Troy-Bilt 27 Ton Splitter (Lowes) - A Few Questions....

I think an able bodied person can split by hand with a $25 maul, get some exercise, and save $1000+. A log splitter is not necessary for everyone. If you are new at it, hand splitting will be a lot harder at first than it will be once you get some experience, so don't get discouraged. One option is to split all of the easy stuff by hand (this is probably the majority of the wood), and occasionally rent a splitter for the hard-to-split pieces. I'd have a hard time spending the extra $1200 on a project that is supposed to be a money saver.

This thread should be in the Gear forum...perhaps the Moderator will move it.

I split wood by hand for probably 10-12 years and my recommendation would be to get a splitter. I used to throw knotted pieces and crotches over the hill or have to cut them with a chainsaw and bust them with wedges which takes a long time. In my experience if you have awesome splitting wood you might be able to split it faster but maybe about 30% of what I cut would be considered awesome splitting wood. With the splitter the whole tree is useable and my wife will help me split now so it's a win win. I really just don't have the time to mess around with splitting by hand and when I get a couple of hours to work on wood I need to knock a bunch of it out quickly without feeling it for days afterwards. All that being said I would also consider the 22 ton from Tractor Supply which is on sale for $999 now.

I have one and like it much better than manual splitting. MTD, Yard Man and Troy Built are all the same.
I put 7 cords a year through mine in the past 6 yrs.
Never towed it on the highway, the issue is the small spindles mounted to the side of the hydraulic tank, not real suspension to speak of. I always loaded mine in the bock of a truck to move it any distance, not all splitters are created equal, some may tow better than others
No complaints, had a minor issue with the BS engine , it used oil for the first year and then fixed itself, probably a minor ring issue.
Had to replace a small part on the carb that controlled the choke, just made it harder to start, part was less than 10 bucks and 10 mins. to replace.
Also had to put O rings in the control valve, it would not stay in the autoretract position consistantly. 50 cents for 4 and about 20 mins. to install.
If you are hand splitting now you will reduce your splitting time to 1/3 of what you spend splitting now, cycle times are shouldn't be an issue. You don't have to run the wedge through the full cylinder stroke, move it back and forth just enough to split the logs and load the machine, for me it ends up being about 16" or so total, this takes only a few seconds.
I hand split growing up in the 70's and for the first three years after I bought this house, it was OK but it takes a toll on shoulders elbows and other body parts, especially if you are looking at 5+ cords a year. I agree with using machinery to save time and reduce the chance for repetitve motion injury.

I've never used a splitter, butjust some observations I've learned from others: splitters are best used when you have a whole pile of wood waiting to be split and have a system setup to feed the wood and build a split pile before stacking. I have no idea of the volume of wood you can go through in a day or so with a splitter, but I've heard with 2 guys handling it you can churn through many cords worth of wood in one day.

Now, that being said, you can rent a splitter about 24 times for the price you'd pay for one upfront. You don't have to maintain it, just pick it up ~1-2 times a year. Let's say 2 times a year and you get 80-90% of your wood split from it (the other coming by hand via axe/maul). You could almost certainly split each year's worth of wood using it in that manner.

Now, if you want to constantly have 15-20 cords on hand and you have a very regular and extensive supply of ready wood on hand, a splitter makes sense IMHO.

On top of that, you are looking at a really nice, high-powered splitter - again, what's the need level?

Just some initial thoughts.

A couple thoughts...

I would not plan on towing any brand of log splitter even at 45 mph, especially for 50 miles. If you have that long of a trip and want to use it in both locations, invest in a trailer.

I loved hand splitting until I messed up my shoulder one day splitting. Based on the overwhelming input on this site I decided to go for the Huskee 22 ton here. Its cheaper and handles everything I throw at it (over 20 cords through it by now). Tractor supply has them for around $999 all the time. I lucked out on mine - I went to go see one at a local TS store and while walking around the area where they had them stored I noticed two on the side with "repair" stickers on them. After some investigation, one was returned because of a "sticky lever" - it looked brand new. Fired it up and it ran fine. I believe someone used it once and returned it. They gave me 25% off the sale price at the time. Might be worth a trip or two to the local TS to see if they have any returned units on site.

BurnIt13 said:

My father and I recently purchased and installed our wood stoves. He lives on a plot of land surrounded by woods, so we have all the free wood we want. We are just about to pull the trigger on a log splitter and one of the more attractive deals is the Troy-Bilt 27 ton from Lowes.

Lowes has is on sale for $1,299 and I have a 10% of coupon which will bring the total down to $1,169. Seems like a no brainer considering the excellent reviews. Sure it has a slow cycle time of 19 seconds, but we aren't trying to break any speed records, so we can live with that.

My questions:
1. Does anyone have this particular model? Any significant likes/dislikes?
2. Troy-Bilt says the tow speed is 45MPH MAXIMUM. I'm wondering if that is a the tires will melt and the bearings will seaze above 45MPH rating, or if it is a result of some regulation requiring tow behind tools to stay below 45MPH. Anyone have some insight on this?

I see people buzzing by me on the highway all the time with log splitters in tow. I live about 50 miles from my dad via highway, so cruising at 45mph wont be a picnic. Thanks!

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Not sure why everyone is trying to convince you to not get a splitter since it seems as though in your first post it was clear that you were planning on buying one.

Anyways . . .

1) I do not have the Troy-bilt splitter . . . but I do have a MTD 27-ton which I believe is pretty similar. It's done well in the past three years. My only dislike has been the cradle bolts which can shear off if you're not careful. I would recommend replacing them with beefier stock. I also had a wear spot on one of my hydraulic hoses which I fixed with a scrap of carpet as a "bumper". I'm also not a big fan of the stand, but usually just leave the splitter hitched to my ATV when in use. As for likes: It has been very reliable and I like the option of splitting horizontally or vertically . . . I don't think I've had anything that I cannot split yet. Some folks have had issues with the design of the unit.

2) The tires will not melt and the bearings will not seize . . . but I would highly recommend not towing this splitter. A) It has a narrow beam and can easily start whipping around on you . . . B) also it has no suspension meaning that every crack, pothole and bump will be transmitted through to the splitter which uses the "axle" as the hydraulic fluid reservoir. I would suggest a better alternative if possible is to transport this splitter in the back of a pick up or trailer . . . especially if traveling long distances . . . heck, I hated to drive my splitter the 3 miles or so home while towing it . . . and I was going a blistering 25 mph . . . I would not even want to consider traveling at 45 mph or faster . . . not if I valued the splitter.

Side walls will blow apart much over 45mph! :lol:

Wood Duck said:

I think an able bodied person can split by hand with a $25 maul, get some exercise, and save $1000+. A log splitter is not necessary for everyone. If you are new at it, hand splitting will be a lot harder at first than it will be once you get some experience, so don't get discouraged. One option is to split all of the easy stuff by hand (this is probably the majority of the wood), and occasionally rent a splitter for the hard-to-split pieces. I'd have a hard time spending the extra $1200 on a project that is supposed to be a money saver.

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+ 1 wood duck.

if i were a woodseller i would have a splitter.
since i'm not, and i don't have $1k to burn, i split by hand.
i can rent a splitter for $75 and do all the 1/4-ing i need to do to save my sanity and then split the rest by hand. since i have access to free huge pre-cut rounds, and if i'm in the mood, i'll even noodle those and 1/4 them by hand. $1k divided by $75 and it would take me 13 years to pay for itself. again, unless i was a woodseller than it could pay for itself in a matter of weeks. plus, its a luxury to have your own splitter and just do an hour or so whenever you feel like it.

this strategy does not work for everybody.

+ 1 on the Honda GC's over the Briggs but that's about all the Troy-Bilt has on the MTD.

Another issue with towing log-splitters is tire size. The relatively small tires on these units do not take bumps in the road well. I have seen splitters damaged by too much bouncing down the road. If you will be doing a lot of towing I would look for a unit that has better running gear or a small trailer to load the unit on.

Besides, don't you need a trailer to haul wood home anyways? ;-P

BurnIt13 said:

Great! That answers my question about the towing part! Thanks to those who answered! Most of the splitting will be done at my fathers property and I'll only need to haul it to my house a handfull of times. When that time comes I'll just get it onto the back of my truck somehow instead of towing it.

The Huskee 22 looks attractive! The only reason I can think of that we wont get it is because my father is a mechanic and loves the Honda small engines. The Huskee 22 comes with a B&S - which he is not a fan of. Either way they are both winners.

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I prefer the Honda engines also so I can understand how your father feels about that. Really no matter what splitter you get you I guarantee you won't look back and regret the purchase. I don't really understand how people think the return on your money is 13 years. I figure the first tank of propane I didn't have to buy saved me the cost of the splitter so my return on investment was about 1.5 months. Go get it and start splitting some wood.

Remember that with the towing, it's not damaging the splitter or your truck that's the concern, it's killing or maiming someone else on the highway. You don't want to live with that, just to save a few minutes or some loading/unloading hassle.

"Not sure why everyone is trying to convince you to not get a splitter since it seems as though in your first post it was clear that you were planning on buying one."

Exactly! Have you considered a blender? Maybe a nice sewing machine, with a buttonhole attachment?

DanCorcoran said:

"Not sure why everyone is trying to convince you to not get a splitter since it seems as though in your first post it was clear that you were planning on buying one."

Exactly! Have you considered a blender? Maybe a nice sewing machine, with a buttonhole attachment?

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I almost spit my coffee on the computer....LOL

BurnIt13 said:

Great! That answers my question about the towing part! Thanks to those who answered! Most of the splitting will be done at my fathers property and I'll only need to haul it to my house a handfull of times. When that time comes I'll just get it onto the back of my truck somehow instead of towing it.

The Huskee 22 looks attractive! The only reason I can think of that we wont get it is because my father is a mechanic and loves the Honda small engines. The Huskee 22 comes with a B&S - which he is not a fan of. Either way they are both winners.

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Just drive 45mph or under............ Dont that tough.

Hi -

I have that unit and liek it. I don't think I'd tow it much. i tow it locally only. I strap it down in the trailer for longer (20 mile?) trips.

I did replace the bolts that hold the log rest brackets to the I beam with grade 8 bolts. My sons were shearing them off. My I liek to split vertical when the logs are big, horizontal for smaller logs.

I split manual for 30 years. The splitter is a blessing. Enjoy it!!

Mike

I'm surprised at all the anti-wood splitter responses on this thread.

Don't get me wrong, I have a Fiskars and split about two cords by hand last year. It took a LONG time though. Like weeks and weeks of evenings.

I got the Huskee a few months ago. I had about two cords I had scrounged sitting in rounds. I was able to split and stack them within less than a week.

I would rather concentrate my free time on scrounging, rather than trying to process the stuff. Seems a more efficient use of my time that way.

Just my $0.02.

I have this splitter with the Honda engine. I have had it for about 4 years and love it. I have to replace the cradle bolts at least once a year and was thinking about just welding the cradle. I've towed this splitter at 60 mph or more for 50+ miles and the wheel hubs were as cool as a cucumber. I would check the grease in the bearings before towing because mine had very little grease when bought new.

Huskyforlife said:

I'm surprised at all the anti-wood splitter responses on this thread. Don't get me wrong, I have a Fiskars and split about two cords by hand last year. It took a LONG time though. Like weeks and weeks of evenings. I got the Huskee a few months ago. I had about two cords I had scrounged sitting in rounds. I was able to split and stack them within less than a week. I would rather concentrate my free time on scrounging, rather than trying to process the stuff. Seems a more efficient use of my time that way. Just my $0.02.

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Very good advice. Relative to the original post, there have been issues with the MTD/Troy Bilt....the machines have a half-beam and an unsupported cylinder, and another poster had a bad experience when the cylinder ruptured at the mounting points and it was a fustercluck to repair. Other folks have used their MTD machines for years with no issues. The Huskee is a good deal for the money but in my opinion some parts of it need to be beefed up, especially the pathetic hydraulic lines. As for towing it back from Lowes, not a good idea.

BurnIt13 said:

Thanks for all the opinions guys! Very helpful! The decision has been made, we're getting a splitter....so I'm wondering if anyone can answer the questions asked in the first post.

My questions:
1. Does anyone have this particular model? Any significant likes/dislikes?
2. Troy-Bilt says the tow speed is 45MPH MAXIMUM. I’m wondering if that is a the tires will melt and the bearings will seaze above 45MPH rating, or if it is a result of some regulation requiring tow behind tools to stay below 45MPH. Anyone have some insight on this?

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I have that one. Mine has the Honda GC engine. I love it. No problems and starts up easily. I had a lower priced MTD unit a few years ago that had the Briggs engine on it. It was really hard to start in the cold weather. I think that particular engine had some sort of issue.

Towing these things is tricky because you can't see it behind you at all unless you drop your tailgate. Most of them aren't towable at highway speeds so it's not like you have a choice. If you need to take it far.. on the highway, put in in your truck bed or in a small landscape trailer.

As far as needing a splitter... for me it's a no-brainer. I grew up heating our home with wood and coal. Splitting by hand is hard work. Yes it's good for you but it will take it's toll. It's already enough work getting the wood, bucking it, manhandling it and stacking so I don't need to be swinging an axe. Lots of my wood is hard to split... sweet gum and knotty oak.

That's a great deal on that splitter. I also got the 10% off.

Mike