Ideas and advice for all cottage owners, renters and guests. - Ideas and advice for all cottage owners, renters and guests.

Cottage Tips Magazine will be at Cottage Country’s Lake and Cabin Show 2025 in Winnipeg, Manitoba for the 16th annual event!

The Winnipeg Cottage Show brings cottage owners together with top businesses in the region who specialize on all things related to cottage living.

Winnipeg Cottage and Cabin Show 2025

Show location: Red River Exhibition Place – Winnipeg

Show days and times:
Friday, March 14: 2pm to 9pm
Saturday, March 15: 10am to 8pm
Sunday, March 16: 11am to 5pm

Visitors to Cottage Country’s Lake and Cabin Show in Winnipeg can get a free copy of Cottage Tips Magazine 2025 at the event. The 2025 Winnipeg Cottage Show is a great opportunity to meet local businesses that provide products and services focused on the cottage industry in both Manitoba and the Lake of the Woods region around Kenora, Ontario.

If you own a cottage, plan to buy or build a cottage, or simply enjoy visiting cabins owned by family and friends this is the perfect event to get all your projects organized for the coming summer at the lake.

Cottage Tips Magazine will be at Cottage Country’s Lake and Cabin Show 2024 in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg Cottage Show 2024

Show location: Red River Exhibition Place – Winnipeg

Show days and times:
Friday, March 15: 2pm to 9pm
Saturday, March 16: 10am to 8pm
Sunday, March 17: 11am to 5pm

Visitors to the Winnipeg Cottage Show can get a free copy of Cottage Tips Magazine 2024 at the event. The 2024 Lake and Cabin Show is a great opportunity to meet local businesses that provide products and services focused on the cottage industry in Manitoba and the Lake of the Woods region around Kenora, Ontario.

If you own a cottage, plan to buy or build a cottage, or simply enjoy visiting cabins owned by family and friends this is the perfect event to get all your projects organized for the coming summer at the lake.

By: Andrew Walker

Every cottage owner needs a reliable wheelbarrow to get work done around the cabin property. Read the full article

By: Andrew Walker

A log splitter makes life a lot easier at the cottage. Cutting wood with a maul or an axe is only fun for the first few logs. When you plan to use the cabin through the winter and need to split a lot of wood, the novelty wears off quickly.

It is important to buy a log splitter that suits your situation. A machine that is too small will leave you frustrated. One that is too large is probably a waste of money.

This post contains links to products. Cottage Tips may receive a commission for purchases made through the links.

Log splitter types and sizes

The size and power of the wood splitter that is needed for a cottage depends on the type and diameter of the trees, the volume of wood you need to split, and whether your cottage is along a road. Access to electricity (on the grid or a generator) is also a consideration.

When you have a forest on your cottage lot it is common to find dead trees that have trunk diameters of up to 12 inches. These are easy to split after cutting them into logs using your chainsaw. In this situation a basic log splitter is likely all you require.

On the other hand, if you are splitting green (not dried out) hardwood logs with larger diameters or plan to burn a lot of wood regularly throughout the year it might make sense to get a log splitter that is faster and more powerful.

Difference between hardwood and softwood trees

Softwood trees like poplar, aspen, spruce, pine, and hemlock are easier to split than hardwoods such as oak, ash, beech, birch, and maple. When the logs are larger, an entry-level splitter might not have the power needed to get through the hardwoods, especially if the wood is not completely dry.

Log splitter tonnage

The tonnage of a log splitter refers to the amount of power the machine produces to split the logs. Starter splitters can be as small as four-ton and are normally electric. They use hydraulic pressure to split the log.

This type of log splitter is probably all you would require for basic needs at a cottage. The machine is easy to move around and can be plugged into the outlet at the cabin or into a generator if you don’t have electricity.

As the power of the log splitter increases, the units get heavier. They also come with a variety of options, and are more expensive. The more powerful log splitters use gas engines. They come as horizontal or vertical splitters and can split much larger and heavier logs of all types. These machines are normally fitted with a trailer hitch so they can be towed.

Safety

Log splitters have safety features, but you still need to be careful. All log splitter are powerful and can do real damage to fingers if you do not use them properly.

Always wear safety glasses, work gloves, and work boots with steel toes when splitting wood. In addition, make sure you are in an open area and that no spectators are standing near the machine while you are working. Logs sometimes fly off the sides of the splitter and can cause serious damage.

Best log splitter for your cottage

Most cottage owners can probably get by with a basic five-ton or nine-ton log splitter. In situations where you have large hardwood trees and need to split high volumes of wood it makes sense to buy a unit that is more powerful.

Check them out: Gas Powered Log Splitters for a Cabin

Check them out: Electric Log Splitters for a Cottage

Going the cheap route when you need the extra power won’t save money in the long run. Smaller units will eventually fail if they are worked too hard. The best log splitter to buy is one that will alway meet your needs.

By: Andrew Walker

Every cottage owner needs a good splitting axe to cut firewood for the wood stove. Choosing the right axe is important to ensure you can split the logs efficiently and not put yourself at risk of an injury. Read the full article

By: Andrew Walker

A generator is an essential piece of equipment to buy for an off-grid cabin, cottage, or camp. It is also a good idea to have a generator for back-up power at a cottage that has electricity, especially when the cabin serves as your home for several months of the year. Read the full article

By: Andrew Walker

There are essentially three types of lawn mowers: push, gas, and electric. The best type of lawn mower to buy for a cottage depends on the size of the yard, the slope of the property, the cabin’s location, and the availability of electricity. Read the full article

By: Andrew Walker

The top winter activities at the cottage are always the ones the entire family can enjoy. Read the full article

By: Andrew Walker

Cleaning the eavestroughs is an important part of the spring and fall maintenance process at the cottage. It’s normally a nasty job, but we figured out a way to make it easy! Read the full article

These unique gifts will show your favourite cottage Mom how much the family appreciates all her hard work at the cabin. Read the full article