So my mother has an old log splitter we used for many years as I was growing up. I need a splitter myself but it needs some work and I am not sure of the tonnage on the machine as well as determining if it is worth rebuilding or just buying new. I called Briggs & Stratton to get a price on a replacement motor that would match what this machine already has on it. If anyone can lend some insight and maybe personal knowledge that would be helpful. I can buy a new Splitter today but they are just over $1100 by me for a decent size and worried that today's tools just arent up to par with what was made int he past. I know a decent amount of work will need to go into it, if i decide to rebuild, like all new gaskets, motor and tubing. Opinions are appreciated.
Rebuild or No?
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Not sure what the best answer is . . . but a couple cons would be the low height of the beam and not knowing what else may be bad or about to go bad after you swap out the engine.
Woodsplitter67
Minister of Fire
The DHT 22 ton is a great splitter. Your going to drop a bunch of coin in the rebuild and you can get all the modern features on a new one. If i had the choice i would not take the time, the money and effort. Not to mention the other parts that may go bad in the near future. Once you start to throw parts into it your going to feel obligated to keep it
If you do a lot of splitting I think your better off getting a new one..you will be into this one a fair amount with a lot of unknown issues surely to rise...My buddy has one very similar to yours...it is fairly fast on small stuff but really struggled on larger stuff...not to mention being bent over all of the time was a pain.
It does look to be very basic model. It sure would make my back hurt. I expect its a single stage very low tonnage back from the first Arab oil embargo when any splitter was worth its weight in gold. Unless you are nostalgic it may be a good craigslist sale. I expect someone has a Briggs sitting around that would swap right in. These days most folks don't rebuilt a motor, they go to harbor freight and buy a clone.
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It will cost more to rebuild that old brigs than to buy a new overhead valve
unit in the 5 to 10 hp. class ; if you have the time and money to restore
the old splitter then do it if not buy one of the new inexpensive units
unit in the 5 to 10 hp. class ; if you have the time and money to restore
the old splitter then do it if not buy one of the new inexpensive units
Bad LP
Minister of Fire
It comes down to what you feel like spending, and how much you need a splitter. Are you sure there is anything more than just getting the engine started. These things just sit and dry up the gas in the carb. On my snow blower I pull my carb apart ever year to get it running. I can do it in 10 minutes.
Single stage pump also.
How much nostalgia does it have? How much wood do you split?
Either way, I'd get the motor running if possible. Probably good carb cleaning and minimal cost (unless you take it to a shop). It may be workablew as is. Or it is more valuable to sell if the mogtor runs and everything moves.
If its not for memories, and you splity more than say 10 hrs a year, I'd get it going , sell it off, and buy a newer and better one
How much nostalgia does it have? How much wood do you split?
Either way, I'd get the motor running if possible. Probably good carb cleaning and minimal cost (unless you take it to a shop). It may be workablew as is. Or it is more valuable to sell if the mogtor runs and everything moves.
If its not for memories, and you splity more than say 10 hrs a year, I'd get it going , sell it off, and buy a newer and better one
HehHeh . . . I was thinking of you when I wrote my post.
I thought "I would buy a new or newer model, but I bet Jags would take this thing apart, fix it up, alter it so it sits higher up, add in a hydraulic lift, etc. and re-power it."
NateB
Feeling the Heat
So where are you in PA?
I would not pay someone else to fix this one, but if I got it for cheap I would fix it myself.
I am in South Central PA
I would not pay someone else to fix this one, but if I got it for cheap I would fix it myself.
I am in South Central PA
Ayup.
The price:value ratio makes no sense at all if you are paying someone to do the work, when you can buy a new one ready to run. Different deal if you are enough of a 'shop guy' to deal with any issues that arise.
If you are doing the work yourself, and are happy hacking a few different types or stuff, a $100 6.5 HP engine from Harbor Freight (cheaper to buy new than buy Briggs parts) or such, a replacement two stage pump and some plumbing, and you got an ugly but working splitter. Some time with an angle grinder and a coat of paint, and it's not so ugly.
Cheers
Trev
Don't rebuild the one in the pic. Even if it was made to run perfectly, it has many, many design shortcomings. Get a modern splitter, like the DH or a Speeco. You'll be glad you did.
Thank you all for the advice. I wasn't planning on rebuilding the motor because that thing is shot. Sad to see though that motors like that were built rather well for the time and companies used more metal which is nice to see compared to today's motors. I called B&S and they said that a new motor that would be the updated model for that one is roughly $425. Add in the cost of hoses, gaskets and everything else including labor, I am estimating that the total investment would be close to $750 or so. I went to Lowes this past weekend and saw that they had some overstock splitters originally $1200 or so and now going for $950. I might just do that since they can lay horizontally or stand vertically which helps my back on those long days of splitting. I was looking up others that have rebuilt older splitters and saw people getting motors for $150 or so and saved a ton. Not the case here since I split wood annually and don't want to put cheap stuff on to only have to do it again the following year. What would a splitter in this condition go for on the market? $200? For those that asked, I am in Montgomery County not too far off Rt 309 and Turnpike. Thank you again for the insight everyone
You'll be so glad you bought new, trust me. The ergonomics, the log rest, the height, the speed. New will be so much better. That splitter's design leaves a lot to be desired. After you used it for a few hours, you'd really notice it's flaws.
And yes, I'd think about 200 for that splitter would be pretty fair.
And yes, I'd think about 200 for that splitter would be pretty fair.
I've broken my younger back many of times helping my father split wood when I was younger ha ha. Now that I have a herniated disc in my lower back and only in my 30's I want to refrain from hurting it any further so I'm not a hunched over old man for my kids as they get older. The only downside to most new things is that they don't last as long. I feel most companies design their products to fail after a certain period of time so they can get a new sale.
Can't argue with that. But on the other side, some of the new stuff is just fantastic. I have a 6 year old Speeco (TSC Husky) that I've split 100+ cord with that I can say runs and operates better than new. I've done a few light mods to it, and added the log rest, hand sharpened the wedge, etc.. It starts on the first pull, doesn't burn a drop of oil and I can outwork both of my neighbors giant homemade splitters by about 40%. And, it goes vertical, where their heavy home made ones can't. And they both have quite a bit more money into making their own than I did buying mine outright.
Not kidding when I say that my Briggs powered Speeco still looks and runs better than new. But I take great care of it. I broke it in right, use only ethanol free premium in it, blow it off after each use, and it's stored inside. But starts on the first pull every time, and has never failed to split everything I throw at it.
jetsam
Minister of Fire
A log splitter that does vertical and horizontal splitting is a big deal for me.
I use the gas splitter for stuff that I used to sledge'n'wedge, and a lot of that stuff is very large and/or odd shaped. Splitting it on a horizontal-only splitter would be no fun.
Consider cycle time when you are looking for a splitter. It's easy to say, 'Yeah well 30 seconds isn't a long time, and how much of a hurry am I really in?', but you will possibly suffer a change of opinion after you've been using it a while.
I use the gas splitter for stuff that I used to sledge'n'wedge, and a lot of that stuff is very large and/or odd shaped. Splitting it on a horizontal-only splitter would be no fun.
Consider cycle time when you are looking for a splitter. It's easy to say, 'Yeah well 30 seconds isn't a long time, and how much of a hurry am I really in?', but you will possibly suffer a change of opinion after you've been using it a while.
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