I got my HD model in March. With table and crate and shipping to WestCoast price was 3300. Worth every penny. Fast and fun. No more waiting around for the cylinder to extend/retract. Makes splitting a fun chore.
As others have noted, there's more to these units that meets the eye. The safety cover is a very high quality fiberglass job with high quality gelcoat, obviously custom made in a polished mold. The rack is 2-in wide, heat treated, probably a custom order. The pinion is machined into the ~2-in spindle for minimum diameter/max strength, machined 3.5-in wide to tolerate any alignment deviations, and heat treated. The two flywheels are custom cast with SSplitter's name in the mold. These are custom, USA-made castings. The cam mechanism has a custom made "crank" to convert lever-lift to idler-bearing hold down. This presses the rack against the pinion. And the lever is custom machined UHMW plastic, like nylon: tough and shock absorbing. Almost all the parts are USA made, except the engine. And the Subaru engine looks more thoroughly engineered and with better fit/finish than the common Honda units, starts on first pull etc. The wedge (blade, really) is made of two elements, high carbon blade backed up by mild steel w/ slightly less width, resulting in a "hollow ground" type of clearance behind the blade.
Sure, it's a simple 19th century-style design: Yankee ingenuity in the spirit of John Deere. It costs more than some, but that's cuz it works better, longer, faster, and in the end cheaper because it doesn't break down. It's got custom machined elements, and old-school, custom made, heavy duty stuff isn't cheap because you can't just buy the components at the local hydraulics shop.
The end result is worth it: fast, easy, and in my opinion: safer. You stay fully tuned in to the task because there's no waiting for the slow cylinder movement. You put one hand on top of the round and start the cycle with the other hand: like the built-in safety's on factory machines to ensure the operator's hands are out of the danger zone.
After using various hydraulic models over the years, replacing worn out hydraulic motors, dealing with leaking fittings, and of course many cords split by hand, well, all I can say is I wish I'd bought mine long ago. That's why you can't find them used: too highly prized to part with, and when the time comes, passed on like a family heirloom.
"The only thing that breaks is the wood" -Paul McCann
