Summary of Important Safety Information for Operation
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Other exhaust dangers
. Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle components contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. Avoid
inhalation of exhaust.
Safety in Loading, Operating, and Unloading
Square log ends
. Logs that are not cut square can slide out while splitting and become a safety hazard or cause
excessive force to log splitter components. Use a chainsaw to cut logs square on each end before attempting to split
them.
Single log
. Never attempt to split more than one log at a time. Pieces of log can unexpectedly be thrown from the
machine causing serious injury.
Split along grain
. Do not use the log splitter to split logs across the grain. Doing so will damage the log splitter
and could also cause pieces of log to be thrown, injuring the operator or bystanders.
Forked logs
. Splitting forked logs can cause damage the log splitter. Trim the forked log with a chain saw prior to
splitting the log.
Keep hands clear
. ALWAYS keep hands and feet away from the endplate, wedge, and partially split logs while
loading, operating and unloading the log splitter.
Operator position
. ALWAYS operate the log splitter from the manufacturer's indicated OPERATOR POSITION.
Other positions are unsafe because they can increase the risk of injury from crushing, cutting, flying objects, or
burns.
Straddling / reaching across
. Never straddle, reach across, or step over the beam while the engine is running and
the log splitter is in the horizontal position. You could trip, actuate the controls, and get seriously injured.
Second person
. Many accidents occur when there is more than one person involved in loading and operating the
log splitter. Only one person should operate the controls.
If a second person is assisting in loading logs, the
operator must NEVER actuate the Split Control Lever until the assistant and all bystanders are at least 10 feet
away. NEVER allow an assistant to hold the log in place while the operator actuates the Split Control Lever
.
Loading/Unloading
Unsplit log pile
. Do not pile logs to be split in a place that will make you reach across the log splitter in order to
load them
.
Hold bark side
. Hold the bark side of logs when loading or positioning, never the ends. Never place your hands or
any part of your body between a log and any part of the log splitter.
NOTE for vertical position loading
: Place the log on the endplate and turn it until it leans against the beam and is
stable. If the log is too big or oddly shaped, stabilize the log with wooden shims between the log and endplate or
ground. DO NOT use your leg or knee to stabilize the log. NEVER stabilize the log by placing your hand on top of
the log.
Wedge moving
. NEVER load or unload logs while the wedge is moving.
Cracks
. Cracks in logs can close quickly and pinch fingers. Keep fingers away from any cracks that open in
partially split logs
.
Split log pile
. Move each log away from log splitter after it is split. Split logs left near the log splitter are a trip
hazard
.
Remove hands
. Remove both hands from log before activating Split Control Lever.
Hand activate
. Use only your hand to operate the Split Control Lever. Never use any other body part, or a rope,
cable, or other remote device to actuate the control.
Returning wedge
. Once the control valve is actuated in the return direction, the wedge is designed to keep
returning by itself completely and then stop automatically. Stay clear while the wedge is returning. It is still
powerful enough on the return stroke to cause serious injury.
Log stuck on wedge
. If a log does not split completely and becomes stuck on the wedge, follow the instructions
below to remove the log. A log can become stuck to the wedge if the wedge becomes embedded in the log and the
log doesn't split and separate. This can happen if the log is too stringy or tough to split completely. A stuck log will
move back with the wedge on the initial attempt to retract the wedge. If this happens, retract the wedge completely
to allow the splitter to strip the log from the wedge. Keep hands clear of log and wedge while wedge is retracting.
WARNING: NEVER
attempt to remove a stuck log by:
Modifying the splitter.
