For a winter woodpile, a block with fallen timber or a fireplace that eats a lot. Tool prices across Australia over ten years, and what to look for and ask at every shop you try.
The price, ten years on
Tools and equipment for house and garden, across Australia, from the ABS Consumer Price Index. The class holds motorised and hand tools such as electric drills, saws and lawnmowers, and garden tools such as wheelbarrows, spades and shovels.
June 2016$100
June 2026$118
$136Everything a household buys, over the same years
Up over ten years, by less than everything a household buys.
$90$100$110$120$130$140$118$136
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Tools and equipment for house and gardenAll groups CPI, everything a household buys
Buying a log splitter for firewood. The first half is what to look for yourself. Put the second half to each place you try.
Look for
The logs you actually burnMeasure the length and thickness of a typical round before you shop.
How it is poweredMains electric, a petrol engine or your own arms, and what each needs nearby.
Where it will liveA shed corner, a carport or under a cover, and how much room it takes.
How it movesWheels, a handle, a tow bar or a lift into the ute.
What comes in the boxOil, a cover, a stand or a spare wedge, or none of these.
Ask
01Which machine suits the logs I split most often?Bring the measurements of your usual rounds, and mention any knotty or green timber.
02What does the price include, and what costs extra?Delivery, assembly, a stand, oil, a cover.
03Who services it, and how far away are they?Ask whether the shop does it or sends it elsewhere.
04Can I get parts for it easily, such as a new wedge or seals?Ask how long parts usually take to arrive.
05Can I see it working before I buy?Watching it split a real log shows its pace and how it handles.
06Do you hire the same machine out?A weekend's hire can tell you whether to buy at all.
From logsplitter.com.au, a concept page.
Choosing a splitter
Start with the wood. The size and type of log you split most often decides how much force you need, and a machine sized for your real woodpile will feel easier than one bought for the biggest log you might one day meet.
Think about how often you split. A pile once a year might be a job for a hired machine; a household that heats with wood all winter may want one in the shed.
Asking every shop the same questions
Keep your questions on your phone and put the same ones to each shop. Write the answers side by side, with what comes in the box and who services it, and the right machine usually stands out.
Note where parts come from and how to book a service. Those are the answers you will want again in a few winters.
Shows whether a business's ABN is active or cancelled, its business type and its GST status, and the Register says the public can use it to check a business before buying.