Splitting Logs with a Jackhammer? Maybe not.

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WoodWorkWIFE and I recently moved into a more rural area and got some land, and a couple of fireplaces.  I am a big burly woodsman type man, and I do own a splitting axe…but I’m also the right kind of lazy.  I wanted to figure out if there was a lifehack for splitting logs and I have a hunch that I could do it with a jackhammer (Ridgid MegaMax SDS hammer) and the self-sharpening chisel SDS+ attachment from Bosch.  Let’s see what kind of damage we can do, what’s the worst that could happen?  Famous last words…

I have used the self-sharpening SDS+ chisel from Bosch before. Most recently it was tearing up tile in the bathroom remodel at our old house, but I wanted to flex its capabilities as a wood splitter.  Really, I just got too sweaty and tired cutting would with my splitting axe and got a little dangerously curious.

At first, I was doing my best Steve Rodgers impersonation ripping logs apart with my bare hands. After about 20 minutes of running logs up and down the hill, I got a little froggy and reached for my Megamax and a chisel bit.

I’m nothing if not ambitious.  I gave the MegaMAX its best shot in hammer mode with a 9ah Octane battery but I did little more than piss off the red oak logs I was working on.  It gave me a clearer target to swing an axe at but otherwise…nada.

Don’t blame the chisel bit, or the SDS for that matter.  I think it would’ve worked with a proper jackhammer with a little more travel. However, I also would’ve chopped a toe off.  The wet log essentially worked as a giant damper diffusing all of the energy imparted by the SDS. If I were splitting concrete logs it would’ve been a different story.

Sorry to waste your time on my curiosity, but I had fun.

You can buy a Bosch SDS+ self sharpening chisel at Home Depot for $22.97. It may not be good for splitting logs, but it is great in all kinds of other demo and DIY jobs.

WoodWorkLIFE