I am still in the process of shopping for a splitter. I took advantage of the snow days yesterday and managed to check out a few.
I am still lusting after an Iron and Oak, but thought it would be prudent to check out Northern Tool since it looks like they updated their splitter line.
First impression: These things are built RIGHT! Full-length industrial I-beam. Build in log-tray for horizontal splitting purposes. These are all heavy 600+lb machines. 2" ball couplers.
I am not too crazy about the curved-top wedge design, but it has the optional 4-way bolt on wings and really...they are bad@$$. Cast steel wedge has grease fittings on bottom follower.
The 30-ton is probably worth the extra coin over the 22, but much slower since the cylinder is bigger. It has a Honda GX vs the GC on the 22-ton. All Honda horizontal shaft engines.
The 37-ton has a 16GPM pump and a 5" cylinder. It's the hoss I was eyeballing yesterday. They didn't have a 30-ton in stock. Probably the one I would buy based on value vs build quality.
The log dislodger/wedge guard is 5/16" welded steel and looks bulletproof. It covers the entire wedge when the ram is retracted.
Here's the kicker: The NT manager told me that they manufacture them in-house now, and that he had toured the plant where they are build.
Dunno if this is bs or what, but he seemed sincere enough. He told me during demo days that it would be 10% off (sometime in spring).
So the lineup looks like this:
$1399 22-ton 11GPM 2-stage barnes pump Honda GC160 (5hp) 13-sec cycle time looks to be about a 4" cylinder w/ a 1.75" ram. 8 gallon reservoir
$1599 (on sale now for $1519 now) 30-ton same pump Honda GX 17-sec cycle time 4.5" cylinder 8.5 gallon reservoir
$1899 (on sale now for $1799) 37-ton Honda GX270 14-sec cycle time 5" cylinder 9 gallon reservoir
the 4 way wedge part 1143 is $79
I saw one of the 22-tons used on CList for $1250 w/ the 4-way already installed. It has less than 10 hours on it total. For that I'd buy new...
So based on the price and the options, I would seriously have to choose hard between a 37-ton Northstar and a 22-ton Iron and Oak. Subtract 10% but add 7.75% sales tax, or
have the Iron and Oak shipped to residential and add the liftgate fee. Add in the options on the Iron and Oak (log dislodger and wood-tray is optional on these) and I would say
the Northern Tool splitters are up there with the best build quality for the money spent.
I also looked at the Speeco/TSC splitters and I'm not really that impressed. They are cheap, and have a lot of value but I hate the horizontal shaft engine on the 22-ton.
Even northern tool says on their website "Horizontal-shaft engines can expect a lifetime that is up to five times longer than the lifetime of a vertical shaft engine"
Guess that's why the comparable TSC 35-ton has a horizontal briggs engine for $1799
Also, I went to Home Depot rentals and salivated over the rental Makita saws. None for sale, however they did have an old speeco splitter w/ a honda engine for sale. $800,
and the last rental BENT the slots on the beam splitting sweetgum. I laughed. The rental manager said he had a brand new beam for it in the back, and would install it before he sold it.
Gives some food for thought eh? Anyhow, that thing was ragged, and that $800 would be better served being paid toward a new splitter w/ warranty
I am still lusting after an Iron and Oak, but thought it would be prudent to check out Northern Tool since it looks like they updated their splitter line.
First impression: These things are built RIGHT! Full-length industrial I-beam. Build in log-tray for horizontal splitting purposes. These are all heavy 600+lb machines. 2" ball couplers.
I am not too crazy about the curved-top wedge design, but it has the optional 4-way bolt on wings and really...they are bad@$$. Cast steel wedge has grease fittings on bottom follower.
The 30-ton is probably worth the extra coin over the 22, but much slower since the cylinder is bigger. It has a Honda GX vs the GC on the 22-ton. All Honda horizontal shaft engines.
The 37-ton has a 16GPM pump and a 5" cylinder. It's the hoss I was eyeballing yesterday. They didn't have a 30-ton in stock. Probably the one I would buy based on value vs build quality.
The log dislodger/wedge guard is 5/16" welded steel and looks bulletproof. It covers the entire wedge when the ram is retracted.
Here's the kicker: The NT manager told me that they manufacture them in-house now, and that he had toured the plant where they are build.
Dunno if this is bs or what, but he seemed sincere enough. He told me during demo days that it would be 10% off (sometime in spring).
So the lineup looks like this:
$1399 22-ton 11GPM 2-stage barnes pump Honda GC160 (5hp) 13-sec cycle time looks to be about a 4" cylinder w/ a 1.75" ram. 8 gallon reservoir
$1599 (on sale now for $1519 now) 30-ton same pump Honda GX 17-sec cycle time 4.5" cylinder 8.5 gallon reservoir
$1899 (on sale now for $1799) 37-ton Honda GX270 14-sec cycle time 5" cylinder 9 gallon reservoir
the 4 way wedge part 1143 is $79
I saw one of the 22-tons used on CList for $1250 w/ the 4-way already installed. It has less than 10 hours on it total. For that I'd buy new...
So based on the price and the options, I would seriously have to choose hard between a 37-ton Northstar and a 22-ton Iron and Oak. Subtract 10% but add 7.75% sales tax, or
have the Iron and Oak shipped to residential and add the liftgate fee. Add in the options on the Iron and Oak (log dislodger and wood-tray is optional on these) and I would say
the Northern Tool splitters are up there with the best build quality for the money spent.
I also looked at the Speeco/TSC splitters and I'm not really that impressed. They are cheap, and have a lot of value but I hate the horizontal shaft engine on the 22-ton.
Even northern tool says on their website "Horizontal-shaft engines can expect a lifetime that is up to five times longer than the lifetime of a vertical shaft engine"
Guess that's why the comparable TSC 35-ton has a horizontal briggs engine for $1799
Also, I went to Home Depot rentals and salivated over the rental Makita saws. None for sale, however they did have an old speeco splitter w/ a honda engine for sale. $800,
and the last rental BENT the slots on the beam splitting sweetgum. I laughed. The rental manager said he had a brand new beam for it in the back, and would install it before he sold it.
Gives some food for thought eh? Anyhow, that thing was ragged, and that $800 would be better served being paid toward a new splitter w/ warranty
