I need to make a choice... fast!

[pilsener]

Hi all. I'm a long time lurker grateful for the collective knowledge on this forum...

I need a new H/V hydraulic splitter to replace my venerable 22 ton champion, and have narrowed it to 2 choices, based on the availability of a 4 way wedge and made in NA:

A Wallenstein WX540L with 4 way wedge (until Aug 15th, the 4-way wedge is free- a $300 savings) from a local small dealer (Honda GX160, 20 ton, 4 inch cylinder, 14s cycle time) - http://www.wallensteinequipment.com/ca/en/model/wx540l-log-splitter

Or from a big box store
Surge-master 28HVGC-L, with the 4way wedge (25 ton, Honde gc190, 4.5 inch cylinder, but same pump and cycle time as the wx540) -
(broken link removed)

Both work out to 3K with tax. I split mainly fir and hemlock, and 2 fir trees I'm about to take down are almost 36 inches at their base.

Surge-masters are re-branded wallensteins with Honda GC instead of GX, so the reliability should be similar. I have 2 days to make the choice to get the free wallenstein accessory deal, and I'm not sure the bigger surgemaster is necessary, or if the 20 ton wallenstein will do the trick. The wallenstein is the local rental splitter, and I'd prefer to support a local business but I've never had a 4 way before

thoughts? Will the 20 ton be enough for a 4-way wedge and large green fir rounds? Will the 25 ton be faster and a better match for my needs?

 

[DodgyNomad]

Both machines will do what you need them to do. GX is the better series of motor, top of the line. Considered one of the best small motors in the world. They seem to make the cycle time difficult to compare from those 2 specs, intentionally I believe, one is an average of 7, but that appears to be to the split and back, which is about what I average with my similar size Speeco. I think the machines will be comparable, with a few more quality attentions to detail on the Wallenstein that I be you can see in the welding, and support items. I'd go with the Wallenstein, especially with the local connection. These things can have issues, and defects. Way better to be dealing with the local guys you know and trust, and a lot less headaches if it needs attention or repairs.

 

[DodgyNomad]

I just read your post fully, and noted you said they have the same pump, and same cycle time. Motors are very similar in output. Not sure of cost of goods in BC, but I'm not going to lie, they seem pretty proud of those machines, and look to be about $1k high for me for what you're getting.

Just for comparison, this 22 ton Husky:

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(Speeco) branded for Tractor Supply goes on sale around Michigan for about $900 only a couple years ago. I got mine on special, with a log table out the door for under $1,000 and have split in the neighborhood of 100 cord with it without a single problem or repair. Your Honda motor would be a better engine than the B&S on mine, but I've had great luck with Briggs, and they are immensely less expensive to repair if you have a problem than the Honda.

Not trying to cause you more struggles, it's just that $3,000 seems pretty high for a machine with those specifications. I do understand the exchange rate up there, and the weaker Canadian dollar (I'm headed to Lac Seul fishing for Walleye in a few weeks) Do you have access to the rugged made or Speeco, or have a Canadian Tire near you that runs a sale on their rebranded Splitters?

If you're committed to those 2 choices alone, I'd get the branded one as mentioned above instead of the relabeled one.

 

[salecker]

Why do you need to replace your original splitter?

 

[Ashful]

Holy carp, $3k is absolutely INSANE for a 14 second 20-25 ton machine, at least based on our local pricing. Competitive machines run under $1k with Briggs 196cc motors, and a hundred more with the Honda GX.

BTW, it’s impossible to have the same pump and cycle time with two different cylinder sizes, unless one is spinning that pump much faster. The 4.5 inch cylinder will be 21% slower, at the same GPM flow.

4-way wedges are a waste, IMO. Get something with faster cycle time, which would be an easy get within your budget. Why not the Iron and Oak fast cycle series, given your budget?

Made in USA is nice, but not at 3x the cost of the competition.

 

[Rob711]

Yeah what’s wrong with your champion splitter. I have a champion 9000watt generator that seems to work well. Powers my whole house including the mini split ac unit. Curious what’s wrong with there splitter. Never seen one in person.

 

[johneh]

Just a note Surge Master is a Canadian company
They offer a 5 year warranty on all there equipment
(broken link removed)
I have had one for 4 years now and have had not one problem

 

[JillianL]

this is not an answer to your actual question, but I'll offer it anyhow. mostly because I'm very grateful the one or two people who mentioned the Super Split log splitter on a forum sometime a few years ago. If you're willing and able to spend that much money on a splitter, I would definitely consider the super split. We consider ours worth every single penny, and are so glad that we didn't buy something else. It is quiet and fast and powerful. We rarely get a log that it won't split the first time. And we split some big stuff too. we use the model that is for residential use, but there is also a commercial use model. It is quiet enough that my spouse and I can split and have a conversation. It is made in the US and the customer service is fantastic. It is very difficult to find used ones because people keep them forever, and they keep their value for a long time. I loathe working next to a gas engine, so an electric log splitter is a dream. The super split is our favorite piece of farm equipment.

 

[Bad LP]

this is not an answer to your actual question, but I'll offer it anyhow. mostly because I'm very grateful the one or two people who mentioned the Super Split log splitter on a forum sometime a few years ago. If you're willing and able to spend that much money on a splitter, I would definitely consider the super split. We consider ours worth every single penny, and are so glad that we didn't buy something else. It is quiet and fast and powerful. We rarely get a log that it won't split the first time. And we split some big stuff too. we use the model that is for residential use, but there is also a commercial use model. It is quiet enough that my spouse and I can split and have a conversation. It is made in the US and the customer service is fantastic. It is very difficult to find used ones because people keep them forever, and they keep their value for a long time. I loathe working next to a gas engine, so an electric log splitter is a dream. The super split is our favorite piece of farm equipment.

I was going to write something similar to this. Not sure what a Super Split would cost in Canada but I'm very happy I bought one this side of the border. I bought the Honda motor option and as quiet as it was nothing beats running it on 220 VAC.

 

[tadmaz]

I have the 37 ton menards special. 306cc LCT engine. $899 on sale. It can split wood going against the grain if you want to. However it's so heavy it can barely be moved by hand at the tongue.

 

[Firewood Bandit]

If you opt for a 4 way wedge, It MUST by adjustable by hydraulics. You want to be able to put the 4 way all the way down and split in a conventional fashion when you hit gnarly pieces or you are going to break something.

 

[Ashful]

I have the 37 ton menards special. 306cc LCT engine. $899 on sale. It can split wood going against the grain if you want to. However it's so heavy it can barely be moved by hand at the tongue.

That price is incredible, and the tonnage is impressive, but I honestly never see anything that my 22-ton can’t plow thru. A 37 ton machine is going to run 70% slower with the same pump, or require a larger engine to turn a higher volume pump, and is going to need to be built much heavier than a 22 ton machine. I really don’t see any advantage.

In my mind (and in my garage), the best machine is always going to be the fastest 20-25 ton (4” bore) machine you can afford. I have a 22-ton machine that runs 8 second full cycle (4 seconds down + 4 seconds up, full stoke) time, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I can still move it easy enough by hand, and plow thru more wood faster than any 30+ ton homeowner grade splitter.

BTW, I did use a 3.5” (19 ton?) Iron and Oak “fast cycle” machine for a few years, and that one did struggle thru twisted grain and knots. So, there is a threshold to entry, and that’s a 4” bore, in my experience. I split mostly oak and ash, but also bring home occasional elm trees.

Ideal setup, IMO:

4” cylinder
16 GPM pump
300cc motor

The closer you get to these numbers, the more agile and faster you will be.

 

[pilsener]

Thanks for the advice!

I thought through what I wanted from a splitter, researched experience and reviews on this site and a few others, and reflected on what I liked and didn't like about my 22 ton Champion (which was $1200 on sale 6 years ago, $1500 after tax and fluids, not including spending a day buying, transporting and assembling it).

1. Time- I don't have enough. The WX540L and 28HVGC-L come assembled, tested, filled with hydraulic fluid and ready to split. Also, both have 5 year warranties and a reputation for durability - so less likely to need frequent repairs. Last, the 4way wedge will save some time too. No others locally available have those advantages.
2. Highway trailerable. Both come ready to register and plate with taillights.
3. Durability. I happy to maintain it, so that I don't have to worry about frequent repairs etc. The 5 year warranty give me a lot of confidence.

Since my 22 ton Champion could handle knots and even 32 inch fir rounds, 25 tons seemed the most I'd need. The Champion was needing more and more attention and repair to keep running, and after my neighbour borrowed it for 6 months (!) and offered to buy it, replacing it before fall has become a priority. A 27 ton Champion was just on sale at cambodian tire (I mean canadian tire) for $1499 (plus tax and fluids, $1820 or $11.50 US), and the same splitter with a Honda GX200 Engine is $2300 ($2712 after tax and fluids, not including assembly and transpo). Champions also don't do 4ways. Once I factored in the Honda engine, the savings didn't seem to be worth sacrificing my priorities.

The Wallensteins and Surge-masters are similar to Iron and Oak splitters, and our 12% sales tax in the socialist paradise of British Columbia is what pushes the price up, a lot. The Speeco 25 ton is only $300 less than the surgemaster ($2199), it's 4way wedge is cheaper, but it has only a 1 year warranty and sadly doesn't have taillights. The police here are ruthless about traffic issues, so registration and plates for trailering are necessary. The kinetic supersplit looks awesome, but totally terrifying . I really should have looked into it a while back before settling on what I'm used to. That being said, if my #1 priority was value, I'd get another Champion. If highway registration, or a 4 way weren't priorities, I'd pick the Speeco at Princess Auto. All prices are in Cdn...

So.... I bought the (drum roll please) second choice 28HVGC-L from costco.ca. By the time I called the Wallenstein dealer, the in-stock WX540L had sold, and I'd need to order one.... but any new build-to-order apparently involves a surcharge for the US steel tariff, so the price went above 3K before tax. So second choice it is: surge-master 4.5" cylinder, 11 gpm pump and 190 cc Honda GC. I'll post a review once I get it and run it through some paces.

 

[Ashful]

I’m sure the quality will be very good, but a 4.5” cylinder on a 11 GPM pump is going to be very, very slow. I’m not at my computer, doing this in my head, but I’m figuring an 18 second (!) full-stroke time at rated pump GPM. They may over-spin the pump by as much as 20%, to get that down around 15 seconds, but that’s best case. Do you know motor RPM?

I’m a bit of a speed freak, so this might not bother you as much as me, but it would absolutely kill me to run that slow.

Of course, it would not be hard to upgrade to a 300 cc motor and 16 GPM pump, that that’s a $1k investment on top of an already-new splitter.

 

[Highbeam]

I never need to run the ram fully out and then fully back in during actual use. That’s bench racing. I use an 11 gpm pump on a 4” ram (huskee22) and the only wait time is when I put a fresh round up and extend the wedge the 8” for that first split. Retract time is used for repositioning the splits for resplit. It might actually take longer with a faster cycle time if the wedge moves fast enough to fully retract between splits. Hmmm. I do a lot of 3” in and outs! (Dirty mind!)

4 way wedge on big fir is not a wise decision. Hopefully it is easy to remove so that you can get some work done.

If you had to process miles of 12” diameter logs then a 4 way might be cool.

 

[Ashful]

I never need to run the ram fully out and then fully back in during actual use. That’s bench racing. I use an 11 gpm pump on a 4” ram (huskee22) and the only wait time is when I put a fresh round up and extend the wedge the 8” for that first split.

Your wood is more cooperative than the stuff I split. If I don't run the ram the full stroke on most of this oak, I waste even more time and energy wrestling the splits apart.

 

[DodgyNomad]

$11.50 US

That dang exchange rate again.

 

[blades]

fastest way to split more wood is to have more people 3 is a good # one bringing rounds, one operator, one taking splits away. Operating by yourself- speed dosen't really matter that much as you have to cover the 3 steps by your self. I have a HF spliter from early 2000's , 30 ton, wore valve out, sprung the H beam , bent the foot plate and generally abused it over the years - rebuilt it several years back better than new still running on same motor( Briggs 8hp), cylinder, lovejoy coupler. and 11 gpm pump. That bent foot plate was 1.5" thick. never timed it but it is a 5.5" cylinder with a 2" ram, around 24" stroke maybe a bit more.

 

[Ashful]

fastest way to split more wood is to have more people 3 is a good # one bringing rounds, one operator, one taking splits away. Operating by yourself- speed dosen't really matter that much as you have to cover the 3 steps by your self. I have a HF spliter from early 2000's , 30 ton, wore valve out, sprung the H beam , bent the foot plate and generally abused it over the years - rebuilt it several years back better than new still running on same motor( Briggs 8hp), cylinder, lovejoy coupler. and 11 gpm pump. That bent foot plate was 1.5" thick. never timed it but it is a 5.5" cylinder with a 2" ram, around 24" stroke maybe a bit more.

Away from my computer tonight, so there could always be an error in this, but just doing the math real quick on my phone calculator: 4.95 gal per stroke, so at 11 GPM you’re looking at 13.5 second downstroke time and 7 seconds upstroke time (assuming no restriction on upstroke... usually the ports slow you down). That’s a 20+ second full-stroke time.

I move my splitter to the rounds, and use the bucket of my front-end loader as my outfeed table (I can park it right up to the splitter), with 8 second full-stroke time. So, your two helpers would do nothing but get in the way and slow me down.

We all work differently, but for me, it’s all about cords per hour, with the limited time I have. Fill the bucket with split wood, drive the loader to the stack, unload, move the splitter to the next batch of rounds, park the loader bucket next to the splitter, repeat.

 

[BrotherBart]

Split by hand for five years and always chuckle at the "right splitter" threads and GPM and ram times etc. The old 1988 splitter busts the wood. And my shoulders don't hurt anymore.

 

[johneh]

Speed is irrelevant The older you get the more you want it
to slow down . My splitter may not win the race but it gets me there in the end

 

[Jazzberry]

Split by hand for five years and always chuckle at the "right splitter" threads and GPM and ram times etc. The old 1988 splitter busts the wood. And my shoulders don't hurt anymore.

But you don't have a problem with faster, better, smarter, or easier do you?

 

[JRHAWK9]

9.5sec cycle time.


(broken link removed)

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[Ashful]

Split by hand for five years and always chuckle at the "right splitter" threads and GPM and ram times etc. The old 1988 splitter busts the wood. And my shoulders don't hurt anymore.

Any splitter can be the “right splitter”, for someone. But we’ve known each other long enough for you to realize “slow and steady” is not my nickname, old man. [emoji14]

 

[jetsam]

The Right Splitter? You can get a fairly fast cycle time by having the kids hammer in the powder wedges while you go behind adding powder and fuse. Oh yeah!