DR Rapid fire Log splitter???

[TractorBob1529]

SS had made enough money, time for the consumer to reap some of the benifits.

 

[LD1]

SS had made enough money, time for the consumer to reap some of the benifits.

 

[John_Mc]

Originally Posted by TractorBob1529 View Post
SS had made enough money, time for the consumer to reap some of the benifits.

SuperSplit (SS) originally designed this splitter. Once the patent protection ran out, DR Products cloned it almost exactly, and sold it under their own name, and a bit cheaper than SuperSplit was selling it.

DR's advertising would have you believe they invented the concept (but they are pretty clever in how they lead you to believe this without coming out and saying it. They did the same thing with their "Dual Action" log splitter.

 

[LD1]

Originally Posted by TractorBob1529 View Post
SS had made enough money, time for the consumer to reap some of the benifits.



SuperSplit (SS) originally designed this splitter. Once the patent protection ran out, DR Products cloned it almost exactly, and sold it under their own name, and a bit cheaper than SuperSplit was selling it.

DR's advertising would have you believe they invented the concept (but they are pretty clever in how they lead you to believe this without coming out and saying it. They did the same thing with their "Dual Action" log splitter.

I guess I never really bought into the whole patent thing and everyone copying them. Inertia type splitters have been around for MUCH longer than SS, so I dont think the "concept" would have been patent-able. Heck, a maul is an inertia splitter.

Why the others waited so long...who knows. But there were a few other companies (smaller companies) that have been making inertia splitters for quite awhile also.

I guess I am just getting sick of hearing about how everyone has copied SS. Sure, they look similar, but dont most hydraulic splitters look similar......or dont most tractors look similar???

 

[John_Mc]

SuperSplit did, in fact have a patent on their machine. I spoke to the owner about this when the DR RapidFire first came out... it looked so much like a SuperSplit that I thought DR had just re-labeled a SuperSplit. (As they've done with other machines they've sold in the past, and is commonly done by a wide range of companies who want to sell an item under their own name.)

DR Products is a good company, who stands behind what they sell. No where in my post did I say not to buy from them. There is a reason that patents have a time limit - it's to encourage continued innovation, and allow one inventor to build on the success of those who went before him/her.

I would have liked to see DR do something other than make an almost exact clone of the SuperSplit. As it is, there was no innovation here (unless you call their change which required two hands to run the split cycle and innovation). At least it's nice to see they did it right, and didn't cheapen up the components. TSC was selling a Speeco flywheel splitter that came out about the same time. They eventually pulled it off the market due to extensive problems with the rack or pinion gear (I forget which).

 

[Bluegill2]

Yes, DR copied Super Split about as close as one could. DR bought two splitters from Paul a while back. Not very cool...

The other copy ain't working out very well.

I bought a Super Split two years ago and now I look forward to splittin wood. Very Nice machine that works Extremely well!

 

[IslandTractor]

Yes, DR copied Super Split about as close as one could. DR bought two splitters from Paul a while back. Not very cool...

I suppose you could say the same thing about Bush Hog and all the copy cat rotary mowers that followed their product. Or, for that matter, just about any implement or tool that has become part of the cloned "Kleenex" of our world due to the initial success of a novel variant product. Super Split was probably not the first to think of either electric or hydraulic splitters etc either.

 

[LD1]

I suppose you could say the same thing about Bush Hog and all the copy cat rotary mowers that followed their product. Or, for that matter, just about any implement or tool that has become part of the cloned "Kleenex" of our world due to the initial success of a novel variant product. Super Split was probably not the first to think of either electric or hydraulic splitters etc either.

Crescent wrenches????

Dont most tractors look the same except color???

Pick-up trucks????

Splitting mauls???

Chainsaws????

Firestone vs Goodyear vs whoever R1 Ag tires???

The list is endless. The guy that made the Supersplit didnt have a new concept at all. Just a different way of applying a VERY OLD concept.

And like I said before, look at hydraulic splitters??? On something as simple as a logsplitter....there really isnt much one can change is there???

 

[cqaigy2]

Crescent wrenches????

Dont most tractors look the same except color???

Pick-up trucks????

Splitting mauls???

Chainsaws????

Firestone vs Goodyear vs whoever R1 Ag tires???

The list is endless. The guy that made the Supersplit didnt have a new concept at all. Just a different way of applying a VERY OLD concept.

And like I said before, look at hydraulic splitters??? On something as simple as a logsplitter....there really isnt much one can change is there???

You forgot the minivan. :laughing:

 

[Bluegill2]

The way I understand it, DR could not find a way to change it, or make it better, so they stuck with the original SS design. Their lawyers however, had to make it "safer", thus the two handed controls.

Speeco did change it and look where that went. Well the origin of manufacture didn't help either...

I've seen a few of these splitters over 20 years old in commercial firewood operations and still going strong. I'll just stick with the 'original'... :thumbsup:

 

[Industrial Toys]

The nice thing about a story like this, is that you just can't fake quality in a machine like this. What irks me in the DR videos, is that they speak of splitting really nasty wood and yet only show splitting the nicest of the nice! How freeking typical! Got a friend who works for a DR dealer. Might just buy one, to see if I can wreck it with all the knurly old ELM around!

I never knew such machines existed until half an hour ago. I have been laying awake at night thinking about building a fast hydraulic splitter. So I am somewhat intrigued, but skeptical.

If such a thing works, I'd love to power one from the front of my Steiner. Because the only thing I hate worse than a slow splitter (especially the return stroke) is a noisy, pissy-*** gas engine running at 3600!

 

[Bluegill2]

If it's close to as good as the original Super Split, it'll split all the gnarly stuff you want. I usually just cut oak, but last Fall/Winter all I cut and split was nasty Elm.

Oh, and a 1.5hp elec motor will run the thing. Now that is quiet and no exhaust if you want to run it indoors...

 

[Pa Pa Jack]

I have been researching and checking out splitters for a couple months now. I have never owned one because we burn very little wood. Probably less than a half cord per year because we had a very small fireplace and it seemed to lose more heat than it put out. We recently had a much larger insert installed and now we will be burning a lot more wood. we own 35 acres and most of it is large hardwoods.

Because of this thread in particular, I decided to order a DR Rapid Fire. It is due to be delivered in about a week. I will let you know my impressions of it shortly thereafter.

 

[Bluegill2]

Very long thread on the DR ; http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/179047.htm

Gets kind of ugly towards the end.

 

[btubarnbob]

I purchased a Used Speed Pro and after a few cords of firewood the Rack Gear has lost too many teeth to operate. SpeeCo won't sell me replacement parts because I am NOT the Original Owner and Tractor Supply is no help either. Can you advise any experience with repairs?
Thanks, Bob

 

[IslandTractor]

I purchased a Used Speed Pro and after a few cords of firewood the Rack Gear has lost too many teeth to operate. SpeeCo won't sell me replacement parts because I am NOT the Original Owner and Tractor Supply is no help either. Can you advise any experience with repairs?
Thanks, Bob

Tell SpeeCo you are the original owner or inherited the device. Never heard of a company that wouldn't sell available repair parts to second owners.

 

[btubarnbob]

Tell SpeeCo you are the original owner or inherited the device. Never heard of a company that wouldn't sell available repair parts to second owners.

They want to see the Original Sales Receipt. I am stuck trying to re-tool or Junking.

 

[John_Mc]

You probably don't want to try to retool this on your own, unless you have access to someone with some serious metalworking/heat-treating equipment. One of the problems with the Speeco Unit was the poor quality of the metal and/or heat treating in their rack gear.

I could see Speeco refusing to provide a part under warranty if you are not the original owner, but not refusing to sell you one outright. I suspect their real reason for not selling you a replacement is that they don't have one of the quality needed to actually hold up under use - they're just looking for reasons to minimize their exposure.

Two suggestions: can you get the original owner to order the part for you? Or at least get a letter signed by him/her saying they have sold the unit to you - you could send that in with the order for the part. The other would be to ask another splitter owner to order the part for you (after verifying that teir weren't any design changes between their unit and yours).

Speeco is probably within their rights not to sell spare parts to other than the original owner, or not to sell spare parts at all. Seems like a stupid way to run a business to me. If the two approaches above don't work, you need to make this as embarrassing for TSC and Speeco as you can. Keep records of all communications, give them an opportunity to make good. If they don't start posting anywhere you can. If you make yourself enough of a thorn in someone's side, they might sell you a part just to shut you up.

 

[Bluegill2]

I purchased a Used Speed Pro and after a few cords of firewood the Rack Gear has lost too many teeth to operate. SpeeCo won't sell me replacement parts because I am NOT the Original Owner and Tractor Supply is no help either. Can you advise any experience with repairs?
Thanks, Bob

SpeeCo had so much trouble with these they discontinued them and offered full refunds. You will likely need to find a different source for a different rack & pinion. Try McMaster Carr. You really don't want the original Speed Pro parts anyway.

I'd sell it cheap, or scrap it and get a Super Split...

 

[IslandTractor]

SpeeCo had so much trouble with these they discontinued them and offered full refunds. You will likely need to find a different source for a different rack & pinion. Try McMaster Carr. You really don't want the original Speed Pro parts anyway.

I'd sell it cheap, or scrap it and get a Super Split...

At least that explains why they won't sell repair parts.