Machine Design:
Being a tool designer myself, overall I am impressed with the design of this machine. The main rectangular frame houses the hydraulic cylinder and oil tank, and is wrapped in nice beefy tubes. The grip diameter tends to make you think it was designed for king-kong. The powdercoat finish has been durable and looks nice. The machine stows vertically, and takes up a very small footprint in my garage. The wheels are a welcome addition when lugging this beast to the backyard or the pickup bed. The ram features a knurled plate that helps grip the log, especially when your saw cut is not exactly square. On the other end, the wedge is heartily welded to the frame, and in my experience has yet to lose its crisp, sharp edge.
Down at the hydraulic actuation lever, a pin and lanyard are supplied for locking the handle during transport, and alternately, a padlock can be used to prevent unauthorized use.
Being keen on serviceability, I appreciate that the tool is lubed for life (nylon ram slider plates) and features a dipstick with hi/lo marks for periodic fluid level checks. Dipstick is right/center bolt.
Down at the power box, we find my first complaint; the power cord is secured with a plastic nut where it enters the box, and is prone to being hit by falling splits. So far, only an annoyance. But this may require rewiring or fabricating a shield later on down the road.
My second annoyance is the bleed screw and specifically, the need to open and close this port when beginning a splitting session, and when ending one. It is required to unthread the screw prior to splitting so that air can pass freely from the oil tank as the ram extends and retracts. It is then necessary to close this after splitting, to block contaminants and prevent oil leaks. If I were the designer, I would use some sort of diaphragm that would automatically open and close as needed. The consequence of not opening the bleed port is that you blow the oil seals and potentially ruin the unit. So important, that I wrote myself a permanent reminder note on the power box.
On a final note, this machine was designed for rounds that are at least 4†round up to a maximum of 10â€, with a 20.5†maximum log length. I routinely exceed the maximum diameter, with no ill affects to date. You must make that decision on your own. My experience is that it will either split or stall, and the machine doesn’t seem to mind either way. A potential weakness I have noticed but not experienced, is the connecting rods from the cylinder rod end to the ram are not as strong as I would like to see. If under compressive force, they would surely buckle. But under the tensile force seen in this machine, they seem to be OK so far.