Log Splitters
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Lawn & Garden Equipment · CPSC Code 1457
Stable over 5 years
The verdict
Log Splitters carry a danger score of 38/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 7,909 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.
- 38/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 7,909
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 6.0%
- end in hospital admission
- 55-64
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1457 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 38/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for log splitters - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume7,909 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)6.0%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-10%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Log Splitters (CPSC product code 1457, in the Lawn & Garden Equipment category) generate an estimated 7,909 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 158,179 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 38/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are roughly flat over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2013 (10,759 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2005 (4,396 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for log splitters is fracture to the finger, accounting for approximately 36,661 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the finger (32,030 cases). The 55-64 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 29,918 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 6.0% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 28 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how log splitters fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 689 | 125 | |
| 5-14 | 7,360 | 1,638 | |
| 15-24 | 16,635 | 2,076 | |
| 25-34 | 16,763 | 2,659 | |
| 35-44 | 19,340 | 3,400 | |
| 45-54 | 20,840 | 4,454 | |
| 55-64 | 24,933 | 4,985 | |
| 65-74 | 19,167 | 2,242 | |
| 75+ | 9,973 | 894 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Finger | Amputation | |
| Finger | Crushing | |
| Finger | Avulsion | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Finger | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Hand | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Hand | Crushing | |
| Lower Leg | Laceration | |
| Hand | Fracture |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
17 YOM INJURED HAND AND FINGER IN A WOOD SPLITTER DX: FX FINGER AND LAC HAND
63 YOM C/O INJ TO FINGER WHEN IT GOT CAUGHT IN WOOD SPLITTER WHILE WEARING GLOVES AT HOME DX HEMATOMA FINGER, LAC FINGER
32 YOM FOR EVALUATION OF AVULSION OF THE VOLAR SURFACE OF THE TIP OF HIS LEFT RING FINGER. PATIENT WAS USING A LOG SPLITTER AND SOMEHOW ACCIDENTALLY CUT OFF THE VOLAR SURFACE OF THE TIP OF HIS LEFT RING FINGER IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO ARRIVAL. DX: OPEN FRACTURE OF LEFT RING FINGER
71 YOF GOT HER FINGER CAUGHT BETWEEN THE LOG AND THE LOG SPLITTER CUTTING HER FINGER. DX: FINGER FRACTURE, FINGER LACERATION
56 YOM INJ RT HAND FINGER CAUGHT BETWEEN LOG AND WOOD SPLITTER AT HOME DX CRUSH INJ RT LITTLE FINGER W/LAC
15YOM PRESENTS TO ED W/PARENTS FOR EVAL OF L THIRD FINGER. PT WAS HELPING HIS FATHER SPLIT WOOD W/A WOOD SPLITTER WHEN THE BLADE CUT HIS FINGER. HAD BLEEDING. CONT'S TO HAVE FULL ROM & FULL SENSATION. OCCURRED AT HOME. DX: FINGERNAIL AVULSION, COMPLETE
43YOM COMPLAINS OF INJURY TO HIS FOOT HE SUSTAINED WITH A LOG SPLITTER. DX: LACERATION OF LEFT ANKLE
45 YOF HERE FOR CHEST WALL PAIN, SHE SLIPPED AND FELL ONTO A METAL LOG SPLITTER. DX: CONTUSION OF CHEST WALL, RIB FRACTURE
63 YOM C/O LOWER BACK PAIN AFTER SPLITTING WOOD AT HOME DX STRAINED LOWER BACK
52YOM C/O FINGER LACERATION. CAUGHT FINGER IN A LOG CUTTER. TWO LACERATIONS ON THE MEDIAL AND LATEAL ASPECT OF HIS LEFT INDEX FINGER. DX: LACERATION OF LEFT INDEX FINGER WITHOUT FOREIGN BODY WITHOUT DAMAGE TO NAIL
67 YOM C/O LOWER LEG HEMATOMA AND LOWER LEG CONTUSION S/P BUMPED AGAINST A LOG SPLITTER AT HOME. PATIENT IS ON ***. DX: LOWER LEG HEMATOMA; LOWER LEG CONTUSION; CLOIDOGREL THERAPY
63YOM C/O LACERATION TO THE RIGHT 5TH FINGER. WAS USING A LOG SPLITTER. AMPUTATION TO DISTAL TIP OF RIGHT 5TH FINGER, FINGERNAIL REMOVED FROM INJURY. DX: AMPUTATION OF TIP OF FINGER
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Every time I use this gas powered splitter I get headaches and nausea. The exhaust is routed so that it deflects off the frame and then comes right back at the operator.
Iron and oak 22 ton log splitter ram suddenly had piston shoot out of ram and slam forward. Could have easily cause serious injury, amputation, or death. When ram impacted wood, log violently split and half log slammed into 4 year old sons foot causing bruising and swelling.
Crushed right hand in pinch point as log splitter ram was automatically retracting.
I have an 27 ton craftsman log splitter model 24af570l799. The ram trunnion pin breaks spewing hot hydraulic fluid over the operator and or possibly worse since the device is under immense pressure. I have read/seen evidence that the flawed design has been corrected on newer models but there are many in operation under MTD, Troy Built, Craftsman, Yard Machines brands. There are complaints and blogs all over the web about it. I think all of these should be recalled and replaced before someone is seriously hurt. A couple Links to details http://www.routerforums.com/lobby/24105-troy-bilt-safety-alert-log-splitter.html http://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/57455/P45/#673444
My injury happen at 13 when using a log splitter to my hand. There are many thousands of injuries every year or worse . The problem has taken a life time to solve and the solution is the WEDGE on every machine sold today that should have my [REDACTED] split solution . US patents [REDACTED] the date that this happened is 1974 . The estimated date on the form will not let me put in this date.
During the second use of my CH3 chipper the machine caught on fire and sustained damage to the belt and engine area. I first used the chipper on 5/8/2015 for about 2.5 hours chipping branches on my property. During this use the machine operated flawlessly. On my second use of the chipper on 5/13/2015 I had been chipping branches for about 2 hours. The chipper had been operating normally throughout the time I was working. The machine was running while I used my chainsaw to cut some branches I was going to feed into the machine. After cutting the branches I turned my attention back to the chipper and saw flames coming from under the belt guard. I immediately went to the chipper and turned the engine off. I attempted to smother the flames with some dirt, but was unable to get any dirt under the belt guard, and having no tools to remove the belt guard I tipped the machine on it's side in an attempt reduce the available air, hoping this would smother the flame which was steadily increasing in size. The flames became so large that the air filter/fuel shut off also caught on fire. At this point I was fearful that the chipper would explode (almost a full tank of gas). Fortunately I was able to douse the flames with a bucket of water prior to a catastrophic explosive event occurring.
I own a Craftsman logsplitter and twice now I have had to replace the gas tank due to a design flaw. When you split logs, some of the pieces hit the plastic gas tank and cause it to press against the hot engine block for a second. Over time, it melts a small hole in the tank, causing a leak. On Tuesday June 5th this happened and started a fire. I contacted Sears that same morning, filed a safety incident report and was told I would get a phone call by the end of the day and if I didn't to call a number that I was given. I did not receive a call and when I called back, there was no record of my call.
"Dirty Hands" 28 Ton Gas Log Splitter: Log Splitter hydraulic pump high pressure hose blew apart spraying hydraulic oil all over the machine, the operator, the nearby deck railings and the surrounding lawn area. Log splitter engine had only been running for a few minutes before the hose failure. Otherwise, the hydraulic oil could have ignited causing severe personal injury to operator i.e. burns and fire to surrounding combustible material i.e. my home.
Showing 8 of 28 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to log splitters on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are log splitters?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, log splitters have a danger score of 38/100 (low risk). An estimated 7,909 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from log splitters?
The most common injury is fracture to the finger, accounting for approximately 36,661 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from log splitters increasing or decreasing?
Stable over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for log splitters injuries?
The 55-64 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 29,918 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by log splitters?
Of all ER visits involving log splitters, approximately 6.0% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (94.0%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with log splitters?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Lawn & Garden Equipment
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 38/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 55-64 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
