Log splitter

A simple log splitter may be powered by an electric motor driving a hydraulic pump or by gasoline or diesel engine with or without a tractor.

Some commercial splitters are part of a 'firewood processor' that saw logs of timber into lengths, split them, and then carries the wood up an inclined conveyor onto a pile or into a bag, truck, or trailer.

The rising cost of domestic heating gas oil has reawakened a desire for alternative fuel sources and burning wood is carbon neutral [needs citation].

Many consumers that would not have considered splitting their logs a few years ago are now burning wood fuel for both ecological and economical reasons.

The behavior of each log cannot be predicted, so a safety zone should be established around the splitter to prevent injury from flying splinters of wood.