high splitter or entry level processor?

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Pcoz88

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Entry level iam thinking is Hudson's badger or brute jr. Wallenstein winch processor. Splitter wolf ridge or easton made. Who would buy the high end of either company instead of a processor? Doing research at this time. Thank you for your time.
 
I have a Wallenstein processor. If you have pecker wood then buy a processor. If you have anything else then buy the Eastonmade. I really don't think the processor is worth the extra cost unless you are just processing loads of same size and straight logs. I do a lot of tops and not worth the time to run them thru the processor. I also do bigger logs and of course they won't fit in the processor. Another case of go big or go home.
 
I have a Wallenstein processor. If you have pecker wood then buy a processor. If you have anything else then buy the Eastonmade. I really don't think the processor is worth the extra cost unless you are just processing loads of same size and straight logs. I do a lot of tops and not worth the time to run them thru the processor. I also do bigger logs and of course they won't fit in the processor. Another case of go big or go home.

Dunno about "pecker wood". There are many models of processors that can do pretty good sized stuff... 24-30" area. Mine will handle about 22", and that's a decent sized chuck of wood.
If your running a processor, your not interested in big knarly yard trees, just as much as not interested in pecker wood.
The idea is to have reasonable uniform logs to feed. Just the same as any wood production outfit, like a sawmill for example.

We do in the area of 750 cords of firewood out of the yard between 2 processors. We have maybe 2-3 cords worth of logs in a year that end up getting hand cut as they are too big or knarly to go through the processors.
 
Will be at Paul bunyan show on Sunday. Just doing research on what next firewood maker I should get. The processors I've been looking at are self loaders. Price low but something that's going to last along time!
 
Choppy, by pecker wood I mean straight, consistent diameter logs. He's talking the entry level processors so likely under 15" diameter cut I assume. Hydraulic self loaders don't like curvy or smooth crooked logs either.
The Hudson Badger is 18" diameter machine with a winch feed. To keep production up you need 18" diameter tree length logs I bet. Says 1 full cord or better per hour. Price is around $18000. 12' conveyor is another $5000.
Dyna 12 cuts 12" with a 15" max with a hydraulic lifter and 8' conveyor included. Approx. $17000. I like the looks of the Dyna machines and the prices seem reasonable for the quality too.
The Dynas jump in price quickly as diameter and output increases.
You have to buy a machine that suits the type of wood you get.
 
My experience is with a TW-6.
The positive: Nicely built machine.
The negative: The design is a separate matter.
Start with the general design.
Tongue is on the right end for a conveyor. (but not removable, or usable on the other end if splitting into a truck or trailer towing the splitter.)
Heavy duty log lift.
Cylinder 3 1/2" rod x 5" x 24" Impressive
Wedge on beam with adjustable four or six way.
20 hp Honda w/electric start.
Pretty standard design often, probably most often copied by home builders.
Name brand flagship machine, with really, really good paint.
Looks beautiful...but how does it function?

Now lets fire it up and actually use it.
The wide wedge uses up much of the tonnage. Poor design.
The four-way is a slip-on design. Easy on/off when needed. Wood also lifts the four-way off at times and it goes tumbling.
The four-way wedge is adjustable up/down. If quartering and pieces need re-split, do the quartering with the wedge less than full height or you will trap them. Less than full height leaves room to lift the four-way to untrap pieces.
The pieces all tip back off the narrow depth of the four-way wedge out of reach.
I believe the log lift has down pressure (don't hold me to that), so watch your toes regardless. For a time I would place the pulp hook in the open tube end of the raised log lift, as it was handy to do. After snapping the second tip in the ground I quite doing that.) There is little room to operate next the hydraulic tank.
Operating on log lift side is not recommended by TW. It's a tight spot, and pinch point if you screw up, or the machine is tilted forward and wood slides sideways towards you on the lift as it is raised.

By comparison there are designs which address most of those issues.
Narrower axles for operator room by the log lift. (Trade off might be road towing.)
Raised log cradles on the beam to allow more down motion of adjustable wedges for the next split, when loaded with wood.
Box wedges to keep the wood on the splitter. (When operating the TW from the log lift side, halving large rounds, one half falls on the ground opposite the log lift. If it is a big piece, it's a pain to deal with. And when your dealing with that, your wrestling wood, not splitting wood.)
Narrower wedges to use the tonnage more efficiently.
Interchangeable wedges, including box wedges that are notched on the bottom lift point, and do not float up and off the machine during a split.
Tongues that can be removed and stowed, or used on the opposite end depending on conditions.
Smaller engines/narrow wedges putting the power and fuel consumption to use more efficiently.

For big wood an adjustable wedge is well worth the money, over non adjustable four-way. It is not about quartering so much, as pulling a few spits off the bottom at a time, kind of box wedge style with the four-way. I had several inches added to the back of my four-way so the wood stayed within reach and sit on top of it, and didn't fall onto the outside table or on the ground.

If your use is for multiple people to run and feed a machine, then many of these observations may not apply, or weigh in as much.
In the end, the TW is gone and the SS stayed.
 
My experience is with a TW-6.
The positive: Nicely built machine.
The negative: The design is a separate matter.
Start with the general design.
Tongue is on the right end for a conveyor. (but not removable, or usable on the other end if splitting into a truck or trailer towing the splitter.)
Heavy duty log lift.
Cylinder 3 1/2" rod x 5" x 24" Impressive
Wedge on beam with adjustable four or six way.
20 hp Honda w/electric start.
Pretty standard design often, probably most often copied by home builders.
Name brand flagship machine, with really, really good paint.
Looks beautiful...but how does it function?

Now lets fire it up and actually use it.
The wide wedge uses up much of the tonnage. Poor design.
The four-way is a slip-on design. Easy on/off when needed. Wood also lifts the four-way off at times and it goes tumbling.
The four-way wedge is adjustable up/down. If quartering and pieces need re-split, do the quartering with the wedge less than full height or you will trap them. Less than full height leaves room to lift the four-way to untrap pieces.
The pieces all tip back off the narrow depth of the four-way wedge out of reach.
I believe the log lift has down pressure (don't hold me to that), so watch your toes regardless. For a time I would place the pulp hook in the open tube end of the raised log lift, as it was handy to do. After snapping the second tip in the ground I quite doing that.) There is little room to operate next the hydraulic tank.
Operating on log lift side is not recommended by TW. It's a tight spot, and pinch point if you screw up, or the machine is tilted forward and wood slides sideways towards you on the lift as it is raised.

By comparison there are designs which address most of those issues.
Narrower axles for operator room by the log lift. (Trade off might be road towing.)
Raised log cradles on the beam to allow more down motion of adjustable wedges for the next split, when loaded with wood.
Box wedges to keep the wood on the splitter. (When operating the TW from the log lift side, halving large rounds, one half falls on the ground opposite the log lift. If it is a big piece, it's a pain to deal with. And when your dealing with that, your wrestling wood, not splitting wood.)
Narrower wedges to use the tonnage more efficiently.
Interchangeable wedges, including box wedges that are notched on the bottom lift point, and do not float up and off the machine during a split.
Tongues that can be removed and stowed, or used on the opposite end depending on conditions.
Smaller engines/narrow wedges putting the power and fuel consumption to use more efficiently.

For big wood an adjustable wedge is well worth the money, over non adjustable four-way. It is not about quartering so much, as pulling a few spits off the bottom at a time, kind of box wedge style with the four-way. I had several inches added to the back of my four-way so the wood stayed within reach and sit on top of it, and didn't fall onto the outside table or on the ground.

If your use is for multiple people to run and feed a machine, then many of these observations may not apply, or weigh in as much.
In the end, the TW is gone and the SS stayed.
At the end, I think you summed it up best. It is a machine beat run by 2 or even 3 people. 2 is good but when I have 2 guys moving rounds and splits and I’m on the handle, I can split a ton of wood fast.
 
How much wood are you doing a year? What kind of wood are you getting? Theres a million questions that need answered to make a educated decision. We had a timberwolf TW-5 for a couple years before we switched over to the Powersplit. We got our powersplit used and was to good a deal to pass up. I also have 3 guys now that need something to do in the winter time so for me the power split makes sense. 2 guys splitting, one guy stocking and moving bags. Even if I was a one man operation I would go with a single power split over the Eastonmade or Wolf Ridge. Less set up time, your body takes less of a beating with the power split as well. The quality control of the splits is far superior over any of the mentioned machines. It all depends on how serious you are about producing wood. On the processor end, I think unless you are willing to spend the big bucks, 50 to 100 grand, all the other entry level processors are just that, entry level. I would take the power split over any entry level processor any day. I think the smaller/cheaper machines all have their short comings that would drive me nuts because you tried to save some money. That and what kind of support equipment do you have? If you have a processor but no way to move logs and or load up the splits whats the point.
 
Thank you everybody for all replys. Have a super split copy now, from amish guy in ohio. Mostly just me doing the firewood. Designing a bucking trailer also. So it's easier to buck up the logs. T. Mainus I have looked at the power splitter, there very pricey compared to the wolf's ridge and easton made log splitters. Again thank you for the replys.
 

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