Champion 27 ton vs DHT 25 ton

[illini81]

So I’m planning on taking the collective, sage advice on hearth.com to get a splitter before I destroy my body splitting by hand. I’ve split about 10 cords during my first year with a stove, and I’m beginning to feel it in my elbows. I’m not sure why elbows vs shoulders or back, but that’s what it is for me.

Right now my criteria are:

1. Around 25 tons – seems like this will split most things. I’m not opposed to noodling the occasional round.
   
   
2. Around 1k
   
   
3. A work table/log catcher – the only splitter I’ve used didn’t have this, and I could see how handy it would be!
   
   
4. A splitter that gets good reviews
   

I’ve been reading up on the Champion 27 Ton and the Dirty Hand Tools 25 ton. The Champion is nice, because it comes with log catchers. You can buy a log catcher for the DHT, but it’d be an extra $80. The DHT splitters seem to be fairly well-known on hearth.com, but I haven’t read much on the Champion. Their cycle time is the same. How else can I compare the two? I don’t know much about splitters. What do you guys think?

(broken link removed)

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Dirty-Hand-Tools-25-Ton-Gas-Log-Splitter/1000246151

 

[illini81]

Ok, nevermind, I just found this:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/champion-22ton-wood-splitter-champ-or-chimp.76579/#post-970859

Looks like Champion may not be the way to go.

 

[Ashful]

No advice on these two particular models, but here’s some sound advice on splitter shopping, in general.

Anything over 22 tons will split almost anything the average wood burner can throw at it, or close enough that the few remaining pieces each year can be noodled with a chainsaw. So, pay attention to cycle time, and don’t get hung up on tonnage. I see so many folks buying pathetically slow 28 ton and 35 ton machines, when they’d be far more productive with a nice fast 25 ton machine. Also, the lighter machines are much nicer, when moving around your processing area, without having to hook them up to the tractor.

There is a limit, though. I’ve used the 19 ton fast cycle Iron and Oak machines. They’re very nicely built, but I found them just shy of the splitting force required for several rounds. Meanwhile, my only marginally more powerful 22 ton goes thru basically everything I put to it, so I’d consider this the “threshold” tonnage requirement.

There are a few who will counter what I’m saying, by citing rediculously gnarly rounds that required 35 or 40 tons to split, but I wouldn’t want to put that twisted crap in my stove, anyway. I’m looking for mostly nice straight stuff, that will pack densely into my limited firebox space.

 

[illini81]

No advice on these two particular models, but here’s some sound advice on splitter shopping, in general.

Anything over 22 tons will split almost anything the average wood burner can throw at it, or close enough that the few remaining pieces each year can be noodled with a chainsaw. So, pay attention to cycle time, and don’t get hung up on tonnage. I see so many folks buying pathetically slow 28 ton and 35 ton machines, when they’d be far more productive with a nice fast 25 ton machine. Also, the lighter machines are much nicer, when moving around your processing area, without having to hook them up to the tractor.

There is a limit, though. I’ve used the 19 ton fast cycle Iron and Oak machines. They’re very nicely built, but I found them just shy of the splitting force required for several rounds. Meanwhile, my only marginally more powerful 22 ton goes thru basically everything I put to it, so I’d consider this the “threshold” tonnage requirement.

There are a few who will counter what I’m saying, by citing rediculously gnarly rounds that required 35 or 40 tons to split, but I wouldn’t want to put that twisted crap in my stove, anyway. I’m looking for mostly nice straight stuff, that will pack densely into my limited firebox space.

Thanks, very helpful. It's been hard to figure out the right threshold for "too small". Like you, I'm looking for the easy to split stuff, and so far haven't had much trouble finding it. So I'll roll with your 22 ton threshold.

 

[pernox]

I'd agree on 22 tons being enough. Mine has run through close to 50 cord of everything that grows in the northeast, and only been stopped a handful of times. Like less than you could count on two hands. In every case, more careful positioning of the wood allowed the splitter to do its thing.

 

[Ashful]

Thanks, very helpful. It's been hard to figure out the right threshold for "too small". Like you, I'm looking for the easy to split stuff, and so far haven't had much trouble finding it. So I'll roll with your 22 ton threshold.

These machines are basically all built from the same components these days, so the difference of one brand to the next comes down to the quality of the frame and the ergonomics of the layout.

With very few exceptions, they all use 2-stage gear pumps, and they rate the tonnage at the low-gear bypass of 3500 psi. That translates to standard tonnages:

3.5" cylinder = 16.8 ton
4" cylinder = 22 ton
5" cylinder = 34.4 ton
6" cylinder = 49.5 ton

These pumps are typically available in 11, 16, 22 and 28 GPM ratings, at 3000 RPM. This is where some brands differ, as some run engines capable of 3600 RPM, so they get 20% over rated GPM from the pump. You will see this published in the cycle times.

Assuming a 24" stroke cylinder, we end up with the following, at rated pump rate. Discount by 20% for over-spun pumps.

 

[illini81]

Anyone have anything bad to say about DHT splitters, before I pull the trigger?

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Go with the DHT 22 ton.. way worth it..

 

[brenndatomu]

Had my Champion 23T for probably 5 years now...no complaints.
Looks like the reviews for the Champion you linked to are pretty dang good! Out of 109 reviews, 82 are 5 star, 22 are 4 star...and one of the four 1 star reviews was because the guy mail ordered it and thought it came fully assembled...said it was a good machine though.

 

[illini81]

Had my Champion 23T for probably 5 years now...no complaints.
Looks like the reviews for the Champion you linked to are pretty dang good! Out of 109 reviews, 82 are 5 star, 22 are 4 star...and one of the four 1 star reviews was because the guy mail ordered it and thought it came fully assembled...said it was a good machine though.

Yeah, I did notice that the reviews on home depot were good. I'd probably be happy either way, but I think I'm going to go with the DHT.

 

[illini81]

Does anyone know - will the 25 ton DHT take a 4-way wedge? This 4-way wedge from logsplittersdirect.com says that it fits all DHT splitters from 22 ton to 35 ton: https://www.logsplittersdirect.com/Dirty-Hand-Tools-100349/p13703.html

However, there is a Q&A question on the lowes.com page for the 25 ton splitter, "Does this have an associated 4-way wedge?". The question was answered "Hello, The 25 ton model does not accept a 4-Way Wedge. The 30 ton model at Lowes does however. Thank you, -DHT"

So which is it?

 

[brenndatomu]

Yeah, I did notice that the reviews on home depot were good. I'd probably be happy either way, but I think I'm going to go with the DHT.

Yup, can't go wrong I'd say.
Don't know about the 4 way, but it does seem like I remember some discussion here or somewhere online about what they fit, or not.
I do remember quite a few reports of people having their DHT 4 ways break on 'em though...

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Does anyone know - will the 25 ton DHT take a 4-way wedge? This 4-way wedge from logsplittersdirect.com says that it fits all DHT splitters from 22 ton to 35 ton: https://www.logsplittersdirect.com/Dirty-Hand-Tools-100349/p13703.html

However, there is a Q&A question on the lowes.com page for the 25 ton splitter, "Does this have an associated 4-way wedge?". The question was answered "Hello, The 25 ton model does not accept a 4-Way Wedge. The 30 ton model at Lowes does however. Thank you, -DHT"

So which is it?

You can put on the 22 ton.. i have the 4 way on that..
I have a 27 with the factory wedge on it..
The 22 switches fast from 4 way to a regular wedge fast..
Your not running the wedge through 20in rounds... its not made to do that
The 22 has plenty of power to run the 4way

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Yup, can't go wrong I'd say.
Don't know about the 4 way, but it does seem like I remember some discussion here or somewhere online about what they fit, or not.
I do remember quite a few reports of people having their DHT 4 ways break on 'em though...

Its made to split medium rounds or smaller rounds up.. not 20in rounds.. I've been running mine for 2 years with out a problem. You can take a 20 round split it in half and then run the 4way through that.

 

[brenndatomu]

Its made to split medium rounds or smaller rounds up.. not 20in rounds.. I've been running mine for 2 years with out a problem. You can take a 20 round split it in half and then run the 4way through that.

Yeah, people that have reported them breaking very well may have been abusing them...dunno...just seen lots of "broken" reports...seemed excessive to me. And I think I recall there was one that supposedly broke within minutes of brand new.

 

[adrpga498]

What ever you decide, at least get a machine that goes verticle. Just sayin.

 

[illini81]

Picking up the DHT 25 ton today!

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Picking up the DHT 25 ton today!

Cool good choice
Good luck..snap a pic