A Good $1500 Wood Splitter?

[jbighump]

you might want to check out brave or iron and oak

 

[Lugnutz]

I bought a 22 Ton Swisher at Orschlens this past fall when they had a sale goin on. Saved 20% which equals out to Splitter 7gallons of hydro fluid and a bag of dog food + tax for less than the splitters normal price!!! Just a tad over $1000. And the vertical came in handy when a neighbor brought me down some 24-30" cookies from a white oak his boss had cut down.

For the price and for what I need it for its perfect.

Hey where can I get one of them 4 way splitter adaptors you all been talkin about?

 

[Oldtimer]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to help me out here. I haven't made a decision yet, but have a ton of great information to build on. I like the HV, Speeco, American, Troy Built, Huskee and the Wallenstein. Here's how I rank them as I sit with pricing not being an issue (FANTASYLAND Rankings!!):

American
Wallenstein
Speeco
HV
Huskee
Troy Built

ANy other info you have would be appreciated.

Thanks

TIMBERWOLF IN MASS.

MIGHT STILL BE THERE??

AMERICAN FOR $1,800.

 

[flewism]

There is no way in he!! I'd pay $1800 for that American. The Timberwolf what ever. The home made one for $1200 looks to be the best deal to me, 11HP electric start, slip on 4-way. I would have all ready called to find out what size pump and cylinder diameter were on it.

If you like the Supersplit I'd go with that Woodwolf

If and when my little 22 ton huskee takes a shiet I'll fix it easily.
That said I don't process wood as a source of income, and have only been doing this a few years.
This will be my fifth season with the little huskee 22ton and it has not given me any trouble at all, but I process less than 10 cords a season.

 

[Oldtimer]

The American is one of the better made splitters, and if you compare price with the new Wallenstein or with a new super-split it's prolly cheaper by a lot..not saying it's the best deal ever, just that $1800 is a fair price for such a well made machine....if the machine hasn't been afro-engineered.
A new TW-1 Timberwolf for the price listed in the link is on par if not a little better than the Wallensteins I have seen.
A Huskee or Troybuilt or MTD or Yard Machine will do fine for small scale splitting, and I said as much. I just don't like the design. Having the wood fall on your fenders/foot/etc. doesn't make any sense. Also, I find the design awkward to use..the tire seems top be in the place I want to put my leg..
I had a 30+ ton MTD, and I was going to modify it to be like a horizontal by putting the push plate on the ram and making a 2/4 way for the end.
I sold it and put the effort into the Mighty Merc horizontal I had. Needed a new piston. Very happy with the old Mighty Merc. Very solidly built, wish they still made them.
I saw that the OP was very tall and liked the idea of the T-B being taller. I too like the splitter to be high enough that I am not bent over working. So I put it up on a set of car ramps. Works well enough, but I am planning a mod that will use 2 hydraulic pistons to raise and level the machine. I will add a power diverter and use the machine's hydraulics to power it.

 

[avalancher]

The American is one of the better made splitters, and if you compare price with the new Wallenstein or with a new super-split it's prolly cheaper by a lot..not saying it's the best deal ever, just that $1800 is a fair price for such a well made machine....if the machine hasn't been afro-engineered.
A new TW-1 Timberwolf for the price listed in the link is on par if not a little better than the Wallensteins I have seen.
A Huskee or Troybuilt or MTD or Yard Machine will do fine for small scale splitting, and I said as much. I just don't like the design. Having the wood fall on your fenders/foot/etc. doesn't make any sense. Also, I find the design awkward to use..the tire seems top be in the place I want to put my leg..
I had a 30+ ton MTD, and I was going to modify it to be like a horizontal by putting the push plate on the ram and making a 2/4 way for the end.
I sold it and put the effort into the Mighty Merc horizontal I had. Needed a new piston. Very happy with the old Mighty Merc. Very solidly built, wish they still made them.
I saw that the OP was very tall and liked the idea of the T-B being taller. I too like the splitter to be high enough that I am not bent over working. So I put it up on a set of car ramps. Works well enough, but I am planning a mod that will use 2 hydraulic pistons to raise and level the machine. I will add a power diverter and use the machine's hydraulics to power it.

your spot on about one thing with the TB splitter, the lack of a good table to stop the wood from mashing either your toes or the fenders.After using the splitter for the first time I towed it back to the shop for the night.After several rounds had hit the fenders,it bowed them down enough that the bolts holding the fenders to the supports rested on the tires.I was greeted the next morning with two flat tires,both of them grooved to the point that they wouldnt hold air.
That was the first mod,tear those cheesy log holders off and build some stout tables out of some scrap diamond plate.

 

[Huskyuser]

I've had the Troy Bilt 27 ton log splitter for about 4 years now and have never had even one issue with it's performance and reliability. The "log wings" intended to serve as some sort of a cradle are nearly useless as they allow wood to become jammed between it and the center rail. The "wings" bend and shear the mounting bolts which is a common complaint of most owners.

Above is my "improved" version which works great!

 

[GVS]

We have only used a splitter vertically a couple of times, that was enough for us, it's a PITA and waste too much time and effort. We either break them down with a couple of wedges and a sledge,l noodle them with a 660 or in rare cases use logging tons and a tractor loader to sit them on top. I find we can split more wood in a day with the TB than most people would be willing to split. Sure if I had 6 to 10k to spend on a splitter ( which I do,but why?) I think the tw-5 or 6 would be a great machine. At 35.00 dollars a rick or face cord just how much damn wood is necessecary to pay for the machine, a **** load.

This sure is an old post,don't know how I missed it back in 2010.I have 2 splitters -one horiz. and one V H.If one goes down the road it'll be the horiz.As to the VH being a PITA,cmon,noodeling,wedgeing and sledgeing or useing a boom pole,tongs and tractor 3 point is a piece of cake,not from where I'm standing.Gimmie my VH any day!

 

[Chris moss]

Hmm.vertical machines are for women eh?
Tell you what.You drag home some of the rounds that I do.You know, those 68 inchers of solid white oak.you know, the rounds that are so heavy they flop over on ya before you get a chance to noodle em up.Drag em up in your trailer and haul em home.Then figure out how you are going to get them up on your horizontal machine since you wont be able to noodlem up when they are flat laying on their side.
There is a time and a place for everything,and there are times when a vertical machine is just plain nice rather than trying to figure out how you are going to get them up on a horizontal machine.

So far you have ignored everything that was said by the OP.he doesnt plan on laying out the bucks for a TW,and if the Troy Bilt fits his needs, its not a bad machine for the money.
And,like I said, a Troy Bilt is not a bad machine period. I have consistantly put 40 cords a year through that machine for the last four years without a wimper,and that in itself should be testament for any machine.There are a number of members on here who will also attest to the machine.

I dare you to come on over to my place and take a look at my woodpile at the end of October and call me a woman to my face.I dare say you will spend a good bit of time in the ER for your efforts.

Yeah i have the troy built and a solid white oak log i get are around 300-350 lbs id never try and handle it up to split horizontally , and just because heres my woman splitting good size oaks in the vertical lol i like the ty 27 ton it has pulled about 50 cords a year for me i sell alittle on the side plus burn 20 or more in my bolier

 

[MrWhoopee]

I've tried to read this whole thread, but it devolved into a pissing match that made it difficult. Did anybody ask, or did the OP say how much and what kind of wood he is splitting? It's hard to recommend a tool without understanding what kind of job it will be doing.

 

[jimdeere]

I split a lot of locust with my TB splitter. My BIL uses it for huge pine rounds. We only split down to a size we can lift into our owb’s, so no need for a 4-way. The only issue is with the flimsy fenders. I usually have to bend them back up after a day of splitting. Might just take them off.
I paid $650 for it from a guy that was getting out. The paint wasn’t worn off the beam.

 

[Richard_]

I've been happy with my WOODS 27 ton , cost less than $1000.00 https://www.woodsequipment.com/productDetails.aspx?id=512

 

[Marine5068]

My Forest King is a beast at $1500 from TSC.
30 ton horizontal/vert. with log cradle
splits anything and everything
cycle time is pretty good

 

[c5rulz]

you have a good point.The two biggest things that I have found between the top end splitters and the bargain basement models are the design and finish.
The top end splitters just feel,um, nicer for lack of a better term.more thought is given to location of controls, placement of hoses and hinge releases if you have a vertical model.The bargain models sometimes feel clunky, controls placed with little regard for long hours of use.More like they were designed by a chimp in china that had no idea what its like to spend ten hours alongside a splitter.

If I had only 900 bucks to spend again while getting my tree service business off the ground, i wouldnt hesitate to buy another TB.If I was going to be buying one today, there is little doubt that I would opt for the 37 ton model from NT.I happened to use one for the day last year, and it was a sweet machine, but with a hefty price tag to boot.

Pretty accurate assessment. If one is conscious of $$$$$ and who isn't. Look for a big discounted one out of the big box stores like Menard's on Black Friday. I go with a 27 ton because the frame is a little beefier.

The only thing I would add:

1. Honda GX motors are excellent, the Honda GC motor is no better than a B & S which isn't bad either. My old Speeco was the best starting 1 pull motor I have ever had.

2. Do not get a slide on 4 way wedge for these cheap splitters, running anything other than straight grained wood will break something. Read the fine print, they aren't for hardwood.

3. 4 way wedges MUST be hydro adjustable AND be capable of being run down all the way so it can act like a single splitter.

 

[Nickatnite]

Yu

I'd go with the $1099 ($999 this week) Huskee splitter at TSC before even sniffing the 22-ton Troy-Bilt.

Troy-bilt = lower beam, poorly designed log cradle (logs will catch and bend it), weak log dislodger, difficult service & turn around time.

I got my Huskee 35-ton last summer and have been very pleased. With a 10% off coupon, it's near your price limit.

Yup! Huskee/SpeeCo 35 ton splitter are a beast. I have had mine since 2008 and it stays outdoor in the NH elements all year round. Buy one, you will not regret it.