i have $1,500 to spend on a splitter - which one?

I got one like that too...wicked excellent. Took the spiked bumpers off though.

love the dawgs when bucking the big stuff

Levering the dawgs is a sign of a dull chain. It should cut under its own weight.

didn't know that - i always sharpen my chains before i start

have one of those $100.00 Northern grinders and the chains are always sharp - i use the dawgs for leverage

Don't use dawgs. Always considered that they just waste an inch of bar.

I don't use the dogs for levering, but I do use them to give me a pivot point - there is a difference... I actually like the dogs on my Dolmar for the space they take up - I run a 20" bar, and want to cut to 18" - the dogs on a Dolmar are very agressive, so I have an effective 18" measuring rule from the tip of the dogs to the tip of the bar... (and if losing two inches of bar matters, I'm probably going to be breaking out the 28" bar anyway...)

As to the Splitter question, I think there is something off about the 27-ton Troy-bilt specs - the engine / pump size doesn't seem up to driving a 4.5 or 5" cylinder at a decent speed (and I've heard a few complaints about slow cycle times on that machine) I don't think you should go over a 4" (20-ton) cylinder w/ an 11gpm pump if you want reasonable cycle times.

I have a slightly modified 30 ton (5" cylinder, 9hp, 16gpm pump) Harbor Freight unit, that I like, but it's somewhat overkill - I spend a lot of time splitting with a friend's 20 ton MTD, and it works just as well, except that I run into the very rare round that takes a bit more playing with to make it split... It wasn't much of a price difference to go for the bigger unit, so I went for it, but if I'd only been able to get a 20 ton I'd have been happy with it.
(If I ever have to replace the cylinder I might even be tempted to downsize it to a 4 or 4.5" in order to get a faster cycle - it doesn't seem like I really need the 30 tons to do the splitting.)

Gooserider

thanks goose - i've read your threads on the HF one but i am not too sure i could put it together and modify it like you did -

Anybody try to make their own these days. 25 years ago, back in the dark ages you could get a booklet on how to build your own from northern hydraulics's. I could swear I got everything for less than $1000. from them. Welded up a free beam and mounted the kohler 8 hp motor and its been going strong ever since. Very fast if you want it to be! :lol: sweetheat

you can still do it now and if you look real hard you could get a new one for 1000 northern tool has some for that price.I think he is looking for a little higher up the line "if you will"

General opinion on "Build yer own" is that it can be done, but unless you have or can get most of the materials for free or at far less than retail, it really isn't cost effective just to get a splitter. Of course if you are after the challenge of a project, that can be a different calculation, but...

Gooserider

Dogs are also excellent for felling and cutting your felling notch I wouldn't remove mine from my saws, but I fell about 2 dozen trees a year when out woodcutting.

Took my dogs off about 20 years ago and will never go back. A sharp chain is always pulling itself into the tree so you'ld be surprised how easy it is without dogs. imo the chain stays sharper longer cause you never accidently leverage the saw whale jukeing it for better position or acidently ground the tip while pulling out of a rapidly closing kerf.

Well said.

I used a splitter quite a bit this Fall (27-ton Troy Built) and only once did I use it horizontally. The rounds I was splitting were about 2' in diameter and 16" in length so I said "Why pick them up when I don't have to?" Gotta save the back!

got one

talked them down $600.00 at lowes

out the door $1,600.00

33 ton Troy Built with a honda gx390

Well done!

thats a good deal!

great to hear. Thanks guys –

this is the most i've ever spent on a tool - i read that many folks are able to ask stores for lower prices these days because no one is buying anything so I figured what the heck - called and said if you'll sell it for $1,500.00 i'll take it. the guy said sure - so after tax and a $30.00 assembly charge i towed it home (rather slowly) - the neighbor lady will let me store it in her garage - figure i'll fire it up in the spring

Your kindding right! put that beast to work

No kidding! I think that's great...good for you.

Watch the show Axe Men, notice almost every single saw has double dogs on it. There is a reason for this. When you're felling and notching the dogs come in very handy.

Every logger I know uses them and has said the same thing when I've asked, that they are very handy when it comes to felling trees.

If you were doing nothing but cutting rounds maybe.

i have a bunch of stuff bucked up but it's under snow right now - if things warm up a bit i'll give it a once over (make sure everything is tight and such and fire it up)

How did you get them down 600 dollars, I want to try

just walked in and saw this one and the 27 ton on the floor. came home and the next day i called and asked for the manager of the seasonal dept. i explained that i was looking for a splitter but really don't want to wait for them to put them on clearance and wait until it hit my price point (1,500) so i just said if you guys will sell it at $1,500.00 i'll take it.. they guy put me on hold and in two seconds came back with sure no problem

after sales tax and a $30.00 assembly fee and a $20.00 hitch thing for my truck it came to $1,600

if you want i can send you a copy of my receipt - that way you can say your cousin bought one for $1,500.00 – as a side note – if you get one just give it the once over – I found the axle nuts to be hand tight and some of the hose lines not as tight as they should be – oh and even though the book says 7 gallons of hyrdo fluid – it takes 8 gallons after you prime the pump and lines

I was just on northern tool web site. They have a 13ton and a 20ton log splitter that splits both ways. i didn't know what they ment by this so I watched a vidio they had. Very impresive it splits horizontal but there is a beam and the 2 sided wedge moves on the beam foreward and back splitting wood each way.

what lowes did you go to?