need some opinions

Hi, I am going to go buy my first splitter tomorrow, and I was going to buy a 5 ton electric splitter but I came upon this

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/product/8286171/Manual/8-Ton-Log-Splitter

and I got to thinking it might be simple to replace the bottle jack with this one

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/product/8003605/Bottle-Jacks/12-Ton-Pneumatic-Bottle-Jack

if I do this it would be a total of 190.00

or would I be better off buying this one for 360.00

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/product/8142606/Electric/5-Ton-Electric-Log-Splitter.

I got 400 bucks worth of gift cards for christmas and I am buying a chansaw also, I know there cheep ones but it will do till I can save up for a good one.


Steve

Need more info for advice: where do you get your wood, how much you burn, what gear could you rent/borrow, and what do you have now?
S

based on your info
I would go with the electric, only need an extension cord, split about anywhere you want even inside
air over hydraulic, more power, might overload beam
need a compressor= noisy and limited range of work area
pumping will get old quickly
and I think you can find an electric one cheaper
especially now at the end of season

lots of happy people with the electric ones

I also recommend the electric. I love mine and you'll find numerous others on this forum who feel the same. Shop around, you should be able to find one under $300. Nearly all of the different brands in the 4-7 ton (claimed) capacity are the same splitter dressed a little differently. I bought mine at Home Depot, branded Homelite, for $299.

Here's one on Amazon with free shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/McCulloch-FB4...O9IS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1324992441&sr=8-3

I just looked at the one you posted, it is the other major style available. The Ryobi/Homelite/etc. style has the ram and reservoir in the beam and uses pull rods attached to the end of the ram. Makes for a shorter overall length.

Here's a link to Home Depot's offering

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&Ntpc=1&Ntpr=1

They have 3 which are essentially the same splitter.

I will be cutting dead standing for my wood, the most common out here is beatle kill pine, but I will be looking for birch, and will probably be able to get quite a bit of fruit trees. I am not sure what I am burning yet, just installed this insert 3 weeks ago, but I am going to guess around 2 cord / season, but I want to build up about 6 to 8 cord.

I can't see renting as a feasable option as I will be getting my wood on days off by my pick up so I either stack rounds till it is worth it to rent a spliter, then split and re stack, or I had a splitter and split and stack as I get it (least amount of work) I used to live on the coast where I would use my buddies saws and splitter as we would go out fill both our trucks, come home split them stack his wood, fill my truck and I would go home and stack mine. now I am on my own.

Steve

Hmm, I was thinking air over hyd as I have a large compressor and about 300 feet of hose, and I was thinking the operation might be faster than electric.
also I thought the verticle operation might be better.

but I see your point, with an electric I would put the splitter and my gen set in the truck and split in the bush also.

I will be heading to the store in about two hours, and will take a good look at the options, I don't even know if I can fit that air over hyd jack in the frame of the manual splitter so I might not be able to go that way anyways.

Steve

ya my buddy had the same style, 4 ton, and it works good, but I find the two hand operation a pain. amazon and free shipping don't work to canada very well haha. this one was on sale for 268.00 up to the 24th and I thought it was suposed to be on sale still so I will be seing if I can still get the sale price when I go in. I don't realy have the ability to shop around as I got 400.00 in gift cards from princess auto for christmas this year to get a starter chainsaw and a splitter, so hopfully they will give me the sale price still.

Steve

ok so went and got everything this morning and went with what they had in stock.

splitter



chainsaw



and I also picked up a log jack


Steve

looks like you are on your way to a nice toy collection. watch out becasue chainsaws multiply like rabbits for rmost of us. please letus know how things workout. welcome to the next phase of the game!

That stuff should get you started. You may find that the saw is a bit underpowered with that bar, but it doesn't sound like you're cutting anything too crazy in the first place. The splitter stand is a nice addition--will save you a lot of bending over and buying an extra stand. Good luck with your operation!

S

the saw has a 46CC engine, I hope it won't be underpowered, but if it is, I am looking at this as a starter saw while I save up for a Still or Huskey.

the splitter was actualy on sale when I got there with the stand, so it was 260.00 for the splitter and stand. thats the 4HP as they were sold out of the 5HP, but I tested it on a 10" round of dry cherry and it went through it like it was nothing.

For the dead standing of fallen treesthat we are allowed to cut for free, it has to be under 18" dia at 30" from the ground. that stuff will be pine, fir, ect..
I am going to be hunting for hardwoods, so birch, maple and maybe the odd fruit tree. I know that 30 year old cherry in my back yard is looking like a good cord or two of wood

Steve

Congratulations, looks like you got yourself a great starter package. Good price on the splitter and stand. That splitter is the same as the Ryobi/Homelite. If you're only cutting a couple of cords per year, you may never need more.

Looks like Prince George snow. Wish we had a P.A .store here.

Hey Steve
Where abouts you located in BC?
You are talking about burning lodgepole and and fruit trees, sound like you can't be too far from me.

CL

Not Prince George, kamloops snow. been an even more mild winter than normal so far.
I thought P.A just opened in Victoria?

Steve

I am in kamloops, where abouts are you at?

Steve

I have a 46cc Pouan pro it is a beast of a saw they look just about the same to me (Ryobi,Poulan). Make sure to keep fresh gas in the tank and a sharp chain and it will reward you by cutting like a butter knife. I also change the spark plug once a year probably do not need to but thats just because I can. Many people trash Poulan with good reason but I have had very good luck simply by fresh gas and a sharp chain which makes it purr for me I would imagine that the Ryobi saw would be similar. I also have a Ryobi 4 ton electric splitter and it is quite fast once you figure out the fastest method to use it for you and it splits almost anything I throw at it!

Good Luck
Pete

thanks, I figured the pouan, riobi and a few others were all the same just different colors. guess I got to learn how to sharpen a chain now haha.
As for the spark plug.. 5 bucks a year is nothing when you concider what your getting.

Steve

Just a tip when you sharpen your chain be sure to only file one direction do not go back and forth it will not be anywhere near as sharp. I purchased a small electric bench top chain sharpener from Harbor Freight it was 39 dollars I think and man what a difference that makes compared to a hand file. The chain is not only sharper but holds its sharpness longer because of the accuracy of the bench top sharpener. Just some food for thought!

Pete ;-)

Kamloops huh? Lots of beetle kill lodgepole pine for sure, but not many fruit trees that I remember.
I'm just outside of Keremeos in orchard country. Well, actually lots of the orchards round here have turned into vineyards.

CL

I think you made a good choice with the electric. The 20" bar shouldn't be too much for that chainsaw unless you are pushing hard or cutting wood that has the entire bar buried in it. It would probably cut best with a 16" bar, but if you ever get a new saw, then you can swap that out if you desire.

Well just an update, the Ryobi say was returned to Princess auto and I got my money back. After cutting 1 cord of wood it developed a flooding problem and the next day started seizing up when trying to start it.

So after a lot of looking and comparing I ended up with this



I am hoping to get out monday for the first cut on the new saw.

Steve

Welcome to the club Stay safe,have fun. You'll find that its addicting (in a good way) & except for the occasional muscle aches from overexertion,a lightning storm in summer and/or blizzard in winter- not much will keep you from the woods when you have the spare time to go cutting.

Is that a Rancher (455 or 460)?? They are great Saws. Me and my Brother in law were cuttin today. His new Husqvarna 562XP is on the left (bad @$$ 59 cc saw) and then my 455 Rancher w/ the 20", Stihl 036 w/ 20", and MS 460 w/ 25"...

You wont be disappointed in any Husqvarna or Stihl. I have owned several of each and loved them all..

Congrats on the score.

thats a good eye, its a 455 rancher.

I went out this morning and got a truck load, first time I ever saw chips like this comming off a saw





Steve