Help me choose...

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Hope everyone has a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving!
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here

dquest

Member
Dec 13, 2018
79
Ont,Can
I have done tons of research and searched here quite a bit so I'm looking for why you would choose one of the following, not that I should choose something else.
I'm just doing firewood for home but there is enough bush that I could sell a bunch as well. I'm not interested in the box store versions and all these are made in Canada and close to me either factory or dealer.
Looking for the experience of the forum here as they are a hefty investment.

Please let me know why you would choose one over the other.

I'll tally the votes and post a followup.

Blacks Creek Processor:

1250 model base is 10k but with log lift,electric start and Honda engine comes in at 11K 1 year warranty

Wallenstein Splitter:
https://www.wallensteinequipment.com/ca/en/model/wxr720l 3.5K 5 yr warranty

Eastonmade Splitter:
(broken link removed to http://www.eastonmadewoodsplitters.com/store/p8/Eastonmade_ULTRA_Wood_Splitter.html) 5k, 1 year warranty
 
Last edited:
I would go with the Eastman only because I have used one
and I know the young lad that makes them. Thet work well
and are built strong. I have a surge Master Now owned by Wallenstein
Good splitter for home use and a good Warranty.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dquest
Are you planning to sell firewood?
 
Are you planning to sell firewood?
Possibly. I have enough onsite to sell. I'd need to sell alot to cover the 5k difference. But I am also doing it solo .
 
Possibly. I have enough onsite to sell. I'd need to sell alot to cover the 5k difference. But I am also doing it solo .
Then go with the most wallet friendly splitter, especially if you are doing it solo. A processor takes a few people to keep it busy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: johneh and Tar12
Then go with the most wallet friendly splitter, especially if you are doing it solo. A processor takes a few people to keep it busy.
Thanks for the input.
 
Then go with the most wallet friendly splitter, especially if you are doing it solo. A processor takes a few people to keep it busy.
This is a fact...
 
That's a big premium for the 'processor'. You'd have to try to factor in other equipment or abilities you have to do what it does that the others don't. I am very curious though after watching their vid why they blurred out part of the machine? There is something there they don't want you to see. Not fussy about that setup, re-splitting would be a huge pain. So you'd also need to factor in the type of wood you're doing & whether you'd need to resplit.

Looks like the Eastonmade kills the others in cycle time. It's also a pretty highly regarded brand. But so is Wallenstein - I have one of their smaller ones and it is a rock. Have you priced each out with the options you'd want? Aside from the faster speed, the Eastonmade has another design advantage - you can tow from either end. I think. That might be the biggest thing that sets it apart. Sometimes it is the simple little design differences that make the biggest difference when you have to live with it for years to come.
 
That's a big premium for the 'processor'. You'd have to try to factor in other equipment or abilities you have to do what it does that the others don't. I am very curious though after watching their vid why they blurred out part of the machine? There is something there they don't want you to see. Not fussy about that setup, re-splitting would be a huge pain. So you'd also need to factor in the type of wood you're doing & whether you'd need to resplit.

Looks like the Eastonmade kills the others in cycle time. It's also a pretty highly regarded brand. But so is Wallenstein - I have one of their smaller ones and it is a rock. Have you priced each out with the options you'd want? Aside from the faster speed, the Eastonmade has another design advantage - you can tow from either end. I think. That might be the biggest thing that sets it apart. Sometimes it is the simple little design differences that make the biggest difference when you have to live with it for years to come.
Thanks for the input. I have a wallenstein 6" chipper and its awesome.
I agree about the eastonmade and it sits at around 35" which is perfect for the 1tonne dump trailer that I have. I'd just back it under while splitting.

I think the blurred out part is a battery sp maybe no free advertising. I dont like the discharge side as it seems it's made for a conveyor setup.

I have a tractor to haul logs and could make a cut table .

I like the 5 year warranty of the wallenstein and I think if the eastonmade was closer in warranty it would be an obvious choice.
 
I bought my splitter in 1985 and bought the machine that could do what I wanted it to do .
It can yard .
[Hearth.com] Help me choose...

Its good with small wood.
[Hearth.com] Help me choose...

Its good with big wood.
[Hearth.com] Help me choose...

My suggestion is buy the machine that is going to do what you want it to do. Thirty five years from now you will thank yourself .
 
I think of the 3 linked I would go Eastonmade, even though I really like Wallenstein stuff. I think it has the most 'potential in reserve' if you want to get one machine now that you could ramp up production with in the future if you want to go from personal use to selling. The fast cycle time & ability to pull from each end being the main factors there. I don't think the difference in warranty reflects much if any difference in quality. Treat them well & they will each last way longer than their warranties.

I think the processor one will be too restrictive in how you would need to operate it & what you can feed it. Would be off the table for me. And even if I had the right stuff to feed it all the time, I think I would be more productive overall just cutting all the wood to length off a pile first then splitting it all rather than putting it through that in long lengths.
 
  • Like
Reactions: johneh