Recommendation for wood splitter

[vandedav]

Hello guys,

I am a site manager for a summer camp and retreat center. We split a lot of firewood and have done it for the last few years with a tsc splitter. It is getting old and we have an offer from a supporter that he wants to buy a new splitter for us. He said he is willing to go up to $1500.

What do you guys think? Which splitter would you recommend?

 

[Bret Chase]

I can't offer much more advice (since my splitter is homemade) other than make sure it's got a quality pump (such as a barnes/haldex) and high enough flow.... (mine has a 16GPM pump... and it's a tad slow on the 5" ram).

as for the engine.... take your pick...

 

[TreePointer]

Is there anything you'd like to improve upon over the splitter you currently use? More force, faster cycle time, vertical/horizontal operation, etc.?

TSC has sold a variety of splitters over the years. Is the old one a Huskee? Tonnage? Cycle time (ram time down and back)?

 

[mikefrommaine]

Use the 1500 as a down payment on a timberwolf.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

There is no reason a decent 20-22 ton splitter won't do the job. The splitter from TSC won't cost $1500 but will do everything a $1500 splitter will. In addition, just because the benefactor said he'd to to $1500 is not reason you have to spend it all. So get a new one, sell the old one and you are well ahead of the game. Or, perhaps somebody might be interested in rebuilding the old one then it could be sold for even more. I'm sure the camp could always use some extra dollars.

 

[TreePointer]

Vandedav, so far the only reason you stated that you want a new splitter is age. Other than getting to spend money from a generous person and enjoying that "new splitter smell," what is your goal?

 

[trailrated]

I started a thread a couple weeks ago ...https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...on-these-splitters.105976/page-3#post-1390120

One of the last posts(depending on when you read it) I stated what I decided to do. BUT, if I went new, I was really considering the TSC brand. (*Huskee) Best bang for the buck in my opinion.

 

[Butcher]

Camp for who? Younguns? If so keep your old splitter and take the 1500 and buy some swingin axes for them folks to spilt thier own wood. Might be a good learning exsperiance for all of them. Just sayin.

 

[Como]

The local camp is mainly for teenagers, so plenty of labour, axes are fine.

 

[MasterMech]

$1500 ceiling means TSC/Huskee 22 ton. Very tough to beat that machine for less than $2K.

 

[mikefrommaine]

What's wrong with the one you have. Not much on a splitter that cant be repaired. If it's worn out from use and not worth repairing then I would say its time to step up in price to a commercial quality splitter. Iron and oak, timberwolf etc.

 

[vandedav]

there is nothing necessarily wrong with the one we have...just starting to get a little worn out and has its own personality when running it. which is fine when i am the one running it, but when i have volunteers that come out and i try and set them up to split wood, sometimes those quirks are a pain for them to deal with. we also get into some situations that it would be nice to have two different splitters running at the same time. again, to keep those volunteers working on something.

while i love the idea of having the campers split their own wood, i have to be realistic about what our insurance liability will cover.

i do like the idea of possibly selling the old one and putting that money and the $1500 towards a more commercial unit. i would just have to weigh the value of having two "light duty" splitters versus one commercial one.

 

[MrWhoopee]

If you have a surplus of laborers, get 2 or 3 of the Homelite (Ryobi, etc.) electric splitters.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Homelite-5-Ton-Electric-Log-Splitter-UT49103/202019865
At $300 each, you can spend the rest repairing the old splitter and use it for the few pieces that the electrics won't do.

 

[Havendalefarm]

I don't see where a couple of go-devils is any more dangerous than a splitter. A commercial hydraulic is quite a bit more than 1500. More but not as bad are the kinetic energy splitters and can be very productive if you have the labor .

 

[Jags]

Sell the old one - add it to the $1500 from the donor and get a Timberwolf or Iron and Oak machine running a honda or Subaru motor. Best of both worlds. Running a great power plant that is attached to a Commercial quality machine. Just one dudes opinion.

 

[MasterMech]

Gotta ask, how much firewood is "a lot"? Are you splitting 10 cord+? 1 full cord makes more than a couple good campfires and if your not splitting to heat then I doubt you need a "commercial" splitter. That said, something like my Iron & Oak would be a great long-term machine for you. I don't consider my machine to be "commercial" but it is certainly built a lot better than most splitters marketed to homeowners via the retail stores.

 

[mikefrommaine]

I think the thing to remember is this splitter is for a facility that presumably will be around for decades to come. Quality will pay for itself over the long haul.

I'm very happy with my splitter and would recommend it to anyone that wants to cut firewood for themselves. But I wouldn't suggest it to someone that cuts firewood commercially or wants one that would be used regularly for decades to come.

 

[Como]

From an Insurance perspective I think you have it back to front.

 

[vandedav]

From an Insurance perspective I think you have it back to front.

what do you mean?

 

[vandedav]

Gotta ask, how much firewood is "a lot"? Are you splitting 10 cord+? 1 full cord makes more than a couple good campfires and if your not splitting to heat then I doubt you need a "commercial" splitter. That said, something like my Iron & Oak would be a great long-term machine for you. I don't consider my machine to be "commercial" but it is certainly built a lot better than most splitters marketed to homeowners via the retail stores.

we are not splitting to heat, and i know that some of you will cringe when you hear how much firewood we go thru to just have campfires where the heat goes up into the already hot summer sky, but that is a part of summer camp. we have fires to cook meals over every day at a couple different sites, plus a couple different campfires at night for our evening devotions. all in all we probably go thru 6-8 cords a year.

 

[TreePointer]

Nothing wrong with that. Around here, it's not camping unless you have a campfire. Heck, we have social fires at home in the outdoor firepit as often as we can on summer nights.

 

[ironworker]

There are plenty of nice splitters with honda engines on them for $1500, my Troybilt suits me fine splitting 8 cord a year.

 

[tekguy]

I have a huskee 22 ton, bought it about this time of year on clearance at TSC and if I remember right its was around $1000 even with tax, sell the old one and buy a pair of them.. you got the free labor to run them both