Been reading a lot here and looking at a lot of splitters. I built my splitter back in 1990 and except for dropping a heavy chunk on a hose and causing a leak, it has performed flawlessly for all these years. It probably splits about 15-20 cord a season. The only issues are it is too low to the ground and I want a log lift and adjustable wedge. Having been to Woodsman days in Boonville many times I have been taking notes on my next build. Wish some of the demos had crotchy wood for comparison. My splitter with a 4" cylinder will only split 4 way in straight grained wood. With just the vertical split it is unstoppable. I am going to use a 5 x30 cylinder for my next build. How are these manufacturers getting 6 and 8 way splits ? Even some are 10 way. Thin wedges seem to work better then my wide split. And how far back should the wings be from the main vertical ? I had talked to the built rite guys and they said they had their big piston custom cylinders spec'd out and they are not available for purchase. Do all splitters slow right down in crotchy, knotty wood ?
Cool, a new build. I really respect those with the life experience and ability to work with tools and metal.
Issues: Low to ground; log lift.
Height is a preference. With the SuperSpit I love the counter height, working height of beam and table. With the TW-6 I preferred a lower beam because of the size of the wood. I would suggest an adjustable height beam which could be done with a rotating trailing arm wheel mount, that could accommodate differences in wood and operators if needed.
Log lift: Operating on the log lift side of the machine is also preferable, because when operating alone, that is where the log lift is loaded. Therefore the design should allow room for the operator, and give him room for an exit if a round crowds him for whatever reason. The log lift is also what you will probably use to unstick rounds stuck on the wedge. This is done by setting a three or four inch round on the lift and nudging the side of the stuck round side ways a little. Therefor the log lift should be stout. TW is rated 500 pounds.
Expectation:
This is huge, really huge... for some.
The TW was very easy to stall its 5" x 3.5" x 24" cylinder out, with a 20 hp Honda; 22 gpm pump and 28 ton rating (if you had your head up your butt past the first two turns of the lower colon!). Even on a single wedge... (That being said, there was nothing it really would not split if you read the wood.)
It also pushed monster splits out that rolled to the side and on the ground, just like the Built-Rite splitter demo video shows (What good is that? Looks cool and powerful, but just makes more work for your self picking it all up (if you can lift them) on one side, and running around to the other side to do the same.)
Thus my reference to Cantoo...working smarter in my opinion, and getting the job done.
And also the modification I had done to the TW four-way wing.
I saw a homemade splitter last fall.
You know how most wedge on beam splitters without log lifts, now have a cradle of sorts on each side of the beam. Well this guy did that. Stuck out about a foot and a half from the beam and three feet long, all nested in a bigger table he dumped rounds and huge quarter splits on with the fel on his backhoe. The quarter splits were from a backhoe boom mounted splitter with a 28" knife for big wood. (Tree services dropped off 2' to 5'+ dia. trunks.)
Here is the kicker. He attached them, the cradles, to the push plate. They moved with the push plate past the wedge. The two splits separated and fell onto the moving side plates. As the push plate returned the two halves came with it. The close one he pulled out of the way onto a larger part of the table, the far one he pulled towards him to the beam. He split into a tele handler bucket which he used to pile the wood.
Pictured is his wood pile last fall, half of what he did the year before with his brother. I recently heard he passed, at 76 yrs. old.
In short, I think design and how you work is more important than bigger/badder.
