How come all hate for hydraulic splitters?

[rarefish383]

I can "Cherry Pick" my wood, only take nice straight Oak. Leave any big knots in the woods for the bugs to eat. A Super Split would be perfect for me, but I can't afford one, and have never seen a used one come up for sale in my area. I took down a couple big Hickory's for my BIL a couple weeks ago. Milled some up to make benches. Started to split a few rounds before work one day. Stringy stuff, wound up noodling it into slabs and then splitting them. Went out Saturday and bought a 22 ton Huskee. For $1000 bucks on 6 months same as cash, 0% interest, couldn't put it off. For my nice straight wood it should, and I hope it does, last a long time. I used to like to show off how fast I could split with a 4 pound ax, but getting older takes a lot of that show of out of you. If you notice, a lot of the more production oriented guys "Love their new Super Splits", but keep the old hydraulic for the knarly stuff. Think I'll have my second cup of coffee and go split up a little pile of Oak before work, Joe.

 

[sunfish]

Why have a splitter that can out pace the operator? I'd rather have a slow splitter just like slow me. With only part of a heart I have to pace my self. I can split 1 round with an axe and that's all I want for an hour. I can split 20 rounds with a hydraulic splitter and I'm needing to do some sit down work or take a nap.

If you speedy guys live long enough you will know what I mean.

JT

Nothing wrong with working Slow!

I work a LOT Slower than I used to and I have a very Fast splitter. :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[apn73]

CORRECT!! ZERO hand splitting!!!!!!

I'm splitting 8-10 cords of wood per year with a 27 ton hydraulic splitter and I hardly have any spare time as it is. To try and do that by hand? I don't even want to think about it, because it would never get done. I love my hydraulic splitter!!!!!!:msp_wub: I suppose the quick way out of it would be to buy commercially processed wood, but I hate spending top dollar for a product that does not meet by expecations, such as being split to a usable size in a medium size stove and/or actually being dry. Cutting, splitting, stacking and handling (multiple times) your own wood is very time consuming, but it's very cost effective if you have the time to do it.

 

[CJ1]

I don't hate hydraulic splitters...



I just no longer want or need one! :hmm3grin2orange:

I am in the same boat!! AND the reason I absolutely HATE them is because nobody wants to spend any money to fix them, especially if they bought it for $100. I built one that could split just above idle and was quiet, 16 hp liquid cooled twin. It had a 7 second cycle time at full 24" stroke. Then to be insulted by people offering $500. I lent it out 1 time and the gentleman gave me $2500 for it the next day. CJ

 

[sunfish]

I split 10-15 cords of wood a year for 20 years, by hand. Done with that!

Would rather have a hydro than go back to doin it by hand.

 

[EXCALIBER]

Here is what I love about the inertia splitting crowd. First hydro units are slow and outdated a Super Split will split circles around even a 6 way wedge hydro. My question "how about the tough to split wood like elm, cottonwood, ect. Not everybody splits straight grain hardwood like oak"? The SS crowd, "oh well it will split it but it doesn't like to and you may have to hit the log 3-6 times to get it to split, then fight it off the short wedge to flip it and turn it over to finish splitting it all the way through". Also "watch out for the piece of wood wanting to ride up the splitting wedge and hit you in the face at high speeds"! Yeah buddy where do I sign up? Then the SS crowd says "well a hydro will split the nasty stuff better but only with a single wedge setup, and it will stall a multi-wedge setup. You can only use the multi-wedge in the straight grain stuff". Hmm isn't that the same straight grained wood that the SS can split without problems? So we could use the multi-wedge? Hmm
After all doesn't this look fun and easy, just simple! Watch him fight with an average sized log!
[video=youtube;FnqVeaKj23c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnqVeaKj23c[/video]

 

[EXCALIBER]

Think I would rather have something along the lines of this! With some modifications, what do you guys think?
[video=youtube;aSfDYIF4-7Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSfDYIF4-7Y&list=TLCYQ1qFhd0IM[/video]

 

[sunfish]

After using a Super Split of 3 years now, I would not trade it for Any hydro made!

But yes, the SS is Not for everyone.

Buy what ya like and get your wood split!

:msp_biggrin:

 

[Dirtboy]

I love my hydraulic splitter. Had a chance to try one of those Speeco inertia splitters, was not my cup of tea. It wont go vertical, and I always split by myself. Don't mind sitting on a round and splitting those lunkers. Only noodle when I have to (out in the woods to get them lunkers in the cart). But that's just me.

 

[EXCALIBER]

After using a Super Split of 3 years now, I would not trade it for Any hydro made!

But yes, the SS is Not for everyone.

Buy what ya like and get your wood split!

:msp_biggrin:

I get what your saying each to their own, but the question is why? The only upside I see is less gas used by one.

 

[sunfish]

I get what your saying each to their own, but the question is why? The only upside I see is less gas used by one.

More efficient for my situation and more fun to operate. I actually look forward to splitting wood now.

If all I had was huge rounds of elm, crotches and nasty stuff, I'd have got a giant hydraulic.

I have 400 acres of woods here, mostly oak. I hate elm (except red elm) and let it rot in the woods. I cut white, red and black oak, usually no larger that 25" at the base. The SS goes through this stuff with ease and no drama. I did 10 cord of red elm a year or so ago with no problems at all. I cut and process 15-20 cords a year for our house, large shop and my folks. 4 stoves that like smallish splits. 2 stove that take 15" and 2 that take 24".

The SS just works for me and a lot of other people also...

 

[chaikwa]

Think I would rather have something along the lines of this! With some modifications, what do you guys think?
[video=youtube;aSfDYIF4-7Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSfDYIF4-7Y&list=TLCYQ1qFhd0IM[/video]

For the life of me, I don't know why some of the so-called 'commercial' splitters run so slow. It's no great feat to make them MOVE.

 

[EXCALIBER]

well what do you consider slow?

 

[chaikwa]

well what do you consider slow?

Um...

:dunno:

Maybe the splitter in the video that I quoted?

 

[Preston]

No hate on my place for mine. Not even a little bit.

 

[sunfish]

For the life of me, I don't know why some of the so-called 'commercial' splitters run so slow. It's no great feat to make them MOVE.

It cost money to make hydraulics fast!

Also most of the big hydros that get compared to the SS cost a lot more.

I went from a $1200 hydro to a $2500 SS and it was more that 10 times a better trade. :msp_smile:

 

[mga]

love my hydraulic splitter.

i split wood for personal use only, i'm not on a production line, nor is my life so hectic i gotta split 10 cords of wood in an hour. i kinda like running it, since i designed and built it myself, it's nice to watch it run and split anything i throw at it.

to each their own i guess.

 

[Preston]

love my hydraulic splitter.

i split wood for personal use only, i'm not on a production line, nor is my life so hectic i gotta split 10 cords of wood in an hour. i kinda like running it, since i designed and built it myself, it's nice to watch it run and split anything i throw at it.

to each their own i guess.

That's what I say about it. If you like it, it works for ya, use whatever it is you want to. It ain't really that big a deal. I don't think. Some folks get upset if folks don't like what they like. I don't get it.

 

[EXCALIBER]

Um...

:dunno:

Maybe the splitter in the video that I quoted?

Um??? Just how fast do you want one to run? I think a complete cycle time of just over 7 seconds is pretty dam fast. SS has cycle time of just over 3 seconds for reference. So with the SS if you split the logs he was spitting in the video you would have to split 6 times with 3 second split time=18 seconds splitting not including the time to reposition the splits and the time it takes you to hit the lever. Say another 3 seconds to reposition each split, so another 18 seconds so about 36 seconds to split the same log and you have to be moving fast. This does it in just over 7 seconds and you move at a regular pace. The hydro throw the log in, hit lever, then turn around grab another log and by the time you do the machine in ready for it? Could they make a hydro faster? Sure by putting a 1 inch cylinder on a 28 gpm pump like in video you could have a smoking fast cycle time but it would then be like a SS and have no power to do the nasty wood. So what do you consider fast?

 

[EXCALIBER]

It cost money to make hydraulics fast!

Also most of the big hydros that get compared to the SS cost a lot more.

I went from a $1200 hydro to a $2500 SS and it was more that 10 times a better trade. :msp_smile:

I agree with you sunfish that a lot of the hydro's are the same to more expensive than a SS. I looked at a couple of Timber Wolf splitters here locally and they are out of their mind on pricing, or I am just cheap? I can build or have built a machine for 1/4 the cost they want. My thinking is you could easily pick up a used I beam, maybe $100 bucks tops, a new harbor freight Honda clone engine or even a bigger engine someplace else for about $200-300 range. Now a 28 gpm pump about $400, and a log splitting valve $100-200. So you now have say 1000 bucks top in it, then 500 for hoses, and fittings, metal plates etc. Is it all brand new stuff? No, but for under 2500 you could make a hydro that would do exactly what you want it to and designed for how you are going to use it. A metal shop would not charge much to weld one and fab it up for you really because they have the tools and are way faster than us at building things.

I don't think anybody gets upset with someone because they disagree with how they do things, most like myself just wonder why. The SS works and works fast, but it is not as fast as a hydro set up right because if it were you would see all kinds of commercial processors using the SS design in their processor. I think running one would be fun but I do not want to be picking up 30 to 40 inch rounds off the ground to set on the SS 8 hours straight. I also do not want to use my saw to noodle them down to size because if that were so fast then why buy a log splitter at all just use you saw?

Glad to hear you are enjoying your SS and if I ever get back down that way I will look you up and give you a hand making sure you have plenty of wood cut to throw at that SS. Although I don't stack lol your on your own their!