Buying a Timberwolf Splitter

[pilot-werx]

So after much research I have decided to go the route of a Timberwolf.

However, I am stuck on which model to get. Right now I am trying decide between the TW-2 or the TW-HV2. I like the fact that on the TW-2 you can add the 4-way splitting head, log lifter and table.... I like the TW-HV2 because it can vertical... So, the million dollar question... What would be the best route to go... Is the 4-way more desirable than being able to split vertically???

Thanks for the input!

 

[runandjump]

My suggestion is the one that will go vertical. You can always split a few more times as apposed to lifting a chunk of oak that out-weighs you. Good luck!

 

[carbon neutral]

Go with the vertical. You can always put a four way wedge on a horizontal/vertical splitter if you WANT to, you can never go vertical with a horizontal only splitter if you NEED to.

 

[LLigetfa]

I don't put much stock into 4-ways. There is only a small number of rounds that are the right size to split four ways. I can count on the fingers of one hand how often I use vertical mode but there are lots of guys that like to split everything sitting down.

I like horizontal with table for 99% of my splitting but I don't need a log lifter. If the round is too large to lift, I can go vertical but up in these parts there not much big stuff.

 

[carbon neutral]

[quote author="LLigetfa" date="1252121038"]I don't put much stock into 4-ways. There is only a small number of rounds that are the right size to split four ways.
That's probably because you don't have a four way wedge. Anything from 6"-16" diameter goes to the 4 way. I end up splitting more of my wood to a smaller size than I would if I didn't have the 4 way, so my wood seasons better and burns cleaner because I have it.

 

[smokinj]

I don't put much stock into 4-ways. There is only a small number of rounds that are the right size to split four ways.
That's probably because you don't have a four way wedge. Anything from 6"-16" diameter goes to the 4 way. I end up splitting more of my wood to a smaller size than I would if I didn't have the 4 way, so my wood seasons better and burns cleaner because I have it.

4-way doesnt make it any smaller its how small you want to go doesnt matter if you have a 4-way or dont. Your right 6-16 in is perfect for a 4-way but how quick can you change it when need be? Iam always at 30 in or bigger so I would think it would help me but i guess there people that are doing alot from 6-16 in.?

 

[LLigetfa]

I split everything that can be split to aid drying so I already have a good variety of smaller splits. My wedge is 6 inches tall and I split a max of 6 inches across any face.

Here is a pic of a 4-way in action. The fixed height is a compromise. Too low IMHO for larger wood. You can see two spits that are too small and the other two, too large. A fancy splitter with a height adjustable wedge would be better than a fixed height one but not by much.

 

[LLigetfa]

Your right 6-16 in is perfect for a 4-way...

Perfect for who? Not for me. If it is fixed height, on a 16" I would get two 4" faces and two 12" faces. A 12" split down the middle would be good, but with the pic I posted, I would get a 4" and a 8" pair. Again, not perfect.

With a horizontal/vertical (moving wedge) splitter, I can do one split, retract, put the two halves back together, turn the round 90 degrees, and split it again in very short order. I do it all the time. On a H/V splitter, the pieces don't get pushed away so you don't have to chase after them to bring them back for a resplit.

 

[carbon neutral]

I don't put much stock into 4-ways. There is only a small number of rounds that are the right size to split four ways.
That's probably because you don't have a four way wedge. Anything from 6"-16" diameter goes to the 4 way. I end up splitting more of my wood to a smaller size than I would if I didn't have the 4 way, so my wood seasons better and burns cleaner because I have it.

4-way doesnt make it any smaller its how small you want to go doesnt matter if you have a 4-way or dont.
Your right except I find that I am splitting 8" and under with the 4 way, I never would have taken them down so far in the past using the 2 way.
Your right 6-16 in is perfect for a 4-way but how quick can you change it when need be?
Mine is a slip on, smack off. I drop it on when I want it off I smack it with a hammer and it pulls off. Less than 10 seconds for either operation. Iam always at 30 in or bigger so I would think it would help me but i guess there people that are doing alot from 6-16 in.?
When I have big stuff I use the 2 way or noodle then drop on the 4 way[/quote]

 

[carbon neutral]

I split everything that can be split to aid drying so I already have a good variety of smaller splits. My wedge is 6 inches tall and I split a max of 6 inches across any face.

Here is a pic of a 4-way in action. The fixed height is a compromise. Too low IMHO for larger wood. You can see two spits that are too small and the other two, too large. A fancy splitter with a height adjustable wedge would be better than a fixed height one but not by much.

I made my 4 way mostly because I wanted a slip on and could not find one from a manufacturer. I have my horizontal wedges set at 7" and can vary the wood to make sure the wood is centered. I used the technique you describe when I only had a 2way. I am happier with the 4 way wedge than I was with only the 2 way. It does have its draw backs, mostly I have trouble in oak as my splitter is only 22ton, but it is very easy to change out if need be.

 

[smokinj]

I don't put much stock into 4-ways. There is only a small number of rounds that are the right size to split four ways.
That's probably because you don't have a four way wedge. Anything from 6"-16" diameter goes to the 4 way. I end up splitting more of my wood to a smaller size than I would if I didn't have the 4 way, so my wood seasons better and burns cleaner because I have it.

4-way doesnt make it any smaller its how small you want to go doesnt matter if you have a 4-way or dont.
Your right except I find that I am splitting 8" and under with the 4 way, I never would have taken them down so far in the past using the 2 way.
Your right 6-16 in is perfect for a 4-way but how quick can you change it when need be?
Mine is a slip on, smack off. I drop it on when I want it off I smack it with a hammer and it pulls off. Less than 10 seconds for either operation. Iam always at 30 in or bigger so I would think it would help me but i guess there people that are doing alot from 6-16 in.?
When I have big stuff I use the 2 way or noodle then drop on the 4 way[/quote]

sounds like a winner 10 sec. is quick enough will it still go vertical?

 

[carbon neutral]

I don't put much stock into 4-ways. There is only a small number of rounds that are the right size to split four ways.
That's probably because you don't have a four way wedge. Anything from 6"-16" diameter goes to the 4 way. I end up splitting more of my wood to a smaller size than I would if I didn't have the 4 way, so my wood seasons better and burns cleaner because I have it.

4-way doesnt make it any smaller its how small you want to go doesnt matter if you have a 4-way or dont.
Your right except I find that I am splitting 8" and under with the 4 way, I never would have taken them down so far in the past using the 2 way.
Your right 6-16 in is perfect for a 4-way but how quick can you change it when need be?
Mine is a slip on, smack off. I drop it on when I want it off I smack it with a hammer and it pulls off. Less than 10 seconds for either operation. Iam always at 30 in or bigger so I would think it would help me but i guess there people that are doing alot from 6-16 in.?
When I have big stuff I use the 2 way or noodle then drop on the 4 way[/quote]

sounds like a winner 10 sec. is quick enough will it still go verticThe wedge doesn't effect the ability to go vertical, however I must admit I almost never use it that way. I know some people love to use their splitters vertical, I guess I am still young enough that my back allows me to stay horizontal.[/color]

 

[John_M]

MY horizontal/vertical is used horizontally about 60% of the time. The vertical option is a backsaver the other 40% of the time. My spliter is stored indoors in vertical mode to save space. It is positioned near my indoor wood supply so I can conveniently split some of the larger pieces when the need arises. H/V is best for my needs.

John_M

 

[LLigetfa]

The wedge doesn't effect the ability to go vertical, however I must admit I almost never use it that way. I know some people love to use their splitters vertical, I guess I am still young enough that my back allows me to stay horizontal.

The OP was debating a fixed four-way on the end of the beam versus a H/V convertible. Yours is a H/V convertible with four-way on the ram. The two behave very different.

A four-way on the ram usually is set much lower so that it centers the force in line with the ram. If the horizontal portion of the wedge is higher than the point the ram pushes on, it will apply a lifting force on the base the wedge slides on. A wedge on the end of the beam normally has a higher horizontal wedge as it doesn't apply the same misaligned dynamics to the sliding plate.

Then there is the whole notion of the wood being pushed away from the operator. If most of the splits are done in a single stroke, that is a good thing... no handling of the split pieces. They can just be shoved off the end and the slitter moved forward as the pile builds. If however, you need to retrieve a split to resplit, then it is a PITA. If your splitting style involves immediately handling the splits... again, you need to reach further to retrieve them.

 

[LLigetfa]

Two of my neighbors had/have splitters with fixed wedge on the end of the beam. One would just keep pushing the splits off the end and let the pile move as much as it could and then he had to move the tractor. The other left his tractor in neutral and let the ram move the tractor for him when the pile would no longer move.

My splitter has a moving wedge and I prefer to bring the splitter to the rounds rather than the rounds to the splitter. Sometimes I toss the splits over toward where I will stack or heap them. Other times, I park my trailer close and toss the splits into it.

 

[carbon neutral]

The wedge doesn't effect the ability to go vertical, however I must admit I almost never use it that way. I know some people love to use their splitters vertical, I guess I am still young enough that my back allows me to stay horizontal.

The OP was debating a fixed four-way on the end of the beam versus a H/V convertible. Yours is a H/V convertible with four-way on the ram. The two behave very different.

A four-way on the ram usually is set much lower so that it centers the force in line with the ram. If the horizontal portion of the wedge is higher than the point the ram pushes on, it will apply a lifting force on the base the wedge slides on. A wedge on the end of the beam normally has a higher horizontal wedge as it doesn't apply the same misaligned dynamics to the sliding plate.

Then there is the whole notion of the wood being pushed away from the operator. If most of the splits are done in a single stroke, that is a good thing... no handling of the split pieces. They can just be shoved off the end and the slitter moved forward as the pile builds. If however, you need to retrieve a split to resplit, then it is a PITA. If your splitting style involves immediately handling the splits... again, you need to reach further to retrieve them.

I think the op may have thought that you cannot operate a h/v with a 4-way wedge, for some reason many people think that. That fact is you don't have to compromise because you can operate a h/v with a 4-way wedge. I haven't had any problems operating my 4 way wedge on a h/v, with the exception of it stalling on knarly oak. Like I already posted it is about 7" above the beam, I have noticed no "lifting" forces as you suggest would happen. If there is a "lifting" force or x component it is minute compared to the y component and in no way adversely effects the operation of the splitter.

 

[carbon neutral]

Two of my neighbors had/have splitters with fixed wedge on the end of the beam. One would just keep pushing the splits off the end and let the pile move as much as it could and then he had to move the tractor. The other left his tractor in neutral and let the ram move the tractor for him when the pile would no longer move.

My splitter has a moving wedge and I prefer to bring the splitter to the rounds rather than the rounds to the splitter. Sometimes I toss the splits over toward where I will stack or heap them. Other times, I park my trailer close and toss the splits into it.

I agree with this and is another check in the box for buying a h/v. My process is drop a tree, delimb, remove limbs, buck, then move my splitter down the line along the trunk of the tree. I keep a wheel barrow on the other side of the splitter and toss the splits tight into the barrow and cart them off to be stacked. If I had horizontal only I would have to go back and pick up the splits adding another step to the process and greatly increasing the number of times I would have to bend over to pick things up.

 

[LLigetfa]

Like I already posted it is about 7" above the beam, I have noticed no "lifting" forces as you suggest would happen. If there is a "lifting" force or x component it is minute compared to the y component and in no way adversely effects the operation of the splitter.

Post a sideways (profile) picture of the wedge showing the sliding plate and ram so I can estimate the probable lifting force. Have you examined the underside of the sliding plate (for wear) that is resisting the lifting force?

Here is a pic of my wedge which is 6 inches high. The ram is engineered to push above the middle point. Resistance on the wedge at about 7 inches would provide several tons of force to the bolts holding the underside of the sliding base. I have seen pics of a homemade splitter shear off those bolts when the wrong grade bolts were used.

 

[Jamess67]

I resemble that splitter. lol What happen was, I was testing for max force and the wood lifted and took the wedge with it. I think under normal conditions the bolts would have held.

 

[pilot-werx]

I think you all have convinced me to go with the HV2.... Looking forward to using it!

 

[JustWood]

I believe the TW models that are Horizontal only are geared more for commercial wood production. Most guys who are involved in commercial production have equipment that if need be ,could pick up a large round and place on the splitter. Not saying a homeowner shouldn't buy a TW but might not be needed for the weekend wood jockey.
I think there is a lot to be said for the versatility of a H/V splitter especially now that a 4 way is an option.

 

[heppm01]

I have the TW-2 with the four-way wedge, and love it. The wedge is a slip-on, and can be swapped on or off in under two seconds. Also, the horizontal wings are offset from the wedge center, so depending on which way you drop the wedge in place it will be better suited for either smaller rounds or larger rounds.

 

[carbon neutral]

Like I already posted it is about 7" above the beam, I have noticed no "lifting" forces as you suggest would happen. If there is a "lifting" force or x component it is minute compared to the y component and in no way adversely effects the operation of the splitter.

Post a sideways (profile) picture of the wedge showing the sliding plate and ram so I can estimate the probable lifting force. Have you examined the underside of the sliding plate (for wear) that is resisting the lifting force?

Here is a pic of my wedge which is 6 inches high. The ram is engineered to push above the middle point. Resistance on the wedge at about 7 inches would provide several tons of force to the bolts holding the underside of the sliding base. I have seen pics of a homemade splitter shear off those bolts when the wrong grade bolts were used.

 

[Gooserider]

Technically speaking, according to everything I've seen on hydraulic design theory, you should NOT put a multi-way wedge on a moving wedge splitter (such as an H/V unit, though I've seen Horizontal only units w/ wedges on the ram) The theory is that if you get a gnarly chunk you can put some non-linear twisting and bending forces on the cylinder which will cause increased seal wear and shorten it's life. There is also the potential for the wedge following the grain on a split and jamming it between the rail and the wedge, again w/ problematic results...

In practice, a lot of people seem to do it and get away with it, so I'm not sure how much of a problem it really is...

In any case, I wouldn't feel comfortable using a multi-way wedge, as I like to be able to manually position the rounds to be split, especially the ones that aren't quite straight, or cut on a slant and need a bit of support as the wedge is coming down on them. W/ a two way, I have clear space to watch what I'm doing, and lots of space to put my hands where the wedge won't be a problem. With a 4-way I'd feel less able to do that, as I'd be afraid the wings would get me.

I am solidly in the split while sitting in front of a vertical splitter camp. My usual drill is to stack up the rounds in my splitting area, w/in reach of my seat, and then drag them into place (sometimes w/ a pulp hook, usually not) split them and toss the splits in a pile. Actually I usually have three piles going, with at least one being my wagon and / or wheel barrow. I have my beam marked for length, and as I'm splitting I keep an eye on the length of the rounds... Anything over 20" (my max length) goes in one pile to be trimmed. Anything under about 12" and large "splitter trash" bits, the stuff that breaks, etc. goes in the wagon to be hauled to my "chunkwood" pile, the rest goes in the done pile to be stacked...

My comment on the OP's question, is not so much H/V vs H-only, as it is "Why a Timberwolf?" - they are mighty fine peices of equipment, well built and all that, but IMHO they aren't so much better quality as to justify their prices for someone doing "home burner" quantities of wood, as opposed to commercial quantities... (Though I have a friend with a wood business, and I've cranked out hundreds of cords using his 20 ton MTD...) TW's are nice machines, I just think there are better values in some of the lower cost lines...

Gooserider

 

[pilot-werx]

I ended up going with the TW-2 with the log cradle and 4 way wedge. I was torn between the HV but I really wanted the 4 way. Yes, I might have been able to spend half the money on a cub cadet, MTD, Huskee, etc, but I really liked the Timberwolf and the people at the factory seemed like a good bunch to do business with. Also, the local Timberwolf dealer is located 5 miles from my house....