Thread: Kudos to Speeco

Does anyone have an email for Caorlyn? I have very loose wheel bearings on my 35 T. I called the factory to ask for adjustment procedures. I talked to Eric Ryan and he never could come op with and inspection/adjustment procedure. The unit has about 35 miles of travel to get it home.
THANKS

I have nothing but bad to say about spee co unfortunately. I have the 25 ton model. I bought my splitter 4-08. Right now its in the shop, an has been there about4 months total the time I have owned it. Who knows when I will get it back. First the cylinder was leaking, after a few weeks I owned it. Took it back, they had to order a cylinder, by the time they got the cylinder, put the cylinder on that was close to a month. Next the coil went out on the motor. A few weeks later. I called up pretty aggravated at this point they gave me the song and dance that the motor is a brigs and they have no control over it breaking, and how quickly they get parts out, since the coil didn't actually go through them for the engine. I agree, I understand, but at the same token if I go buy a brand new chainsaw and the carburetor goes out it would be like the saw company to tell me hey not our fault we didn't actually build the carb. I realize it is out of their control, but it is on their machine and therefore, it should be a concern of theirs. Now the splitter sits at the shop because where the splitting beam (ram etc) attaches to the tank, there are 2 welds and both welds are cracked. I noticed it when I was changing the hydraulic filter. It is a very poor design. There is a pin that the splitter pivots on (horizontal and vertical) and where that pin attaches to the tank (frame), there are just 2 welds and both welds are cracked. The service shop tells me it is because I have been "roading it too much", ie moving it around, but the most it gets roaded is to and from the shop and 50 ft in and out of the shed about 3 times a week. So now they are going to send a new tank and put my motor, wheels pump etc on the new tank. They have no clue how long it'll be till they get the tank, and the shop said it may take them a week or 2 to switch it all depending on how much other work they have in the shop. I could fix it, and make it a heck of a lot stronger then they did, but I am not fixing their mess and I am not going to risk voiding the warranty.

Sounds like your unit may have been dropped at some point.

When my neighbors’ 1 month old Huskee 22 ton log splitter auto. return valve quit working on his machine we went yesterday to TSC with the purchase receipt to get it fixed.

TSC would not order the part without a RMA (Return material authorization) that we needed to get from Grand Rental (3 miles down the street who is the TSC authorized Huskee Log splitter repair center). So we get in the car and head down the street to Grand Rental. When we get to Grand Rental they do not know what to do, and call TSC on the phone. After TSC and Grand Rental were talking to each other for about 5 minutes and still not knowing what to do, I asked to borrow their telephone.

I came prepared and pulled out the telephone number of Speeco and called Carolyn (aka NICE LADY AT SPEECO) 1-800-525-8322 x146. I explained the problem with the auto. return valve to Carolyn and also the problem with TSC and Grand Rental. She took down my neighbors’ name, telephone #, machine SN, and UPS’d a replacement part to grand rental. Grand rental will be removing the defective part, installing the new part and topping off the hydraulic fluid level. The defective part will be sent back to Speeco for failure root cause.

While the customer service at both TSC and Grand Rental (authorized repair center) was severely lacking it was very comforting to know that SPEECO really cares about the customer and that SPEECO and CAROLYN are great role models for true CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Carolyn, thank you again for your assistance, (I know you monitor this website as part of your customer service). It is people like you that make me spread the good word about SPEECO.

Did Speeco replaced it with the same exact beam and foot plate ? What's to keep the foot from bending again? Or did they modified it and make out of heavier material?

Originally Posted by carvinmark

Sure is nice to hear about a company that goes the extra mile.

They should put that extra mile in behind the engineering table instead....If you can WEAR out a logsplitter so it can't be fixed with regular replacement WEAR parts, something is wrong in the design....engine and pump might have to be replaced after 5k-10k hours......beams, cylinders,tank and framing etc. should definately last a lifetime, unless new splitter designs become more attractive.

Originally Posted by AKKAMAAN

They should put that extra mile in behind the engineering table instead....If you can WEAR out a log splitter so it can't be fixed with regular replacement WEAR parts, something is wrong in the design....engine and pump might have to be replaced after 5k-10k hours......beams, cylinders,tank and framing etc. should definitely last a lifetime, unless new splitter designs become more attractive.

Speeco did at least step up to the table and send me current product replacement parts.
Yes to whoever asked. It was just like the one I bent.If this one bends I will have them look into an alternate plan maybe.
You all have to realize these splitters are not the 3k splitters. Do I expect it to perform like a 3k splitter? Of course. But I only spent Buick price for a Cadillac.
So I am happy if I just get Buick performance.

Originally Posted by ericjeeper

Speeco did at least step up to the table and send me current product replacement parts.
Yes to whoever asked. It was just like the one I bent.If this one bends I will have them look into an alternate plan maybe.
You all have to realize these splitters are not the 3k splitters. Do I expect it to perform like a 3k splitter? Of course. But I only spent Buick price for a Cadillac.
So I am happy if I just get Buick performance.

...no wonder car industry is down.......

I hear what you say though, you get what you pay for...these vertical ones are harder to design also...there are better engineering options for the "foot plate" on a horizontal only....AND, If they weren't over rated, and hold advertised splitting force, they would even take more damage then......

Originally Posted by AKKAMAAN

...no wonder car industry is down.......

I hear what you say though, you get what you pay for...these vertical ones are harder to design also...there are better engineering options for the "foot plate" on a horizontal only....AND, If they weren't over rated, and hold advertised splitting force, they would even take more damage then......

I have the 28 ton model. I only paid 1150 out the door UncleSam included.
Would I buy another one?You bet your bottom dollar The Honda engine starts easily and seems to sip fuel. Yes the cycle times could be faster. But it has grunt.. I have never stopped it.. and I put everything on it.. I have slowed it down but never stalled it..
yeah I know this explains how I bent the foot plate.

dosent matter imo. if the machine is capable of producing x amount of power its components should be able to handle the intaled force.

Originally Posted by Kydan

Did Speeco replaced it with the same exact beam and foot plate ? What's to keep the foot from bending again? Or did they modified it and make out of heavier material?

Thats the problem!!!!!!!!! I am so aggrivated with mine its gonna go down the road. Where the splitter beam attaches to the tank it is held on by a pin. The pin goes through a bracket on the tank. The bracket is held to the tank by 2 spot welds. The 2 spot welds on mine broke so they sent a new tank. The new tank has the same 2 spot welds holding the whole splitting beam ram etc onto the splitter. The welds on the new tank they sent look pitiful even for spot welds. OH well I have owned the splitter less then 1 full year and it has had a new splitter beam, 2 new tanks, 1 hydraulic cylinder put on it. None of the new parts look any better or beefier then the old ones.

Originally Posted by thejdman04

Thats the problem!!!!!!!!! I am so aggrivated with mine its gonna go down the road. Where the splitter beam attaches to the tank it is held on by a pin. The pin goes through a bracket on the tank. The bracket is held to the tank by 2 spot welds. The 2 spot welds on mine broke so they sent a new tank. The new tank has the same 2 spot welds holding the whole splitting beam ram etc onto the splitter. The welds on the new tank they sent look pitiful even for spot welds. OH well I have owned the splitter less then 1 full year and it has had a new splitter beam, 2 new tanks, 1 hydraulic cylinder put on it. None of the new parts look any better or beefier then the old ones.

Can you just add a little good weld to the pivot point and keep using it?I know we should not have to do anything to repair a "new" unit.. But I am sure you could just weld it up and go on with it.

Originally Posted by ericjeeper

Can you just add a little good weld to the pivot point and keep using it?I know we should not have to do anything to repair a "new" unit.. But I am sure you could just weld it up and go on with it.

I am not looking to hijack this thread so I have started my own about spee co and the problems I am encountering with them right now.

Since I hauled out the splitter for a bit today, I looked at the welds securing the pivot bracket to the tank. So far as I can tell, it goes pretty much all the way around. No spot welds here. Bought it about a month and a half ago.

Originally Posted by JeffHK454

I also have one of the old 34 ton models .. it's been used and abused and never misses a beat. The Tecumseh engine isn't great , been waiting for it to pop for years and when it does I've got a propane Honda going on.

You may be waiting a long time. Those Tecumseh engines will last a long time if you take care of them. Buddy of mine has a 1978, 10 Hp Tecumseh that refuses to die. All he does is change oil in it twice a year. That's about all the maintenance it has ever needed.

But, that's nothing compared to my other friend's 1954, 8 Hp Briggs. It's still running and has torque galore. We've used it to split seven cords in the past 2 weeks.