Wood Splitter advice

[RNeumann]

Well not one person likes the flywheel type....I guess that's out!

 

[Nequasset]

Not so fast I have a Super Split Hd Model- its a flywheel type with a Subaru gas engine on it. If you can lift the wood on the splitter, it will split! Mine has two 75lb. flywheels, the newer Hd's have 2x90lbs I believe. Its less like having a hydraulic splitter and more like having a mechanical sledgehammer and wedge- man is it fast and tough! My Neighbor and I had a "split-off" between his hydraulic and my supersplit- I think we figured I was splitting 4 pieces to his one. I also constructed a "production table" for mine that catches your halves after they come off the wedge so you don't spend all day bent over. Maintaining the unit is wicked simple, ensure the drive belts are tight, keep the surface of the splitter the rack gear rides on clean top of, and that the gear teeth and flywheel bearings are greased up,
When I purchased mine (In 2007 or 2008) I considered the electric option, however could not pass up the portability of the gas engine. The Subaru has been great- the quality of it is heads and shoulders above what you would typically see out of a B-S or Kohler from a big box store, Metal tank, Metal flywheel housing, Robust fuel shutoff etc. I haven't had any problems with the carb gumming up from the crap ethanol fuel either, when I have completed my woodsplitting for the year, with the engine idling, I close the fuel shutoff, run the engine dry, then top the tank off and dose it with marine Stabil-fuel- she starts right up on the 1st-2nd pull the next year!

 

[turnkey4099]

I have heard nothing but good about the Super Split. It might refuse on a real knotty piece but so will a hydralic, BTDT with a 27 ton splitter.

 

[Nequasset]

I have heard nothing but good about the Super Split. It might refuse on a real knotty piece but so will a hydralic, BTDT with a 27 ton splitter.

Yes its is quite the Splitting machine! I have not found a piece of wood it cannot split- (6-7 cord/ year since '07) If i can pick it up and put it on the table it will split it. If the machine does not split the wood on the first attempt you can disengage the pinion gear, allow the rack gear to retract and hit it again! The only time I have had malfunctions is trying to split poor quality (i.E. punky) wood. It ends up leaving a residue that sometimes prevents the rack gear from retracting- solution is simple, touch up the surface with some 00 steel wool and a light coat of gear oil. IMO outside of having a processor setup this is the quickest way to split wood!

 

[MacLawn]

Y'all remember the Stotz Monster Maul that used to be advertised in back of Outdoor Life, etc.? Way back? Well, I bought one about 40 years ago. I will NEVER buy nor have to buy anything else. I'm 68, back pain, fibromyalgia mess, arthritis, etc., but I'll still split with that thing all day, at my pace. I also have the Fiskars X27 splitting axe to split smaller stuff, but the Monster Maul has NEVER been defeated by red oak, white oak, hickory, you name it. No gasoline, no electric, just plain old grits power.

 

[joeyd]

Just looked up the Fiskars splitting axe- hard to find anyone who says bad things about it!

I also have made the transition to the colder climate and here is what I have learned by trial and error. The mauls are a great workout but I always end up getting the head twisted on the handle so I went to the Fiskers X27. What a great tool and is my go to way to split wood when I have the time and still want a workout. I was getting too many rounds that had bad knots etc. that my DR 6hp electric splitter couldn't handle. So after 8 years I finally broke down and purchased an Ariens 22 ton gas splitter. It is so much fun this season my Fiskers got dusty. So now I have a variety of tools for the job. I did decide to pass on a 3pt splitter to keep the hours off my tractor.

 

[Laderbuilt]

I have a Super Split HD. I should have taken some pictures of what I was splitting today it was 2ft or more across 18-20" long. Knotty pine. Out of the whole tree two pieces have me trouble. The size of the knots was as thick as my forearms on those so I just split around those two. It has split pieces that I had to use my tractor to pick up and I rolled onto the table! I do have a old, slow hydro unit as well I only use that a couple times a year now and it's only to make my BIG pieces into sizes that I can handle easier on the S.S

 

[SJay]

This is the way I split - works great:dance1:

 

[groundcover]

Another two thumbs up for the Super Split ! ( still have two of them too !):thumbsup:
I was splitting Oak all day , most of the rounds so big that I picked them with the Ditch Witch mini track loader with a branch manager grapple.
Could count on one hand the number of times I had to 'double tap' , plenty of knots too.
I would sure hate to have to go back to a juice splitter !

 

[Pilot]

When I was young I hand split firewood outside Kalispell. Not a problem on the Doug-fir, larch & lodgepole I split (mostly lodgepole & that was easy to split). Unless your wood has large knots, a power splitter is just a luxury. If you do go for a gas powered splitter, I have only one complaint against the Ariens--no way to tell how full the tank is. It has a screen in the filler neck that can't easily be removed without damaging it and you can't see thru it to check the level. Great machine and you probably don't need the power of the 27 ton unit unless knots exceed 2 1/2 inches.
One other thing: If you run out of gas mid split, fill it with gas, you won't be able to start it until you notice the actuator handle is in the split position. You can pull it 30 times & it won't start. Neutralize the lever and off you go. I know. Otherwise easy to start; mine starts every time the 3rd pull if not the second & that's in cold weather.