Log Splitter-What do we NEED?

[Hoping4Heat]

My husband has been splitting our wood manually. We have a number of cords to split this year. I HATE the idea of wasting money on renting one, but am considering. What I'm wondering is what we need to cut the wood. We have a lot of oak, some ash, and some red maple. We have a few friends who just started using a fireplace this year, and I was wondering if we should go in and buy one together and if we did, what would we need? Any opinions?

 

[Zodiac45]

For homeowner needs IMO a 5 hp, 4" cyl, 11gpm 2 stage pump 20 ton splitter is all you'll ever need. I've had mine for 6 yrs now and it's never failed me. I haven't come across a round I can't split either and I've taken some rock maple the size of truck tires. (took two of us just too load them) There's people who are gonna tell you bigger is better and maybe so but for the price (it was $899 6 yrs ago) it's been hard too beat. It splits horizontal (most of time) and vert for quartering big stuff. I use about 6+ cords a year and have a couple neighbors I help out too. Easy on gas too.

 

[avalancher]

My husband has been splitting our wood manually. We have a number of cords to split this year. I HATE the idea of wasting money on renting one, but am considering. What I'm wondering is what we need to cut the wood. We have a lot of oak, some ash, and some red maple. We have a few friends who just started using a fireplace this year, and I was wondering if we should go in and buy one together and if we did, what would we need? Any opinions?

First off, I would NOT go in with someone buying a wood splitter.You want to stay friends, right? The best way that I know how to split up some friends is to go in on a tool. The issue will always come up.You are using more, you should pay for more of the repairs. They leave it out in the rain, they should pay for more of the repairs.They forget to check the oil, or you dn and on it goes.
Do yourself and your friends a favor. Have just one of you buy the splitter, and if you must, rent it out to your friends. Even that is often a noisy situation.
As far as what you need, there are a dozen models on the market in the range of 22 tons up to what ever you want to spend. Troybilt makes a few that are pretty good machines designed for casual use and in the neighborhood of 1200 bucks, a few dollars more will buy you a speeco in the 22 ton range.
When looking at a splitter, think about highth of working surface, some of the cheap ones are very low to the ground and can kill your back.
Look for name brand engines, avoid ones that use the cheap chinese made knock off brands.It may look like a honda, but it aint going to last like one.
If you arent going to split any large rounds, you can save a few bucks and cross the horizontal/vertical splitters off your list.Most wood can be split horizontal mode.
Other than that, read some of the older posts here on AS. If there was ever a splitter built, someone on this board has one, tried one, or knew someone who did.
Try the search function.

Here is one that might be worth considering.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200316905_200316905
Good luck!

 

[Austin1]

I just bought my first splitter a few day's ago can't believe I lived with out one for so long! I bought a small Speeco only 15 ton all my trees are Softwood or soft Hardwood. I have not split anything bigger than 14''-16'' yet but it didn't even slow down and it's cycle time seems very fast.
I guess if I run into trouble splitting stuff I can always up grade the cyl to 4'' it is 3.5'' now, as it's 6.5hp with a 11gpm pump.
What I love about having a splitter, less mess to clean up afterwords.
I am only using 6 cords a year so No heavy duty use from me.
Also if you get a really tough round you can rip it with your saw.

I really have No idea how tough the wood is your dealing with Just trying to sell you on the idea how nice it is to have a splitter not necessarily the type I have. See what other people in your area are using to help form a decision as the crowd here can be a bit power hungry. lol

 

[Nailsbeats]

Since you asked, I'll tell ya what you need. A 27ton Speeco, fast, powerful, affordable. This way if you get into some tuffer stuff you won't have to sweat it. I payed 1125+ tax, but expect 1350+ tax. That's dirt cheap for what this thing can do and for a splitter in general. And yes, I've used them all.

 

[avalancher]

Since you asked, I'll tell ya what you need. A 27ton Speeco, fast, powerful, affordable. This way if you get into some tuffer stuff you won't have to sweat it. I payed 1125+ tax, but expect 1350+ tax. That's dirt cheap for what this thing can do and for a splitter in general. And yes, I've used them all.

Thats a pretty good price on that one, is it a hoizontal only? Our local feedstore had a 27 ton Speeco,horizontal/vertical model, but they wanted $1900.

 

[darren_nh]

I agree with Zodiac.

I have a Northstar 20 Ton I have used for nearly ten years without any issues. I process between five and ten cord a year and let friends and family borrow it routinely. I have not found wood it can't split and it has a cycle time unloaded of 14 seconds.

I chose not to "share" ownership becuse I like to have the machine at the ready when I have a spare hour to split. If I own it I control when it is home and away. When my rounds are done it can leave, until then it typically stays in the yard.

I do recommend adding an hour meter to whatever you buy if you do lend it/rent it so you can keep track of maintenance intervals.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Thats a pretty good price on that one, is it a hoizontal only? Our local feedstore had a 27 ton Speeco,horizontal/vertical model, but they wanted $1900.

Thats the model. They had it at 1350, on sale for 1250, credit card sign up = 10% off, total= 1125+ tax.

 

[MJR]

If you can wait till spring Tractor Supply marks down their carry over inventory. You can talk down the price then to. Good luck.

 

[avalancher]

Thats the model. They had it at 1350, on sale for 1250, credit card sign up = 10% off, total= 1125+ tax.

That is a pretty good deal. I would have bought that if I had run across it before I bought mine.

 

[wdchuck]

My husband has been splitting our wood manually. We have a number of cords to split this year. I HATE the idea of wasting money on renting one, but am considering. What I'm wondering is what we need to cut the wood. We have a lot of oak, some ash, and some red maple. We have a few friends who just started using a fireplace this year, and I was wondering if we should go in and buy one together and if we did, what would we need? Any opinions?

Some folks at the end of our road went in on a splitter, all four homeowners can see and hear when any one them are out with the splitter, so it's more like the old barnraisings. " Hey look, Joe is out there workin the splitter, lets get it done. " , so it has worked out well for them.

Otherwise....Zodiac has some good specs. on the minimal needs.

 

[Hedge]

My first thought would be that going together with someone on a piece of equipment is not the best deal. I prefer to own or let someone else own and trade labor or actual money to rent it.

My second thought would be to look around for a place to rent one. Now I realize you aren't big on that but think of it this way if you rent then you could see if you are really happy with that model. You might be surprised if you team up with the two of you or a neighbor that you can get a ton of work in one day of renting one. The other bonus of renting is that you don't have to store it when not in use. Hope this helps..

 

[Tazman1602]

Thats a pretty good price on that one, is it a hoizontal only? Our local feedstore had a 27 ton Speeco,horizontal/vertical model, but they wanted $1900.

Geez I got the 35 ton, 12.5HP veritcal/Horiz model for $1600 out the door last spring at our local TSC

 

[flewism]

I'll throw another vote for the Speeco 22 ton at TSC. I've had mine for 3 years and split at least 20 cord. with no problems at all. I have stopped it dead on a few hardwood crotches but the saw has solved that. And yes TSC does offer some deals mine listed at $999 and I was at $850 plus tax with the card discount and $50 off. Now double check the assembly when you get it home and they say free hydraulic fluid, but check it before you leave the store. I didn't and even tho they said it was full it was not even close.

 

[Jon E]

My husband has been splitting our wood manually. We have a number of cords to split this year. I HATE the idea of wasting money on renting one, but am considering. What I'm wondering is what we need to cut the wood. We have a lot of oak, some ash, and some red maple. We have a few friends who just started using a fireplace this year, and I was wondering if we should go in and buy one together and if we did, what would we need? Any opinions?

I don't think anybody here can tell you what you need. There's bound to be a lot of suggestions and really good advice, though. As far as need - I'm almost 40, been splitting 5-8 cords of wood a year since I was about 14 all by hand. My dad is 70 and he's been splitting wood all his life, up to 12 cords a year, all by maul and wedges. No hydraulics. Experimented with a Monster maul, a Bailey's Mega Maul, regular wood handles and wedges and sledges. I still can't justify purchasing a hydraulic splitter. Might build one someday.

As for rent. $40 - $50 gets you a day. You can do several cords in a long day if you work at it or have some help. A good weekend, you're out $80, that's 20 years of rentals for the cost of a good quality 25-30 ton machine. Are you still gonna be burning in 20 years? Is the machine gonna break down on you and you need to have it welded or replace parts? Are your friends gonna break it? Do you have a place to store it? All questions that I've asked myself and so far that answer's been - keep splitting what I can by hand and the rest I've got a chainsaw to break it down into manageable size. Of course I also have teenagers and they have friends, and often it's the friends who want to whack away at the rounds in the woodpile. But even without (un)willing labor, I still haven't been able to justify buying one.

So here's a vote for - you don't need one. Ain't gonna stop me from asking questions about them and hoping maybe one falls off a truck going by the house someday.

 

[MATTYB11]

Lots of good points posted to consider here; small gas sipping brand name engine, year round storage, and the issues of joint ownership. The only thing I can add is to buy one now rather than later for two reasons. first the price of these machines seems to go up every year. Secondly the way I look at it, the sooner you buy it the longer it has to "pay you back"

 

[Mike Van]

Zodiac is right on with his assesment, try Tractor Supply Store, see what they have. A guy I worked with got one from there, he's happy with it [I gave him a 50.00 discount coupon I had too] Also, Avalancher's got me agreeing with him too. I wouldn't 'go halves' on a snow shovel, let alone a machine like a splitter.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

First off, I would NOT go in with someone buying a wood splitter.You want to stay friends, right? The best way that I know how to split up some friends is to go in on a tool. The issue will always come up.You are using more, you should pay for more of the repairs. They leave it out in the rain, they should pay for more of the repairs.They forget to check the oil, or you dn and on it goes.

Yep. The best way to keep friendships friendly is to keep business businesslike.


As for what you NEED? Well, the size of the splitter will be determined by the size and type of wood you are splitting. If you are splitting small stuff, say, 18" an under, by all means, buy a 20 ton. If it's a little bigger, but ash and pine and other easy splitting woods, you can still do with a small splitter. Elm? That's tough, I hear. You'll be suffering with a 20, would be my guess.

If your wood runs 30" to 40" like mine, and a lot of oak crotches, you need to go BIG.

So, what do you split? What size, what kind? Tell us that and we can advise you better.

As for SPEED, well, that's determined by how MUCH you need to split. Sounds like you don't need much speed, so no need to buy a professional wood processor. Most any homeowner model will do on that score.

But whatever size you need, please don't buy MTD junk! Why? Because it's junk. Buy something decent. It doesn't need to be top of the line, but decent.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Since you asked, I'll tell ya what you need. A 27ton Speeco, fast, powerful, affordable. This way if you get into some tuffer stuff you won't have to sweat it. I payed 1125+ tax, but expect 1350+ tax. That's dirt cheap for what this thing can do and for a splitter in general. And yes, I've used them all.

Yep. It just makes NO sense to buy MTD junk when you can have a Speeco for the same kind of price. It's 10 times the machine MTD puts out.


BTW, MTD now makes Troy stuff. Another good name ruined!

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Thats a pretty good price on that one, is it a hoizontal only? Our local feedstore had a 27 ton Speeco,horizontal/vertical model, but they wanted $1900.

That's a rip-off. I paid $1600 for my 35 Speeco (from TSC, Huskee branded) just a year ago. Even if you get the Honda engine, you shouldn't be up at that price for the 27.