splitter engines?

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Is there any small engines made in the USA?

Yes there is, BUT like most companies these days, not all of their models are made in the same place. Just like NOT all models of Honda motors aren't made in Japan. They sub out some of their models too!

SR
 
I don't see any Briggs Diesel's in something appropriate for a splitter, like 16HP or so.

Frankly, the whole "buy USA" rhetoric is getting old. The American public by and large doesn't care. So buy USA if you want but the Chinese have already won the "build it cheap" battle that the American public seems to like. It's a bummer when you can't find high quality things anymore because consumers have decided they are cheapskates, but that's the reality we live in.

I will agree that consumers want cheap prices, and for Now China seems to be the country that can supply cheap. But, the consumer also demands quality, which China is way behind on. I for one look for American made products and buy them when I can. Unfortuantly, Made in America is getting harder and harder to find. Now, we could get into how China devalues there money to artificially keep prices low. We can even get political about Clinton giving China Favorite tradeing Status which caused the huge exidous of American companies fleeing our borders in search of cheap labor to manufacture their products. We might even dive into a debate about Unions and the effect they have had on productivity and wage levels in this country. We could also discuss how government has chosen to tax American companies into bankrupty instead of promoteing policies that would generate good manufactoring jobs in America. We could, but it would just get nasty because most people want to listen to sound bites instead of hearing all the facts. Still. The Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, and just about everybody, except America, chose to support their respective Countries and the products they produce, Why is it wrong for and American to demand American made products to purchase.
 
I will agree that consumers want cheap prices, and for Now China seems to be the country that can supply cheap. But, the consumer also demands quality, which China is way behind on. I for one look for American made products and buy them when I can. Unfortuantly, Made in America is getting harder and harder to find. Now, we could get into how China devalues there money to artificially keep prices low. We can even get political about Clinton giving China Favorite tradeing Status which caused the huge exidous of American companies fleeing our borders in search of cheap labor to manufacture their products. We might even dive into a debate about Unions and the effect they have had on productivity and wage levels in this country. We could also discuss how government has chosen to tax American companies into bankrupty instead of promoteing policies that would generate good manufactoring jobs in America. We could, but it would just get nasty because most people want to listen to sound bites instead of hearing all the facts. Still. The Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, and just about everybody, except America, chose to support their respective Countries and the products they produce, Why is it wrong for and American to demand American made products to purchase.
im with ya 1000% but most americans are too damn dumb to realize what their doing, most are too ****ing worried about short term, and dont realize theyre putting themselvs and likely their kids ot of jobs, all because they can save a few dollars.
and the horrible thing about all of this is the quality, manufactures that are still in the US some are putting out garbage quality products just so they can have a little bit of a chance to sell something.
then you have these manufactures that make "green" products (reduced material usage) yet they make "throw away" products, instaed of making something of decent quality that could last a lifetime.(which would actually be "green")
the whole thing makes me sick:dizzy:
 
I think this topic has been hit like a dozen times over the years. One comment I saw and liked is you have to figure in the lifetime. But in a good way. Say you get the splitter with the cheaper engine. Assuming everything else is good, what if you get a few years of life out of it and then have to replace the engine? It's a pretty easy job, new engines are cheap (H/F or other options) and you did get those years out of it.

That's where I am with this Huskee I got at TSC last year. It's the model everybody loves (the 22t) with the engine everybody hates (Briggs, no choke, etc.) But it's running well for me so far, and I'll take whatever life I get out of it and then replace the engine and be happy for it. I'm a Subaru fan myself but I do hear a lot of good things about the Hondas...
 
Kohler has gone to hell, briggs inteks are OK,

The honda GX, the briggs vanguard, and subaru robin EX are the best out there. They are just as durable as the old K series kohler, start better, much better fuel economy and quieter to boot
 
I built a splitter about 5 years ago and I bought a Honda GX engine for it. I don't use it near as much as others, but when I use it, it will start on the 1st pull and runs amazingly smooth. It was a good choice for me. I like to say "Good tools are not cheap, cheap tools are not good." ;)
 
I think this topic has been hit like a dozen times over the years. One comment I saw and liked is you have to figure in the lifetime. But in a good way. Say you get the splitter with the cheaper engine. Assuming everything else is good, what if you get a few years of life out of it and then have to replace the engine? It's a pretty easy job, new engines are cheap (H/F or other options) and you did get those years out of it.

That's where I am with this Huskee I got at TSC last year. It's the model everybody loves (the 22t) with the engine everybody hates (Briggs, no choke, etc.) But it's running well for me so far, and I'll take whatever life I get out of it and then replace the engine and be happy for it. I'm a Subaru fan myself but I do hear a lot of good things about the Hondas...
and this whole thought process is basically why most products are garbage these days, theres absolutly no reason that something as simple as a log splitter shouldnt be able to last a MINIMUM of 15-20 years for residential use with only regular maintenance,
heres a quote i just love, as it fits very well here "They cant afford to do it right, but they can afford to do it twice?"
as for quality USA made engines, check out wisconsin's you wont find a better/longer lasting small engine anywhere, they have been around a long time, and theyre still making them, i believe theyre owned by contenental now, but theyre the same engines they were making long ago, just not as many models now...
 
and this whole thought process is basically why most products are garbage these days, theres absolutly no reason that something as simple as a log splitter shouldnt be able to last a MINIMUM of 15-20 years for residential use with only regular maintenance,
heres a quote i just love, as it fits very well here "They cant afford to do it right, but they can afford to do it twice?"
as for quality USA made engines, check out wisconsin's you wont find a better/longer lasting small engine anywhere, they have been around a long time, and theyre still making them, i believe theyre owned by contenental now, but theyre the same engines they were making long ago, just not as many models now...

I had four wisconsins one time, in a bobcat, on a baler, and man/scissor lift had v4's and a single cylinder on an ear corn elevator. I don't know what rose colored glasses your wearing but I am sure happy to be rid of them. While they were mechanically durable, they were terribly noisy, started hard, crappy ignition systems, and used fuel like nothing else. Mice loved them however!!!!
 
I had four wisconsins one time, in a bobcat, on a baler, and man/scissor lift had v4's and a single cylinder on an ear corn elevator. I don't know what rose colored glasses your wearing but I am sure happy to be rid of them. While they were mechanically durable, they were terribly noisy, started hard, crappy ignition systems, and used fuel like nothing else. Mice loved them however!!!!
obviously they were not taken care of then... any engine will act the way you describe when not taken care of,
as for noisy, change the damn exhaust if you dont like it.
crappy ignition system? they use all of the same types if ignition any other manufacture uses, points via. mag, or distributor, and solid state via distributor.
hard starting? revert back to the first line of this post... with a properly adjusted carb, proper valve lash, timing, points gap, they fire right up.
i have two well used 2 cylinders an 80's TJD out of a compressor and a 50's THD off a baler, the only thing ive done to them is rings, and cut/lap the valves/seats, both are electric start, i dont even get to push the starter button in all the way before its running.

theres a reason why wisconsins were used on high/heavy use equipment back then when quality was imporant, to both manufactures and consumers...
now a wisconsin wont run/ start good if it isnt taken care of, they require maintenance.
but you can get any garbage chinese made engine now, theyre low maintance, but they dont last!
 
I had four wisconsins one time, in a bobcat, on a baler, and man/scissor lift had v4's and a single cylinder on an ear corn elevator. I don't know what rose colored glasses your wearing but I am sure happy to be rid of them. While they were mechanically durable, they were terribly noisy, started hard, crappy ignition systems, and used fuel like nothing else. Mice loved them however!!!!

They don't have a great reputation around here either, especially the gas guzzler part!

SR
 
obviously they were not taken care of then... any engine will act the way you describe when not taken care of,
as for noisy, change the damn exhaust if you dont like it.
crappy ignition system? they use all of the same types if ignition any other manufacture uses, points via. mag, or distributor, and solid state via distributor.
hard starting? revert back to the first line of this post... with a properly adjusted carb, proper valve lash, timing, points gap, they fire right up.
i have two well used 2 cylinders an 80's TJD out of a compressor and a 50's THD off a baler, the only thing ive done to them is rings, and cut/lap the valves/seats, both are electric start, i dont even get to push the starter button in all the way before its running.

theres a reason why wisconsins were used on high/heavy use equipment back then when quality was imporant, to both manufactures and consumers...
now a wisconsin wont run/ start good if it isnt taken care of, they require maintenance.
but you can get any garbage chinese made engine now, theyre low maintance, but they dont last!


Trust me, they were taken care of with regular oil/air filter/spark plug changes. But when you have a farm with 20+ pieces of equipment and a day job(as a mechanic) cleaning/setting points and cleaning mouse nest out every whip stitch gets old. As you mentioned valves need adjusted because of the flat head design, ever try to adjust valves in a bobcat?? You have to pull the engine plate out to do it. My dad nor I have never had to adjusted valves when we checked them on his skidsteer with a kabota . The baler had a Briggs big block put on it before we switched to round bales and what a nice engine that was. My Honda and my vanguard have never needed anything but clean fuel, oil, and air. Flip the gas on and one or two start pulls.

As far as mufflers, the bobcat had a large(in comparison to the stock one) muffler installed off of a early 90,s Nissan sentra if I recall rightly and it quieted the exhaust right down. Problems is it still had one of the worst mechanical noise signatures of any engine I have heard. At work they had a newer twin on a sump sucker and could never quiet it down so they put a Subaru eh41, ahh, bliss.

And lastly I never said anything about Chinese junk. I specifically mentioned 3 brand with specific model lines of engines. Honda gx (gc are not nearly as good) Briggs vanguard(I won't own any other model of Briggs period) and Subaru (ex and eh series). Sadly kohler gas engines are utter junk now days( their lambordinni made diesels are good )

Yes Wisconsin was a great engine for heavy duty compact equipment as there was nothing back 30+ years ago in the size to power ratio back then. There are so many good alternative choices today that I can believe someone would recommend a new one, just from the fuel usage alone. Fuel cost to run any engine are multiple times the purchase price of the engine and even a small 5 hp engine saving 25 percent is going to add up to thousands of dollars over a 10 plus year life span.
 
Trust me, they were taken care of with regular oil/air filter/spark plug changes. But when you have a farm with 20+ pieces of equipment and a day job(as a mechanic) cleaning/setting points and cleaning mouse nest out every whip stitch gets old. As you mentioned valves need adjusted because of the flat head design, ever try to adjust valves in a bobcat?? You have to pull the engine plate out to do it. My dad nor I have never had to adjusted valves when we checked them on his skidsteer with a kabota . The baler had a Briggs big block put on it before we switched to round bales and what a nice engine that was. My Honda and my vanguard have never needed anything but clean fuel, oil, and air. Flip the gas on and one or two start pulls.

As far as mufflers, the bobcat had a large(in comparison to the stock one) muffler installed off of a early 90,s Nissan sentra if I recall rightly and it quieted the exhaust right down. Problems is it still had one of the worst mechanical noise signatures of any engine I have heard. At work they had a newer twin on a sump sucker and could never quiet it down so they put a Subaru eh41, ahh, bliss.

And lastly I never said anything about Chinese junk. I specifically mentioned 3 brand with specific model lines of engines. Honda gx (gc are not nearly as good) Briggs vanguard(I won't own any other model of Briggs period) and Subaru (ex and eh series). Sadly kohler gas engines are utter junk now days( their lambordinni made diesels are good )

Yes Wisconsin was a great engine for heavy duty compact equipment as there was nothing back 30+ years ago in the size to power ratio back then. There are so many good alternative choices today that I can believe someone would recommend a new one, just from the fuel usage alone. Fuel cost to run any engine are multiple times the purchase price of the engine and even a small 5 hp engine saving 25 percent is going to add up to thousands of dollars over a 10 plus year life span.
whats with the need to change plugs all the time, or gap the points all the time? my splitter has the THD on it, i last ran it in september, all i did was shut the fuel off, and throw a tarp on it, it sat until last month, i turned the fuel on (BTW no stablizer with E10) turned the key, pushed the start button and it fired right up.
every thing had points ignition into to 70's, solid state ingition is relativly new... and theres plenty of equipment still around that run just fine on points ignition! must be operator error for your problems??
same with valve lash, it doesnt need adjusting every time you run it, and if it does theres some serious oiling issues.
you do have me on fuel usage, (kind of) at least on the old engines, the new ones have to pass EPA standards and CARB standards, just like everyone else, im sure they arent runnin the same ole Bendix/Zenith or Walbro carbs they were running back in the day...
as for noise, yes they are a little loud, but alot of that noise came from the impulse on the magneto's, which are no longer used...
 
whats with the need to change plugs all the time, or gap the points all the time? my splitter has the THD on it, i last ran it in september, all i did was shut the fuel off, and throw a tarp on it, it sat until last month, i turned the fuel on (BTW no stablizer with E10) turned the key, pushed the start button and it fired right up.
every thing had points ignition into to 70's, solid state ingition is relativly new... and theres plenty of equipment still around that run just fine on points ignition! must be operator error for your problems??
same with valve lash, it doesnt need adjusting every time you run it, and if it does theres some serious oiling issues.
you do have me on fuel usage, (kind of) at least on the old engines, the new ones have to pass EPA standards and CARB standards, just like everyone else, im sure they arent runnin the same ole Bendix/Zenith or Walbro carbs they were running back in the day...
as for noise, yes they are a little loud, but alot of that noise came from the impulse on the magneto's, which are no longer used...
also dont know if you ever noticed or not, but some of the Robin Subaru engines look an awfull lot like the wisconsin robin single cylinders, they were/still? owned by the same company, almost looks like wisconsins were the US made engines, and the subarus were the cheaper aluminum china engines???? kind of like a honda gx vs gc series, or toyota/lexus, etc.
 
also dont know if you ever noticed or not, but some of the Robin Subaru engines look an awfull lot like the wisconsin robin single cylinders, they were/still? owned by the same company, almost looks like wisconsins were the US made engines, and the subarus were the cheaper aluminum china engines???? kind of like a honda gx vs gc series, or toyota/lexus, etc.

The Wisconsin robin engines were in fact Subaru engines. It was a way to get them into a market that they were unknown at the time. Wisconsin didn't have a small under 10hp engine and it filled out their line. I am not for sure if Fuji heavy industries (Subaru)actually bought Wisconsin and later sold them but I am pretty sure they are not associated any more.
 
Harbor freight predator engines are a great little engine for the money, they sell a 13hp with electric start that should suit your purpose fine.

just purchased a predator last month for my 35ton splitter that the 10HP tec finally pooped out after 12 years. read the reviews and everyone said it was a Honda clone which is about all I will have. Used them (Honda) in my construction business and ranching business for years. Always start don't matter how long they've set. No matter how cold outside. Got to say, so far impressed , runs smooth. the electric start is nice also :)
 
i believe theyre owned by contenental now,

Teledyne owned Continental Motors & Wisconsin Motors.

Teledyne sold Wisconsin and the non-aircraft part of Continental in 2001, and it is owned by the same folks who own V&L Tool in Waukesha. I'd guess the rights to use the Continental name for all non-aviation motors went with that sale.

They sold Continental Motors, which produces aircraft engines, to a Chinese state-owned company in 2011.

Not to be confused with Waukesha Motors which is now owned by General Electric :D What the heck was up with cheeseheads and internal combustion? If you didn't ice fish, did you spend all winter inventing engines and engine accessories?
 
Quote: Teledyne Continental Motors

They were based in Mi., my father retired from that company, after working in the engine plant for more than 30 years...

SR
 
also dont know if you ever noticed or not, but some of the Robin Subaru engines look an awfull lot like the wisconsin robin single cylinders, they were/still? owned by the same company, almost looks like wisconsins were the US made engines, and the subarus were the cheaper aluminum china engines???? kind of like a honda gx vs gc series, or toyota/lexus, etc.

http://robinamerica.com/about.aspx

Subaru small engines are top notch...they are not made in China and are at the level of Honda GX or better.
 
Back
Top