DR Rapid Fire Rack & Pinion

[KiwiBro]

You seem a sincere fellow and I don't doubt your statement but the above highlighted statement is kind of funny considering you stole the idea from the marketplace.

Interesting take on it. I look forward to DR's reply.
opcorn:

 

[D&B Mack]

As far as putting the cover back on, I thought it was obvious. The cover only comes of for any adjustment, then gets re-installed.

Because you made an additional warning about moving parts and you could get hurt worse after you took the cover off to do the mod. Sounded like you were running with no cover on.

 

[Circle B MN]

You seem a sincere fellow and I don't doubt your statement but the above highlighted statement is kind of funny considering you stole the idea from the marketplace.

After my earlier mind numbing go around with this concept, I had refrained from making this exact same comment when I read DR's post. But now that you've stirred the pot for me....I'm all in..

I supposed one day down at the DR factory some project manager sitting there minding his own business had a brilliant, original, idea to built a kinetic splitter. And after long hours of trial and error, research and development, strenuous exhausting field trials, VOILA.!! The end result was a shiny new orange SS clone....:msp_thumbup:


Not a bad job considering "At DR, we don’t get too hung up on what others might be doing in the marketplace".


:msp_thumbdn:


If you want a humorous comparison, try a Google search of "Ford truck clone", and take a look at the stunning originality of the JAC version of the popular F150

 

[CampHamp]

DR rep was replying to MNGuns, who suggested that DR might only be responding so well to customers to make SpeeCo look bad by comparison. They were answering you and the answer I interpreted was "No, we would have done that anyway". It was about a customer service comment. Also, they didn't say they ignore the marketplace, they said they "don't get too hung up" on it. That means that they can stay true to their own service standards without varying by product line just because of what the competition might be doing.

I'm also getting tired of people slamming DR and SpeeCo and any other kinetic splitter maker for copying SuperSplit. If you don't like the laws of the USA regarding patents and related protections, then write your congressperson to ask for new laws. SuperSplit's patent ran out and now anyone can use the design and improve on it. Heck, we'd all be driving a Mercedes-Benz if we thought that people couldn't ever leverage other people's ideas.

To all log splitter mftrs who want to remain in business: Use the SS design. This is your last warning. There is a better design than hydro and people are going to learn this fact at exponetial rates going forward.

 

[Circle B MN]

DR rep was replying to MNGuns, who suggested that DR might only be responding so well to customers to make SpeeCo look bad by comparison. They were answering you and the answer I interpreted was "No, we would have done that anyway". It was about a customer service comment. Also, they didn't say they ignore the marketplace, they said they "don't get too hung up" on it. That means that they can stay true to their own service standards without varying by product line just because of what the competition might be doing.

I'm also getting tired of people slamming DR and SpeeCo and any other kinetic splitter maker for copying SuperSplit. If you don't like the laws of the USA regarding patents and related protections, then write your congressperson to ask for new laws. SuperSplit's patent ran out and now anyone can use the design and improve on it. Heck, we'd all be driving a Mercedes-Benz if we thought that people couldn't ever leverage other people's ideas.

To all log splitter mftrs who want to remain in business: Use the SS design. This is your last warning. There is a better design than hydro and people are going to learn this fact at exponetial rates going forward.

I think it is great the SpeeCo attempted to create an original product based on the principal of kinetic energy. They have had some issues regarding quality, but it appears that they are attempting to resolve them. They are due credit for building an original platform that addresses the needed improvements of existing kinetic splitters. Your "frustration" appears to be misdirected.

 

[CampHamp]

I think it is great the SpeeCo attempted to create an original product based on the principal of kinetic energy. They have had some issues regarding quality, but it appears that they are attempting to resolve them.

I think it is great having more competition in this market line and was initially excited to have SpeeCo in the race. I respectfully disagree with your applause. I would be firing the product manager if I were CEO. Even as a consumer, I think it totally blows that SpeeCo made so many major changes to the SS kinetic design. They bit off too much and rushed out a really poor and dangerous product (imho). I would love to be able to give my machine back to DR during the trial period and say "I can get a comparable machine for $1000 less".

Yes, we all like to see ambitious attempts at improvement, but there is inherent risk with new designs in any industry. IMHO, SpeeCo did not hedge these risks with enough Q&A or make a good enough attempt at resloving issues, once out the door.

I do not take any points away for DR for attempting only minor improvements in their initial offering. Quite the opposite. Do you?

 

[Circle B MN]

I think it is great having more competition in this market line and was initially excited to have SpeeCo in the race. I respectfully disagree with your applause. I would be firing the product manager if I were CEO. Even as a consumer, I think it totally blows that SpeeCo made so many major changes to the SS kinetic design. They bit off too much and rushed out a really poor and dangerous product (imho). I would love to be able to give my machine back to DR during the trial period and say "I can get a comparable machine for $1000 less".

Yes, we all like to see ambitious attempts at improvement, but there is inherent risk with new designs in any industry. IMHO, SpeeCo did not hedge these risks with enough Q&A or make a good enough attempt at resloving issues, once out the door.

I do not take any points away for DR for attempting only minor improvements in their initial offering. Quite the opposite. Do you?

SpeeCo had a good idea and listened to what the market wanted. A towable kinetic splitter that was priced to be affordable to somebody that wasn't in the commercial market. Unfortunately the production phase and engineering phase of that project left a bit to be desired.

DR on the other hand, being known to produce a well made piece of equipment, and having the means to do so, chose to copy another vendors product, with just enough change to call it their own so that they could be in the game. The real disappointment is that they could have made a much better machine while still using the kinetic concept. Their large footprint in the industry more than likely would have allowed them to manufacture this item at a reduced cost. The application of the energy is not rocket science. The SS is a great machine as is, but as I and several others have mentioned in the preceding pages, there are things that desire to be changed and perhaps with a bit more market research DR could have applied this to an original design and really hit a home run.

 

[Johny Utah]

There'd be hundreds of people if not thousands that said the same thing about chainsaws. Or cars. Or planes. Or electricity, etc.

I don't think it's a good idea to have your hands near what is basically a rotary hammer. Not something I would trust to keep me safe.

 

[D&B Mack]

I think it is great the SpeeCo attempted to create an original product based on the principal of kinetic energy. They have had some issues regarding quality, but it appears that they are attempting to resolve them. They are due credit for building an original platform that addresses the needed improvements of existing kinetic splitters. Your "frustration" appears to be misdirected.

I think claiming Speeco created something original and DR copied is a stretch. They both based their designs off of the Super Split. Speeco made their machine two handed operational and faster. But it appears the faster portion may not have worked out so well for them. So really, they only have made one real change over the SS that works and, according to the Speeco thread, the two handed operation isn't full of fans.

Just like anything else, people copied from a great idea, but to claim DR has done anything more/less than Speeco is a mis-representation. IMHO.

 

[Iron Mike]

I don't think it's a good idea to have your hands near what is basically a rotary hammer. Not something I would trust to keep me safe.

But then you are the type of guy that needs instructions with illustrations to take a dump.

 

[mikereynolds]

I like my DR Rapidfire & I like the Dr SUPPORT

Business is business, if you want to save$$ sans quality buy "made in China, If you want the original, Buy SS, If you want a DR buy that. I chose the DR because of their customer service reputation. I think I would have been just as satisfied if I had of gone with SS. I did not even consider the Speeco bucause I would rather spend extra money on "made in America" quality. Prior to my pruchase I called Paul at SS and talked with him at length and was impressed. I then called DR and asked about their model and they only had good things to say about SS. Both companies have a good reputatiuon. For me it was a coin toss...Fords vs Chevys. Both good cars. Neither invented the car. I prefer Dodge. We all make decisions and have the right to choose...It's American! God Bless America.

 

[D&B Mack]

Replacement shows up:

New and Old:

New Assembled:

The new table is painted a different color and with a different texture.

 

[KiwiBro]

The new table is painted a different color and with a different texture.

But still with that dog aweful cradle. I find it hard to fathom why they persist with that impediment to a smooth and near effortless sliding of re-split blocks. It'd be the first thing I'd grind off it if I buy a DR.

 

[CampHamp]

Product Changes

So the table is diffferent. I wonder if it is a different type of metal or if it just is black paint. Any other changes that you notice?

 

[D&B Mack]

But still with that dog aweful cradle. I find it hard to fathom why they persist with that impediment to a smooth and near effortless sliding of re-split blocks. It'd be the first thing I'd grind off it if I buy a DR.

The cradles don't hinder me, plus it is nice if you want to walk away from a round for a second.

 

[sunfish]

Nice to see a straight wedge on the new one.

 

[D&B Mack]

So the table is diffferent. I wonder if it is a different type of metal or if it just is black paint. Any other changes that you notice?

No other changes really. The table went on much easier this time, all the holes lined up directly. With the original one, I had to pound some of the bolts in.

My wedge is straight now.:msp_thumbup:

 

[KiwiBro]

The cradles don't hinder me, plus it is nice if you want to walk away from a round for a second.

The safety police will be along shortly to scold you for walking away from an already lethal machine that's just itching to take out you and your whole family, including pets. That kinetic splitter "second" is enough time to start and end the next world war, don't you know?

We don't get many set-and-forget 'one-split wonders' here nor have enough straight grained non-lumber trees that could fly through a CUCV inspired 4-way splitter wedge mod. We get pig-ugly noodlers and that means there'd be re-split after re-split and some of them are heavy. Either a job best suited to a hydraulic or certainly not something I'd want any ramping cradle getting in the way of. That sort of work would get 'old' real fast if one had to person-handle bigish re-splits back onto that cradle all day long.

Well, that's my impression and $0.02 worth as a potential buyer of such a DR splitter.

 

[D&B Mack]

The safety police will be along shortly to scold you for walking away from an already lethal machine that's just itching to take out you and your whole family, including pets. That kinetic splitter "second" is enough time to start and end the next world war, don't you know?

We don't get many set-and-forget 'one-split wonders' here nor have enough straight grained non-lumber trees that could fly through a CCUV inspired 4-way splitter wedge mod. We get pig-ugly noodlers and that means there'd be re-split after re-split and some of them are heavy. Either a job best suited to a hydraulic or certainly not something I'd want any ramping cradle getting in the way of. That sort of work would get 'old' real fast if one had to person-handle bigish re-splits back onto that cradle all day long.

Well, that's my impression and $0.02 worth as a potential buyer of such a DR splitter.

I don't walk away while it is in the process of splitting, which isn't really possible with the DR since it will auto retract. But if i set a round on the beam, i can leave it there and it won't roll off. Not the case without the little cradles.

 

[KiwiBro]

Why put it there if you are not going to split it? If you are bringing multiple rounds to the table and one goes on the cradle while you get others, why not just have the last one you bring to the table as the first one you split so it goes straight on? If there's a good reason for leaving a round on the cradle then I'm always keen to learn, but it would have to be pretty darn spectacular to overcome the (perceived or real) extra effort of handling resplits back onto the cradles.