splitter, i'm so confused.....

[abj1969]

ok i'm looking for a splitter and my first thought was gas.


i did a search and reading through this board i see alot of guys are going electric...


is the electric a good alternative? or am i better off with gas?


just measured the oak i have that needs to be cut and split and it looks like the biggest diameter i have is 14 to 15" some smaller stuff but most of it is 14 to 15 " in diameter.


i've read that the DR electric seems to work well but some say it is over priced then otheres say its built better then other electrics.


so what about the gas ones? don't think i need 20 tons but i really don't know.....


basically i'm lost here. there is way to many choices and too many opinions to just pick one and go with it.



intended use: well i have about 5+ truck loads of about 14" diameter logs at this time that needs to be split.. and in the spring i will most likely have a tree guy that i know dropping off logs all year they will need cutting and splitting. so it will get used but sure not as a commercial piece.


can anyone shed some light on what direction to go?


space really isn't an issue. yes the electric is smaller and easier to store but i do have room for a larger gas powered one also....




thanks in advance.
joe

 

[glassmanjpf]

I never had an a electric splitter but splitting 7 or 8 cords a year is a real pleasure with the gas powered 27 ton that I purchased. I paid just under a thousand and it has paid for itself the first year. If you had to buy split wood for 175/chord, 8 cords would be $1400. If you get the wood for free its a no brainer.

 

[MuckSavage]

Joe,
Come over & try out my splitter & see what you think. (27 ton, 8 horse B&S Alot of guys here like the Ryobi electric from Home Depot.

 

[BJN644]

I have never used an eletric splitter, and nothing has stopped my Home Depot special MTD gas powered splitter.

 

[DennisR]

ok i'm looking for a splitter and my first thought was gas.


i did a search and reading through this board i see alot of guys are going electric...


is the electric a good alternative? or am i better off with gas?


just measured the oak i have that needs to be cut and split and it looks like the biggest diameter i have is 14 to 15" some smaller stuff but most of it is 14 to 15 " in diameter.


i've read that the DR electric seems to work well but some say it is over priced then otheres say its built better then other electrics.


so what about the gas ones? don't think i need 20 tons but i really don't know.....


basically i'm lost here. there is way to many choices and too many opinions to just pick one and go with it.



intended use: well i have about 5+ truck loads of about 14" diameter logs at this time that needs to be split.. and in the spring i will most likely have a tree guy that i know dropping off logs all year they will need cutting and splitting. so it will get used but sure not as a commercial piece.


can anyone shed some light on what direction to go?


space really isn't an issue. yes the electric is smaller and easier to store but i do have room for a larger gas powered one also....




thanks in advance.
joe

If the electric splitter had a name brand single phase induction motor then it would perform equally or BETTER than a gas model. Keep in mind I said name brand induction motor, not some Chinese knockoff. I have PMed a few people on here inquiring about the motor information on the Ryobis and DR splitters and they tell me they would have to take pieces apart to get to the information on the motor. That tells me that those companies are trying to hide the information because its not a high quality name brand motor made in the USA.

A good splitter with a name brand motor is the Ram splitter which is more than adequate to meet your requirements. Or instead just buy a splitter without a motor and install your own high quality induction motor.

 

[abj1969]

ok so what engine is better..

briggs
honda
mtd



and who makes a mtd? looking at the home depot ones they are yard machines.. who makes that for them? they any good? depot also has an 8 ton with a mtd engine. whats the chances that that would be good for what i need?


i see lowes sell the Troy-Bilt ones... the 27 ton has a honda engine... is that a good unit?

 

[DennisR]

I am not referring to gasoline engines. I am talking about the induction motors (type of electric motor). The Ram splitter uses a Marathon electric Induction motor which is high quality. Marathon electric is a name brand motor made in the USA.

Basically if you plan to buy an electric log splitter then make sure it has any of the following motor name brands:

GE
Baldor
Leeson
Lincoln Electric
USmotor
Westinghouse
Marathon Electric

 

[abj1969]

A good splitter with a name brand motor is the Ram splitter which is more than adequate to meet your requirements

that looks just like a gas splitter just with an electric motor. interesting...




thanks for the replys guys.. guess now i have to decide on gas or electric.

 

[abj1969]

I am not referring to gasoline engines. I am talking about the induction motors (type of electric motor). The Ram splitter uses a Marathon electric Induction motor which is high quality. Marathon electric is a name brand motor made in the USA.

Basically if you plan to buy an electric log splitter then make sure it has any of the following motor name brands:

GE
Baldor
Leeson
Lincoln Electric
USmotor
Westinghouse
Marathon Electric

cool thanks.

 

[MuckSavage]

That's the company....."MTD Yard Machines" This is an "umbrella" corporation that makes a ton of different brands. Maybe I'm wrong, but I see the splitter as merely a sum of the parts. With just about any brand, you're getting a Honda or Briggs & Stratton engine, a Barnes/Haldex pump, with some you'll even get a Prince control valve, & Parker Hoses. Even my "cheapo" Harbor Freight splitter has these quality parts. Now, which engine is better.....my splitter came with a choice of 5 hp Honda, or 8 hp B&S;. I went with the B&S;simply because it's more horses. The Honda was the homeowner-grade "C" engine, not the Industrial Grade "X". Truthfully, the B&S;on my splitter starts far easier than the Honda on my pressure washer.

My splitter has worked through about 25 chords of wood & I've never second guessed my decission.

I know you can relate it to this.........Chevy/Ford/Dodge (throw in an AMC for the fun of it!)

 

[velvetfoot]

Drifting off topic I guess, but let me chime in that I really like the Robin engine on my Harbor Freight splitter.

 

[abj1969]

Drifting off topic I guess, but let me chime in that I really like the Robin engine on my Harbor Freight splitter.

just looked at their site and they have a 24 and 30 ton... says on both that it will handle up to an 8" diameter log. thats a misprint right? has to be able to mabe an 18" log?? what do you think?


never heard of a robin engine....

 

[abj1969]

ok i figure if their 8 ton model will do 14 1/2" log then the bigger two must be a misprint...lol

 

[velvetfoot]

I don't know why they say 8"-I split much bigger than that for sure.
Other specs weren't right either. The 30 ton has a bigger diam. cylinder than the 24 ton for sure.
Plus, the weight is wrong too, I think.
The Robin engine is made by Subaru.

 

[abj1969]

yea it has to be a mis print.. non of the splitters that i have looked up are rated that small..

 

[bruce]

the tons on a gas model is a joke, i have a 30 ton but do you really think it would withstand it, the frame would break in half! its the power and gpm that make it plus cycle time to get under 10 sec will cost
i would go gas its always faster

 

[LarryD]

bruce is correct! GPH and piston size is where it is at. I have a timberwolf tw-2hd, it is only rated at 20ton. But it has a 9 second cycle time. It is way over kill for the amount of wood we split, but it will last forever. For the money, I haven't seen a cheeper splitter. They are bullet proof.

I have the log lift, 4 way wedge and table grate. I got the unit because I just don't have the time to dedicate to splitting wood on a weekly basis. I need to get all my splitting done in a weekend (two kids, run a business, snowmobiling and softball habits!). I have no problem doing that.

As Ferris Bueller said "If you have the means, you must..."

Larry D

 

[BJN644]

ok so what engine is better..

briggs
honda
mtd



and who makes a mtd? looking at the home depot ones they are yard machines.. who makes that for them? they any good? depot also has an 8 ton with a mtd engine. whats the chances that that would be good for what i need?


i see lowes sell the Troy-Bilt ones... the 27 ton has a honda engine... is that a good unit?

MTD makes almost everything, including Troy-Bilt.
As far as engines go, Honda is best but they make several grades from homeowner to commercial. I have a Briggs & Stratton on mine, it was cheaper and I figured for the amount of hours put on a wood splitter the Briggs would last forever. You put way more hours on a lawnmower and look how many of those are Briggs powered.

 

[Gooserider]

IMHO either will split wood, and each has it's advantages, but I think the gas units win out overall...

Electric is usually a much smaller, light duty unit - you will encounter more peices that you can't split with it. OTOH a 20-ton or so gas unit will pretty much handle any thing you can move, though you might have to work it some... (The Ramsplitter mentioned earlier appears to be an exception - it looks like a standard gas unit with a high horsepower electric motor on it instead)

Electric is quiet, but a modern motor with a good muffler isn't all that loud, certainly not a problem if you are wearing ear protectors.

With an electric, you are limited to the length of your power cord - which needs to be ultra high guage, as the units are high demand.

With a gas, you don't need to worry about the plug...

Gooserider

 

[kellog]

Electric is usually a much smaller, light duty unit - you will encounter more peices that you can’t split with it. OTOH a 20-ton or so gas unit will pretty much handle any thing you can move, though you might have to work it some… (The Ramsplitter mentioned earlier appears to be an exception - it looks like a standard gas unit with a high horsepower electric motor on it instead)

Goose,

You need to improve your terminology correct. Electric/hydraulic machines are what you are talking about. Electric/mechanical machines such as Supersplit and mine don't require high horsepower to get effective splitting. In fact they will split as effectively as the 5-7 hp hydraulic units on very little hp. Mine uses 3/4 hp (15 amp circuit).

 

[MuckSavage]

I was at the Harbor Freight store in Vineland, NJ last night. It seems alot of their equipment (pumps, gensets, etc.) are now powered by the Robin/Subaru engine. Come to think of it, I rented a Jumping Jack (tamper) a few weeks ago & it was powered by a Robin.

 

[Gooserider]

Electric is usually a much smaller, light duty unit - you will encounter more peices that you can’t split with it. OTOH a 20-ton or so gas unit will pretty much handle any thing you can move, though you might have to work it some… (The Ramsplitter mentioned earlier appears to be an exception - it looks like a standard gas unit with a high horsepower electric motor on it instead)

Goose,

You need to improve your terminology correct. Electric/hydraulic machines are what you are talking about. Electric/mechanical machines such as Supersplit and mine don't require high horsepower to get effective splitting. In fact they will split as effectively as the 5-7 hp hydraulic units on very little hp. Mine uses 3/4 hp (15 amp circuit).

You are correct Kellog, although the Supersplits that I've seen have been gas powered - I'm actually going to be using one today... However I think most folks are more thinking in terms of electric/hydraulic units because that's mostly what's available - AFAIK your unit isn't on the market, and the S-Split is a rather exotic rarity....

Either way, I think the main point remains the same - with electric you are limited in where you can split to the length of your power cord - which physics says can't be very long; while w/ gas you can go anywhere that you can drag the unit...

Gooserider

 

[triptester]

The Robin /Subaru engines have been around for quite awhile but only in the last couple years pushing for greater US market. Their engines are on the quality level of Hondas, but at the price of a Briggs.

 

[computeruser]

Any of the homeowner gas models would be a fine choice for the average wood burning home owner. Even the MTD units seem to have a decent enough reputation. The electric/hydraulic units are tempting, but it seems like they are too limiting in where they can be used, especially in the case of the 220V units. The ability to take a splitter over to a friend's house, or to split on-site in the woods, etc., is a virtue that I would not want to give up because it has come in handy far more often than I originally anticipated.

As for the size of what a particular splitter can handle, it all depends on what you're splitting (straight-grain, knotty, wet, dry) and whether you're looking to halve (or quarter, with a 4-way) a log or just "flake" a chunk off the side. Generally, though, any 4" cylinder will handle most anything you'd care to split. The attached picture illustrates my point pretty well. Other pieces from the same trunk that didn't have obvious, massive knots and limbs that needed to be sheared through were easily split with the 4-way wedge.

Given the choice, you want fast cycle time over tonnage. A 4" cylinder with a 9hp/16gpm setup (like the Timberwolf TW-2/2HD) will outproduce the same cylinder with a 11gpm pump (like my TW-P1). And either will outproduce the huge 4.5", 5", or 6" cylinders that you see on some of the other units. These big cylinders require big pumps (22gpm, 28gpm) and big engines (18hp+) to produce a reasonable cycle time.

I have yet to find anything I would want to burn that my little 5.5hp Honda GX/11gpm/4" setup can't handle. It did stall on some twisty-grain, 30" diameter semi-rotted elm, but then again I wouldn't want to burn that crap anyway. But oftentimes, with straight-grained wood, the splitter has such an easy time with stuff that I am left wishing I had a 6-way wedge rather than just a 4-way.

 

[yetty734]

in wanna know how the **** u got that log up there???? do we have a paul bunyen in the forum??