Kiwi, you're confused because you don't get out enough and breathe some oxygen - too busy trying to spark trouble on your computer!
I'll try to answer in simple language that even you can understand.
1. $4000 quoted isn't cheap at all, it's expensive in my opinion. I would be trying to get that price down for quantity, and because I would have to add a margin.
2. There are no DRs in Aus as you well know, so the importer's opinion (they import DRs other equipment) is just that, they may well handle our timber, but how does anyone know without using one?
3. In my opinion, a 'decent' splitter doesn't wear out belts and springs, or have the ram head fall off, or break rack teeth, or shake so much it won't stay in one place, all reported occurances for Speeco and Drs on this thread! So to enlarge on that SS MAY be a decent splitter, how would I know - just by reading what others say about them.
4.The cheapest Split-Fire portable is $5379 in Aus. but if you average it out over a lifetime of splitting, it isn't expensive, just a fair price for an excellent machine.
5. I think I've explained this as much as I can, so this is the last post for me on this thread within the thread!
Como, there is nothing special about our gum trees, they are rotton old twisty grain, knotted, stringy wood that often resists splitting and then goes off with a bang. But it burns well! We'd love to have some of the straight grained wood you Americans have.