The reason I became focused on the Iron and Oak brand, is that I did some quick checking on this site and came across several posts saying these were the best, albeit expensive.
I’ve rented two different Iron and Oak models, on three separate occasions, it is the only brand our two local tool rental places carry. I found them to both be very nicely built machines, although one (the 3.5” fast cycle machine) was just a hair shy of the power I needed to bust thru knotty crotches of oak without some retries and re-thinking. I’d say Iron and Oak is a fine brand, but there are likely several others that will work just as well. Based on advice from many forum members that preceded me (namely Brother Bart and Backwoods Savage), I went with the 22-ton Speeco sold by TSC, at the time they badged them “Huskee 22-ton”. I think the same (or very similar) Speeco splitter is still sold today under the “County Line” brand.
The ergonomics and overall design of the Speeco/Huskee is reasonably good. I’ll list some of what I find to be pros and cons of it, so you can think about this as you look at models you’re considering:
Pros:
1. Nice balance, it has enough tongue weight to not tip when I throw the heaviest rounds I can lift up onto the beam.
2. Weight, the tongue and entire splitter are still light enough that I can move it around my lumpy splitting area by hand without too much difficulty. No need to hook it to the tractor for small moves.
3. Beam and wedge are sufficiently heavy that I have had no issues with bending or breaking.
4. It can go vertical! This was an absolute must for me, I bring home a lot of stuff over 3 feet diameter, and it’s mostly oak (heavy).
Cons:
1. Some don’t like the wrap style beams, believing debris can get caught in the channels. This has never been much of an issue for me, so while I understand the concern, it wouldn’t be a factor in my purchasing decision.
2. The Briggs e675 vertical shaft engine had a primer bulb instead of choke. This made it a little tricky to start on very cold days, you’d have to prime, rip the cord, and then get right back on the primer to keep it running the first 30 seconds.
3. Vertical shaft motor, if you’re going to do your own hot rod upgrades later, it limits your options.
4. Moving wedge vs. fixed wedge. A lot of guys prefer a fixed wedge with outfeed table and a moving pusher. Of course, this negates the option to go vertical. I’d rather have a splitter that can go vertical.
It had a vertical shaft Briggs e675 motor driving an 11 gpm pump, which was a bit slow for my liking. I upgraded to a 344cc Intek motor with 16 GPM pump, and line sizes to suit. Long-term, I may upgrade the pump to 22 GPM, but that will require several more expensive mod’s (larger bungs in tank, larger lines, larger ports on cylinder).
