Any Newer Timberwolf HD Log Splitters Out There?

[rpjp3]

Hi,

Are there any users of the 2020 or 2021 Timberwolf TW-2HD or TW-5HD log splitters here on the forum? I have a one on order and it would be great to hear owner feedback on build quality, performance, and maintenance.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Wood Hound]

Years ago, i had the TW-2HD Would split most what i put on it, but it was too low to the ground, killed my back...

 

[rpjp3]

Years ago, i had the TW-2HD Would split most what i put on it, but it was too low to the ground, killed my back...

I’ve seen videos of the old models, and I can imagine. The newer platform definitely looks taller.

 

[Wood Hound]

The alpha 6 is an interesting looking machine...

 

[CUCV]

I can't wait to see some video and reviews of new splitters. I like a lot of the updates they did on the machines. One big negative for me is they are really setup to only be run from one side of the machine.

 

[Wood Hound]

 

[rpjp3]

Video on the HD line...

 

[panolo]

That wedge moves a lot. Someone on here had the alpha 6 but I don't remember who. One thing I heard about it is that is awfully slow in tough wood.

 

[rpjp3]

That wedge moves a lot. Someone on here had the alpha 6 but I don't remember who. One thing I heard about it is that is awfully slow in tough wood.

The Timberwolf messaging is that it’s intentional to allow it to follow the grain of the wood. I don’t know if that’s a good strategy or not, but I imagine they could have designed one that locked in had they wanted to do so. It’s quite heavy and deep into the machine so I can’t see the risk of it coming out unintentionally.

 

[panolo]

I don't see it coming out either but it looked like it just was the size of the split that dictated the movement. Would def create some more resplits. I'd like to see one in person and give it a try.

 

[CUCV]

I'm in the middle of a possible trade for my TW5 for another splitter that is similar to the TW5 but is like new. I ran several cord thru the other splitter over the weekend in 36" dia wood. My #1 take away was that I love the floating wedge on my TW5 vs the fixed wedge on the other splitter. The other splitter has a hydraulically adjustable wedge but it doesn't float. The non-floating wedge may be a deal killer. This swap is just a short stop measure before building one or getting an Eastonmade.
I can't imagine throwing logs into the splitter all day long like shown in the video, especially logs that are just small enough that you don't use the lift. I'm not liking how much you have to bend over and reach in to adjust mis-aligned logs.

 

[panolo]

@CUCV Can you explain why you like the floating wedge so much more, please?

 

[CUCV]

Given the diameter of the wood I was splitting, all the pieces of wood below the 4 way had to be resplit. Since the wedge didn't float the bottom two pieces were almost always stuck below the wedge wings and I-beam. So in some instances I had to push them thru with the next log and chase after them. I could lift the wedge, clear them, lower the wedge and continue on but that took time. In the worst instances I would load the next 24" long log (or resplit) and the stuck pieces would not be cleared enough for the next log to sit on the beam.

 

[Big_Eddy]

The floating wedge allows for movement upwards when splitting a piece with a knot or branch or twisted grain - allows the wedge to follow the grain instead of having to slice through the grain to keep the lower split at the same height. The downside of a floating wedge is that it may continue to creep upwards over time, resulting in the the lower splits getting larger and larger and larger. This happens when the lower split stays under the wing keeping it up a bit, then the next one pushes it up and stays under pushing it up a bit more ..... Eventually you need to toss a small one in there to clear out under the wedge and let it drop back to the original setting. It makes for easier splitting and cleaner splits too.


I was very impressed with how well the splitter centered the rounds. The slight slope on each side was enough to bring the rounds into the center = every time. My home made splitter was made with a deep trough for that reason - but my slopes are much steeper, making it a much higher lift to get rounds in. Seeing that in action - I could have gone lower on the sides.

He sure made a heck of a lot of firewood in the 12 minutes I watched. Clearly he has had practice tossing those rounds.

 

[rpjp3]

The floating wedge allows for movement upwards when splitting a piece with a knot or branch or twisted grain - allows the wedge to follow the grain instead of having to slice through the grain to keep the lower split at the same height. The downside of a floating wedge is that it may continue to creep upwards over time, resulting in the the lower splits getting larger and larger and larger. This happens when the lower split stays under the wing keeping it up a bit, then the next one pushes it up and stays under pushing it up a bit more ..... Eventually you need to toss a small one in there to clear out under the wedge and let it drop back to the original setting. It makes for easier splitting and cleaner splits too.


I was very impressed with how well the splitter centered the rounds. The slight slope on each side was enough to bring the rounds into the center = every time. My home made splitter was made with a deep trough for that reason - but my slopes are much steeper, making it a much higher lift to get rounds in. Seeing that in action - I

He sure made a heck of a lot of firewood in the 12 minutes I watched. Clearly he has had practice tossing those rounds.

That’s good feedback. Thank you.

They also have a speed test video for the same splitter, and he split 1.2 cords in 37 mins by himself. There are certainly machines with faster cycle times, but thsee models seem good if not great in that regard.

I too like the ability to easily get a round centered without having to hold it in place.

 

[rpjp3]

I'm in the middle of a possible trade for my TW5 for another splitter that is similar to the TW5 but is like new. I ran several cord thru the other splitter over the weekend in 36" dia wood. My #1 take away was that I love the floating wedge on my TW5 vs the fixed wedge on the other splitter. The other splitter has a hydraulically adjustable wedge but it doesn't float. The non-floating wedge may be a deal killer. This swap is just a short stop measure before building one or getting an Eastonmade.
I can't imagine throwing logs into the splitter all day long like shown in the video, especially logs that are just small enough that you don't use the lift. I'm not liking how much you have to bend over and reach in to adjust mis-aligned logs.

Eastonmade makes great looking machines. The year wait to get one takes some serious commitment though

 

[rpjp3]

This is the only customer posting videos of this model that I have been able to find. Unfortunately, the camera angle is less than ideal. You can still see the same easy centering of rounds though.