Log splitters

[Michelle K linnane]

I have been looking at log splitters for the second year I borrowed some ones but I hate to do that. His old and will split
anything but it is borrowed and I hate to borrow stuff. I have been looking at log splitter and boy there are some real differences
I know timberwolf makes a good but I do not think I am ready to spend that kind of money.

I saw one that was by directions which was the Powerhorse Horizontal Dual Split Log Splitter 20-Ton but I want something
that will split most anything and I am not sure if 20 ton is enough. The one I have borrow is home made with a 10 horse power
snow blower engine on it and the ram is almost 3 feet. So it is a monstor and I have no idea how many ton it is.

But for what I do by directional seems really great and it has trays on the side to hold wood. Another option is the log lift
which seems kind of nice but I normally have help splitting wood and the tray would keep two people from working on the splitter but with an auto lifter I would not need any help. And I normally do not cut that big a tree.

Can people tell me what they have I want to know if 20 ton will split most everything you can think of and has anybody used
the by directions splitter boy that seems to be the Cat's Butt!

Also price on what you paid for yours.

 

[Ed of all trades]

I have a 20 ton northern hydro. that I like. We just cut a red oak that grew in a field and was 40 some inches across the stump, We split all but one piece and I think we could have split that but the crew was tired and threw it aside. That is pretty normal with this splitter one or two pieces out of a huge tree. Not a monster but a good solid splitter. Don't know what I paid for it but a new 22 ton in the catalog is $1399.99 and if you live near a store they will ship free to the store. Hope you find what you are looking for. Ed

 

[Briar Hill Brittanys]

Here's mine. 22 ton, and it's split eveything I've tried. Got it for $1000.00 from Tractor Supply, that included assembly, and hydraulic and motor oil. It's made by Speeco, and given me flawless performance since purchased. I don't know much about the bi-directional horizontal types, but if it will only work horizontally, every piece has to be lifted. What's the big draw? If the bi-directional splitting capability makes it faster, how much time do you loose by having to lift every piece up to the table (even if you use a log lift) ? Twice as many splits per cycle does not necessarily mean twice as fast. (IMHO)

Once I get a tree down, I tow my splitter to the rounds. Just roll them under the ram, pull the handle and.........

The picture shows how far the ram traveled before the log split, not very far. Once the pieces are split, in the carryall they go, to get hauled to the pile.

I'm very happy with this splitter. It's split oak, hickory, hackberry, hedge, elm, maple, mulberry, pecan, etc. I've split pieces as large as 38" diameter. Not just the straight trunk, but also crotch pieces. HTH Mark

 

[rmk700]

I've been looking also. I found this nice one but it seems a bit expensive

 

[dave1949]

I've been looking also. I found this nice one but it seems a bit expensive

I think SpeeCo makes one of those also, also expensive. I've wondered how well they hold up. My current splitter is an 8 lb. maul, no log lifter :laughing: I don't use enough wood to justify buying a splitter, but I always think I should have one.

 

[MotorSeven]

I'm using a 26 ton now. It works fine, but it's loud and I really hate standing over the engine(breath deep). My next one will be a PTO splitter...one less engine to take care of:

CountyLine® 3-Point Hitch Log Splitter - 2153304 | Tractor Supply Company

 

[LD1]

A few pointers when longsplitter shopping: Dont look at the tonnage rating. Most on the market that are rated @ 22T are the same as the 20T and 18T ones. Same goes for 25T, 27T, and 28T.

So getting a 22T instead of a 20T and thinking you are getting more power is not the case.

Instead look at the diameter of the cylinder. Commonly there are 3 used. 4" cylinder (18,20, and 22T); 4.5" 25,27,28T); and 5" (30+ ton ratings).

And about your "borrowed" splitter. You mentioned a 3' ram. All that allows is you to split longer peices. But has NO bearing on power. It is the diameter and pump PSI that dictate power. So see if you can determine what the diameter of that cylinder is. If it is a 4" cylinder and you are happy with it, you will be happy with 10,20,22T models.

Also, the more tonnage you get, the slower they "usually" are. Unless they use a bigger GPM pump. Which is another spec. Some mfg's offer morethan one pump option. For example, if you are looking at a 22T splitter and it has an 11gpm pump, if you can upgrade to 16gpm for not much more $$$, it will be much quicker.

The splitters with the 4" cylinder will split about everything except maybe a couple of peices of nasty elm or twisted up maple crotch peices. Someone mentioned red oak....that is one of the easier woods to split.

Horizontal or vertical.....If you have alot of BIG peices to split, it is worth it to get a vertical model. Bust them in halves or quarters (managable peices), and then set it back up horizontal.:thumbsup:

I am not a fan of the bi-directional splitters. For about 70% of what we split, it only takes running the ram half way out to bust. So now you have the wedge right in the middle of the table and the options are either retract it for the next split, or extend it the rest of the way out for the next split. This would make a bi-directional splitter just as slow as the old style. And also keep in mind that the bi-directional splitters dont have as much power in reverse.

Now all that said, we have a tsc huskee (speeco) 27t splitter and it has been a good solid reliable splitter for the last 10-12 years we have had it. Easy to maintain and simple to work on. And it has good table height cause I have seen quite a few splitters where the beam/table is down at your knees and while that is easier to get big peices onto, it is hard on your back hunching over all day splitting.

 

[KennyG]

I have the PowerHorse 13 ton (which by my calculations is really about 11 tons for my tractor) and I've been amazed that it will split almost anything I've tried. Other than some really bad twisted grain stuff, it splits easily. Also, the bi-directional design works well for me. However, mine only has about an 18" stroke (I never split anything over 16 inches long because of my stove size) so it might not be as much of an advantage for someone splitting longer rounds. Also, I generally don't even mess around with anything over 2 feet in diameter because I just don't want to work that hard.

 

[Jesse masterson]

I have a 35 ton and believe it or not I have never failed to split a log of any size but it has nearly stopped before but these are long logs for outside furna e

 

[Botabill]

I couldn't disagree more with regards to LDTs opinion on bi-directional splitters below.

"I am not a fan of the bi-directional splitters. For about 70% of what we split, it only takes running the ram half way out to bust. So now you have the wedge right in the middle of the table and the options are either retract it for the next split, or extend it the rest of the way out for the next split. This would make a bi-directional splitter just as slow as the old style. And also keep in mind that the bi-directional splitters dont have as much power in reverse."

I have only operated a Splitfire bi-directional. They are in my opinion the cadilac of the woodsplitter. It is quality made in North America. They are as powerful on the outstroke as on the back stroke. I split a lot of elm and it never splits half way. In fact you have to cut it right up to the end of the stroke. Even if a log does split half way IMHO it is more efficient to continue to a point where there is room to put the log on the cradle to then reverse it rather than pulling back on the lever to get the ram back for re-loading. Often a splitting log will jam on any splitter. With the bi-directional you can simply put a log on the other end and as you split it the bound piece will be pushed out. No wrestling with a half cut knarly piece of wood.

Now having expounded on the best woodsplitter made I must admit I bought an $1100 22 ton champion chinese splitter rather than the $3300 ade splitfire. The reason was simple economics. I only split a few cords a year and when I own the unit I don't need a speedy machine. I haven't found a piece of wood that my 22 ton can't split.

 

[LD1]

They are as powerful on the outstroke as on the back stroke.

Hydraulic cylinders by nature have less power when retracting. So my statement is true in that regard.

And yes, if you split ALOT of elm, I can see the benefit of a bi-directional. But everyones needs are different. We split mostly ash, red oak, maple, etc. Stuff that isnt that tough to split.

 

[mojoinco]

There's another long standing brand that is driven by a flywheel. I believe it is priced about the same as the DR unit. I like the simplicity and lack of long term maintenance. No hoses, no hydraulics. It is expensive for a homeowner operation though.

 

[WayneB]

This is the wood splitter I purchased back in May of 2006. It has the Briggs engine on it and I manage to change oil once a year and have not had a single problem with it. We built a log lift for it this summer so no more hand picking up of the big ones. One thing I do like is the tire size on the splitter as it makes it pretty nice for moving about in the woods (to and from). Back then I paid right around $1,900 for it and now I think they are about 2,400. They also have models with the Honda engine mounted on them, but I am happy with the Briggs.

American 6.5 High woodsplitter w/ 4way wedge and backer :: American Woodsplitters :: Outdoor Equipment :: Curtis Collectibles

They are located in Black River, NY up near Watertown and great people to work with.

This is their home website.

http://americanlogsplitters.com/index.html

 

[cmyoung2]

I've got one of the Huskee splitters from tractor supply, paid less than $1000 about 4 years ago. Up to that point I had always used a maul, but with work and age, I got behind Love the splitter, but actually miss the maul sometimes. I do still use it some. I very rarely use the vertical split feature. I gennerally cut a trailer/truck load, bring it home and split it as it comes off the trailer. I actually put the end of the splitter against the trailer so when I split big pieces half stays on the splitter, half goes back on the trailer so i don't ever have to pick a big piece off the ground. It splits everything I have put on it, and if the wedge sticks, it has stops to pull the wood off on the return stroke. Only problem I have is the splitter will either split more wood than I want to stack, or the gas doesn't run out when I want a break

 

[NHbotanut]

I just got the DR Rapid Fire splitter last weekend. I have been looking for a splitter for the past 2 years. A neighbor I was talking to begining of summer showed me his machine and I could not believe how fast it was.

Here is a pic of the first time using it. I spent maybe 35 - 40 minutes of actual time splitting. I spent more time bring the cut up pieces to the splitter.


While I agree that it probably won't be great on big knarly pieces; 1) most of my trees are in the 15 - 24" area, and & 2) there are very straight and 3) any knarly pieces, I can use my other neighbors 35 Ton splitter.

 

[Dick]

All being equal, tonage is an indicator of potential results. However not all same sized splitters split the same.
I bought a 27 ton 3 years ago at Lowes. I split 6 cords or so annually. Most rounds are 24 inches or less.
I personally prefer honda powered equipment. I appear to have bad juju with Brigs powered stuff.
A time saver might be a 4 cut attachment with a standard splitter rather than opting for a 2 directional model Northern Industries offers an attachment that fits several models.

 

[Michelle K linnane]

Bought wood splitter this weekend from tractor supply they had them on sale for $990 so I bought 22 ton splitter. Will met my needs for some years. I will not use too much this winter as I already have my wood split for this year, about 7 cord will cut only one cord to be on save side mostly small round stuff. Better to have the wood splitter and not have to use it right away than not have it and need it.

 

[clsathome]

I have a 34-ton Ariens from Home Depot and am really happy with it. Excellent value too. It is the exact same splitter that Gravely is selling for $800 more.

 

[Piston]

I really hope to buy a Split-fire bi directional splitter someday, the one with the 4 way wedge on it. That is my dream splitter right there! It probably runs about $3500 dollars which is a lot to spend on a splitter when you only split 5 cords a year. However, someday I will buy one!

Right now I'm splitting with a 3 pt model on the tractor and I hate it! I have this wonderful grapple on the FEL that would be just PERFECT for holding all my rounds while I split, but I can't use it because I have this 46hp engine driving a god awful slow splitter that is tying up my tractor!

 

[caver]

I bought a Swisher 22 ton unit several years ago. The only mod I've done is put a longer tongue on it for towing with the ATV. It gives me more leverage (less strain) to lift on and of the tow ball. Worst I've split is Sweetgum and it did the job.