Towing a Troy Built Splitter

[mfhmfh]

I am looking at a two year old 27 ton Troy Built splitter with a B&S;7hp motor. Appears it is near identical to the current TB 27 ton models except for the B7S motor. Two questions:
1. Anyone know of issues with the TBs and B&S;motors? I know the hondas are great...but have run many B&S;forever...did they change to Honda for a particular reason?
2. Most importantly...this is about 90 miles from home - it has 16" tires...is that too far to tow this unit?
Thanks,
Matt

 

[carbon neutral]

I was told by harbor freight when I bought my splitter that they switched to the Robin engine because they had too many problems with the Briggs engine. I have had many briggs stratton engines in the past since I was a kid, go carts to wood chippers. I never had problem with them and I wouldn't write off a unit beacaue it was powered by a briggs engine.

I would take it slow no more than 50 mph and you should be fine. I don't know what the laws are for towing. Most splitters do not have lights but do have DOT tires. I was told that because they are low and narrow that the cars lights are not blocked and they do not require lights. Many rental agencies rent them out and they are towed home without lights so I guess it is legal. You may want to call your local police station or you could get a fine.

 

[MrGriz]

I must admit that I am a fan of the Honda engine. That being said, I've always had good luck with Briggs engines. I've got a tiller that's probably 25+ years old with a Briggs engine that fires up every time.

As far as towing is concerned, you can tow it as far and as fast as you want, as long as it's in a trailer or the bed of the truck. Seriously, I've towed mine a few times, but I really don't like to. They have absolutely no suspension and spend about 3/4 of the ride just off the ground behind the truck. I get very nervous hearing everything bounce around back there. Not to mention they are really not built to be towed on the road at any kind of speed for any distance. If it's a 90 mile ride I would definitely rent a trailer or truck to get it home.

 

[Jay H]

Not sure if your state is different than NJ's law, I towed my splitter about 2 miles home going really slow, like 30mph max and it was bouncing around like mad. I can't imagine 90miles of that.. In any case, in NJ, I learned that as long as the splitter doesn't cover your brake lights, you don't need added lights on the trailer. YMMV..

Jay

 

[mfhmfh]

Thanks guys - it did not work out for me to get this one so I have to keep looking...but this is good to know for the next opportunity.
Cheers,
Matt

 

[eernest4]

dear mfh

for about the same money, you can order the northstar 20 ton with the 4 way wedge extra cost option and quarter logs with 1 stroke instead of 3 strokes ,saving you 2/3 rds of your work time and gasoline. About $1,375.00 -- delevered to your driveway.

WWW.northerntools.com

Make sure to get the 4 way wedge , its the bueaty of that machine.
Folks here at hearth.com assure me that a 20 ton will handle just about anything that we can throw at it and what it wont split aint worth splitting.
They also feel that sure , a 30 ton is better, but its mostly overkill.

The reason why troy built switch to honda engine was

1. better selling point, equiped with honda engine........ the benchmark engine.

Yes, honda ohc better that B&S;L head. So what, I have B&S;all my life and never killed one
yet in 60 years.
But I throwed a rod through the block on a tecumpsha.

2. better fuel eccomy/gas milage OHV 33% more efficient than Lhead.

3. Better gas milage...SOME honda's, not all, are equiped with idle down throttle. A log splitter normally
runs at 3600rpm all the time, weather you open hydralic valve to call 4 power or it sitting in neutral doing nothing. On log splitters equiped with idle down throttle, when hydralic contol is in neutral, the
engine idles at 550rpm, when you open valve , engine automatically goes to 3600rpm until you return valve to neutral, then engine drops back to 550rpm

at 3.00 /gal --this is a important feature & next year ,2008 @4.00/gal, it will be a really important feature & in 2009, @ 6.00 /gal people will be selling log splitters without throttledown for next to nothing , because they wont be able to run them at a price they can afford.

 

[eernest4]

ABOUT TOWING THE SPLITTER 90 MILES

You need to look to see where the axil is attached to the splitter. Is it a solid axil??
if it is a one piece all the way across solid axil, then you are ok to tow if you can put up with the bounce and the low tow speed that you have to drop down to.

BUT, IF they weld a wheel spindle to the hydralic tank, way cheaper 4 them, but terrible for you,
because if you hit a bump , especially at any kind of speed at all, you have to ask yourself,
what is stronger, the inertia and speed of a 560 lb log splitter being towed by a 3500 lb car at 45 mph or the 1/8 inch weld holding the wheel spindle to the 1/16th in thin hydralic tank.

any splitter that welds a wheel spindle to a thin sheet metal hydralic tank will be like towing a crate of eggs across a field of boulders at 45mph. at 20 mph still bad.

If towing is to be a big part of what you do with your spliter, inspect the axil and determine if it is a straight axil or a welded spindle onto the hydralic tank.

If the spindle is welded to something strong , that is a better situation than welding a spindle to a week sheet metal fluid tank, that when a bump breaks the weld , you loose your $13.00/gal
hydralic fluid. 4.5 gal x $13.oo= 58.50 of fluid


better to roll the log spliter up the lawn tractor ramps and onto the bed of your trailer and then tie down the lg splitter with at least 8 or 10 strong ropes, to the trailer body or side bars.

The trailer has leaf spring suspension and can go 60mph and allowed on superhighway and you do not risk any damage to your splitter as long as you tie it down to trailer plenty good, so that it cant move forward when you stop or backwards when you accelerate of tip over if you coner to fast.

You should never allow yourself to get in asituation where you have to coner fast towing a trailer because it is highly risky businness. Could tip either or both, splitter and trailer.


But with trailer little or no bouncing, regular highway speeds and no damage to poorly designed solid splitter suspension/ hydralic tank.