Do yourself a big favor, and forget the troybuilt or any similar made splitter.
Watch craigslist, and scoop up a timberwolf TW-1 or TW-2.
You want one of them, or a similar made machine with a 4 way splitting wedge. The kind (like troybuilt) with the wedge on the ram SUCK.
They are purely homeowner amature machines. Great for doing 6 cord a year.
Trust me on this.
What WTF??
I got the TB, and the only thing I found to be a pain was the weak log cradle.And I dont crank out only six cords of wood a year.More in the neighborhood of 40 cords a year.Been using that splitter for 4 years now, and not a thing to complain about.I have the 27 ton model, and after dropping a 4way wedge on the thing I can crank out some wood with that thing.
I modded mine with a full table instead of the log cradle and production is pretty good.Honda engine cranks on third pull after sitting there all winter with fresh fuel,engine is quiet enough to endure for long periods of time,and absolutely nothing else to complain about.
Log splitters are simple machines really.Not a lot of moving parts,and as long as they meet certain criteria most of them are decent machines.
Here is what I would look for if looking for a new machine.
Is it comfortable?Do you have to bend over to use it?are the controls easy to reach,tires and fenders out of the way?
Are parts easy to obtain or interchangeable with other models?In other words,if your valve goes tits up, can you just swap out with a standard log splitting valve or do you have to buy a "factory" branded part?
Warranty!What do they do for you if the valve leaks,make you wait a year for a new one to show up on a slow boat from China?How long is the warranty, and do they make a disclaimer between commercial and homeowner?
Major parts like wedge,ram,beam, and toe plate.Are they built stout and are the welds done correctly?There have been a number of complaints about crappy welds on Speeco lately.
Do the Tonnage ratings match up to the components.In other words, do they claim its a 27 ton and it comes with a 5hp engine and a 3 inch cylinder?
Cycly times.If they advertise it a 12 second cycle time,does it really do that?Name of the game for any splitter is strength and speed.27 tons and 14 seconds is good for most folks,especially if you can outfit it with a 4way wedge.
And last but not least,what about its rep?Do a search on the boards here, and I am fairly sure that no matter what type of machine you are looking at,someone around here has one, operated one,or knows someone who has one.
For the dollars involved, I have found that the Troy Built machine is plenty good.with a 4way head and a good table bolted on it will hold its own against anything in the same price range.Buying a used splitter is a crap shoot.You might find a real gem for a decent price,but then again you might find one that has never had its oil changed, hydralic filter is the same factory one,and in the case of a close friend that looked at one off of craigslist, spent a significant amount of its time running with the governor wired wide open because as the guy put it, "Shoot,it will really spit out the wood with that thingy wired down."
