Cost effective to build own splitter?

[4seasons]

back to the topic

I built my own.

I dont have to much into it, the engine was free, cylinder 6" er was $50, beam was free, valve was about $100, pump was around $150, there is about $200 into the hydraulic hoses and fittings (that #### aint cheap) wedge was about $30 with a 4-way slip on for $100. Then the wire and gas for the welder.

So I have right around $600 in mine. And that isn't including the hours I spent building it, and the hours I spent chasing parts. Oh yea, and the torch gas to cut because something wasnt right.

So yea $1000 for a already built splitter aint bad. If I had to do it all over again, thats what I would do.

Free engine and beam, steal on the cylinder and doing you own welding, you can come out cheaper. But if you have to buy those, $400 engine, $250 cylinder, $100 beam (this # may be off a bit, haven't priced steel) that takes the $600 up to $1300 then add up the cost of welding. (even if you have a buddy doing it for you, still time and gas to haul it over and explain what goes were and haul it home again) Then you have a lot of engineering and building time involved as well. So can you build a better splitter for $1500 than you can buy for the same price? Maybe, if you know what you want and have the time and knowledge to put it together. But for the amount of splitting your talking about, the $1000 Huskee/ SpeeCo will do all you need for less money than you can build one.

 

[PLAYINWOOD]

Greetings, a newbie here.


Im looking for a horizontal/vertical splitter, we heat with a Lopi revere and for the past few years have rented a splitter, but the place we rented it from is outta biz and Home Despot, the only other place that rents them nearby charges double the price for the exact same machine, over $100 a day.

So its time to buy or build.

Cant find a deal on a used one, I guess no one ever sells a splitter huh?

Anyhoo, the 22 ton for $999 at Tractor Supply will do us fine.

But at that price is it even worth it to build your own?

I have a friend that is a great welder & fabber that will do it for a friendly fee.

Even getting the matls at scrap prices and the welding done cheap The pump, cylinder, valve, engine & oil, add up quick.

Hi Roundhouse, up here we did the cost comparison and we figured we could save about $400
To build it the way I wanted it we figured 40 hours to layout, fab and paint...

Hows your math ?

 

[TJ-Bill]

I just added up my rebuild and I started with pretty much a finished (yet very old) splitter minus an engine and I have about $1250 into it including the cost of the splitter and I'm still not up and running yet. Plus if you add in the cost of the parts I got for free I'd be well over $2000. It's not even a big splitter either.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Free engine and beam, steal on the cylinder and doing you own welding, you can come out cheaper. But if you have to buy those, $400 engine, $250 cylinder, $100 beam (this # may be off a bit, haven't priced steel) that takes the $600 up to $1300 then add up the cost of welding. (even if you have a buddy doing it for you, still time and gas to haul it over and explain what goes were and haul it home again) Then you have a lot of engineering and building time involved as well. So can you build a better splitter for $1500 than you can buy for the same price? Maybe, if you know what you want and have the time and knowledge to put it together. But for the amount of splitting your talking about, the $1000 Huskee/ SpeeCo will do all you need for less money than you can build one.

:agree2:

But where can you get a decent engine for $400?

 

[4seasons]

:agree2:

But where can you get a decent engine for $400?

Northern Tool sells their Powerhorse Brand Honda clone 414 cc/ 12 hp for $399

Smallenginewarehouse.com sells a 6.5 Honda for under $400 or you can get a 11 hp Briggs or Robin for that price. Kinda depends on how much power you need for your pump to get the speed you want.

If you really need a lot of power and your pump can run vertical I see used riding mowers from 12 to 20 hp for sale in local papers for $300-1000 all the time.

 

[motoman3b]

I got a good deal on used splitter paid 100 bucks and it was running last year according to the guy but it was a cobbled up unit with a older datsun motor rigged to a backhoe pump. But it did have a hydraulic lift arm and a newer 4.5" cylinder. Plus it was made real heavy duty. Without accounting for money I'll get from the old motor and other stuff I torched off I have exactly 532 bucks into it. I couldnt build it for that but if you watch craigslist deals can be had if you dont want to shell out 1k+ for a new one

Here's a link to my rebuild
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=145630

Goodluck however you decide to go it will be worth it!

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

a cobbled up unit with a older datsun motor rigged to a backhoe pump. But it did have a hydraulic lift arm and a newer 4.5" cylinder. Plus it was made real heavy duty.

That's just wrong. All that power and only a 4.5" cylinder?

 

[daddy]

I'll cast another vote to just buy it.
I am a good weldor, and almost always "build my own".
In this case the numbers just did not make sense. I have better projects to work on than one that will not save me any money.
I have a huskee 22 ton from TSC. Works great. Splits crotches fine.
I have a buddy who has the same one, his is older. Probably 6 yrs. now.
No problems. We both run synthetic oil in the little briggs.

 

[roundhouse]

Picked up the 22 ton one from TSC yesterday.

CLosest TSC is about 50 miles away from me, but I was going by there anyway to another jobsite anyway.

Only thing I dont like is the handle on the right, puts it on the same side as the engine, at least the muffler doesnt blow right into your face like on some other models.

The horiziontal models just wont work for me.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

I think you'll be glad you did!

 

[roundhouse]

I think you'll be glad you did!

Be nice to be able to split a couple hours here and there instead of killing myself to get it done in one day so I can get the rented one back in time.
And at $95 a day to rent its just not worth it.

If it were like a bobcat or mini ex rental, IE: the daily rate is 1/100 of the cost of the unit, a splitter would rent for $15 a day and Id never consider buying one!

 

[AIM]

I think a lot of people build their own just because they want to.
I haven't built a splitter yet but I have quite a few items sitting around that I built for twice the money I could have bought one for.

 

[jayhawkinmi]

another thing I considered

I pieced mine together and had my neighbor fabricate it for me. My reasoning in building one rather than buying from TSC was based on the ability to buy exactly the parts I wanted---except for the Honda engine all made in the USA---and the opportunity to spread my money around rather than deposit it in one spot.

I gave money to my neighbor who fabricated the splitter which supports his family and his employee; gave money to my local hardware store for hoses and connections; and when I bought my steel beam, ram and some hydraulic hoses/connections, gave money to a guy struggling to make ends meet.

With parts and paying for fabrication I think I have $900 into the splitter and I love it.

 

[gpsman007]

I am building one right now

I did not care for the 1000 dollar log splitter and I absoutly did not want a horz-vert splitter so that left me with a timber wolf, or a wallenstein were the two I had narrowed my choices down to. both are priced over 2K and with options getting close to three. So I decided that I could build one like I wanted for less

Beam I picked up at local machine shop 35 dollars
cylinder 4x20x2 $159 dollars form surpless online dealer
pump and valve form on line dealer 200 bucks
engine used one I got for free
old pull behind diesel generator for frame and axel 125 bucks
tires 80 bucks
misc 300 bucks
bought a new cool tool 200 amp mig welder 500 bucks
1300 bucks total and the fun of building it the way I want it
plus from the scrap copper and steel I will get back a couple hunderd from the generator.
I will make it the way I want it with all the features I want but if all you want is a cheap log splitter then go with the 999 speeco.

A buddy of mine has a 22 ton iron and oak which is a good log splitter it is horz and vert I think they are around 2k but I dont like horz/vert splitters
I know another guy who bought the 37 ton swisher..I have used both and that swisher is not near the machine the iron and oak is. As far as tonnage goes I believe the tonnage number game is a crock. that 22 ton iron and oak will out split the 37 ton swisher as I am a witness others think so <a href = "http://www.timberwolfcorp.com/tw5-video/">"too" <a/>

my $0.02

 

[gpsman007]

:agree2:

But where can you get a decent engine for $400?

Plenty of brand new engines here for less than 400 bucks
http://www.brandnewengines.com/engines.aspx

Like I said If you just want a log splitter for 999 you can have one and they will work fine. If you want more, log lift , hydraulic 4way, etc you can do it for less.

 

[John R]

I have one from TSC and been using it about 5 years with no problems at all.
See if you can find a 10 or 15% off coupon in the paper or a store flier.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

As far as tonnage goes I believe the tonnage number game is a crock. 2

:agree2:


They all play games with the numbers, as far as I can tell. Even I&O, as we saw in another thread. A "34 ton" splitter that is actually a 20 ton splitter. (Well, 19.6 but I don't mind a little rounding up.)

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=151264


See this post and this post.

 

[turnkey4099]

:agree2:


They all play games with the numbers, as far as I can tell. Even I&O, as we saw in another thread. A "34 ton" splitter that is actually a 20 ton splitter. (Well, 19.6 but I don't mind a little rounding up.)

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=151264


See this post and this post.

Run some of the tonnage claims through basic math and it seems they whould have the to run pressure cranked so high you would need to build the entire machine out of unobtanium.

Harry K

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Be nice to be able to split a couple hours here and there instead of killing myself to get it done in one day so I can get the rented one back in time.

It's VERY nice to have it right there when you want it. I have my boys do a lot of my splitting. They can crank out an hour or two in an afternoon after schoolwork is done. When I've got BIG wood, we work together. I'll cut on weekends and let them split during the week, usually.


Sure beats putting in marathon splitting sessions!

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Run some of the tonnage claims through basic math and it seems they whould have the to run pressure cranked so high you would need to build the entire machine out of unobtanium.

Harry K

Yep. IIRC, Speeco chimed in on a discussion of this a year or two back, and confirmed they were running 3000 psi (?), so their numbers were actually somewhat in the ballpark. That would give them 30 real tons on their 34/35 ton unit. I&O calls the same bore machine running at 2000 PSI a 34 ton, and says that most people would call it a 40 ton?!?!?

I don' theeen so, Lucy!


I know I&O makes a good machine, but I don't have a high opinion of people that sell a 20 ton splitter as 34 tons.