How to keep a smile while you're splitting--use a flywheel splitter

[doubleh]

It's been about a week and about 10 cords of split wood since I got my DR Rapid Fire splitter. I think we've filled the half-gallon tank three times while the Iron and Oak 30-ton has split about a cord and used almost two gallons.

My biggest concern was its ability to split logs that aren't cut perfect, but my experience is that as long as there is one flat cut, it's not really a problem.

Another concern was the speed of the splitter; while the ram is definitely faster than a hydraulic unit, it's not so fast that its too fast. When needed, I can hold a log in place and safely remove my hand when the ram makes contact with the it. And it doesn't just collide uncontrollably into the wood.

The unit does struggle with larger, wet logs as noted on the other DR thread. The wedge isn't so much as a wedge as a knife so it just gets bound up in bigger stuff as it can't spread open the wood like a wider wedge would do.

Otherwise, this machine (as well as the Supersplit I'm sure), splits wood about as fast as you can feed it and it's just damn fun to operate. Gonna be a said day at our wood lot when we run out of wood to split this winter.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Ten 4'x4' 8' cords, real cords? If thats the case I am going to have to get one. I ordered a twenty cord truck load of logs, coming the end of February.

 

[Ductape]

:camera:

We need pictures..........

 

[genesis5521]

The numbers don't add up.

I just curious Del_Corbin. What did you mean by this?

Don <><

 

[STLfirewood]

Depending on the size of the splits I could see that fuel usage really easy. I split my wood small (average 330-350 pieces to a 4'x8' stack). I usually split between 2 and 3 cords of wood to a tank of fuel. That is a 1/2 gallon tank. These things use very little fuel. I run the 6.5hp Robin wide open. These splitters don't stay under load like a hydraulic does. The more you use it the better you will get. There is an art to using them for the most production.

Scott

 

[tooold]

When you mentioned "flywheel splitter" I thought you ment one of these bad boys. Just search on youtube for "Flywheel wood splitter" because there are many out there being used!

Flywheel Wood Splitter - YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bVAAx3mMKY&feature=related

 

[BILLSFIREWOOD]

Ten 4'x4' 8' cords, real cords? If thats the case I am going to have to get one. I ordered a twenty cord truck load of logs, coming the end of February.

I have one DR . With is firewood chand up , the 2 men working hear do 4 cords 4'x4'x8' a day and the last 2 hr of a 8 hr day thay work on chaning up for the wood thay well splet the next day. I chan up 1/2 day so thay will have all thay need to do 4 cords a day. Yes get one I have other spitters but the DR is the one that we all go to. I need to get one more.

 

[avalancher]

I have one DR . With is firewood chand up , the 2 men working hear do 4 cords 4'x4'x8' a day and the last 2 hr of a 8 hr day thay work on chaning up for the wood thay well splet the next day. I chan up 1/2 day so thay will have all thay need to do 4 cords a day. Yes get one I have other spitters but the DR is the one that we all go to. I need to get one more.

uh....too much cough syrup?:msp_biggrin:

 

[Circle B MN]

uh....too much cough syrup?:msp_biggrin:

I'm sure that later this evening after I have a little medicine myself, that post will make persact sanse.....

 

[Hedgerow]

This is Sunfish's SS working over a piece of Hedge at the GTG... What I liked most about it, was when in tough stuff, "Just hit it again"!!! I swear you could hit it 4 times, and still get the piece done faster than with a "normal" hydraulic unit... I split small... I gotta get one of these...

[video=youtube;IIjQd-l1F4A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIjQd-l1F4A&list=UUfB03KVhJRBISPufMa8F7GA&index=16&feature=plcp[/video]

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

This is Sunfish's SS working over a piece of Hedge at the GTG... What I liked most about it, was when in tough stuff, "Just hit it again"!!! I swear you could hit it 4 times, and still get the piece done faster than with a "normal" hydraulic unit... I split small... I gotta get one of these...

Was that an experienced person using it? Looks like it got the job done!

Anyone try a SS with Elm? That would be entertaining/interesting!

 

[Hedgerow]

Was that an experienced person using it? Looks like it got the job done!

Anyone try a SS with Elm? That would be entertaining/interesting!

Yup and yup... The Elm I brought him split easy... I'll post the vid tomorrow... Or you can go to HedgerowMo on you tube now and look for it...

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Yup and yup... The Elm I brought him split easy... I'll post the vid tomorrow... Or you can go to HedgerowMo on you tube now and look for it...

I bet I could put that thing to it's knees with some of the dry Elm I've been cutting/burning. I've had to cut some of that stuff off of a VERY good hydraulic splitter! LoL! The splits required just about full ram extension for a full split!

 

[buildmyown]

I bet I could put that thing to it's knees with some of the dry Elm I've been cutting/burning. I've had to cut some of that stuff off of a VERY good hydraulic splitter! LoL! The splits required just about full ram extension for a full split!

Ship me a piece and ill give it go just to put this whole thing to rest. I love people that doubt these machines that have never used or even seen one in person. Im not pointing at you directly just in general across the whole board.

I cant remember the last time I put gas in mine I think it was sometime last spring/summer and about 8 cords ago.

 

[Hedgerow]

I bet I could put that thing to it's knees with some of the dry Elm I've been cutting/burning. I've had to cut some of that stuff off of a VERY good hydraulic splitter! LoL! The splits required just about full ram extension for a full split!

I thought the same thing... But not anymore... The inertia splitters split elm cleaner... Less strings... Thin sharp wedge cuts through rather than pushing fibers...

 

[RVALUE]

This is Sunfish's SS working over a piece of Hedge at the GTG... What I liked most about it, was when in tough stuff, "Just hit it again"!!! I swear you could hit it 4 times, and still get the piece done faster than with a "normal" hydraulic unit... I split small... I gotta get one of these...

[video=youtube;IIjQd-l1F4A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIjQd-l1F4A&list=UUfB03KVhJRBISPufMa8F7GA&index=16&feature=plcp[/video]

That is a beautiful location! Great video!

 

[Hedgerow]

That is a beautiful location! Great video!

Sure was Dan...

 

[doubleh]

Well I started this thread and imagine my surprise to find how many posts it received throughout the day (I'm on Pacific time and it seems most members are back east so I'm kind of off-sync with everyone else).

For those having their doubts, you do realize DR offers a six-month or 1-year trial period; you just have to pay to ship it back if you're not satisfied. And with the way it splits, you could split a couple of years' worth of wood and then send it back and be good to go. Of course, I can't imagine anyone trying one and not wanting to keep it, although it aint cheap.

If I was just splitting for myself I couldn't justify the expense, but we've sold over a 100 cord of wood this winter (just started selling wood 3 years ago in my small town) and I knew if this was something that I was going to continue to do there was no way I could keep splitting with a hydraulic. And there was no way I could afford some $10-15k processor (especially since a lot of my wood is purchased in log form and I just need to split it).

One other note, even though it seams like all of the splitting occurs in the initial impact, it is surprising how much torque the unit has. In other words, the ram still has considerable ability to "power" through a piece of wood after the initial "whap." And as someone noted on this thread, even if you have to hit it 3-4 times, you are probably still time ahead vs. the hydro.

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Ship me a piece and ill give it go just to put this whole thing to rest. I love people that doubt these machines that have never used or even seen one in person. Im not pointing at you directly just in general across the whole board.

I cant remember the last time I put gas in mine I think it was sometime last spring/summer and about 8 cords ago.

OKAY.....well...I wonder that that will cost?? LoL! The problem is...it's going to be a huge piece! I'll have to try to find someone around here to have a go at it with their SS!

When I get a piece that stalls out our HYDRO splitter... I'll try to remember to find someone with a SS and let them have a go at it....maybe a vid....???

Remember...this is DRY ELM! :hmm3grin2orange:

The truth is...I wouldn't mind a SS!

 

[STLfirewood]

In that video that log could have been hit in different ways to actually make it split easier. But that video still shows what a SS can do. With a SS you ghet a very nice clean split also.

Scott