As predicted, just as we kid ourselves that we can wear T-shirts through winter, along comes a cold snap and those thick sweaters are heaved from the back of cupboards along with scarves and gloves.
And now is the time to turn your attention to the thick branches and tree trunks left to season over the summer.
Swinging a hefty axe is a sure way to a back injury and a log splitter will do the job for you faster and with much less effort.
They are safe and simple to use and here are ten top machines to consider with splitting forces right up to one with a splitting force of 25 tons, a real professional machine.
This first one is a best seller and has attracted a host of 4 and 5 star reviews from our customers with comments like “…the build quality is excellent. “, “…performs flawlessly and is an absolute bargain.” and “SUPERB.”
Yes, the MD 4-Ton Electric Horizontal Log-Splitter, currently on special offer, has enough splitting force for most garden woods and is the best value electric splitter in the UK.
Logs are forced against a triangular splitting wedge with hydraulic power created by a 1500W electric motor.
It can take logs up to 37cm long and 25cm in diameter, and is safe to use as both hands are needed to operate it.
Wheels on the base of the machine mean it is easy to move around.
You can also buy a four way splitting wedge for another £20 if you want smaller logs.
It costs £159.95, £90 of the recommended price and has a two year warranty. We deliver it free the next working day.
The MD 5-Ton Electric Log-Splitter, also on special offer, is a similar machine but this one has a greater splitting force and can cope with tougher, more twisted wood.
It will also split more hefty logs – 25cm in diameter and 52cm long – and like its little brother also needs both hands to operate it and is the lowest priced splitter in its class.
It costs £179.95, £120 off the price recommended and has a two year warranty and free next working day delivery. You can also buy a four-way splitting wedge for an extra £20.
And this special offer incorporates the previous machine with a stand.
With the MD 5-Ton Electric Log-Splitter with Stand (Special Offer) there is less bending as all you need to do is place the log in the cradle and pull the lever – and all while still standing.
And with five tons of splitting force it can deal with most garden woods.
It takes the same length and diameter wood as mentioned above and costs £199.95, £150 off the recommended price. The same free delivery and warranty apply as does the offer on a four-way splitting wedge for £20.
This is a similar device, British designed and simple to use.
The Cobra LS520H Electric Log-Splitter has a 1500W electric motor to provide the 5.5 tons of splitting power and is fitted with a four-way splitting wedge.
Fast, easy and safe, it has transport wheels to make it easy to move around and has a sturdy metal stand.
It costs £229, has a two year warranty and is delivered free the next working day.
If you want one with a bit more splitting power, have a look at this, the Lawnflite LS2300 7-Ton Electric Log-Splitter.
This has a 2300W electric motor to generate the hydraulic power and can take logs 52cm long and 32cm in diameter.
The splitting action has two speeds so you can vary it according to the density of the wood being split, slow for something like fruit wood and fast for the likes of straight-grained ash.
It weighs 81kg and you can also buy a stand for working at waist height.
It costs £379, £70 off the recommended price and it has a one-year warranty. Delivery the next working day is free.
Now a vertical splitter which many people with large quantities of wood to process prefer.
The Cobra LS600V Electric Vertical Log-Splitter has a 3000W electric motor to produce six tone of splitting power.
It has a four-way splitting wedge and a base plate which has three positions which can you adjust according to the length of the wood. It deals with wood up to 30cm in diameter.
Transport wheels make it easy to move around the garden or yard.
It costs £439, £10 less than the price recommended and has a two-year warranty. We deliver it free the next working day.
The Mitox LS700 Multisplit Electric Log-Splitter has a four-way splitting wedge which lets the logs be split in multiple positions.
There is also a return mechanism designed so that you can adjust the distance the wedge moves according to the length of the log, speeding up the whole operation.
The seven tons of splitting pressure means you can deal with awkward hard woods with twisted grains up to 104cm in length.
This one is delivered free within two to three working days and has a two year maker’s warranty.
And from the same company comes the petrol-powered version allowing you to work further away from a mains supply.
The Mitox LS700BS Multisplit Petrol Log-Splitter exerts seven tons of splitting pressure using a 6.5hp Briggs & Stratton which is engine made to be easy to start and to keep vibration levels to a minimum.
This too has a multi-direction splitting ability which lets you adjust the distance the ram has to travel, a great time-saving feature.
It can take logs up to 104cm in length.
It costs £899 and is delivered free within two to three working days with a two year maker’s warranty.
Now another electrically-powered machine but with a massive 12 tons of power.
The Dormak R12-EL 12-Ton Electric Log-Splitter is one to consider if you have a number of hungry wood burners or wood fires.
That power is generated by 2200W electric motor transmitted to a three-stage splitting system – horizontal, mid-way and vertical.
And it has a six-step splitting wedge so you can select the distance appropriate for the length of log, from 22.5cm up to 70cm.
This makes it one of the most versatile and comfortable machines to use.
It has wide, pneumatic tyres for ease of manoeuvrability.
It costs £1699 and is delivered free within two to three working days with a two-year warranty.
And now the most powerful of the lot, one with enough force to satisfy demanding log merchants.
The MTD-Lawnflite LS550 25-Ton Log-Splitter can split logs up to 63.5cm long and the 25 tons of pressure will split even the most difficult woods like twisted oak.
The power comes from a 6hp Briggs & Stratton engine, reliable and easy to fire up.
It can be used either vertically or horizontally, whichever is best for the user, and the full splitting cycle is only around 19 seconds.
It costs £1899 compared with the recommended price of £2239, a massive saving, and comes with free hydraulic oil worth £100.
We deliver it free within four to five working days of receiving your order and there is a one year warranty from Lawnflite.
Using a log splitter can save hours of time swinging an axe and will also save your from wallet a nasty shock as the cost of wood has not gone down like the price of other fuels.
See these pages for a large selection of log splitters and remember you can always give us a ring on 08454 588905 if you would like our advice before buying.