Buying Advice 27 ton 208 cc Log Splitter

bruiserx2 · Jul 20, 2011

I am in the market for a log splitter and want to discuss a specific one. Where is the right place to post this?

The one I am looking at is a 27ton, 208 cc logsplitter. I believe they are all made by the same company and arfe being sold under Craftsman, Troy-Bilt and MTD

crazyal · Jul 20, 2011

MTD makes them. I've got the Troy built version with the Honda engine and it's worked great for 5 years now. I've split probably 50 or 60 cord of wood with it. I did take a bungee cord to keep the hose that goes from the pump to the level from rubbing on the ground. I bought mine from Lowes after getting a Home Depot 20% off coupon off of ebay. Turns out Lowes will honor HD coupons, at the time HD didn't have any in stock.

The base plate the log pushes against is solid steel plate, 1 1/2" thick maybe. The ones I saw at Lowes last year were cast and had a web pattern on the back side. Looking at your pictures they may have changed it again. I assume the cast piece was cheaper but maybe they had problems with it not being strong enough?

GregbkH · Jul 21, 2011

I've had good luck with the Speeco 27 ton I bought from Farm & Fleet. It has a 304cc Briggs and a 16 gpm pump, giving it a decent cycle time.

bruiserx2 · Jul 21, 2011

One concern is the small amount of hydraulic fluid it holds and it getting warm when using it continuously. The other is the gas consumption. It has a small tank and if it burns a lot per hour then not only the cost but a pain to keep filling it.

crazyal · Jul 21, 2011

I think a tank lasts about an hour. I know it's usually a good time to take a break anyway. The fluid might get warm but never that hot but I only split in the fall when temps are in the 70s, it could be a problem I guess if you lived in the middle of the country and were trying to split 10 cords of wood today.

jake98 · Jul 23, 2011

crazyal said:
MTD makes them. I've got the Troy built version with the Honda engine and it's worked great for 5 years now.

X2. :thumbsup:

dex3361 · Jul 23, 2011

I have the older version of the MTD splitter and have been using it for a about 12 years and I am so glad I bought a vertical splitter. Mine is rated for 26 tons and it has a Tecumseh 6.5 engine and that is the weak point of the splitter if I had it to do aver again I would get it with a Honda.

bruiserx2 · Jul 26, 2011

Will the engine size make a big difference.
You can buy it with a 160cc Honda engine or 208cc mtf/craftsman/Troy bilt. I have always been a big believer is more power the better. The price difference is roughly $100.00 dollars.

Johndeere3720 · Jul 26, 2011

I too have the Troy Built 27 ton splitter with the Honda engine. So far I have split about about 25 cord with it since I got last fall and haven't had a single problem. The Honda engine is really quiet and runs really smooth. I did run my splitter a few weeks ago for about 8 hours constant and it never had a problem. My log splitter has already proven itself, I am very pleased with it. :thumbsup:

dodge man · Jul 28, 2011

I have a smaller version, and it horizontal only. Vertical is really nice for larger logs.

Don't worry about the size of the hydraulic tank, it only gets warm. I thought the tank for hydraulic fluid was huge when I got mine.

Don't worry about the size of the fuel tank, just carry a gas can.

I was using a splitting maul before, so my splitter was a huge step up.