R.I.P Homelite 5 ton splitter

[hareball]

To be fair I was never really easy on the splitter. She made it 1 year but today put a bend in the ram about 6" near the end so now it has a stroke of about 14". Time to look for a real splitter!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

How did that happen? There wasn't a shutoff when too much stress was put on the piston?

Matt

 

[hareball]

Wear and tear got the best of the carriage and the main bar that the carriage rides on. In reality these small electric splitters might be good for small homeowner type use and not for something a 20+ ton splitter should be doing.

 

[Bubbavh]

Their are nuts on the bars that run parallel to the shaft. These can work loose and cause the ram to become cocked. If you adjust them you will probably find that your splitter is not really bent.

 

[hareball]

Their are nuts on the bars that run parallel to the shaft. These can work loose and cause the ram to become cocked. If you adjust them you will probably find that your splitter is not really bent.

Those bars are about an inch off now. I removed both nuts to relieve all pressure but the ram will not go back into the cylinder. It stops where it's bent.

 

[Bubbavh]

Bummer. I saw mine start to push off to the side a bit but I adjusted it right away and all has been fine.

 

[hareball]

Wish I did the same, was hoping to get through this season.

 

[soupy1957]

So..........the 5 ton Splitters (electric) from Lowe's and Home Dippit, are good for resplitting splits, for kindling, but not good for round splitting.........is THAT what I'm hearing??????

-Soupy1957

 

[thinkxingu]

Soupy, I don't think that's the case at all. I had my Ryobi for almost three years, splitting hard oak and maple rounds up to 20". There are a few issues, though: 1. In order to split a big round, one must often 'play' with it, i.e. position it correctly to chip away at it. If going full bore all the time, I can see that the unit would fail. 2. Power supply is important--if not using a heavy duty electrical cord, the unit suffers. 3. The ram could definitely bend (as is the case here) if a round was angled in some way. Straight on, and the unit should just stop.

Overall, the electric splitters offer a great bang for the buck. BUT, and let's be realistic, though a 5-ton electric can work well for many, it is no replacement for a 20+ ton gas.

S

 

[hareball]

That little 5 ton splitter had some serious power, I think a little too much power for it's carriage. It did not take long for that center beam to lose it's original shape. In total I guess I ran about 8 cords through it and most stress was caused by a seriously twisted red maple. If I noodled I'm sure this thread would not be here. Plain and simple I abused the hell out of it!! I'd buy another but this time take better care of it.

 

[hareball]

Just did the online application for TSC and was approved.
I can't wait to go shopping! Nearest location is about 75 minutes away.