Log Splitter Recommendation

[haoleboy99]

Speeco vs I&O

I initially was going the TSC speeco route. Hooked the trailer to the truck, went with cash in hand and of the 5 splitters at the store there was not one that would run or had some issue with it. Part of that was the folks setting them up but wouldn't expect the engine issues that were there. I lost faith at that point.
I came home, went on line and ordered the I&O 26 Ton and couldn't be happier. Cost a bit more but most good things do, $1900 to the back door of the house.

 

[fields_mj]

Fields,
I would say you got to the math. Cost for renting a splitter around here is about $70 a day. Now factor that cost with the fact that if you buy a splitter, and take care of it, you can generally expect to get at lest half your money back. So the $2,000 deluxe splitter, really only costs you $1,000. You would spend this if you rented the splitter for about 14 days. Yeah, I know there is storage and maintenance issues. But you get to operate the same machine everytime when you buy it. And the biggest pain for me when I rent something, is watching the clock to bring the stupid tool back in time.

That assumes that some day you'll sell the splitter. I'm not the kind of person who sells things. I buy them and then run them forever. Maybe my kids will sell them when I'm gone, but that's not putting any $$ back in my pocket. So a $2K splitter still costs me $2K. I'm not dog'n on a $2K splitter. If it's worth that to ya, then by all means go get one. Maybe the issue for me is that I don't tend to split anything small enough to fit into the furnace door. Most of what I see in the pics posted on this site would fall into the kindling catagory for me. Okay to start the fire with, but burns way too fast and hot for me. Most of the heat goes out the chimney instead of into the house. I can certainly see the need for a good splitter, but to me it comes down to usage. If it would take you a solid week to split all of your wood, then you are a lot better off just buying a good splitter. If you can split it all in 12 to 16 hours, then it would take 7 years to pay for it and that's a waste. If it can't pay for itself in 3 years or less, then it's a want and not a need. Heck, for a buisness, it should pay for itself in less than 18 months, or you don't buy it, so 3 years is pretty generous. But then again, that's how I run my pocketbook. To each their own.

GB,
Mark

 

[FlynnFlamForest]

love my Specco

for the $$ i love my Specco, got the one with the honda gtx engine 22 ton, I got mine for $1,900 I ordered it form Specco and had it shiped to tractor supply co, best of luck