My Turn For Splitter Help.... And Away We Go.....

[Dix]

I figure 8-10 cords max a year. I prefer gas, and it needs to be towable, to get out to the farm, or to friends.



24" trees are the most we'll see, as a general rule. I need to be able to move the splitter around by myself, if need be, so it has to be light enough.


Also, www ordered splitters need to be put together? We'll have a semi problem there.


Also must be vertical/horizontal. I would love a 4 way wedge, while the Dixette wants cradles. If they can be added later, that's fine.


Gas would be preferred, as electric is an issue with hurricanes, etc.


Like Johnny 5, need more input, please.

 

[wood-fan-atic]

Around our parts, I have only seen the Troy-bilt being sold, and Lowes has it for $1400, I think. I went to Tractor Supply for mine (only about 45 minutes past the Throgs Neck Bridge). It was on sale for $999, and they also gave me $150 gift card. Well worth the trip, IMO.

 

[yooperdave]

eileen, a lot of the posters have had good luck with tractor supply stores. i think a splitter around 20 or 22 ton can be had for about $1200. they will assemble them also.
myself, still haven't picked one up, but after working with an ariens (i think it was a 27 ton), i do know that i will have to get a +30 ton for what i need. there is a store around these parts that is called mills fleet/farm that has a 35 ton that is looking pretty sweet.....

 

[fossil]

I bought mine at Home Depot in the Spring of '09. It's a 27-ton Yard Machines (MTD) with a Briggs & Stratton engine. Seemed kinda bizarre to me that wherever I went they said it wasn't wood splitter "season", so they didn't have much inventory at all. Anyway, I wanted a 20-ton, but this was the best I could find from what little anyone was willing or able to dig out from storage. OK deal, I guess (don't remember what I paid for it)...and I liked that it was fully assembled and filled & pre-primed with hydraulic oil. I towed it home (surface streets, nothing above ~30 MPH...real slow when cornering), checked all the threaded fasteners, put some gas in the tank, gave it two pulls and started splitting. Haven't had any issues at all with it to date. Got a simple trailer dolly from Northern Tool or someplace that works fine for moving it around the property. Rick

 

[Dix]

Our only splitter experince was a loaned 27 T Club Cadet V/H. Awesome machine.

I am not adverse to driving to Jersey for a deal. Have truck, will travel. Heck, could put one in the bed, or 2 in the trailer, easy

Rick, thanks. I've looked, nothing decent here.

I figure a 16 - 20/22 ton?

 

[DexterDay]

Done almost 9 Cord with my 21 ton MTD.. Love it, really similar to the Huskee 22 ton. Motror, Pump, lines, I-Beam and wedge look identical to my buddies 27 ton Troy Bilt. Looks like they slapped a 6 ton bigger sticker. The Pump looks no different AT ALL. Although it may be, there appears to be no external difference. Lots of people have the 22 ton Huskee. I went with the MTD for 2 reasons. BackwoodSavage has a 20 ton thats 20 yrs old and my local Farm and Home gave me about 10% off and didnt charge me for assembly.

 

[Dix]

I'm either going to have to travel, or order over the net. We have no TS, Farm & whatever, none of that.

Shopping Craigs list too, but not much action there.

 

[MasterMech]

Dixie,

Have you looked for a local power equipment dealership? Many of them carry one of the MTD/Troy-Bilt/Cub Cadet splitters or even Brave splitters which are related to the Iron & Oak line. (Brave owns I & O if I remember right. Some of the models are the same and others are totally different. Brave tands to be less $$ than I & O)

 

[wood-fan-atic]

Dixie - you said you dont mind traveling. I picked up mine , fully assembled, from the TSC in Patterson, NY. I hopped in my pick-up on a Sunday morning at 7:45 A.M. --- got there at 9 , was on the road home by 9:45, and home by 11. Granted, I'm in Nassau County, so it'll be a little longer for you, but not too bad.

 

[firefighterjake]

I figure 8-10 cords max a year. I prefer gas, and it needs to be towable, to get out to the farm, or to friends.

Most all of them can be towed . . . but if you're planning on towing it several miles I would be leary of most splitters -- tiny tires, no suspension and narrow stance make for a particularly poor handling splitter when towed at highway speeds. Whenever my buddy borrows my splitter we load it into the pick up . . . if my next door neighbor needs the splitter it's not a big deal to run it over to him with my ATV.


24" trees are the most we'll see, as a general rule. I need to be able to move the splitter around by myself, if need be, so it has to be light enough.

I suspect this would be the limit of most splitters in terms of 2 feet . . . light-weight = smaller tonnage. Although there may not be that much difference between a 20 and 27 ton splitter there would be some . . . however as mentioned this is something that you can deal with as you can hook it to a garden tractor or ATV with a ball or even use a hand device with wheels to maneuver this around.

Also, www ordered splitters need to be put together? We'll have a semi problem there.



Also must be vertical/horizontal. I would love a 4 way wedge, while the Dixette wants cradles. If they can be added later, that's fine.

As you may or may not know I prefer to split horizontally . . . Backwoods prefers to split vertically. Even though he is wrong in maintaining that splitting vertically is the best way to use a splitter I will confess that having a splitter that can covert to splitting either way is nice . . . since some folks may prefer one way over another and may not know which method they prefer unless they have this option . . . plus going vertical is a nice way to deal with large splits without resorting to purchasing a log lifter. For me the four way wedge would be OK . . . but I am fine without this . . . more important to me is to have cradles or a table to hold the split.

Gas would be preferred, as electric is an issue with hurricanes, etc.


Like Johnny 5, need more input, please.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I figure 8-10 cords max a year. I prefer gas, and it needs to be towable, to get out to the farm, or to friends.

24" trees are the most we'll see, as a general rule. I need to be able to move the splitter around by myself, if need be, so it has to be light enough.

Also, www ordered splitters need to be put together? We'll have a semi problem there.

Also must be vertical/horizontal. I would love a 4 way wedge, while the Dixette wants cradles. If they can be added later, that's fine.

Gas would be preferred, as electric is an issue with hurricanes, etc.

Like Johnny 5, need more input, please.

Eileen, I apologize that in this picture it it difficult to see but towards the front of the tongue you will see a clamp. This is one of those things you see on boat trailers. If you put this on a log splitter moving it by hand becomes much easier because you do not have to lift it. It also helps when hooking or unhooking from the tractor or truck or atv. My suggestion is to get one with double wheels rather than a single wheel. Cost will probably be around $35.

The 4-way wedge is highly over-rated in my humble opinion and so are the real heavyweight tonnage that some folks seem to think they need. Our little 20-ton has served us extremely well and splits everything we need splitting. And those 24" trees are nice for splitting even without that 4-way wedge.

Just remember that you do not necessarily have to take that wedge all the way down on every log you split. It just is not necessary to do as a lot of wood will split with the wedge half way or less through the log. However, if you are planning on splitting green elm..... But that oak will split very easy.

Geeze, I forgot to post the picture and had to come back to edit it. Bad day....

 

[Dix]

I figure 8-10 cords max a year. I prefer gas, and it needs to be towable, to get out to the farm, or to friends.

Most all of them can be towed . . . but if you're planning on towing it several miles I would be leary of most splitters -- tiny tires, no suspension and narrow stance make for a particularly poor handling splitter when towed at highway speeds. Whenever my buddy borrows my splitter we load it into the pick up . . . if my next door neighbor needs the splitter it's not a big deal to run it over to him with my ATV.


24" trees are the most we'll see, as a general rule. I need to be able to move the splitter around by myself, if need be, so it has to be light enough.

I suspect this would be the limit of most splitters in terms of 2 feet . . . light-weight = smaller tonnage. Although there may not be that much difference between a 20 and 27 ton splitter there would be some . . . however as mentioned this is something that you can deal with as you can hook it to a garden tractor or ATV with a ball or even use a hand device with wheels to maneuver this around.

Also, www ordered splitters need to be put together? We'll have a semi problem there.



Also must be vertical/horizontal. I would love a 4 way wedge, while the Dixette wants cradles. If they can be added later, that's fine.

As you may or may not know I prefer to split horizontally . . . Backwoods prefers to split vertically. Even though he is wrong in maintaining that splitting vertically is the best way to use a splitter I will confess that having a splitter that can covert to splitting either way is nice . . . since some folks may prefer one way over another and may not know which method they prefer unless they have this option . . . plus going vertical is a nice way to deal with large splits without resorting to purchasing a log lifter. For me the four way wedge would be OK . . . but I am fine without this . . . more important to me is to have cradles or a table to hold the split.

Gas would be preferred, as electric is an issue with hurricanes, etc.


Like Johnny 5, need more input, please.

Thanks, Jake. I knew about the vertical/horizontal thingy with you & Dennis, it's why I mentioned it. Knew you'd respond %-P

 

[Dix]

Dixie,

Have you looked for a local power equipment dealership? Many of them carry one of the MTD/Troy-Bilt/Cub Cadet splitters or even Brave splitters which are related to the Iron & Oak line. (Brave owns I & O if I remember right. Some of the models are the same and others are totally different. Brave tands to be less $$ than I & O)

MM, I went to the local, family owned, went to school with the guy who runs it now, True Value. They used to deal in splitters, but no longer. I wanted to put my money local ( still saving), but no go. I thank you, though.

 

[Dix]

I figure 8-10 cords max a year. I prefer gas, and it needs to be towable, to get out to the farm, or to friends.

24" trees are the most we'll see, as a general rule. I need to be able to move the splitter around by myself, if need be, so it has to be light enough.

Also, www ordered splitters need to be put together? We'll have a semi problem there.

Also must be vertical/horizontal. I would love a 4 way wedge, while the Dixette wants cradles. If they can be added later, that's fine.

Gas would be preferred, as electric is an issue with hurricanes, etc.

Like Johnny 5, need more input, please.

Eileen, I apologize that in this picture it it difficult to see but towards the front of the tongue you will see a clamp. This is one of those things you see on boat trailers. If you put this on a log splitter moving it by hand becomes much easier because you do not have to lift it. It also helps when hooking or unhooking from the tractor or truck or atv. My suggestion is to get one with double wheels rather than a single wheel. Cost will probably be around $35.

The 4-way wedge is highly over-rated in my humble opinion and so are the real heavyweight tonnage that some folks seem to think they need. Our little 20-ton has served us extremely well and splits everything we need splitting. And those 24" trees are nice for splitting even without that 4-way wedge.

Just remember that you do not necessarily have to take that wedge all the way down on every log you split. It just is not necessary to do as a lot of wood will split with the wedge half way or less through the log. However, if you are planning on splitting green elm..... But that oak will split very easy.

Geeze, I forgot to post the picture and had to come back to edit it. Bad day....

Thank you Dennis ( & Rick & Jake) for the thought on the dolly/wheels. I know exactly what you're talking about, they make them for bumper pull horse trailers, with cranks to raise and lower the tongue of the trailer, which would be a great help getting it high enough to hook up to the F250. Also just the thing so I could move it easier around the place as needed.

The wedge & cradles are like moving up from an XLT to a King Ranch, desired but not needed


WFA, I'll keep my eye on Tractor Supply for sure. Thank you for the reminder !!

!

 

[firefighterjake]

Dixie,

Have you looked for a local power equipment dealership? Many of them carry one of the MTD/Troy-Bilt/Cub Cadet splitters or even Brave splitters which are related to the Iron & Oak line. (Brave owns I & O if I remember right. Some of the models are the same and others are totally different. Brave tands to be less $$ than I & O)

MM, I went to the local, family owned, went to school with the guy who runs it now, True Value. They used to deal in splitters, but no longer. I wanted to put my money local ( still saving), but no go. I thank you, though.

Hmmm . . . how long ago did they stop selling splitters? I bought my splitter from the local True Value hardware store . . . granted they had to order it from a Central Warehouse in Massachusetts or something like that . . . didn't have any right at the hardware store . . . but they did have them in stock at the warehouse.

 

[MasterMech]

Dixie I did a quick search and here's what popped up.

Troy-Bilt Splitters (Dealers near Ridge NY)

http://www.troybilt.com/webapp/wcs/...omain=troybilt.com&zipCode=11961&proximity=25

For Tractor Supply looks like you'll have to take that road trip.

Happy hunting!

 

[ddddddden]

I think I want an electric splitter. . .not a fan of the noise of small engines, and I don't want one more engine that needs the oil changed and gas freshened/preserved. . .anyh0w, this led me to the Ramsplitter, also available with a gas motor for those who absolutely must split wood during a hurricane. The part of this that may pertain to you is that their 16-ton unit will probably get the job done, and it's a bit lighter than some of the 20+ tonners. Would be a www deal though. . .dunno how much assembly is required.