pallet buster is it worth getting?

[@quirkygreece]

My standard method is to try and just knock the pallets apart, and if that’s not possible I saw through the nails and punch out the nail-halves afterwards. I find the hardest thing is to get those awful chipboard blocks off. I don’t use them for anything, I just saw through the nails and put them in the woodburner, nails & all, but it would be nice to be able to get them off more easily and it would make clearing ash from the woodburner easier.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Those blocks burn wonderfully well! I have gone from 20 mins per pallet to 5 mins tops.

[@vargr]

I use a reciprocating saw and a metal cutting blade to take apart pallets, good wood I build with, and broken wood becomes firewood.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Decent. That works well. Do you ever hit nails? ( I used a chainsaw once and went through a couple and wouldn't recommend that! ) I guess the bits still stuck together will burn longer anyhow. One of the plusses of the buster is if you wanted to keep all the whole bits ... (and do it fast)

[@RobTheFrugalist]

One of the negatives of the buster is paying for it :D but if you do a lot its worth it.

[@CeridwenEdwards-mu2rw]

If you loosen both ends first then do the middle the boards are less likely to split. The blocks can usually be knocked off with a few taps from a lump hammer afterwards. There are much better ballet breakers available for around £30-£40 on that well known auction site. They usually look like they are homemade typically 100cm long, sometimes painted sometimes not and are welded together. Much tougher than the roughneck and vevor breakers. Even though they are often a bit shorter they are so much stronger they make it much easier to break up pallets although you will still come across the occasional pallet with extra wide boards or damaged timber that doesnt split cleanly.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

Thanks for the ideas. When doing opposite ends don't you find they just pop back in (like with a seesaw effect)?

[@CeridwenEdwards-mu2rw]

@@RobTheFrugalist Not had that problem, because the nails have been loosened or pulled through the boards on the ends the boards just pop off when doing the middle.

[@RobTheFrugalist]

@@CeridwenEdwards-mu2rw fair enough! :) 😀