School me on what Log Splitter I should buy

[Flyinghunter]

I've never owned a log splitter but i'm ready to buy my first. I live on a farm and will most likely be cutting red oak & white oak that have fallen over from storms. I've seen the ones at Home Depot, Lowes, TSC, and a variety of ratings from 13 ton to 37 ton.

Ok, Hide...I'm listening and taking notes.

 

[...]

 

[Jscb1b]

The biggest one you can afford! More hp is better than less.

 

[myers129]

I’ve had the TSC 30 ton version for a couple years now. We don’t burn a ton of wood but I split about 10 cords this year and with time constraints I kind of wished I would have sprung for a kinetic. The TSC has been great but when you do all the splitting and stacking yourself it would be nice to cut time anywhere you can.

 

[candyx]

Well built quality product.

Wolfe Ridge MFG - Eau Claire WI - 715-598-7790

Wolfe Ridge MFG professional grade log splitters, firewood proccessing and skid steer attachments built in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA.

wolferidgemfg.com

 

[Jscb1b]

Don't cheap out and buy an electric.

 

[nikonNUT]

Having rebuilt more log splitter cylinders than I can count (hydraulics repair) I would suggest the following...
1) More tonnage is better.
2) Measure the diameter of the rod. More tonnage with a smaller rod will result in bent parts when you get into a stubborn piece of wood. I would rather have 20 tonnes with a 2" ram than 35 tonnes with a 1.5" rod. Never forget they can cook the numbers just by upping the output PSI of the pump. 4" piston @ 3500 PSI = approx.. 22 tons. 5" piston @ 2200 PSI = approx. 22 tons . Bigger piston + heavier rod equals more oomph with less wear on components BUT it takes more fluid volume so it will stroke slower. It's a give and take.
3) STAY AWAY from cylinders that run a trunnion mount with the ears welded to barrel. An overload with cause the ears to flex, which will crack the barrel, which results in an expensive repair (or a total loss on the cylinder).
4) DM me when you need a repack! I can get you a hell of a deal!!!

P.S. if you are on a farm I bet you have a tractor so I would look at a unit that will hook into your AUX implement hydraulic attachment.

 

[whatsupdoc]

Why spend the money when you already own one?

 

[RichJ]

 

[Jscb1b]

Having rebuilt more log splitter cylinders than I can count (hydraulics repair) I would suggest the following...
1) More tonnage is better.
2) Measure the diameter of the rod. More tonnage with a smaller rod will result in bent parts when you get into a stubborn piece of wood. I would rather have 20 tonnes with a 2" ram than 35 tonnes with a 1.5" rod. Never forget they can cook the numbers just by upping the output PSI of the pump. 4" piston @ 3500 PSI = approx.. 22 tons. 5" piston @ 2200 PSI = approx. 22 tons . Bigger piston + heavier rod equals more oomph with less wear on components BUT it takes more fluid volume so it will stroke slower. It's a give and take.
3) STAY AWAY from cylinders that run a trunnion mount with the ears welded to barrel. An overload with cause the ears to flex, which will crack the barrel, which results in an expensive repair (or a total loss on the cylinder).
4) DM me when you need a repack! I can get you a hell of a deal!!!

P.S. if you are on a farm I bet you have a tractor so I would look at a unit that will hook into your AUX implement hydraulic attachment.

Hook it to the draw bar and power it with the remotes.

 

[whatsupdoc]

^^^^^
WTF I never had wood that split that easy.
Is that balsa?

 

[candyx]

Why spend the money when you already own one?

Her hands scare me that she would break my twig.....

 

[Xshot]

I have the Northern Tool 37 ton with 10hp Honda. Been running for more than 6 years and it has never miss a beat. Do yourself a favor and run synthetic ATF instead of hydraulic fluid. Cylinder and pump run much cooler in early fall.

 

[Flyinghunter]

Any brands that are top choices?

Any brands that are definitely ones to stay away from?

 

[Jscb1b]

I would look for who made the engine. Briggs, Honda. Top names. Make sure the hydraulic valve has a detent on the return stroke.

 

[nikonNUT]

Any brands that are top choices?

Any brands that are definitely ones to stay away from?

What's your budget? Log Pro makes great units (and I have built cylinders for them. Not the log splitters but their 4 story band saw mill units) but they are prosumer grade and pricey aka $5000+. Had a Swisher come in the other day for a repack and I was impressed!

Here's a list of Made in America log splitters for your perusal...

USA Made Log Splitters List | 14 Manufacturers & Brands

 

[Jscb1b]

If you have had a bad day at work or just pissed off at the world, Fiskars make a good splitting mail. Collins too. Splitting wedges suck! But they are great to have on hand.

 

[oneshot86]

look at supersplit, i have had one for 15 years.
next year we will have the power split double vertical w conveyor.
also, go you you tube and look up box wedge splitters

 

[missed]

I have one of the Rayco 2526 log splitters it's great.

All my firewood is live oak, pecan, and some post oak. The tractor supply 25 ton I had, I was having to re weld constantly. Engine and pump was fine the rest of it sucked. That Rayco is awesome. I was also looking all wolf splitters before the Rayco.

I was going to get something to run off the skid steer, but they were all pretty pricey also, and 95hp turbo diesel can suck fuel down.

 

[Sixfivesavage]

I've had the 40 ton TSC splitter for a few years now and I don't think I've ever ran it full throttle except maybe the first time to test it out. We split a lot of wood on the farm and I've never even seen the thing hesitate on even the knarliest oak or anything else we have around here. It replaced an old lickity log splitter that was stolen.

 

[...]

Why spend the money when you already own one?

you are never going to get any wood with that twiggy bitch.....you need to upgrade to a Ukrainian model to get some work done.

 

[Steve_In_29]

Yep get some exercise. I use something similar for mine.

 

[Rthur]

Paging @bogeybrown

R

 

[jbuck88]

I bought a "Troy Bilt" with the consumer grade honda from Home Depot and it was impressive for what it was. I had a acre of knotty spruce I needed to split to give away. I was trying to build my house and nobody wanted the wood because it was so hard to split. It would have a stream of water running down the frame on some of harder pieces to split.

I repurposed the motor and hydraulic pump for another project, but it is still running just fine 12 years later.

 

[whatsupdoc]

you are never going to get any wood with that twiggy bitch.....you need to upgrade to a Ukrainian model to get some work done.

View attachment 7507506

Ok you may have a point but at night I wil be with the twiggy bitch and you can have the Babushka.

 

[Steve_In_29]

Ok you may have a point but at night I wil be with the twiggy bitch and you can have the Babushka.

In the dark it's all the same.

 

[Jscb1b]

Babuska will keep you warmed up!

 

[Jscb1b]

Babuska probably cooks better too!

 

[hermosabeach]

live on a farm

Do you have a tractor?

As kids we would chuck logs into a screw device on the back of a tractor.

If you have a tractor, I would look to see what attachments will work with that system.

If you have the space and budget- buy one. I would also chat with local rental shops if they exist in your area. Try one out. Figure out if rental and no maintenance is also an option over using a tool for 3-5 days a year and storing it for 360 days and maintaining it

 

[...]

Ok you may have a point but at night I wil be with the twiggy bitch and you can have the Babushka.

you think twiggy bitch is going to put out after a long day of chopping wood?.....shes gonna spend all night bitching and moaning about how sore she is and make you sleep on the couch.

my babushka is going to chop that wood like a boss then cook me dinner afterwards....and with forearms like hers, i bet she gives a hell of a handy.

im going to bed in a nice warm house with a full belly.....and you are going to bed cold, annoyed, and blueballed.

 

[forrestgump01]

you are never going to get any wood with that twiggy bitch.....you need to upgrade to a Ukrainian model to get some work done.

View attachment 7507506

I know a couple Guatemalan women that will give your Ukrainian a run for her money !


And if my Guatemalan loses , she will probably take a hammer to your Ukrainians knee caps .
So its a win win either way.

 

[IowaPlinker]

Why spend the money when you already own one?

Is that one of those old Swedish forged axe heads that @MK20 brought over?

 

[whatsupdoc]

In the dark it's all the same.

Not if she has no teeth!

 

[jbuck88]

Forgot to add you should also look at the cycle time for a what splitter your looking at.

 

[forrestgump01]

Forgot to add you should also look at the cycle time for a what splitter your looking at.

My Guatemalan log splitter has her cycle time once a month.

 

[346ci]

We have a dirty hand tools 27 ton w/ the Kohler, china splitter from Lowes but it had quickest cycle time of all the ones in that price range. I like the way it splits vertically for the monster rounds. It would serve you well for 10 cords.

Timberwolf makes a real nice one but get ready to lay down some $$$.

 

[Steve_In_29]

Not if she has no teeth!

Won't have to warn her about "teeth".

 

[Hobo Hilton]

Lots of good points. I would lean towards a Honda engine...

Hobo

 

[bluegrasspicker]

Wolfe Ridge Compact Commercial splitter with all of the upgrades (including oversized piston and auto cycle) for me.

I hear people get wrapped up in tonnage, but that's only one factor. Speed is also important. A log lift is great. Hydraulic adjustable wedge is very useful. Electric start's nice because you'll find that the splitter isn't the bottleneck of your operation, and it's nice to be able to turn it on/off quickly.

A stand-alone splitter that isn't powered by a tractor is better in my opinion because the tractor can have a winch and front loader as part of the operation. It would be much harder to have the tractor tied up with the splitter rather than just moving the splitter with a 4-wheeler or Jeep.

I drag logs with winch/tractor from the woods to the log yard, drop them by the Wolfe Ridge (did I mention how awesome that is?), then pull the tractor around so that the front loader catches split wood as if falls from the tray of the splitter. Then I drop the wood where it needs to be.

Eazy Peazy.

An efficient set up makes for an enjoyable "rugged" lifestyle. Onto the next project...

 

[Palmershunter]

This is the next one I will buy!

 

[Alpine 338]

What's your budget? Log Pro makes great units (and I have built cylinders for them. Not the log splitters but their 4 story band saw mill units) but they are prosumer grade and pricey aka $5000+. Had a Swisher come in the other day for a repack and I was impressed!

Here's a list of Made in America log splitters for your perusal...

USA Made Log Splitters List | 14 Manufacturers & Brands

I have a SpeeCo brand, made in Denver Colorado. I think the rims and tires are imported, but the rest of it is all made in USA. I've had it for over 10-years now, and a couple friends have the same model, and none if us have had any issues.

However, I store mine under my deck covered with a tarp, and one Winter a Marmot/Wood Chuck chewed a hole in the lower hydraulic line.

I have the 22-ton model, but I only split Pine, Spruce, and For. You may want a higher rates one if splitting hardwood, or wood that's gnarly and has a lot of knots.

SpeeCo Ordertree |

www.speeco.com

 

[Icallem]

I also have a SpeeCo splitter. Mine is a 25 ton. About 20 years ago I did some appraisal work for a guy getting a divorce and he traded me the splitter for my bill. I thought he had bought it new, but found out later he got it used, so I have no idea how old it is.

He told me to check it out prior to using it as his kids were mad about the divorce. Good thing, as his son had poked saw dust into the crankcase.

This one has some design failures, as in the fact that if a piece of wood gets away from you on the engine side, it will hit the spark plug. Your done until you replace that little item. If you let a piece of wood get away from you on the other side, it can hit the return line and split it where it enters the tank.

I keep it inside when bad cold, as it is direct drive and hard to start when oil is cold.

Aside from items mentioned above, it has been a good unit and has served me well. That said, it might not start again, but it owes me nothing. It has started to burn some oil, so that day might be closer than I realize.

 

[mtrmn]

SpeeCo Ordertree |

www.speeco.com

I have this one, but it's yellow with Countyline wrote on it and came from Tractor Supply. The 4-legged stand is a POS but the splitter, hooked to the tractor hydraulics, has been unstoppable so far. Stand it up and work the biggest blocks you can move under it and it doesn't hesitate to split it. Mine came with 2 different spools you can change out in the control valve. I used the open-center spool that allows pressure to circulate back to tank when in neutral position. I hook it to the rear hydraulic hookups and use a rubber tie-down strap to hold the tractor-mounted control lever in fwd position. Then I can use the splitter mounted control handle to split with. I built a new more indestructible stand because I invariably forget to lift the 3-point before I move the tractor.

 

[hollowoutadime]

Bigger is better - less strain on components for tough to split wood.
Two yrs ago I bought a 35 ton spltter. Kohler engine, decent cycle time. Easy to go vertical for logs you can't "hump" up onto the cradle.
Look for a longer max log length, and a 4 way splitting head option (Splits a log into 4 pcs instead of two).

35 Ton Horizontal/Vertical Log Splitter, Kohler Engine - Dirty Hand Tools, Colorado USA

Professional grade log splitter 35 tons maximum splitting force 9.5 HP 277cc Kohler CH395 engine 12.8 second cycle time 5 inch diameter x 24 inch stroke cylinder Two stage 17.5 gallons/minute pump 9 inch high heat treated steel wedge Beam has 9 inch foot plate & removable stripper plates Auto...

dirtyhandtools.com

I don't loan tools out anymore, especially something like a splitter to novice users.

 

[DaveM]

look at supersplit, i have had one for 15 years.
next year we will have the power split double vertical w conveyor.
also, go you you tube and look up box wedge splitters

Our electric/belt drive Super split is coming up on 40 years of service between two or three families. I’ve not seen many logs it wouldn’t eventually split. If I could get it onto the beam, it split.
My 75 year old mom still loves to run it on cool fall afternoons.

Welcome to SuperSplitter

Made in the USA: The original, the fastest - and still the best kinetic log splitter on the market.

supersplit.com

 

[oneshot86]

Our electric/belt drive Super split is coming up on 40 years of service between two or three families. I’ve not seen many logs it wouldn’t eventually split. If I could get it onto the beam, it split.
My 75 year old mom still loves to run it on cool fall afternoons.

Welcome to SuperSplitter

Made in the USA: The original, the fastest - and still the best kinetic log splitter on the market.

supersplit.com

yes sir, i had our first stolen from us and we bought anouther, it just works and works fast.
although there are some nice bow wedge splitters coming out now that are real cool also.
we sell firewood so its important to us to be able to spend the least amount of time w each piece of wood possible.
log lift is nice tho, it eliminates halving and quartering big pieces.
by next season id like to have the double station powersplit like i mentioned above, u tube it for fun

 

[Maggot]

^^^^^
WTF I never had wood that split that easy.
Is that balsa?

Damn sure aint Sweetgum. Ive had commercial splitters get hung up in Gum.

 

[varano14]

My dad picked up a 27-30 ton champion from Lowe’s about 4 years ago on a whim because it was marked 75% off. Prior to that he’d been borrowing a buddies to split each winters worth.

This was not the brand he intended to buy but he figured even if he only got a few years out of it for the price it was worth it. Turns out it was a return because someone didn’t tighten one of the hoses.

Fast forward to today and it’s still running like a champ. Not one hiccup and we split enough wood each summer to heat a large house through pa winters. Also it’s been far from babied.
I wouldn’t give it a blanket recommendation since it’s still not the most reputable brand but for us it’s been a great buy.

 

[Maggot]

This is the next one I will buy!

Nice but I can buy a lifetime supply of LP for what that cost and no wood to fuck with.

 

[kd185]

my next log splitter

20 Ton Dual Action Gas Log Splitter | Boss Log Splitters