My Super Splitter is here at last!!!

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

wishiwasdiving

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
May 22, 2010
Messages
31
Reaction score
4
Location
Oregon
Ok guys,
Here's the run down. I BAUGHT THIS STRICTLY OFF OF A.S. MEMBERS RECOMMENDATIONS AND YOU TUBE VIDEOS. I knew no one who had one I could touch or watch in person. I just went for it. Paul from SS was great to work with. He actually tried to sell me the base model saying I probably didn't need the HD! But come on! Everyone needs the HD!!! So I spent the extra and got the HD with the Subaru 6.0.
It took him almost 2 weeks before he actually shipped it, which would have been fine but he insinuated that it would go right out. I was just anxious I guess. When it did get shipped it cost $400 to get here to Oregon. I had the option of shipping it to my own commercial business (must have loading dock and fork lift) or shipping to a local terminal. He checked price differences for me and said they were both about the same so I shipped it to my buddies shop for safe keeping. Shipping only took 4 days!

I included a couple pics of the SS on its shipping pallet. When we went to put it together the first thing we noticed was..."Man this thing is heavy!!!." It took my buddy and I together to assemble it. Speaking of assembling it, We looked all over the crate for the nuts and bolts bag and found it nowhere! I made a whole shopping list of what we needed to go get to finish it when I finally decided to look in the Subaru box. I figured that this came sealed from the manufacturer and wouldn't have SS parts in it but sure enough it had been carefully opened and all my wonderful little parts and the directions were stuffed inside! Glad I didn't run to Ace! I'm not the sharpest axe in the shed! It is bigger and way better built than it looks like on the videos. It's no toy. It can be moved around by one person but way easier with two.

Once it was finally put together we oiled her and fueled her and with one good pull she came right to life! Oh ya baby!!!! First thought was turn her up! But she was already at full speed! Man is she quiet for a gas powered motor. Now for some wood!

I have a bunch of white Oak. Nothing really big but several with knotts! The Oak was about 16 inches through and fairly heavy to pick up. Once on the table I lined her up and pulled the button and bam!!! Piece of cake! In fact I could turn it down to half speed and still cuts like butter. Now for some knots. The very first challenging piece shut the SS down instantly! I was very disappointed! What a let down! Well I started it back up and fired again. It hit it hard, went 3/4 through it then bogged down. At least it didn't shut down. I tapped it one more time and it went all the way through. I threw another knurly one up there and it went half way through this time and then bogged down and so I hit it again and whamo! Success! So I learned that it will go through one or two knots on one hit and 3 or 4 knots in a row need two hits. So it will take you 6 seconds on really knotty wood instead of three... Oh darn! It's not scared of knotts or twists, just takes an extra wack. As for the shut down? Once the belts got broke in it hasn't done it again. It just kind of stops short and you just pull the knob again and your through.

Things I dont like about it...

Very top heavy!

Wheels to close together, which doesn't help the fact that it is top heavy.

Difficult to move around. She is built tough! And tough is heavy and heavy is hard to move.

It doesn't have a hitch. Since it's not easy to move I'd like to drag it down to the field behind my 4 wheeler but that isn't an option (yet). And if it was then the wheels are to close together (for now) and the SS will want to tip over out in the field.

What I like...

The SS!!!

The table is A MUST!!!

More power than needed 90% of the time.

Very well built.

Just the right working level. I don't have to bend over while working on it.

It is a blast to run. Makes splitting wood FUN! As fun as splitting wood can be, that is!!!


Final Recommendation: WORTH EVERY SINGLE PRETTY PENNY!!!:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:
 
:cheers: Congratulations on your purchase. I am sure you wont be dissappointed. I have had mine a month or better now, and it just keeps getting better. You'll learn the best lines for splitting, and stalls will be less frequent if ever. I agree the machine is a little top heavy, but still plenty stable and in no danger of dumping over. Try to lift it from one side. I'm not sure that moving the wheeels apart would do anything for the design. I kind of like them as they as as it requires less room in my shop to store. The number one complaint I have heard about the machine is that it can be difficult to move. The front leg unbolts, and with a little fab work a new L-shape leg, or folding leg with trailer hitch could be added. That would allow you to move it around the yard easier. Other than that I have zero complaints. Mine starts first pull, runs quiet, and works hard.


:clap:
 
I'm glad you like it. Mine came with a trailer hitch. They are heavy they weigh around 450 pounds. I can move it about anywhere I want. I lift form the table end and let the table hit me right in the lower stomach. Then push with your legs. It's a lot easier to move like this. When I have to move it any distance I get the forks out for the skid steer and lift it. I have found the perfect spot to lift it. It fits in a set of forks great. Like guns said when you get more time on it you'll learn what will stall it and it won't happen as much.

Scott
 
I posted pics! Why are they not here? When I started the thread I uploaded two pics. What did I do wrong. Is the a secret hand shake or something???
 
KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF THE END OF THAT WOOD!!!! Looks like you came pretty close to losing some fingers in that vid.....:confused::cry:
 
attachment.php


attachment.php
 
Isaac- Thanks for lookin out for me! I need all the help I can get!!! I'll work on it.

Cat- How did you get my pics to come up like that??? Whats the trick??? Oh, and thank you!!!:cheers:
 
Nice pix and vid

Don't mean to pee on parades
But looking at the type of wood you are splitting

Have you seen the vid of the guy using a fiskars with a bungee around the round

He gives about 10 quick whacks per round and with significantly less effort, time and fuel, he splits lots more wood, especially in last minute or so where he uses bungee on round that has no big knots
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoAOYLMU1Wc

As said above, not elm or oak where he could not duplicate;
but on the 'pottery clay' type stuff I'm for muscle not machine
 
Have you seen the vid of the guy using a fiskars with a bungee around the round

Unless you're John Henry, you're not going to win a production competition between a Super Split and a Super Splitter. You can't keep up the pace hand splitting for prolonged periods. I have more time then money so I use the Fiskars :)

Friend inherited one of these, didn't realize what he had at first till another uncle told him. He splits & stacks 1 cord/hour of oak between himself and two 12 year olds. And we're talking suburbanites, not farm boys.
 
Nice pix and vid

Don't mean to pee on parades
But looking at the type of wood you are splitting

Have you seen the vid of the guy using a fiskars with a bungee around the round

He gives about 10 quick whacks per round and with significantly less effort, time and fuel, he splits lots more wood, especially in last minute or so where he uses bungee on round that has no big knots
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoAOYLMU1Wc

As said above, not elm or oak where he could not duplicate;
but on the 'pottery clay' type stuff I'm for muscle not machine

Show me the video again with the guy five hours into a ten hour day of spltting wood....:cheers:
 
Nice pix and vid

Don't mean to pee on parades
But looking at the type of wood you are splitting

Have you seen the vid of the guy using a fiskars with a bungee around the round

He gives about 10 quick whacks per round and with significantly less effort, time and fuel, he splits lots more wood, especially in last minute or so where he uses bungee on round that has no big knots
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoAOYLMU1Wc

As said above, not elm or oak where he could not duplicate;
but on the 'pottery clay' type stuff I'm for muscle not machine

In the vid I'm splitting white oak, far from ""pottery clay"! As for hand splitting, I did 15 rounds in just over nine minutes with the SS. I'd have no chance of doing that with just an axe and sustaining that pace. Just not burley enough I guess!
 
Nice splitter. How does it do on gnarly crotch and limb knot pieces?


This keeps getting asked, and I ask who splits crotches and knots..? They get sawed out and tossed in the chunk pile before they ever get to the splitter. I never split them when I was running my hyd splitter. You never see a crotch or knot in a TW or I&O production splitter video.
 
I'm glad to here you are happy with the splitter. Stay safe and keep your hands off the ends of the log as much as possible. Did you ever solve the autocycle problem?

If I find some time I will separate out some knotty wood and crotches and make a video.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top