Firewood processing is a large industry, but the small things separate profitable commercial operations from small side hustles that never seem to get off the ground.
When considering the speed of log splitters, most operators consider the firewood machine’s cycle time, as they should, but forget to factor in the ease of operation.
A wood splitter can have a 1-second cycle time, but what’s the point if you have to reach onto the table grate, sort out your split wood, then walk back to the operator’s platform?
Solution? Timberwolf’s Box Wedge with floating auto-retract arm.
What Is a Box Wedge?
You can go on Google and search, “What is a box wedge?” but you will find all different designs, shapes, and sizes. For now, we will focus on Timberwolf’s Box Wedge.
When most people think of a firewood wedge, they think of a traditional 4-way wedge, with two weldments protruding from the sides of the centerpiece.
A box wedge has four downward-facing teeth and a flat top. Below is a picture of a Timberwolf Box Wedge.
When splitting a log, the push block drives the log through the teeth of the box wedge, resulting in uniformly-sized splits. This is one of the main advantages of a box wedge, essential for those looking to sell packaged firewood.
Why Should I Use a Box Wedge?
Box wedge wood splitters are unique because they are predominantly used in commercial operations, but they also create a seamless one-man operation, especially with a Timberwolf box wedge log splitter.
Timberwolf’s Box Wedge can only be equipped to Alpha Series log splitters, namely the Alpha 5 and Alpha 6. Unique to Timberwolf’s design, our Box Wedges come standard with a floating auto-retract arm.
The floating retract arm, along with a log lift on the operator’s side, make the Alpha Series the ultimate for effortless single-man operations and large cord outputs.
When forward moving logs are being split only a portion of the log is split by the box wedge’s teeth. The unsplit portion of the log on top of the box wedge is then pulled back into the splitting chamber via the auto-retract arm, no operator rehandling necessary.
Now, compare this to a 4-way, 6-way, or even a 12-way wedge. These wedges may split logs into more sections, but they are also much more likely to split differently sized sections, which is fine if you are just splitting for a bonfire, but you will want higher quality firewood if you plan on growing and retaining your customer base.
Who Makes the Best Box Wedge for Firewood Splitting?
A few log splitter manufacturers offer a box wedge option, but only Timberwolf’s Alpha Series log splitters are made to be a box wedge log splitter.
The top of Timberwolf’s Box Wedge has a slight “V” shape that centers the unsplit portion of the log, ensuring that it falls directly into the splitting chamber when pulled back. Plus, the front plate of the auto-retract arm has a “V” taper that allows it to glide along the box wedge in extension and retraction.
Furthermore, Timberwolf Box Wedges come in three different sizes, with 4.5”, 3.5”, and 2.5” box wedge options.
The 4.5” Box Wedge outputs cord-sized wood, good for those looking to sell their firewood wholesale. The 3.5” Box Wedge will produce wood for packaged firewood, while the 2.5” option generates slightly smaller pieces, made for cooking and campfire wood.