Thread: DR Rapid Fire Rack & Pinion

Originally Posted by D&B Mack

A "decent" splitter doesn't wear out belts and springs? So does a "decent" car not require new tires and an oil change?

You are summarizing a select few issues with DR and coupling them with Speeco's issues to make it appear as if there have been significant problems with the DR, and there haven't been.

To compare an issue to date, with what happened to Speeco is wrong. Speeco's issue was widespread across the majority of their machines, enough to recall and stop-sale. Last I checked, I have not heard of any repeated failures in DR amongst a variety of customers.

Great post. My signature has a saying adapted from "when the only tool we have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail". Quite apt for the last few pages of this thread, me thinks.

The SP machine has had so many failures and the rapid fire machine from DR so few, it's misguided to lump them both together. But doing so does highlight how good DR have been about looking after their customers and that alone is a great differentiation from SP.

I do feel comparisons between different splitting concepts should be encouraged though. Production rates and overall costs and ease of ownership, in different types of wood are still worthwhile matters to compare when buying a splitter. Too hard comparing the mechanics and construction of each in isolation though. It's what they can produce and how much effort and extra gear is needed to produce, how long they may last, etc that's going to hit any of us in the wallet at the end of the day.

Much of these types of guestimate comparisons and assumptions, especially whether or not the Aussie Dr rep got it wrong when advising the machine won't handle down-under wood (if that is indeed what they advised), could be eliminated/settled if DR would just flow me a machine to test out. (it was worth another try anyway).

I didnt realize that aussie wood was diffrent to NZ wood, as far as I am concerned. You can split Jarrah with a tomahawk,And Ive split a heap of jarrah rail sleepers, and that is your hardwood, as long as you go with the grain, and as for gum, you always split it green. Not all of it is all knotty. You are triying to make a point with splitting the worst type.Sometimes you still need 2-3 goes at diffrent spots to get through it,If you dont cut it. All I do do is cut it with a chainsaw until it is a splitable size, and shape. you have to do this sometimes with any log, to fit any splitter. , Its not rocket science.

Is it really fair to rubbish a similar product, without test driving it in the same conditions as you would your product. That way you can at least give an informative opinion, instead of looking at a pretty vidio and a chat room and making an evaluation

Originally Posted by half

Is it really fair to rubbish a similar product, without test driving it in the same conditions as you would your product.

Nup, not fair at all, which is why DR better hurry up and get me that splitter so I can tell it like it is.


Also, DR, if you had representation here last year you would have absolutely cleaned up. I was there and there wasn't a single splitter that came close and DR would have blown the crowd away and kick started their NZ presence superbly. It's on again in just three months-ish. I promise to park it on the side of a feeder road and split in front of the tens of thousands of cars heading into the exhibition. You can bet your flywheels it would be worthwhile!

Originally Posted by D&B Mack

A "decent" splitter doesn't wear out belts and springs? So does a "decent" car not require new tires and an oil change?

You are summarizing a select few issues with DR and coupling them with Speeco's issues to make it appear as if there have been significant problems with the DR, and there haven't been.

To compare an issue to date, with what happened to Speeco is wrong. Speeco's issue was widespread across the majority of their machines, enough to recall and stop-sale. Last I checked, I have not heard of any repeated failures in DR amongst a variety of customers.

Good Call D&B....Rapid Fire has not even come close to the issues of SpeedCo. My Hydraulic with hoses popping. Pump or engine couplings shearing. Maintenance with fluids, filters blah blah blah. So far for me with over 35 cord split all I have had to perform is belt tightening and because it is new, I changed the eng oil twice. I can't tell ya just how happy I have been. In time savings, not being outside in crappy Buffalo Weather bending over picking up 1/2 chuncks...Yes I have had to take maul and sledge to some very large (Unable to PU and put on splitter) rounds. I am 60 ya know. In the old days I would have picked them up. Really, I feel the machine I received is the Tits. Vibration? No. Rack problems? No. It is the Energizer Bunny. Season two coming up and we will see.

Originally Posted by KiwiBro

Great post. My signature has a saying adapted from "when the only tool we have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail". Quite apt for the last few pages of this thread, me thinks.

The SP machine has had so many failures and the rapid fire machine from DR so few, it's misguided to lump them both together. But doing so does highlight how good DR have been about looking after their customers and that alone is a great differentiation from SP.

I do feel comparisons between different splitting concepts should be encouraged though. Production rates and overall costs and ease of ownership, in different types of wood are still worthwhile matters to compare when buying a splitter. Too hard comparing the mechanics and construction of each in isolation though. It's what they can produce and how much effort and extra gear is needed to produce, how long they may last, etc that's going to hit any of us in the wallet at the end of the day.

Much of these types of guestimate comparisons and assumptions, especially whether or not the Aussie Dr rep got it wrong when advising the machine won't handle down-under wood (if that is indeed what they advised), could be eliminated/settled if DR would just flow me a machine to test out. (it was worth another try anyway).

One comparison OR important factor: Down Time for repairs. The SpeeCO vs. RapidFire ? We happy RapidFire Owners have split hundreds of cords of wood while SpeeCo owners have been waiting for fixes that no one is sure are fixes. If you sell wood for a living that down time has to be added to the bottom line. I sell corded wood in the Buffalo area based on the neighborhoods. Affluent housing will pay 125.00 a cord. 25 miles away in the sticks they will only pay 70 or 80. I try to get as many as I can of the former before selling to the others. 20 Cords is a lot of loot to me being retired.
So machine down time is a concern. I have not had any, none, zip, nada with the RapidFire. Happy as can be!!

So when will this be made into a vertical configuration???

I have one and was scratching my head as to how you would make it vertical, or why.

It would be nice to split longer wood.

Originally Posted by Como

I have one and was scratching my head as to how you would make it vertical, or why.

It would be nice to split longer wood.

The "How" pat would be simple; attach a steel T channel to the underside of the beam captured with ball-bearing rollers (think train wheels) and it would be locked in place so it could configured vertically as well. That or an H beam that attached the same way with rollers full length on both sides. If you did it right and then built the cradle/beam around the channel (with access provisions to facilitate lubrication and main't) it could easily be configured horizontally OR vertically. Mount the engine pedestal on a pivoting axis so the engine is always vertical, add a tow tongue, an pivoting work table (to act as a base when splitting vertically) and some removable handles to move it around, with about a 1-1.5" taller wedge than it's competitors and you'd have a winner. The only catch would be the splitting head, but if it was removable (similar to multi-wedge hyd units) then it could be configured to run on either end of the machine. You could then avoid noodling altogether, bust them down to manageable size, then refit to horizontal for a more convenient work height and finish splitting from there. That covers the "Why". Dual 100-110lb flywheels ought to take care of the force necessary to accommodate a 30" ram. Just my $0.02.

How do you deal with a stuck wedge on a vertical with a machine that's spring retract?

(My opinion: Vertical sucks. If you deal with wood you can't lift often, you need a log lift of some sort. Wrestling big blocks around bent over at ground level ain't no fun either.)

Buy a hydraulic for vertical and use a kinetic for horizontal. Problem solved.

Originally Posted by Steve NW WI

How do you deal with a stuck wedge on a vertical with a machine that's spring retract?

(My opinion: Vertical sucks. If you deal with wood you can't lift often, you need a log lift of some sort. Wrestling big blocks around bent over at ground level ain't no fun either.)

Well I'm sure there's a better solution out there, but off of the cuff,.... Are you familiar with the forward bold assist on the Stoner family of rifles (AR/M-15/16/4 series)? You could use a similar concept with a pivot, actually much more similar to the loading rod on a black powder revolver. Think '58 Remington or '60 Army... OR keep it horiz and incorporate a log lift into it via the mechanical potential. I can think of at least three different ways right off the top of my head. They'd all hve to be tested, but there IS a valid, workable, viable solution to this. It just take the courage to make the mistakes, until you get it right.

Originally Posted by KiwiBro

that just prompted a thought: how about a bigger/sturdier kinetic that splits under the beam so we don't have to noodle rounds, just roll them over to and under the upside down monster kinetic and hey presto-they are busted in half. No lifting of heavy noodlers. Now, I didn't say it was a good thought, but a thought it was.



I don't think a container load of parts and local assembly would be out of the question for down-under should the market develop a kinetic splitter infatuation.

I like my Rapid Fire just fine but imagine if there were a larger version more commercially tailored I think that would be next on my list. Just imagine a 10 hp engine with double size flywheels and frame, 4 and 6 way adjustable teflon coated razor sharp wedges, bigger work table with conveyor option, a log lift naturally and highway towable. OH MAN! i want one imagine how that one would slice through the Eucaliptus!

Originally Posted by mikereynolds

I like my Rapid Fire just fine but imagine if there were a larger version more commercially tailored I think that would be next on my list. Just imagine a 10 hp engine with double size flywheels and frame, 4 and 6 way adjustable teflon coated razor sharp wedges, bigger work table with conveyor option, a log lift naturally and highway towable. OH MAN! i want one imagine how that one would slice through the Eucaliptus!

My DR worked fine last season and looking forward to a trouble free year this year as well. Looked at the Tractor Supply model and was SO glad I bought the DR. I did mount it on a set of trailer axles though - not highway towable - but can move it around with the ATV.

Originally Posted by nysparkie

One comparison OR important factor: Down Time for repairs. The SpeeCO vs. RapidFire ? We happy RapidFire Owners have split hundreds of cords of wood while SpeeCo owners have been waiting for fixes that no one is sure are fixes. If you sell wood for a living that down time has to be added to the bottom line. I sell corded wood in the Buffalo area based on the neighborhoods. Affluent housing will pay 125.00 a cord. 25 miles away in the sticks they will only pay 70 or 80. I try to get as many as I can of the former before selling to the others. 20 Cords is a lot of loot to me being retired.
So machine down time is a concern. I have not had any, none, zip, nada with the RapidFire. Happy as can be!!

Good call.
Whether commercial or casual users, neither like unplanned downtime.

Originally Posted by mikereynolds

I like my Rapid Fire just fine but imagine if there were a larger version more commercially tailored I think that would be next on my list. Just imagine a 10 hp engine with double size flywheels and frame, 4 and 6 way adjustable teflon coated razor sharp wedges, bigger work table with conveyor option, a log lift naturally and highway towable. OH MAN! i want one imagine how that one would slice through the Eucaliptus!

Hell yeah!
Now we're talking. Had that thought for a while. Sure would be good to see a kinetic firewood processor (ram and circular saw blade run off monster flywheels), and how it compared to current generation processors. Smaller, lighter, faster, cheaper cost and to run, etc?

Next best thing to the 'joint venture waste-wood fuelled garbage compactor truck converted to an eco-firewood processor with regen' braking powering the ram' idea that's still in 'development'. I'd tell you more but then we'd have to kill you.