
Whether you are looking for a log splitter for residential or commercial use, this post will help you make an informed choice. This post is more inclined to help you find a log splitter that will be the best for your needs rather than focusing on the best log splitter in the world. After all, if you are mostly going to split smaller rounds of Pine, White Oak, Fir etc, you certainly need not spending thousands of dollars buying the best gas log splitter in the world, right? On the other hand, if you will be using the log splitter for commercial purposes, you surely need a heavy-duty one. In any case, you need a log splitter that is efficient and cost-effective. In the following sections, we will talk about log splitters for different log splitting needs. Let’s first talk about the log splitters for residential use.
8 Best Log Splitters For Residential And Commercial Use
In this section, we reviewed 8 of the best log splitters for you, which are given below:
- Yardmax Half Beam Gas Log Splitter YS2565
- Yardmax electric log splitter YS0552
- Boss Industrial electric log splitter EC5T20
- Boss Industrial ES7T20 electric log splitter
- Champion gas log splitter 90720
- Sun Joe Logger Joe LJ10M splitter
- Yardmax gas log splitter YS3567
- RuggedMade Gas Log Splitter RS-537-E
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Image | Product | Feature | Price |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Yardmax Half Beam Gas Log Splitter YS2565 | Useful features such as log spinner, log stripper and stroke limiter | Check Price |
![]() | Yardmax electric log splitter YS0552 | Useful features such as stand, log tray and stroke limiter | Check Price |
![]() | Boss Industrial electric log splitter EC5T20 | Single-handed operation makes it very easy to operate. | Check Price |
![]() | Boss Industrial ES7T20 electric log splitter | Can be operated by a single hand, which is preferable for expert users. | Check Price |
![]() | Champion gas logsplitter 90720 | Single-handed operation makes it very easy to operate. | Check Price |
![]() | Sun Joe Logger Joe LJ10M splitter | Eco-friendly. Very low noise. No emission. | Check Price |
![]() | Yardmax gas log splitter YS3567 | Reasonably fast cycle time (12.8 seconds) | Not Available |
![]() | RuggedMade Gas Log Splitter RS-537-E | Can be used both vertically and horizontally. | Check Price |
Best log splitters for residential use
For residential use, you may buy a 5-ton or a 22-ton log splitter based on the type of wood you would be splitting, where you would be splitting, and how frequently you would be splitting. According to our research, most households do not need any more than 8 cords of wood in a typical winter even if they are using wood burning stoves to heat their households.
If your cut-wood source is close to your home (for now and in future), you might not need a gas log splitter. You can buy an electric log splitter and save some money. However, if you’ll be splitting somewhere far from your home, then you need a gas log splitter preferably one that can be towed along. However, the power of the log splitter is very important too. The lower the power, the lower the performance. A 22-ton log splitter can generate 44000 pounds of log cracking pressure whereas a 5-ton log splitter can produce only 10,000 pounds of ram force.
We will discuss what to expect from a 5-ton or 7-ton log splitter and what not. We understand that many of you wouldn’t want to go by the bare minimum. You would rather like a log splitter that will split anything you might throw at it for your residential log splitting needs. Surely, it will cost you more, but at the same time, it will save you from additional labor, and give you the peace of mind you need. With those parameters in mind, we highly recommend the Yardmax YS2565. Here’s why:
Yardmax Half Beam Gas Log Splitter YS2565

Yardmax YS2565 is a 25-ton gas log splitter. One could as easily consider it for commercial use, but considering it for residential use won’t be an impulsive decision either. Of course, you’ll need to spend an additional $500 for this unit compared to a 7-ton log splitter, but it will save you much time and effort. Also, you can relax knowing that your splitter will be able to split even those stubborn knotty rounds that can’t be split by those 7-ton or 10-ton log splitters.
YS2565 sports Briggs and Stratton 208cc Engine. It comes with a 7.5-inch 2-way wedge. A slip-on 4-way wedge also comes included. YS2565 features the fastest cycle time of its class, which is 9.7 seconds. The maximum log length and diameter it is rated to split are 26 inches and 25.5 inches respectively, which are the highest in its class and price range. Yardmax YS2565 offer many other practical and useful features that many log splitters don’t have. You can rely on this log splitter for residential use without a second thought. Read our full review on Yardmax YS2565 if you are interested.
Pros | Cons |
Excellent built and intuitive design | 4-way wedge is not as effective for larger logs. You’ll only be using it horizontally for smaller logs. |
Useful features such as log spinner, log stripper and stroke limiter | Switching to vertical from |
Fastest cycle time in its class 9.7 seconds per cycle | Expensive |
Maximum log length and diameter rated to split are 26 inches and 25.5 inches respectively. | |
Waist high for most people | |
7.5-inch 2-way wedge and a slip-on 4-way wedge included. | |
Can be used both vertically and horizontally. |
Electric Log splitters
Okay, even though we highly recommend Yardmax YS2565 for residential use, but for many of you, it might become an exorbitant purchase. Like we said earlier, if you will mostly be splitting softwood and do not mind manually splitting those stubborn knotty rounds occasionally, then you might not need such an advanced and next-generation log splitter like Yardmax YS2565. However, you need to know what to and what not to expect from the splitter you are going to buy.
What to expect from a 5-ton log splitter
5-ton log splitters are electric in nature. You’ll hardly ever come across a 5-ton gas log splitter. A 5-ton electric log splitter with a 1.8hp motor will draw about of 1300 watts of electricity. It should be able to split clean softwood (Pine, Fir etc.) rounds that are up to 14 inches in diameter. If you will be splitting hardwood logs such as Oak, Birch, Pecan rounds that are larger than 10 inches in diameter, it will tend to jam or at least struggle splitting them. But it may still be able to split smaller oak rounds even some less stubborn knotty ones based on its seasoning.
If you would mostly be splitting clean smaller rounds (up to 12 inches in diameter), a 5-ton electric log splitter should be able to do it. Don’t expect them to split knotty rounds. Of course, a 5-ton electric log splitter may occasionally split a few knotty rounds, but don’t expect too much. Also, don’t expect them to split freshly cut hardwood either. Keep in mind that your electric log splitter needs an electric outlet nearby. While most electric log splitters in the market allow using power
The best electric log splitters in 5-ton class
In this category, we decided to list two electric log splitters. We recommend the following:
Yardmax electric log splitter YS0552
Yardmax offers the best features in their log splitters. The YS0552 is no different. This 5-ton log splitter comes with 15-amp motor (approx 1800 watts). You can run it using household electricity. It comes with a stand, log tray, and stroke limiter. You may use it without the stand if you prefer. The log tray catches the wood chips upon splitting. The stroke limiter reduces cycle time when splitting logs that are shorter in length.
Evidently, Yardmax paid heed to users’ recommendations when designing YS0552. It offers useful features that anyone would want in her log splitter. It can split logs of diameter up to 12 inches without any problem. On the downside, YS0552 needs to be operated using both hands. For safety, this may seem essential, but it is often inconvenient for an expert user. Except for that, this is the best 5-ton log splitter in the market. We highly recommend Yardmax YS0552 5-ton electric log splitter for residential use. Read our full review on Yardmax YS0552.
Pros | Cons |
Easy to use | Using with stand requires assembly, which is a single person job, but can be irritating. |
Excellent built and thoughtful design | Maximum log length and diameter rated to split are 20.5 inches and 10 inches respectively. |
Useful features such as stand, log tray and stroke limiter | Needs both hands to operate it, which is uncomfortable because it requires slight bending. |
Affordable | Not so fast for larger logs, takes about 16 seconds to split 20-inch long logs |
Can split smaller knotty rounds and larger clean logs. | Hard to move on the yard |
Boss Industrial electric log splitter EC5T20
Boss industrial electric log splitter EC5T20 comes with a minimalistic design. It sports a 1.8HP electric motor (1300 watts approx). It offers 16 second cycle time as the Yardmax YS0552, but it doesn’t come with an integrated stroke limiter. Which means if you want to cut down on cycle time for shorter logs, you will have to place a small piece of log. Also, it doesn’t come with a stand; thus there’s no log tray either. However, it can be operated by a
EC5T20 performed as satisfactorily as its competitor Yardmax YS0552. It is reliable, durable, and portable. If you don’t need a stand, you will not need a log tray. If that’s the case, there is no big difference between EC5T20 and Yardmax YS0552. However, these features give Yardmax YS0552 more edge. Otherwise, EC5T20 is equally good and is highly recommended. You may want to read our full review on Boss Industrial EC5T20 electric log splitter.
Pros | Cons |
Single-handed operation makes it very easy to operate. | The design is not very intuitive. It doesn’t come with a stand, thus no log tray. No stroke limiter either. |
Low profile, compact, easy to move around and store | Maximum log length and diameter rated to split are 20.5 inches and 10 inches respectively. |
Quality cut | More often than not it doesn’t split the log all the way through |
Affordable | Slower for larger logs, takes 16 seconds to split logs that are 20 inches in length |
What to expect from a 7-ton log splitter
A 7-ton log splitter should be able to split Pine, Ash Fir rounds up to 16 inches in diameter given that they are clean. However, in case of hardwood rounds, it will struggle with anything above 14 inches in diameter. But it should be able to split 10-inch knotty rounds of Ash or Oak without a problem. In the 7-ton class, you have both electric and gas log splitters to choose from.
Best 7-ton log splitters for residential use
We have chosen two log splitters in this class.
Boss Industrial ES7T20 electric log splitter
Boss Industrial ES7T20 sports a 2HP electric motor. It is durable, compact and portable. You can use ES7T20 right out of the box, as it comes almost fully assembled. You just need to screw in the operating handle. Like other Boss log splitters, it also requires one-handed operation, which is more convenient. It offers a relatively fast cycle time (14 seconds).
You can easily split clean logs that are up to 12 inches in diameter with this splitter. Twelve-inch Oak round wasn’t a problem for it either. In our tests, it even managed to split knotty rounds that were 10 inches in diameter. In most cases, it gave a good performance and proved that it is reliable and one of the most cost-effective and efficient log splitter of its class in the market. We highly recommend Boss industrial ES7T20 for residential use.
Pros | Cons |
ES7T20 can be operated by a single hand, which is preferable for expert users. | No stand, log tray or stroke limiter. |
Low profile, compact, easy to move around and store | Maximum log length and diameter supported are 20.5 inches and 10 inches respectively. |
Quality cut | Doesn’t always split all the way through. |
Affordable |
Champion gas log splitter 90720

There are not many 7-ton gas log splitters in the market. However, 90270 outperformed all the other 7-ton gas log splitters in the market. It sports champion 80cc recoil start engine and two-stage gear pump.
Champion 90720 can handle larger rounds than Boss ES7T20, and it performs better than ES7T20 when splitting knotty rounds. It is compact in design and easy to move around and store. However, it doesn’t come with a trailer hitch. So, without making modifications, you can’t tow it. You have to lift this unit into your pickup or whatever vehicle you’ll be using for transportation. It is low profile, so you won’t have to do so much heavy lifting.
Champion 90720 is the most powerful and cost-effective 7-ton log splitter in the market. But it is relatively slow. The cycle time is 20 seconds. Being said that, it can split at least 180 rounds an hour.
If you are going to do the splitting on your own property, you may save $150 by sticking to the Boss ES7T20. Even though Champion 90720 is compact but ES7T20 takes much less space for storing. Also, being a gas log splitter Champion 90720 will require some maintenance periodically.
Pros | Cons |
Single-handed operation makes it very easy to operate. | A bit too slow. 20 seconds cycle time. |
Low profile, compact, easy to move around | Doesn’t come with a trailer hitch. |
Can split softwood and even hardwood like oak that is up to 18 inches in diameter (based on the | Somewhat noisy |
Affordable |
What to expect from a 10-ton log splitter
10-ton power sounds ideal for residential log splitting needs. There aren’t many 10-ton electric log splitters in the market. But the good ones such as Boss Industrial ED10T20 costs about $800 and they require minimum 20 amp circuit to run. Also, 10-ton log splitters consume more electricity.
According to our findings, 10-ton electric log splitters may not be the best choice for residential use even though they offer almost an ideal power required for residential log splitting needs. However, there’s an even better solution if you need 10-ton of power from a log splitter. Try the Sun Joe Logger Joe LJ10M manual hydraulic log splitter.
Sun Joe Logger Joe LJ10M splitter

Sun Joe Logger Joe LJ10M is a hydraulic log splitter but it doesn’t require any motor or engine to run it. It has two long control levers which you need to push and pull to help the hydraulic pump generate 10-ton of ram force to split a log. It doesn’t make any noise or emit any smoke. Operating LJ10M is like working on a treadmill with moving arms. Even though it is fun to use in the beginning, after a while, it doesn’t feel so natural. However, if you have children who are 14+, and willing to help you with it, then it could be a very good family tool for log splitting.
It doesn’t require periodic maintenance. You only need to change the hydraulic fluid but not until you have split about 10 cords of wood. LJ10M is the most cost-effective and eco-friendly hydraulic log splitter in the market. It is efficient, portable, and durable. But it is only good for logs with diameter up to 12 inches (maximum). Even so, it is one of the best manual log
Pros | Cons |
Eco-friendly. Very low noise. No emission. | The control levers could have been made resizable for making it easy for lower height people. |
Low profile, compact, easy to store | Can’t split |
Very low maintenance | Not easy to move around in the yard due to tiny wheels. |
Affordable | Welded log cradles aren’t very accommodating for logs of different sizes. |
More powerful Log splitters for residential use
Anything above 10-ton will cost you about $1000 or more. So, why not spend a couple of hundred more and buy the Yardmax YS2565 log splitter. Since we highly recommend YS2565, we won’t go any further discussing on log splitters in the tonnage classes that fall in between. We want to move on with the discussion about best log splitters for commercial use.
Best log splitters for commercial use
For commercial use, you need to find a log splitter that is capable of splitting different types and sizes of wood. It needs to be able to split hardwood and of course some occasional knotty rounds regardless of their seasoning status. Also, you would certainly want it to be able to split rounds of
The Yardmax YS3567 35-ton gas log splitter and the RuggedMade Gas Log Splitter RS-322-E-LK.
Let us first have a look on the Yardmax YS3567 gas log splitter.
Yardmax gas log splitter YS3567

Yardmax YS3565 sports Briggs and Stratton 306cc engine, pump size 17 gallons per minute. It comes with a 7.5-inch two-way wedge and a 4-way wedge. You can use it horizontally and vertically. The largest log length and diameter supported by this splitter are 25.5 inches and 26 inches. The U-beam structure supports heavier logs when used in the horizontal position. But lifting a 25 inch by 25-inch log is a formidable task. But you can switch YS3567 to vertical splitting position to split such large rounds. You will just have to roll the round to the splitter, the rest will be taken care by this unit. However, you should know that it takes some strength to switch to vertical splitting position due to tongue weight.
Useful features
Yardmax log splitters come with some practical and useful features that are generally not present in other log splitters. YS3567 is no different. For instance, it comes with a log spinning plate to reduce pressure on the beam and for easy repositioning of the log on the beam. It also comes with two large log cradles, a flip-down stand, fenders, 2-inch ball coupler etc. You can easily tow it.
Final words
Here in our allaboutlogsplitter.com Lab, Yardmax gas log splitter did an extraordinary job of splitting. It split log like a hot knife cutting butter. We tried hardwood like Elm, Oak, and Pecan. Nothing stopped or slowed it down. It even split some stubborn knotty rounds that were 18 inches in diameter. It is pretty fast too. The cycle time is about 12 seconds. But you may further shorten the cycle time by using the stroke limiter.
Yardmax YS3567 should be your foremost choice if you are buying it for commercial use.
Pros | Cons |
Well built, well designed and intuitive features such as log cradles, log tray, log spinner plate, stroke limiter, log stripper. | A bit louder |
Well documented and easy to follow video tutorial on assembly. | Takes two person to do the assembly, and it’s time consuming. |
Quality cut | Tongue is too heavy. Switching to vertical position from horizontal requires strength and might be a bit hard for some. |
Low vibration | Slower for larger logs, takes 16 seconds to split logs that are 20 inches in length |
Reasonably fast cycle time (12.8 seconds) |
RuggedMade Gas Log Splitter RS-537-E

RS-537-E is a 37-ton gas log splitter brought to us by RuggedMade. It sports a 10HP 301cc Raven (pull & electric start) engine that can generate up to 74000 pounds of ram force. With that in mind, this unit should be able to handle most of your commercial splitting needs. Also, it supports splitting larger logs. Maximum log diameter and length it is rated to split is 24 inches. It is durable and fast. In fact, it is one of the fastest log
Here at our lab, we tried everything at our disposal to give RuggedMade Rs-537-E some hard time, but RS-537-E kept its head straight at everything we threw at it. We threw an 18-inch knotty oak round and 20-inch (diameter) Pecan round at it, which it handled without any struggle.
Pros | Cons |
Powerful. Can split larger hardwood and softwood logs alike. | Loud |
And reasonably fast (cycle time 10 to 14 seconds) | Not so well documented. |
Quality cut | Built quality could have been better. |
Affordable in its class | |
Can be used both vertically and horizontally. |
We hope this post helps you make an informed choice about buying the best log splitter for your log splitting needs.
[…] Yardmax YS0552 offers some practical and useful features such as the stand, log cradle and stroke limiter, which most of its competitors don’t offer. It has enough power to split logs of larger diameter than what it is rated. It can even split some less stubborn knotty rounds that are smaller in diameter. We find it reliable, durable, fast, and effective. In fact, we think it is one of the best log splitters in its class. We highly recommend Yardmax electric log splitter YS0552 for residential usage. […]
[…] Working with LJ10M is like working out on a treadmill with moving arms. We had fun working with it. However, after splitting half a cord of wood this way, it didn’t feel so natural to us anymore. Nevertheless, it feels like it should be the future of manual log splitting. It will chop your efforts in half if you can give up your old way of splitting woods. If you like splitting manually, you might make it a practice. It takes less time and effort to split woods using the LJ10M. You may also be interested to read our post on best log splitters for residential use. […]
[…] Even though Champion 90720 takes more time to complete a cycle (ram feed and retreat), but its power and performance make up for that. Even though the maximum log diameter it is rated to split is only 10 inches, but it can split almost twice as large a round. If splitting ability is what you are going for and don’t mind the time it takes then Champion gas log splitter 90720 could be a very good choice for your residential log splitting needs. […]
[…] run by household electricity and will consume only 1500 watt of electricity. It is fast enough for residential log splitting needs. and it can split one cord of wood in about 25 minutes. As long as utility bill is concerned, you […]
[…] needs. However, you may even consider it for residential use. The advantages are discussed on our best log splitters for residential use […]
[…] has decent power for residential log splitting needs. It will be able to split most clean logs with diameter up to 12 inches. It doesn’t make much […]