New SpeedPro Kinetic Log Splitter from TSC...

[jtmcclain]

The shop owner told me that he replaced the rack on one machine 6 times until he replaced the pinion, then no more problems.

This guy is going to get me the parts under warranty, per speeco. "Authorized service centers" are currently the only way to get parts as far as I know. He got his two machines from TSC.

 

[Teddy.Scout]

Dang,
Were do you find a service center.
I know where there are 2 machines CHEAP, but if parts are NA is it even worth it?

 

[jtmcclain]

I emailed speeco and asked. I am also trying to figure out how to retrofit a commercially bought rack and pinion on this machine. I don't trust the new parts from speeco. Heck they may not even give me new parts even through the service center. Still waiting to hear back.

 

[csmith]

Dang,
Were do you find a service center.
I know where there are 2 machines CHEAP, but if parts are NA is it even worth it?

go to speeco website and type in your zip code

 

[jtmcclain]

Just took in an old rack to the tool and die shop at work to check with their gauges. It is an 8 pitch 20 degree rack. McMaster Carr carries this size.

 

[21ACREWOODS]

Speedpro is awesome

Dang,
Were do you find a service center.
I know where there are 2 machines CHEAP, but if parts are NA is it even worth it?

What's cheap? I am interested in info on getting a hold of these 2.

Recently I bought 4 from the scrap yard. Made some mods and resold. These machines are incredibly sought after by the capable man who is tired of "slow motion" splitting. They are so simple in design that a capable man won't let unavailability of factory parts take one of these splitters out of service. With the correct amount of know-how and ambition all parts are repairable or remakeable.

go Speedpro!!!!!!!

 

[csmith]

What's cheap? I am interested in info on getting a hold of these 2.

Recently I bought 4 from the scrap yard. Made some mods and resold. These machines are incredibly sought after by the capable man who is tired of "slow motion" splitting. They are so simple in design that a capable man won't let unavailability of factory parts take one of these splitters out of service. With the correct amount of know-how and ambition all parts are repairable or remakeable.

go Speedpro!!!!!!!

I replaced the clutch pulley with a "dr" . I have split 2 hours with zero problems . Some splits took as many as 5 hits . Clutch slipped , no disengagements. No other modifications. All wood was hickory . I think it is fixed.It is a shame speeco couldn't fix this.

 

[KiwiBro]

70 pages on this thread, 34 pages on the DR thread.

Why not every poster on both threads chip in $100 to buy a share in a collective venture to produce a kinetic splitter prototype? The skills and experience is there. Appoint a few knowledgeable, capable people to 'get er done' on an all care no responsibility basis, and see what comes out of it?

 

[Hddnis]

Why not every poster on both threads chip in $100 to buy a share in a collective venture to produce a kinetic splitter prototype? The skills and experience is there. Appoint a few knowledgeable, capable people to 'get er done' on an all care no responsibility basis, and see what comes out of it?

I've got most the parts to put one together now. I'm planning to steal all the best ideas from the two threads and get it set up for my operation.

Road towable, I want to be able to move it down the highway.
Log lift. Not totally sure on this, I've got hydro splitters to bust up big chunks, but it might be nice to have anyway.
Four way wedge. Flip of a lever to raise it up or drop it down.
Lower center of gravity for sure. Really steep country around here. SS is tippy.
Outfeed conveyor, probably fairly short, but enought to pile or load a one ton dump.

There are a few other things that I'm toying with ideas for, but not sure yet. I can make it better for my use, but I don't want to make a swiss monkey. It has to work and not be complicated.

So, you all send that money this way and I'll share video when I'm done.:msp_biggrin:

At the end of the day though you have SS, a couple of copies, and one chicom contraption. The SS is great for homeowners, really don't see much that needs improving there. Production guys even find SS some of the most productive around in the right system. My goal is to get as many cords as possible from a worker in a day. There are ways to improve a kinetic splitter to make them work even faster producing the kind of firewood I produce.

Probably be a late winter project. Not enough snow yet so I'm stuck doing other things for now.



Mr. HE

 

[mrnecsteve]

I have never seen one of this type of splitter in operation ,until I saw the videos. I'll stick with my 20 year old MTD hydraulic for a number of reasons.
1 two stage hydraulics are not as slow as depicted in the videos ,even on my humble 5 hp powered unit.
2 my splitter operates both vertical and horizontal,there is NO way I would allow myself to get stuck with picking logs up off the ground to put them on a deck. The logs I split and use are 24 inch length minimum ,green and HEAVY.
3 It is rare that my hydraulic needs a full stroke as depicted in the video. Green oak usually splits full length with just 7-8 in travel.

 

[philwillmt]

Why not every poster on both threads chip in $100 to buy a share in a collective venture to produce a kinetic splitter prototype? The skills and experience is there. Appoint a few knowledgeable, capable people to 'get er done' on an all care no responsibility basis, and see what comes out of it?

I'm in...let's do it!

 

[Hddnis]

I have never seen one of this type of splitter in operation ,until I saw the videos. I'll stick with my 20 year old MTD hydraulic for a number of reasons.
1 two stage hydraulics are not as slow as depicted in the videos ,even on my humble 5 hp powered unit.
2 my splitter operates both vertical and horizontal,there is NO way I would allow myself to get stuck with picking logs up off the ground to put them on a deck. The logs I split and use are 24 inch length minimum ,green and HEAVY.
3 It is rare that my hydraulic needs a full stroke as depicted in the video. Green oak usually splits full length with just 7-8 in travel.

Your reasons are not as valid as you think they are. The videos comparing the two types of splitters are dead on with production rates. You need to go time your ram speed and production rate for yourself. Better yet, take a video and show us how fast you are. Using a four way wedge will help you some. Guys with hydro units feel good at the end of the day putting up a few cords of wood. A kinetic splitter can do that in a few hours.

Between no splitter and a basic hydro unit I'll take the hydro over an axe. But you are never going to match production of a kinetic splitter.

Hydro has a place; they are not going away any time soon. I'm building one right now myself. Of course, it isn't a basic hydro at all, and that's all I'm going to say about that for now. :msp_wink:

I guess in the end if you have a hydro and you are happy, great, good for you. But you can't say "I own X and therefore I know it is better than Y" Guys that own both know better.



Mr. HE

 

[Hddnis]

I'm in...let's do it!

We are kicking this idea around a bit.

My thinking is that when a person puts out money they need to know what they are getting. If there is a chance they get nothing than they need to know that up front.

As mentioned I'm building one with many of the mentioned upgrades. It won't be cheap, but it is set up for commercial production. I'm getting input from several in the business from all over the globe.

I suggested in a PM with another member that maybe the money would be for a set of plans of the finished unit. I guess if I were chipping in money I'd want to know what I got for it.

One idea is that there are websites to facilitate this kind of thing. Used mostly by students. I'll look into it and post back in a day or so what I find.

Just thinking out loud here.



Mr. HE

 

[daleeper]

Well I have saved one from the scrap heap, and will need to construct a head for it. Anyone care to send me the proper dimensions for it?

I would also like to see photos of how the return springs are fastened on the moving end of the ram, and photos of the cam lock mechanism under the guarding so that I can check mine to make sure everything is there and in proper order.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[mrnecsteve]

Your reasons are not as valid as you think they are. The videos comparing the two types of splitters are dead on with production rates. You need to go time your ram speed and production rate for yourself. Better yet, take a video and show us how fast you are. Using a four way wedge will help you some. Guys with hydro units feel good at the end of the day putting up a few cords of wood. A kinetic splitter can do that in a few hours.

I have yet to find logs stacked in neat rows ,ready to be fed into a splitter as in the sales video.
How do you know what guys with hydro units are feeling?

Between no splitter and a basic hydro unit I'll take the hydro over an axe. But you are never going to match production of a kinetic splitter.

I dont care if a splitter was powered like a rail gun and split it 10 milliseconds as opposed to 5 seconds. If the wood has to be lifted OFF the ground by hand to feed the splitter, it it will not increase my production.It will slow me down and break my back lifting 20-30 inch wet logs

Hydro has a place; they are not going away any time soon. I'm building one right now myself. Of course, it isn't a basic hydro at all, and that's all I'm going to say about that for now. :msp_wink:

I guess in the end if you have a hydro and you are happy, great, good for you. But you can't say "I own X and therefore I know it is better than Y" Guys that own both know better.

I can say pretty much whatever I want...I dont need your approval.


Mr. HE

Why would I want to make a video?
( I am not a sales guy and I am not selling anything.)

 

[Dozer Man]

Why would I want to make a video?
( I am not a sales guy and I am not selling anything.)

I used to split from the knees. I actually found ArboristSite by researching this exact issue... Splitting verticle or horizontal, which is better?. And after much research, believe it or not, I found horizontal is the preferred method of most. Search the threads, you might find different.

Save the great big stuff to be quartered by the old hydro (actually nobody wants to run it anymore).
My back and knees feel alot better after a day's splitting horizontally. 2-3 seconds of lifting, with the knees not the back, and well the rest is kinda fun. The added fact that using a "kinetic splitter" means that I get 2-3 times the wood split in the same amount of time... priceless.

 

[sunfish]

I used to split from the knees. I actually found ArboristSite by researching this exact issue... Splitting verticle or horizontal, which is better?. And after much research, believe it or not, I found horizontal is the preferred method of most. Search the threads, you might find different.

Save the great big stuff to be quartered by the old hydro (actually nobody wants to run it anymore).
My back and knees feel alot better after a day's splitting horizontally. 2-3 seconds of lifting, with the knees not the back, and well the rest is kinda fun. The added fact that using a "kinetic splitter" means that I get 2-3 times the wood split in the same amount of time... priceless.

Working the SS w/work table, standing up straight is priceless. :msp_biggrin:

I load rounds in my truck by hand, if I can't pick em up, they get noodled, or split in half or quartered...

Edit to add; My point is if I load by hand into truck, it's no problem loading onto the SS. by hand...

 

[Hddnis]

Why would I want to make a video?
( I am not a sales guy and I am not selling anything.)

What you have to sell here is your claims you made. If you have a really fast and easy way to put up wood with a hydro there are many people that can learn from you since they own hydro splitters too. Many will keep what they have for any number of reasons, if they can increase production that would only be a good thing.

So, that is the positive side.

The negative is that you made a claim, now you back it up or lose respect.



Mr. HE

 

[21ACREWOODS]

new some head

Well I have saved one from the scrap heap, and will need to construct a head for it. Anyone care to send me the proper dimensions for it?

I would also like to see photos of how the return springs are fastened on the moving end of the ram, and photos of the cam lock mechanism under the guarding so that I can check mine to make sure everything is there and in proper order.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

I just made 4 of these heads. I can save you bunches of time! Better yet..I'll make you one. It'll be "bolt on" ready, $440 plus shipping from OH.

 

[mrnecsteve]

What you have to sell here is your claims you made. If you have a really fast and easy way to put up wood with a hydro there are many people that can learn from you since they own hydro splitters too. Many will keep what they have for any number of reasons, if they can increase production that would only be a good thing.

So, that is the positive side.

The negative is that you made a claim, now you back it up or lose respect.



Mr. HE

No...the video made a claim about drastically increased production and the video has things favoring their setup.
The most subtle thing is the apparent lack of a two stage hydraulic system on the demo hydraulic unit. On my unit the head does not move anywhere near that slow until it contacts the wood.I dont know about other hydro units
The most obvious thing in that video is neatly pre stacked logs ,that are off the ground. The stacking of logs should be counted into overall "productivity" . When I buck logs,they fall to the ground and stay on the ground until I stack the finished pieces. The majority of wood that I split is 12-14 inch white and red oak at 24 inch lengths (as my stove burns 28 inch logs) If i switched to splitting short logs as demo'ed, my bucking time would almost double, I would have to handle almost twice as many pieces to stack and to load up my stove. I dont see any near 30 inch long logs in that video. I dont see any one hefting them onto the horizontal splitter either.
I do see a hydro unit needing to do full strokes in the video ,when in my reality ,its almost never required.I dont (purposely) buck short logs.
A table of calculated logweights from woodweb dot com is in order.

Species: Oak, White Small End Diameter: 12.00 Large End Diameter: 12.00 Length: 1.00' Quantity: 1.00 Estimated Weight: 52
Species: Oak, White Small End Diameter: 12.00 Large End Diameter: 12.00 Length: 2.00' Quantity: 1.00 Estimated Weight: 104
Species: Yellow-poplar Small End Diameter: 12.00 Large End Diameter: 12.00 Length: 1.00' Quantity: 1.00 Estimated Weight: 35
Species: Oak, White Small End Diameter: 14.00 Large End Diameter: 14.00 Length: 2.00' Quantity: 1.00 Estimated Weight: 140
Folks should consider what they will be lifting and splitting before buying a unit that will not lower
its base to the ground.
Do you really want to pass on larger tree sizes because the log is too heavy
to lift by yourself? Do you really want to cut the entire length of all the larger logs so that you are able to lift it to split it?
Where is the productivity saveing in that?