Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
All-Purpose OWF Discussions => Fire Wood => Topic started by: mtoll on February 15, 2014, 09:19:14 AM
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Anyone have suggestions on good log splitters
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As far as brands, I built my own 4 footer so that probably isn't any help but here is a suggestion,LOCK it up, we have been having lots of them stolen this year!
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Troy Built 27 Ton from Lowe's Home Improvement has been good to me
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The Timberwolf and the American CLS wood splitter has been good to me as well..You can buy them in different splitting lengths…
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It depends on what and how much you split on what size you would need electric or gas. I would look at DHT (Dirty Hand Tools). They look like a good one and are sold at Menards around here. Just had a big sale last week for their 27 ton $999.00 with a rebate. Has a Kohler horizontal engine.
I own a 22 ton Huskee (speeco) from Tractor Supply. They area around $999.00 and sometimes on sale cheaper. It does everything I need it to. No major complaints. Very good splitter and goes thru any wood I have put in it. Elm, oak, whatever. Only problems are it has a smaller fuel tank and the briggs engine doesn't have a choke. I keep in a warm garage so starting is fine for me, but in the cold it is harder to start. I didn't think the gas tank would be much of an issue, but if I am splitting for a day it seems like I am always refueling.
If I had to do it over again, I would look at the DHT as the engine is better and is on the correct side away from the operator.
The ones I looked at were the Speeco/Huskees, Northern Tool and a green made in China at Menards. Went with the Huskee mainly because of price. I like the option of vertical and horz. I do most horizontal, but some big pieces I start with vertical. Some guys here like to do all vertical. Depends on height, back and just what each of us like. Most of the spendy professional grade ones are horizontal only, some with log lifts. Another thing to look for is some horizontal only have fixed wedge and vertical option ones have moving wedge. All I have ever used is a moving wedge, so that is what I was looking for. The bigger ones also have slower cycle times and weigh more if you are moving it by hand. The slower cycle time is not a big deal if you are splitting tough stuff as the smaller ones are running the pumps in slow 2nd stage a lot.
I am not a big fan of the ones with the front-attach cylinder like the MTD's. I guess I would rather have one with a standard cylinder in case I would ever need to replace it and be able to find one off the shelf. Do some research here and on Hearth.com. Lots of good threads on splitters.
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I happen to be in TSC today and looked at the Huskee but I live near a Menards ill check out the DHT thanks
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I'm very pleased with my Troy Bilt 27 ton. I haven't found anything that it won't split. Here's a video of it splitting a big piece of oak. Hopefully the video works, I couldn't get it to load on my phone.
View Video, http://s40.photobucket.com/user/01amercer1988/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20131218_190509_zpsdxsmuvv2.mp4.html (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/01amercer1988/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20131218_190509_zpsdxsmuvv2.mp4.html)
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anyone heard of Rugged-made or Rugged-split splitters? I found one advertised for $1,488.00 on a 37 ton. Seems to be a bit over rated at 37 tons but what do I know?
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Hey Slimjim I am in the process of building one now. How tall is yours to the top of the I beam ? Is yours just horizontal or both ?
I have only worked with a horizontal so I was making mine that way or is that a mistake ?
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Mine is also horizontal only, keep in mind that I built that one for my old Wood Doctor with a 5 foot firebox, you may like a 2 foot commercially built splitter that can be used both ways better, mine I liked much better for my application because with 4 foot wood I never had to lift the entire stick off the ground, I would simply end over end the wood to the splitter then lean it against the i beam and lift the other end onto the splitter.
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I have already started to make the parts. I am trying to decide what height to make the beam ? I designed it to be 36"
travel and horizontal only.
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... I would look at DHT (Dirty Hand Tools). They look like a good one and are sold at Menards around here. Just had a big sale last week for their 27 ton $999.00 with a rebate. Has a Kohler horizontal engine...
Are you sure it was the DHT 27 ton for that price? If so that was a helluva deal. I have been looking at the DHTs and like what I see. Where is your Menards located?
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my 2 cents of log splitters. Don't cheap out.
I've ran a few just like probably everyone here, and have posted about splitters before.
Honda motors #1, all others fall in line. Not saying they don't work.
Must have log extractor built in.
2 stage pump
Vert and Horz
I don't like the rolled edge on the I beam or cradles. it holds the wood away from beam and you don't get full use of wedge.
Tonnage not that important. I have a Northern 37 ton, total overkill.
If money wasn't an issue, Wallenstein splitters have Honda motors far away from operator and a 9 or 10" tall wedge. AWESOME. But they are Canadian and pricey. All others fall in line.
OK maybe only 1 cent worth. But hey this is the internet.
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I have a Speeco 3pth splitter does the job but if I get or build a new one the wedge will be stationary
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Even though it is Canadian, made by the Mennonites, the Wallenstien 510 horizontal work great for me, Honda 5 HP one pull start never any trouble. Built like a brick outhouse.
I put the removable 4 way wedge on it.
I went to a Wallenstien Wood Processor ( also Canadian ) and it is 36 ton dual stage, adjustable 4 way, it uses a Subaru 9 HP, a great machine for me.
Bob
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Are you sure it was the DHT 27 ton for that price? If so that was a helluva deal. I have been looking at the DHTs and like what I see. Where is your Menards located?
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Yes it was the 27 tn in the ad. Not all the Menards stores around here have those in stock, only the bigger ones. There was a sale price of $1299, then a $300 rebate for store credit, but after the mail in it was pretty cheap. Almost made me regret my Huskee 22 ton purchase for a second. I think I am over that now and still happy with the Huskee.
I hate those rebate checks. I forget to mail in sometimes before they expire, then always forget to bring or use them when at the store. Overall they have saved me a ton of money on things I need anyway.
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I have an Iron and Oak 22 ton with a 4 way wedge. It has split somewhere around 400-450 cords. I don't have any complaints about it. As others have stated, the tonnage isn't the big deal here. I would be looking into the cycle time. Why stand there and watch a wedge slowly move when you can be getting work done? As for the 4 way, if you have the right sized wood, it's not twice as fast but 3 times as fast as a conventional wedge. Run a log through once and it's in 4 pieces. Grab the next log and go. You will be amazed at how fast you can pile it up.
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Speeco 22 ton here. Paid 899 for it thought it was a good value. Seems well built but forget about starting the Briggs in anything below20 degrees.
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I have a champion 30 Ton from TSC I paid 1200.00 for. Its horizontal and flips vertical with very little effort. The 20 ton was on special and when they checked stock the attendant rolled this out to my truck, said this is all they have left and gave it to me for the sale price. Needless to say I kept my mouth shut.
Other than the pieces of steel that are supposed to knock the wood back when the splitter gets caught crumpling like cigarette papers and a wiring problem to the kill switch I have had great success splitting wood I can barely lift up or to the machine. (http://)
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I think I like your garage setup more than the splitter ha!..Sounds like you got a great deal on the splitter..Nice spitter!
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My little home built splitter
(http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t387/Scott7m/20140110_121438.jpg)
(http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t387/Scott7m/20140110_121430.jpg)
(http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t387/Scott7m/20140110_121423.jpg)
(http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t387/Scott7m/20140110_121411.jpg)
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NICE JOB SCOTT that looks very similar to the 4 footer that I have, well I used to have anyway, when I went to chips my neighbor and friend borrowed it after his got stolen and I haven't seen it since.
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Nice splitter Scott! I really like those big wheels.
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It's a 2 stage pump design as well, u can't stop it, it will cut stuff into
It's extremely heavy built.
Notice the wedge is on the ram and not stationary at the end, the table/wood catcher I thought was needed at the end but since the wedge is on the ram itself it works out well. A bit of a different design tho, the 2 stage pump cycles really fast
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Nice splitter and nice rims 8). Looks like your missing a lug nut though ::) . Those darn chrome covered caps always seemed to fall off and the factory ones were darn expensive!
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Oh yea I got 2 on one side and 3 on the other I think lol
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Nice splitter scott! :thumbup:
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Thats for easy replacement of the wheel/tire when you back over your pulp hook like I did with my Cat, Right Scott?