Sun Joe LJ10M is a 10-ton is a semi-manual log splitter. It is also called Sun Joe Logger Joe log splitter, from which it gets its model number LJ10M. It features a 2-stage hydraulic pump to generate up to 20000 pounds of log cracking pressure. The maximum log length and diameter it is rated for splitting are 18 and 8 inches respectively. Sun Joe Log Splitter LJ10M is eco-friendly; it doesn’t require electricity or gas.
Assembly
Sun Joe LJ10M comes almost fully assembled. The only assembly it takes is inserting the two handles in the slots. It is very easy to do that. Soon as you do it, you are ready to split logs.
Design and features
LJ10M is a compact and low profile hydraulic log splitter (8x12x41 WxHxL in inches) and it weighs only 87 pounds. It is easy to put in the back of your car. Also, moving around on level surface is not that hard thanks to the 2.48-inch wheels.
It has a nice look and
Sun Joe Hydraulic log splitter comes with welded log cradle. But they are inflexible and sometimes come in the way of properly placing bigger logs. The springs for retreating the ram don’t appear strong enough to last over the years. Our unit was new, and so we didn’t have any problem with the springs.
The control handles could have been made resizable to make them more reachable and convenient to use for people with different heights. But they are good enough for average height people.
The wheels are a bit too small to move it around easily in the yard. However, if the surface is level, it wouldn’t be that difficult to move it around. Also, the wheels are sturdy enough to last.
The best thing about Sun Joe log splitter LJ10M is that it is maintenance free. It doesn’t require electricity or gas. You only need to change the hydraulic fluid, but not within a couple of years, of course, that depends on the use. According to our knowledge, you can easily split more than 10 cords of wood before you need to replace or refill hydraulic oil. There’s an oil plug located on top of the hydraulic pump.
LJ10M is much quieter than an electric or gas log splitter. Needless to say, it doesn’t emit smoke either. It is eco-friendly.
Performance
As mentioned above, the maximum log length and diameter Sun Joe log splitter is rated to split are 18-inches and 10-inches respectively. However, we had logs that were up to 12 inches in diameter. We had rounds of Oak, Ash, Pine, and Birch. It didn’t have trouble splitting any of the rounds. Of course, the rounds were clean. We thought about testing it with knotty rounds. Sun Joe LJ10M was able to split an 8-inch knotty round of semi-seasoned oak. We tried a 10-inch knotty round, and it couldn’t handle that. It did its work fast for most of the 8-inch logs we had. The average time it took to split an 18-inch log was about 8 seconds.
Averagely, it took about 10 push and pulls of the control handles to get the job done. It helps a lot when you add a solid piece of wood in between the ram and the round. It reduces the number of times you need to push and pull the handles to get the job done; also it saves a couple of seconds too. We missed an integrated stroke limiter when working with the unit.
Sun Joe Log Splitter LJ10M occasionally tends to move while splitting, especially when splitting larger logs. Placing it on a solid and level surface will reduce movement. As the ram starts putting pressure on the round, it takes a little bit more pressure to push and pull the handles. But that’s nothing you can’t handle.
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
Watch This Demo Video
Pros
Eco-friendly. Doesn’t require maintenance, gas or electricity. Doesn’t emit smoke or make noise. It can split Oak rounds that are up to 12 inches in diameter. Very compact, easy to store. Fits in the trunk of any car. Fun to use, it does chop the efforts in half and saves time.
Cons
Not so easy to move around mostly due to the small wheels (2.48 inches). Occasionally, it moves when splitting. The welded log cradle isn’t very accommodating for logs of
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. What about the
Ans: Comes with 2-year warranty for residential usage.
Q.How often do I have to change the hydraulic fluid?
Ans: Very rarely. Not before you have split at least 10 cords.
Q.How much strength needed to operate it?
Ans: Not much at all. Even older people can use it.
Q. Can Sun Joe Log Splitter LJ10M split hardwood like Oak?
Ans: Yes, but it can’t handle knotty rounds. Also, you may not be able to split Pecan.
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