I recently decided to buy an electric log splitter just to re-split some splits that were left too large and make "custom" splits to pack the stove better. A friend got a harbor freight model for christmas and likes it, I was going to go by and look at it saturday evening but I was close to Tractor Supply so I figured a few extra dollars would buy a better made machine. I ended up buying both, same day. Heres the breakdown:
The TSC unit "earthquake" $299.00
This unit has 56 reviews, most are for the speeco unit that they sold last year NOT the current machine.
I unpacked it, bolted the wheels on and the roller handle and plugged it in, first problem is that you have to hold both the electric motor switch down as well as move the hydraulic lever to actuate the ram. THEN to retract the ram you must release both the hydraulic lever as well as the power push button. Once the ram completely cycles back, then you can start a new cycle--no starting in the middle. I know its for safety but its almost unusable at any reasonable pace. The motor on this machine is also VERY loud, not sure if it was just the colder hydro oil or not but it is considerably louder than the other unit. I never split anything with this unit as the two handed thing was a deal breaker for me and I wanted to return it in new condition.
The Harbor Freight unit "Central Machinery" $279.99 (minus another 20% coupon)
This one came came out of the box pretty much put together. I had to spin on the hydraulic handle and add some oil, it was about a half pint low from the factory. Plugged it in and pressed the start/stop button-- it stayed in and the motor continues to run until you press it again. The motor on this unit is also loud, although not as loud as the other machine it is still not quiet. I have used this machine to split maybe 20 spits, and I have looked for the worst splits to throw at it. It has split everything I have tried to split. The one drawback I see is that the hydraulic handle has two modes, forward and auto retract. There is no stop, or manual reverse.
Both units are pretty heavy at ~105 lbs but both are fairly compact and easily stored. The HF model has to have the hydraulic handle removed every time you want to stand it up, where the earthquake has a guard that allows the handle to stay on.
Hope this helps someone make the decision that I went through. It seems for me that a few extra dollars did NOT help me to get a better/more productive unit. I will check back in a month or so and update with the longevity of the HF- as its the only one I kept.
Jason
The TSC unit "earthquake" $299.00
This unit has 56 reviews, most are for the speeco unit that they sold last year NOT the current machine.
I unpacked it, bolted the wheels on and the roller handle and plugged it in, first problem is that you have to hold both the electric motor switch down as well as move the hydraulic lever to actuate the ram. THEN to retract the ram you must release both the hydraulic lever as well as the power push button. Once the ram completely cycles back, then you can start a new cycle--no starting in the middle. I know its for safety but its almost unusable at any reasonable pace. The motor on this machine is also VERY loud, not sure if it was just the colder hydro oil or not but it is considerably louder than the other unit. I never split anything with this unit as the two handed thing was a deal breaker for me and I wanted to return it in new condition.
The Harbor Freight unit "Central Machinery" $279.99 (minus another 20% coupon)
This one came came out of the box pretty much put together. I had to spin on the hydraulic handle and add some oil, it was about a half pint low from the factory. Plugged it in and pressed the start/stop button-- it stayed in and the motor continues to run until you press it again. The motor on this unit is also loud, although not as loud as the other machine it is still not quiet. I have used this machine to split maybe 20 spits, and I have looked for the worst splits to throw at it. It has split everything I have tried to split. The one drawback I see is that the hydraulic handle has two modes, forward and auto retract. There is no stop, or manual reverse.
Both units are pretty heavy at ~105 lbs but both are fairly compact and easily stored. The HF model has to have the hydraulic handle removed every time you want to stand it up, where the earthquake has a guard that allows the handle to stay on.
Hope this helps someone make the decision that I went through. It seems for me that a few extra dollars did NOT help me to get a better/more productive unit. I will check back in a month or so and update with the longevity of the HF- as its the only one I kept.
Jason
