DR Wood Splitter (Electric)

[Jfk4th]

Hi guys,

My father and I are looking into the 6 ton model by DR. The videos look good, the benefits of it being electric, quietness, no gas or oil to add, etc. BUT it is electric and once again, it is electric! I have rented gas powered splitters before but for one day it is 75 dollars to rent. I could buy a gas powered but I don't cut enough wood to justify one, I go through about 3 cords a year, maybe 4 tops. .....

DR makes a pretty mean trimmer that my father in law rips through vegetation with ease so I am thinking at about 600 dollars this would be exactly what I need.

Aprreciate any advice or experience with DR splitters

 

[elkimmeg]

DR splitters are decent but not worth $350 more than the 6 ton iron horse brand sold at grossman's bargin Outlet and they are sold in NY

Check out the gear room Iron horse splitters Mat is getting one this Wed when they get another shipment in I don't know where you live but I believe near Buffalo and there are stores located near them 39 days Money back with receit if you are not happy
(broken link removed to http://www.bargain-outlets.com/locations_mapny.php)

Gear room post witha live action video
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/3892/


BTW I can get the 4 ton Ryobi for $250 on Tursday

 

[jtp10181]

My dad and I borrowed an electric splitter once and it kept blowing the fuse. Yes, blowing, because the house had an old fuse box. I think the curcuit was 20amp. Also sometimes it would also blow the switch on the splitter which we replaced twice. Then after that my dad made an extension cord with a 15 or 20 amp breaker in it so it would trip that instead of blowing the switch in the thing out and the fuse. Basically what I'm saying is make sure you have a good outlet to plug into. Also I imagine this thing was pretty low end, it would get stuck on quite a few logs we put in it. Had to split some by hand in half first before it would split them. We rented a gas splitter the next year and that would power through anything we put in it.

 

[Jay H]

If you see elk's second thread link there, I replied on the end of it. I used my Iron Horse for 2 hours last week, not one popped fuse. I had a 20amp GFCI circuit breaker installed that used to run a pool filter to a pool that is no longer here. However, since GFCI outlets aren't that pricey, I bought and installed a 20amp GFCI outlet just for any outdoor tool that I will use, including my Iron Horse splitter and a 13amp Makita UC4000 chainsaw. The Iron Horse does not come with a 20amp plug but a standard 15amp one but I felt it's better to be safe than tripping fuses all day.

No problem so far and I'm enjoying the ease of splitting the tool does.

Got mine for $280 including 8% NY State salestax because I signed up for the Bargain Bucks too..

Jay

 

[Jfk4th]

Yep, thanks for the replies, I should have did a search for Electric Splitters before I did this post but no big deal..

 

[Jfk4th]

DR splitters are decent but not worth $350 more than the 6 ton iron horse brand sold at grossman's bargin Outlet and they are sold in NY

Check out the gear room Iron horse splitters Mat is getting one this Wed when they get another shipment in I don't know where you live but I believe near Buffalo and there are stores located near them 39 days Money back with receit if you are not happy
(broken link removed to http://www.bargain-outlets.com/locations_mapny.php)

Gear room post witha live action video
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/3892/


BTW I can get the 4 ton Ryobi for $250 on Tursday

Elk I sent you a PM, hope you get it

 

[keyman512us]

...Err Umm...I'm still in awe...Why don't you like the idea of an "electric" splitter???

You aren't from the "Tim Taylor" school of (Internal combustion 454CU/in. Hair dryer) = 's "More Power"...OHH HOE HOE HOE WHOA...

Support your local coal fired generating plant...or pay some middle-easteners' AC bill so you can stay warm..."I'm still out on this one"...

 

[jabram]

jfk-
I purchased a DR 6 ton splitter about 2 months ago. I was wrestling a decision to purchase the DR or the Ryobi unit. I've been very pleased with the DR. It is very well made. I have probably split a cord since the purchase. This wood is mixed hardwood, some green and some dry. The unit will not split everything but neither could I with a maul. Large green butt cuts or cuts with large limbs are no-go. I have split some dry cuts in excess of 20" with ease but have failed to split some green cuts that were only 10-12". I'm not sure if all electric splitters have a 2 speed drive but this is a nice feature on the DR. The travel speed is about twice the splitting speed. I operate off of a 20amp breaker and a 10ga 50' extension cord and have had no problems with the breaker tripping. All electric splitters have their limitations but this one operates very will and I would make the purchase again. If I split 10 or more cords/year I would go gas, but as a low volume user I would perfer the "cleaner, easier" electric. It all about trade-offs. Good luck on you decision!

 

[Jfk4th]

Thanks for the reply and help, Still have not bought one yet but I am close. I like the DR splitter but I also like the Iron Horse. I like the added options you can get with the DR but I do know if I really need the options, making the 6 ton Iron Horse at 268.00 dollars a good choice. I usually take Elks advice so I am leaning towards the Iron Horse. My father in Law is a big DR fan so I will probably get to see that in action also
I better hurry spring is in the air, lots of wood to split after the nasty October Storm here in Buffalo, NY. But this means lots of free wood to split......

 

[keyman512us]

If you see elk's second thread link there, I replied on the end of it. I used my Iron Horse for 2 hours last week, not one popped fuse. I had a 20amp GFCI circuit breaker installed that used to run a pool filter to a pool that is no longer here. However, since GFCI outlets aren't that pricey, I bought and installed a 20amp GFCI outlet just for any outdoor tool that I will use, including my Iron Horse splitter and a 13amp Makita UC4000 chainsaw. The Iron Horse does not come with a 20amp plug but a standard 15amp one but I felt it's better to be safe than tripping fuses all day.

No problem so far and I'm enjoying the ease of splitting the tool does.

Got mine for $280 including 8% NY State salestax because I signed up for the Bargain Bucks too..

Jay

Jay...I take it you removed the twist lock outlet for the pool...and replaced it with a GFCI duplex receptacle??? By any chance is it (the outlet) mounted on a post??? You might want to keep a 5 gallon pail over the top...GFCI's installed outdoors have a bad habit of becoming NFG (they don't 'take the moisture to well')...If it were me...I would keep the twist lock and make a "Jumper cord box"...twist lock on one end...GFCI outlet on the other. Might sound "Hoakie"...but GFCI's can be a royal pain in the ^rse sometimes...Might be overkill...but I keep one handy for "working outdoors" at peoples houses...by code...when the pool was installed a "GFCI Convieniece outlet" should be installed not more than twenty feet from where the pool is(was) installed. You would be surprised how many no longer work.

BTW...How did/are you making out with the sump pump issue???

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I've been using the Iron Horse for 2 days now. I obviously can't give long term experience, but it's done everything I've asked of it so far. It did get hung up on a piece of dry, gnarly oak today. I had to flip and rotate the piece to get it through.

I run mine on a 15 amp circuit out of my shed. I didn't know if it would work or not, but I haven't tripped a breaker yet.

Only complaint so far is it looks like the rear hydraulic seal may not be seated correctly. It leaks a little. (and I mean little) if I had not set it on the concrete ramp to my shed I would never have noticed it. Wednesday when I fired it up I got a bit of leakage and figured it was seating itself. Thursday I forgot to loosen the air bleeder screw while I split a few rounds and got a little fluid around the back legs. I loosened the screw when I remembered. I will be splitting more tonight in an effort to get all the wood in the yard processed so I can scrounge a lot more Saturday. Hopefully between the storm early this week and the first warm weekend of the year people will be taking trees down and dropping them off at the brush dump.

 

[Jay H]

EBL: I haven't noticed any leekage in my, but like you said, I've only used mine for 2 hours last time. I've had to rotate a couple of gnarly rounds though too, no big deal...

keystone, All the wiring was removed when the previous owner took the pool out, but the 20amp GFCI breaker was still there so I used that to run a new line to the side of my house. It's in a weatherproof "in-use" kind of receptacle box so it should be watertight. I don't plan on actually using it in the rain anyway... Even though I have a GFCI breaker, I bought and installed a 20amp GFCI receptable anyway and then I pigtailed a regular 20amp receptable for my back porch which I also sometimes run power tools from. I don't have a garage so I do a lot of woodwork on my deck....

I just got my new Hydromatic pump today, I couldn't cancel it. oh well, next time... The water in the basement is now at a level where I've made headway into removing it all!

Jay