like this Ryobi. Thanks for letting me see it in action

[@bluehandsvideo]

Mine was a return, but it was the only one they had. I've had a couple of people contact me saying that there's would go right through these logs....suggesting that there's something wrong with mine. That could be the case. I'm going to have to go rent a full size splitter to do the stuff this one wouldn't. You're more than welcome. :)

[@scrubsz]

Great video! Thanks for the hack idea. Man, that last log was HUGE. The Ryobi handled well!

[@bluehandsvideo]

Thanks!! You're more than welcome. I've since started using a piece of pipe that I could bungee cord in place. :)

[@scrubsz]

@@bluehandsvideo You wouldn't believe it, but I was at Home Depot the other day and I walked by this Ryobi log-splitter. It was marked down to $180 (from $299). I asked one of the employees why it was marked down and he told me that they just don't sell many of them. It was brand new in a sealed box. I couldn't pass up that offer! I'm looking for a 4-way wedge splitter that will fit over the stock wedge.

[@bluehandsvideo]

@@scrubsz I subbed just to see if you do a vid on it. That's a killer deal. I hope it works well for you. I have my doubts about it handling a 4-way, since this one barely handles the one wedge. lol I'll cross my fingers for you. You'll probably have to make one.

[@bsmith2340]

I love this play on physics. So simple. Definitely going to try it on mine

[@bluehandsvideo]

Thanks :) I've since switched to a piece of steel tubing that I can bungee cord in place. I got tired of picking up the wood pieces when they fell. lol

[@SimjetAU]

Nice hack Mike...I have 8T log splitter but is is a electric motor that drives a hydraulic pump...doesnt have any drama splitting the hardwood we have here..Ironbark is the most prolific trees we use here..wood burns for a long time. But I like this hack as it makes sense too :)

[@bluehandsvideo]

Thanks! I guess I just need to get a few more tons out of this one. :) I thought about buying a bigger one, but I'd rather put the money toward heat pumps and quit burning wood. lol

[@crappiesniper]

1 thing that would help and speed up that split is to take a block from like a 4x4 post and put it on the hydraulic side. It will allow you to reach the wood you are splitting faster and all the power of the hydraulic will hit that log with more force.

[@bluehandsvideo]

That's a good idea since all of these logs are pretty close to the same length. Thanks.

[@xenomorph7299]

so i learned 5 tons isnt enough

[@bluehandsvideo]

Pretty much.....at least with this splitter. I've heard of others with this same machine that don't have any trouble......so it might just be this unit.

[@paddlefaster]

Genius! I'm going to try this today. I have the same Ryobi and I've been cursing it as I'm trying to split and stock five cords of processed wood. Some of the chunks are just too big

[@bluehandsvideo]

Wow!! That's a lot of wood. Personally, I think I'd rent a nice big hydraulic one for that much wood. Thanks! I hope this helps you. :)

[@paddlefaster]

@@bluehandsvideo it was mostly processed. I had maybe half a cord that I had to split with the Ryobi. Your trick worked beautifully! Thank you for the video.

[@bluehandsvideo]

@@paddlefaster That's awesome!! I'm really happy to hear that it worked. :) Thanks for letting me know....I appreciate the time it takes to come back and reply. -Mike

[@stevepatch1809]

Have you checked the hydraulic fluid level ? I have a 5 ton harbor freight and I’ve split much larger logs with it, all hardwood.

[@bluehandsvideo]

That's been brought up before. I haven't used it since I did this vid. I will need to check that when the weather warms up a bit. If that is the case and it fixes the issue, I'll probably come back and post another vid. If I do, I'll see about putting a link here. Thanks!! -Mike

[@squareone4407]

Curious on any updates. Ive owned this same splitter for 3 uears now with no issues. Ryobi recommends rounds under like 10-14". I was just splitting 18-20" rounds of wet pine the other day with no issues. check fluid level and also make sure the bleed valve( its a wing head screw) is loose while in use for all the air to escape and not build up within the reservoir or it won't split much.

[@bluehandsvideo]

Thank you!!! I might just be doing an update fairly soon. We finally has some decent weather and your info got me very curious. I'm sure I'm not the only one, but I had not read the manual at all.......so I didn't have a clue about the air bleed screw or the dipstick. I stood it up yesterday and checked the oil level.....it's at about half and, of course, the bleed screw was closed. I'm going to see about getting some hydraulic oil in the morning. Since I don't know exactly what's in there, I'll probably buy a gallon and just drain/replace what's in there. Hopefully, I haven't damaged the seals already. I'm a bit anxious to try it. I'll try to come back and leave another response with the outcome. Possibly, another video if I feel up to it. :)

[@squareone4407]

@@bluehandsvideo I'll have to look at the manual in the morning, probably noon as I'm on nights. But if I remember correctly, your not supposed to fill the reservoir all the way. Mine was about half when I bought it new and I never added any after reading the Manuel so I'm sure that's plenty. Just have to have that bleed valve open, lol.

[@bluehandsvideo]

@@squareone4407 I work grave, too. I meant it was half way between the end of the stick and the max fill line on it. The manual if pretty vague....doesn't say anything about the fluid type, just "hydraulic fluid". I have the manual....I'll check it again, but I think it says to fill to the line, but not over. Since I don't know exactaly what fluid is in there, rather than add something different, I think I'll just change it out. I can get a gal of it at HD for under $20. The res takes 3.7qts, so that will leave me a bit to top off with down the road if needed.

[@bluehandsvideo]

@@squareone4407 Well....I finally got around to trying it again. I checked the fluid level.....there's a line on the rod, almost at the end and another about halfway up. My level was in the middle of those two, so I called it good. I opened the air bleed a few turns. It seemed to work a bit better, but I still had to use the "hack". I tried to split one with out it and it popped the breaker. I tried a few logs and it split them with the hack. Oh well. If I can at least split them with the hack, it will be okay. Thanks for pointing out the air bleed! There's even a sticker near it that I managed to ignore. lol :(

[@koma-k]

@@bluehandsvideo this splitter looks suspiciously similar to my 7t that I recently bought - I think they all come from the same Chinese factory, differing just in the paint colour and minor exterior details. At least the vendor I bought mine from has put together a pretty comprehensive manual for it, and it does mention that if you neglect to open the air bleed screw there is a danger of the air pressure gradually pressing out some of the seals. I used a very similar splitter borrowed from a neighbour last year, knowing nothing about the bleed screw, and his did develop a fluid leak some time later though I'm not sure if that was from a faulty/pressed-out seal or something else that failed.

[@testyourdesign233]

Nice hack. Make sense to me since F = P/A. So with an equivalent Force and a reduced Area you get higher pressure on the edge.

[@bluehandsvideo]

Thanks!! They say there's nothing new under the sun....I either saw this or learned it as a kid. I grew up running a chainsaw and hydraulic log splitter. :)

[@jatwangismyname900]

Did pressure or force cracked the wood?

[@bluehandsvideo]

@@jatwangismyname900 Force. Pressure is the measurement of it. "While they are similar in this regard, the difference between the 2 is simple: force is the total impact of one object on another, whereas pressure is the physical quantity of force spread over a certain area."

[@jatwangismyname900]

@@bluehandsvideo okay

[@jatwangismyname900]

Do you think a manual hydraulic wood splitter of the same tonnage might fare well than this electric splitter?

[@outsidescrewball]

You crack me up 😂 …simple smart👏🏆

[@bluehandsvideo]

Thanks buddy! :)

[@BenL-66]

Thank you, This helped a lot

[@bluehandsvideo]

You're more than welcome! I'm happy to hear it helped. :) -Mike

[@garyjones3364]

Thanks! You turned my piece of junk into a viable tool.

[@bluehandsvideo]

You're more than welcome! I was pretty disappointed with mine. This makes it usable enough to keep it.

[@socalducky]

Use a old wax candle on the blade, that will help with the friction…

[@bluehandsvideo]

That's a great idea!! Thanks :)

[@YurkoKurko]

How wide are those logs? Can you split the quarter pieces as well or do they just chip off the side?

[@bluehandsvideo]

Yes, you can keep splitting them down to kindling size, but I had plenty of kindling, so I just needed them small enough to fit the stove. That first log was about 6" across.

[@YurkoKurko]

@@bluehandsvideo Thank you for the video and feedback! 👍🏻

[@bluehandsvideo]

@@YurkoKurko You're more than welcome! :)

[@bertwagenaar8508]

Are you sure that your machine is running well? I got a 4 ton ryobi and it takes much bigger logs with nuts without any problems. Hardwood or softwood or pine without a centre pain.

[@bluehandsvideo]

Hmmm.....for whatever reason, I never really questioned it.......but now that you've asked that, it makes me wonder. I'll see if I can find some other vids with this splitter for comparison. Thanks. -Mike

[@bertwagenaar8508]

@@bluehandsvideo one time i got a big log with 5 big nuts on one spot and then it says no way, but all the rest it takes it. That log i turned it to the other way and problem solved😅. Maybe check your oil level? I check it every year. Oil on level gives more ton pressure.

[@bluehandsvideo]

@@bertwagenaar8508 I'll look into that next time I get a chance. Thanks for the suggestion!!

[@Pro1er]

Just a guess but I think your cutting wedge needs to be sharpened...a lot. That would probably solve the problem and save the ram/pump.

[@bluehandsvideo]

I'll have to look at it again. It wasn't as blunt as some I've seen, but it certainly wasn't sharp like a knife. I might have already "tweaked" it a bit, but I don't remember right now. Thanks! :)

[@Pro1er]

@@bluehandsvideo You can see the log compress in the video so there seems to be good power from the ram. Ask yourself if you would want to use the wedge as an axe head. It doesn't need to be razor sharp but you want it to start the cut without having to put stress on the machine.

[@bluehandsvideo]

@@Pro1er I'll have to look at it again.....it's been months since I used it. At some point, I'll get back down to the wood that will need split....then I'll have to pay attention to it. :)

[@Trackhoe075]

Just a quick thought did you make sure it’s full of hydraulic fluid? It’s like back in the day my neighbor couldn’t get his lawn mower started he changed the plug to a brand new one then checked to make sure it had spark it did and he even checked to make sure fuel shut off was in right direction but never never checked to actually make sure he had gas in the tank until I suggested it to him and after he stopped laughing at me for such a dumb question he never spoke to me again lol true story Do with it as you wish Have a good day

[@bluehandsvideo]

Good question......I should check. I would think it has enough since it would pop the breaker if I let it push a bit too long. Seems like it would have enough fluid if it built up enough pressure to stall it out like that.....but I could be completely wrong about that. It's been covered up and not used since this video. I would not be surprised if it goes another year like that. lol Funny story about your neighbor! :) Thanks! -Mike

[@somebodyelse6673]

Hm, what I'm seeing there is most of a hydraulic shop press. Nice long throw...

[@bluehandsvideo]

Cool idea!! You could probably just make replacements or adapters for the anvil and the pusher and not even modify the main unit.

[@keldsor]

Just look at the splitter that "Made in Poland" just made !

[@bluehandsvideo]

I've seen the auger type before. Are you referring to the chipper/splitter? I've seen the augers mounted to the rear end of a car. Hmmm......I'll bet I could machine the auger on the cnc lathe. :)

[@keldsor]

@@bluehandsvideo Take a look here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/earGnn-cqKucl9U The best design I've seen till now - both fast AND safe !

[@bluehandsvideo]

@@keldsor Thanks for the link Keld! I hadn't seen that one before. A lot of work, but a very interesting design.

[@outsidescrewball]

WOW….nice to see “Keld”!!!!

[@keldsor]

@@outsidescrewball THX - yeah, I'm still around - right now preparing the garden for the winter !

[@Foxfatherracing]

That splits like elm..

[@bluehandsvideo]

Interesting. I looked it up and even though it's more of a NE tree, it does grow here in Oregon.......so maybe. :)

[@brandonblankenship5293]

what gauge extension cord do you use?

[@bluehandsvideo]

I'll have to look. It was the heaviest gauge Home Depot had. I know it's at least 12ga.....possibly 10ga.

[@chriskourlos4407]

Take it back its junk!!

[@bluehandsvideo]

I probably should have, but it's way too late now.

[@daveberry2177]

i could split that with a axe in 2 seconds

[@scrubsz]

Yeah, but you don't build up a sweat and get blisters loading up a log-splitter....LOL

[@daveberry2177]

@@scrubsz true i am a fit 61 year old, why am i watching log splitters always been a axe man but getting old lol., starting to ache

[@bluehandsvideo]

@@daveberry2177 Since I'm a fat, out of shaper 58 yr old, I don't have the control muscles to handle the axe or maul....it just gets dangerous. But, I did try the maul on it and it pretty much bounced off. If it did make any headway, it got stuck pretty and was a pain to break loose. You're welcome to come take a swing at a few. :)

[@daveberry2177]

@@bluehandsvideo hey thanks for the reply, id love to come and help but im 61 and falling to bits

[@bluehandsvideo]

@@daveberry2177 I thought you said you were a fit 61 years old. You can come run the log splitter if you can't swing the ax. I've been dealing with firewood for nearly 50 years.....I'm sick to death of dealing with it. lol