What Kind of Hydraulic Pressure Is Present on a Log Splitter?

Hydraulic Pressure Explained

• Liquids are not compressible. Hydraulic machines make use of this quality to create very powerful forces out of very small engines by multiplying the force of the engine with a hydraulic cylinder. If a pump pushes fluid into a 1-inch hose which leads to a hydraulic cylinder 10 inches wide, the piston inside the cylinder will move 10 times slower but with 10 times the force.

Low End Log Splitter

• A home owner with just one fireplace might own a 1.75-horsepower electric motor-powered log splitter such as the Earthquake 5-ton Electric Log Splitter. It can split logs up to 20 inches long and 12 inches wide. This log splitter weighs 105 pounds and has a hydraulic pressure of 2,320 psi.

High End Log Splitter

• The Troy-Bilt 27 Ton Log Splitter is for people who have a lot of wood to split. The 600-pound machine uses a Honda 5.5 horsepower engine, producing 27 tons of force for a 19-second splitting cycle and can split logs up to 25 inches long. The Troy-Bilt log splitter uses a pump producing 3,200 psi.