39 Homemade Log Splitters That Make Cutting Of Firewood Easy

A homemade log splitter will save you time, energy and money when it comes to cutting wood for use in a fireplace or wood heater. With the trend moving towards living a more sustainable lifestyle, many people are looking for alternative heating sources and wood is a primary source. Wood is sustainable, renewable, available and inexpensive.

The biggest disadvantage to heating (or cooking) with wood is the amount of work needed to prepare a tree for use as heating fuel. Wood splitting tools makes the job easier, but when purchased from the store they can be expensive.

Check out our round up of ideas and plans for homemade firewood processors so you can build your own homemade wood splitter and save yourself a lot of time and money.

1- Screw Homemade Log Splitter

Turn large logs into fireplace sized logs quickly and easily with this homemade log splitter. Use this diy splitter idea I am showing you to cut trees into stacks of ready-to-burn wood for your wood stove. The three-horse power motor make this DIY log splitter by Instructables able to handle even the largest logs with ease.

Use this DIY log splitter project that is simple and has several safety features that you will be building into the splitter. To Power the motor a large screw is activated by the push of a button, and it will quickly bore its way through a log.

This diy log splitter guide has detailed step by step instructions with pictures and video tutorial. This design also instructs you on how to place a safety switch on the machine for instant deactivation in case of an emergency.

2- Making A Kinetic Log Splitter

To transform the energy produced by a motor or engine into a concentrated burst of force, kinetic homemade log splitters on Youtube make use of enormous flywheels. Because of this force, a moving rack and push plate are pushed into a log and cause the wood to break.

As it rotates, the flywheel generates kinetic energy, which is stored. After that, you pull the lever to start the log splitting process.

The fact that kinetic splitters are so much faster than their conventional counterparts is often regarded as their primary benefit. The cycle time of many of them is between 2.5 and 3 seconds.

Build a kinetic log splitter

Build this DIY log splitter in your garage using readily available materials. You need square tubes, a flywheel, toothed racks, and gears as shown. Tutorial:

3- Unicorn Cheap Wood Splitter

Unlike the first two splitters I have shown you, this unicorn log splitter is one of the strangest but very easy designs for a homemade log splitter on Youtube. You feed a piece of wood into it by hand, and as it rotates, the screw burrows into the wood and splits it. Essentially, it’s a gigantic tapered screw that’s rotating.

There are types that can be attached to the power takeoff of tractors, and there is even one that is meant to be attached to the wheel of a car. After jacking up the rear axle, putting the vehicle in gear while it is still running, and attaching it to the lug nuts of one of the drive wheels, you will have a wood splitter.

You can make this Unicorn diy wood splitter easily and it needs little maintainance. All you need is tapered screw, 3 vertical 35mm bearings, 1 stainless steel shaft and some bolt and nuts.

4- Recycle Old Car Parts

This log splitter by weldingweb shows you how to recycle used car parts from a wrecked vehicle and transform them into a functional log splitter.

The rear axle from a small car is ideal to use for this DIY project, so are parts of the car frame. The steel can be shaped and welded into a sturdy frame for log splitter.

Use these free log splitter plans to recycle those old car parts into a new homemade log splitter, If you are tired of splitting wood with an axe and have access to a wrecked car.

5- Building A Cheap Log Splitter

Learn how to build a log splitter by Practicalsurvivalist very cheaply using these free plans. The splitter is solid and functional, but the parts to build it were free because they were recycled.

The motor is an old freight motor that is still in good shape, wheels and axle from an old garden trailer, recycled steel tubing and I-beams are  the main components of this DIY wood splitter. A few smaller, inexpensive components to put everything together may have to be purchased, but the total cost will be very cheap.

The end result is a functional log splitter that is small enough to fit into a garage or shed, yet powerful enough to split logs into usable fireplace wood.

6- Screw Homemade Wood Splitter

I have chosen this mini splitter to include in this list as it is simple and easy to make. Using a giant screw, this diy log splitter device on Youtube can rapidly and efficiently reduce big logs into logs suitable for a fireplace. All you need is, drill screw, motor, and axle. With a fireplace or stove, this is the best log splitter for you. The three-horsepower engine of this DIY wood splitter makes it capable of handling even the biggest logs with relative ease.

Several safety elements will be included in the splitter as part of this basic DIY project. Pushing a button activates the motor that drives the huge screw, which swiftly bores its way through a log. A safety switch is included in this design for quick deactivation in the event of an emergency.

The benefits of using screw homemade wood splitters include speed, as well as the fact that they are easy to make. One of the drawbacks of using this kind of splitter is that it can be dangerous.

7- Two-Way Log Splitter

Use these step-by-step instructions on how to make a log splitter and you’ll be able to build a powerful wood splitter by Practicalsurvivalist that can cut both large and small pieces of wood quickly and easily.

8- Scrap Metal Build Log Splitter

This YouTube video will show you how to build a 20 ton wood splitter on youtube from scrap metal. Cheap to build, keeps usable items out of the landfill and the splitter makes wood cutting a lot easier for you.

Don’t let the smaller size of the wood splitter fool you, it has a 20 ton motor that is capable of handling tough pieces of wood and splitting them with ease. The small size is ideal for storing or for taking into the woods for splitting wood on-site.

The small size of this diy log splitter also makes it quick to build, and by recycling scrap metal, the cost is almost nothing. Quick, easy, cheap, and effective, that’s a winning combination in any DIY project.

9- Scrap Metal DIY Log Splitter

A little scrap metal laying around your home can be transformed into a homemade firewood processor with this simple building plan by practicalsurvivalist.

10- Manual Log Splitter

I would recommend this diy log splitter if you don’t have much know how of welding work. Easy to follow diagram will enable you to build this manual log splitter by makezine with very little out-of-pocket expense. This one requires some elbow grease to use, but still makes splitting wood a lot easier and quicker than just using an ax. You may also like to check out wood shed plans to keep firewood dry.

11- Thirty Ton Powerhouse

Turn large trees into stacks of firewood easily with this 30-ton powerhouse homemade log splitter on youtube. Follow this YouTube instructional video on how to build a log splitter so you can turn large trees into small pieces of wood ready for the fireplace.

12- Small and Portable Log Splitter 

A log splitter by Beckmannag can be both powerful and small. And the portability of this log splitter plan makes this one a winner for anyone wishing to heat their home with wood.

13- No Lifting Wood Splitter

Here’s a diy wood splitter by Grit that will lift the wood for you and put it into place on the machine. Follow these detailed instructions for a DIY machine that will split your wood and save your back.

Learn how to Build this log splitter at

14- Hydraulic DIY Wood Splitter

Keep your wood box full without a lot of effort with this DIY hydraulic system by Motherearthnews that will split wood with ease and help keep your home warm all winter.

15- Foot Power Design

This easy-to-build DIY log splitter by Instructables does its work with foot power. Easy to build and easy to to use, just step down on the pedal to split the log.

16- Unicorn Log Splitter

This DIY log splitter by Instructables takes a different approach to the task by using a sharp-ended auger style splitter instead of a blunt edge.

17- Hammer Log Splitter

This design is different, but just as effective for splitting firewood. This homemade log splitter on Youtube does not have a motor and is operated manually.

These free plans will show you how to recycled old iron into a useful wood splitter. Even though it is operated by manpower, the design incorporates a heavy duty spring that does most of the work for you. This hammer splitter also gives you more flexibility in the size of wood you start with and end with. you can split even the widest log into small pieces of kindling wood.

When you’re done with the hammer splitter, it’s easy to put away.

18- Thirty Ton Log Splitter

If you need to split tough oak wood or large pieces of wood, then this 30 ton log splitter is for you.

This is not a build for a small time wood burner that only needs a half a cord of firewood each year, this is a big build for big wood.

An ideal homemade log splitter on Youtube for someone who sells firewood and needs to split a lot of large logs into smaller logs. Also a great log splitter for a homesteader that cooks and heats with wood. This heavy duty homemade wood splitter can handle the toughest and biggest pieces of wood with ease. Make splitting lots of wood quick and easy with this DIY machine.

19- Homemade Portability

Sometimes it’s easier to take the homemade log splitter to the wood instead of bringing the wood to the splitter. These DIY plans will enable you to build a strong and portable wood splitter by Hearth very inexpensively.

To make this diy log splitter you will need 10HP Diesel (china clone) engine (just because!), 16GPM 2 stage pump, auto return valve horizontal only-8″ wedge.

20- Powerful DIY Wood Splitter

If you have an old axe lying around, you should definitely avoid throwing it away since you can turn it into a homemade wood splitter like this one on youtube in only a few hours’ time. You will need several square metal pipes, an axe head, a giant circular metal pipe, and a  welding set to complete this project.

When you are through with the process of manufacturing the axe, the blade will be positioned so that it is pointing upwards. You will lay the piece of wood on the axe, then use a hammer to smash it down, and the wood will split flawlessly.  When compared to the hydraulic wood splitter, it is simple to make and simple to use, but the amount of time it takes to split wood is significantly greater.

How to build

You will need an axe, metal pipe, and a welding set.

21- Hydraulic Log Splitter

These log splitter plans will show you how to build a safe and efficient hydraulic log splitter by the-shed.nz for your home or business use.

When you need to cut and stack and a lot of firewood for winter use at home or to sell in a firewood business, this heavy duty hydraulic log splitter can get the job done quickly. This DIY machine can change large hardwood trees into piles of split wood that’s just the right size for a wood heater. Work smart and not hard with this homemade firewood processor.

22- Off Grid Log Splitter

Off grid living means you have to find an alternative heating and cooking source that is sustainable and affordable. Wood is an excellent alternative fuel source but it has to be processed into a size that is small enough to fit into a wood stove, heater, and/or fireplace.

This video tutorial will show you how to build a log splitter on youtube that is ideal for an off grid homestead. This log splitter is safe, fast, and efficient to use for all types of wood.

23- Wedge Transformation

Learn how to transform a small wood splitter in this YouTube video into a more powerful machine that can handle larger logs.

The wedge is beefed up so the small log splitter can easily split larger logs to make the cutting of firewood faster and easier for the homestead. When heating and cooking with fire wood, it takes a lot of wood to get through the winter, and this DIY transformation will help you stockpile firewood in a short amount of time.

Save time, money, and energy by re-purposing a small log splitter into a larger one with these free plans.

24- Old Car Wood Splitter

An old wrecked car with a good engine can have a second life as a DIY wood splitter. This YouTube video will show you how to make great use of an old car by recycling it into a homemade log splitter in this YouTube video. Split even the biggest, toughest hardwood logs with this DIY design.

Transform a felled tree into a pile of ready to use firewood quickly and efficiently with this old car wood splitter.

25- Gas Powered Splitter

A small gas engine provides the power for this large log splitter. Great for use on an off grid homestead or cabin in the woods, keep the firewood stocked in a shed, and ready to burn with this powerful machine.

The two rear wheels make this homemade log splitter portable so you can move it around as needed. Hitch the log splitter up to your truck or ATV and haul it out into the woods where the trees are so cutting firewood is more efficient. This video will show you how to build this gas powered splitter on youtube.

26- Wood Chipper Log Splitter

It’s always great when one machine will do two different tasks. It will save money, time, and storage space, just like this wood chipper log splitter in this YouTube video will do.

Watch this YouTube video to learn how to split firewood and create small pieces of kindling with one machine. One DIY build, two uses. It takes small pieces of kindling wood to get a fire started, then large pieces of firewood to keep the fire burning for a long time. This homemade log splitter provides both small and large pieces of wood so you can keep your home toasty warm all winter.

27- Two Way Homemade Log Splitter

This super efficient design will cut firewood both coming and going so the work gets done in half the time.

This design can basically split two logs at once when two people are operating it. One can put a log in the front and the other person can put a log in the back as the splitter moves from front to back.

Time is money and this log splitter in YouTube video saves time by cutting wood both ways. Simple design, very efficient, and easy to build with this YouTube tutorial. The rear wheels on this machine make it easy to take with you wherever there is wood that needs to be split.

28- Three Point DIY Log Splitter

Tractors are a vital part of a working farm and they can do much more than just plow a field. Get the tutorial to discover how a tractor can be used to split wood for the fireplace or wood heater in this YouTube video.

Cut enough firewood to get you through the winter with your farm tractor. The tractor usually sits idle in the barn during the winter months and this is a great way to put the tractor to use during that idle time.

Build this three point log splitter and let the tractor do the hard work of splitting firewood for you.

29- Three-HP Motor

This heavy duty log splitter on youtube is built to last and provide years of service. The 3-HP engine makes quick work of splitting big logs so you can get back indoors where it’s warm before your fingers get frost bitten.

It’s not fun to be outdoors in below zero weather cutting firewood with an ax, so build this DIY log splitter so you won’t have to spend much time outdoors in freezing weather. This YouTube video provides detailed instructions so the DIY project is very simple to build.

30- Manual Splitter With Four Blades

Four ax blades are used to create four cutting blades on the homemade log splitter in this YouTube video. This splitter is a little different than the others because it’s a manual splitter. No gas or electricity is used to power this machine so it’s ideal for use on an off grid homestead or at a remote hunting cabin.

It’s a simple way to split firewood and it can be used anywhere you need to build a fire. Place the log in the metal frame on top of the four ax blades, then give the log one hard hit and the log becomes four perfectly sized pieces of firewood.

31- Homemade Log Splitter

This tutorial provides detailed instructions for building a DIY log splitter in this YouTube video. This heavy duty log splitter was built in the basement during a time when a severe snow storm had everything shut down.

If you live in an area prone to heavy snowfall and frigid winter weather, you will need a dependable log splitter like this one. Always have plenty of ready to use firewood on-hand for the unexpected winter snow storm with the help of this wood processor.

32- Wood Processor

If you heat your home exclusively with wood, then you need an efficient, fast, and safe wood processor like this one.

Learn how to build an efficient wood processor in this YouTube video that is tractor-powered. Hook up the log splitter and the wood hauler to the tractor and drive to where the felled trees are located so the firewood can be processed on-site.

33- Screw Log Splitter

Small size but it has plenty of power to split the big logs. Ideal for small indoor spaces so you can stay warm and dry while processing firewood for your home.

Get the detailed information for building this DIY screw log splitter in this YouTube video.

34- Hydraulic DIY Wood Splitter

A simple hydraulic log splitter by Interestingengineering works by applying pressure to a cylinder. A hydraulic pump is powered by either a gas engine or an electric motor. Hydraulic oil is used to produce pressure in the pump. Log splitter levers activate a valve that permits the pressurized oil to drive the hydraulic cylinder and break your log.

When you let go of the levers on most hydraulic splitters, the cylinder retracts to the starting position automatically. This is a crucial safety feature, as well. The cost of maintenance and ease of use are the benefits offered by hydraulic log splitters.

How to build

As long as you have a cylinder motor and some metal, you can make this cheap wood splitter in your garage.

35- Quick Working Log Splitter

Turn a pile of felled trees into neat stacks of ready-to-burn wood for the wood heater or fireplace in no-time with this quick working log splitter design by Ringolake.

36- Flywheel DIY Wood Splitter

Scrap parts and a little ingenuity created this flywheel wood splitter on youtube and now you can build your own by following this youtube instructional video.

37- Homemade Log Splitter Under 200$

This log splitter can be made from an old car engine that has been reused. It is powered by a vertical shaft engine with 8 horsepower that may be salvaged from an old tractor or car. This DIY wood splitter on Youtube will cost you less than $200 for the equipment and take less than 6 hours to manufacture. It will enable you to simply convert hardwood logs into firewood. The major benefits of this homemade log splitter are its simplicity of use and low cost of maintenance.

How to build

All you need is an engine, a hydraulic pump, and scrap metal.

38- Homemade Log Splitter

The next one I am showing you has great photo tutorial for building your own log splitter by Hearth. Detailed photos walk you through the process so you can have your own log splitter that will do the wood splitting for you. Small enough to be towed behind a vehicle so you can take this splitter to the wood where it is located instead of having to bring the logs to the splitter.

The less you have to handle the logs, the better it will be on your back. Retire your old axe and build this new diy wood splitter that will do the hard work of cutting wood for you.

39- Take Your Pick For These Several Homemade Log Splitter Plans

This video shows several homemade log splitting designs on youtube and how they work. With many styles, size and designs, you can take your pick of the one that will work best for your log splitting needs.

This YouTube video and following comments will also point out some design flaws in some of the wood splitters. Along with the flaws there are also comments of ways to make the log splitters more effective. It’s always good to have feedback on designs so fewer mistakes will be made when you build your own homemade log splitter.

Safety must come first when building a log splitter and this very informative video and following comments will point out features that need to be improved on some of these log splitters. Making wood chopping easier and quicker is the goal of building your own homemade log splitter, but no one wants to lose a hand or arm in the wood splitting process.

This YouTube video is worth watching regardless of which design you choose to build. It will point out things you may not have considered and safety features you may want to incorporate into your DIY build.

Conclusion

So this was our list of 39 homemade forge plans we have compiled for you from simple to complex, small to large and easy to difficult depending upon your diy matal working skills. You can choose any of the above that suits to your requirement for cutting of trees of logs into stack of wood.

Based upon some of the most common questions asked I have prepared a questionnaire.

FAQ’s

Can I build my own log splitter?

Yes, you can. You can save time and money with a log splitter, plus it will be much less work for you. A store bought log splitter is expensive but you can build one for a fraction of the cost. Basic welding skills will be needed to build a log splitter and some heavy duty angle iron.

Are log splitters safe to operate?

Since you are building the log splitter you will able to implement as many safety features as needed to ensure safe operation. An emergency cut off switch and protective guards can be put in convenient places on your DIY log splitter. And always be sure to wear the right protective gear when operating the machine.

What is the fastest way to split wood?

A log splitter is the fastest way to split wood. A log is placed in the wood splitter and in a matter of seconds the log will be cut in half. The process is continued until the log has been split down to the desired size. The whole process will take less than 1 minute.

How long should wood dry before splitting?

It depends on the type of wood but a general rule is to cut wood in the spring and allow it to dry until the following fall before splitting.

You can check wood for dryness by feeling and smelling it. Dry wood is much lighter and dry wood has almost no smell.

What is the easiest wood to split?

Ash, hard maple, and oaks provide the easiest wood because they have straight grains. If the wood has spiral grains, like the sweetgum or elm tree, the wood will be harder to split.

Dry, seasoned wood will be easier to split than freshly cut wood.

References:

MDPI,Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(18), 11507, Published: 13 September 2022, “Wood-Splitter-Related Upper-Limb Injuries: A Single-Centered Case-Series Study”, https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/18/11507

Family Handyman, by Robert Maxwell, Sep. 27, 2023, “4 Great Techniques on How to Split Wood”, https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/4-great-ways-to-split-firewood/

MDPI, Published: 25 April 2020, “Prediction Model of Wooden Logs Cutting Patterns and Its Efficiency in Practice”, https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/9/3003

Archdaily, “How Tree Trunks Are Cut to Produce Wood With Different Appearances and Uses”, by José Tomás Franco, Published on August 08, 2019, https://www.archdaily.com/894449/how-tree-trunks-are-cut-to-produce-wood-with-different-appearances-and-uses