Iron & Oak 34 ton

[4seasons]

I got a chance to use an Iron and Oak 34 ton splitter from a rental store yesterday so I decided to share my thoughts with everyone. First let me say I normally split everything by hand but was helping someone else get their wood so he rented the splitter. I used it for about 8 hours yesterday. The model I used had the Log Dislodger but not the Log Cradle. It was also a well used unit, so some of the problem I saw may not be issues until many hours of use.

My first impression when I pulled up and saw it sitting there:
Hmmm, Iron and Oak, I have heard good things. Seems to be a heavy unit, 11 HP Honda, big hydro tank, hitch and tongue and tires seem light weight compared to the rest of the unit.

I set it in position, checked the fluids, topped up gas and it started first pull. I worked it hard for a couple of hours on some 10-20 inch rounds of white oak and hickory before it ran out of fuel. By then the cylinder and hoses were getting hot (it was in the 60s here yesterday) and I let it cool for an hour while I stacked some of what I had split. When I fired it back up is when I started noticing some problems. First the pin that holds the splitter upright would not stay back so I could set it horizontal and move to the next stack. It became a 3 handed operation as the heavy beam is a two handed and full body weight pull to start lowering. I fought this the rest of the day as there were several stacks of large rounds to move the splitter to. Next problem I encountered was a 12 inch hickory round that became lodged on the wedge. When I retracted the wedge into the Log Dislodger the dislodger bent. This was a smaller log and I probably could have wiggled it off by hand, but I thought I would use the dislodger since it was there. When I looked at the damage I realized that the entire bracket was cracked near the beam. Oh well, don't really need that so I kept working. Then I started noticing the detent on the return stroke wasn't holding 1/2 the time. I now had to hold the valve for both splitting and retracting. The valve is mounted directly to the cylinder on the right hand side. After holding it for both up and down stokes for an hour my wrist started hurting. I think this was due to the angle and the reach to the handle that was not well placed. Also it means that you can't use your left hand to operate the valve which I would rather do because I would rather place logs right handed. Which brings up another issue. The wedge was on a angle (possibly due to wear) that pushed logs out instead of splitting unless you held them in place. Also the foot did not have much bite on it so logs would spit out of the bottom as well. Many times I found myself struggling to hold the log in the splitter with both a hand and a foot. Then when you get those "pops" the wood smacks you right in the shins (ouch.) I know someone reading this is now saying it is operator error for putting myself in position to get whacked, but how to you hold a log in a splitter that is more of a spitter outer of unsplit logs than an actual splitter? Well after 4 hours I had split quite a bit of small rounds (under 20 inch) so I moved to the big stuff. I filled up the gas fought the pins and moved to pile of 30-40 inch rounds of red oak. I know this is a minor issue but the tongue is kinda high and I was pulling the splitter with a tractor with a very low hitch. This means that every time I moved the splitter I had to unhook and set the jack again. If it had log cradle I might have used it some in a horizontal position but even then I would have to unhook and jack it because the tongue was so high you would need a bumper hitch on a full size full wheel drive trucks to pull it level. So anyway after the setup time till I actually got started on a 40 inch round was 10 minutes then add in another 5 minutes of wrestling a 40 inch red oak round with a cant hook onto the foot of the splitter and sticking something under the round to hold it level with the splitting foot, (DON'T DO THIS, noodle your huge round into something you can move around) the splitter easily powered right thru. It did drop into the 2nd stage and slowed way down with these big rounds but it never loaded the engine and always split. After a dozen or so of these rounds I ran out of gas (3rd full tank in a 5-6 hour run time) and was glad I had a reason to quit for the day. At this point I was too tired to pick up my saw or maul and get some more out the day. I put in 9 hours and at least 5 hour was running this splitter maybe more. While I am not sure of the actual amount of wood I split I would guess between 2 and 3 cords. (I didn't stack much so really have no idea.) So to sum up my review of the Iron & Oak 34 ton unit:

PROS:
1. Very Heavy Built Unit (except for the log dislodger)
2. Easy to start (Honda engine)
3. Plenty of power ( I split 40+ inch oak stump and many 30+ inch oak crotches)
4. Fairly fuel efficient (somewhere in the neighborhood of 3-4 gallons of gas for 5-6 hours of run time)
5. Decent cycle speed (when the detent worked it was always retracted by the time I had another log ready to split)

CONS:
1. Vertical splitter (if it is too big to pick up and put on a horizontal splitter it is too big of a pain to move around on your knees to use a vertical splitter)
2. All the ergonomics of a porcupine (Wrong handed, badly placed controls, too tall on the hitch, too low on the ground)
3. Bad design on the wedge/foot (Spits logs out rather than splitting them)
4. Flimsy Log Dislodger (This should have never cracked)
5. Not incredibly productive (At the end of the day, for how tired I was, I would have expected to see at least 2 times as big a pile of splits)
6. Spring loaded pins to hold in place (huge pain to try to hold one while giving everything you have to pull the beam back down)
7. Vertical Splitter (my back hurts just thinking about all the bending over yesterday)
8. Hitch too high (must be unhooked to use)
9. Vertical Splitter (Who do they design these things for? I am not 2 feet tall)
10. No 4 way (but do any vertical splitters make use of this productive option?)
11. Vertical Splitter (For the cost of one of these you can get a log lift so you don't have to pick up logs)
12. Not cost effective (The Huskee/ Speeco unit that is very close comparison is 1/2 the price.)
13. Not a horizontal splitter (in case you haven't noticed I don't like working on the ground)

P.S. If you are thinking I could have used it as a horizontal splitter since I don't like vertical splitters, this one had no log cradle and I would have to bend over every split to pick up the logs that would not sit on the beam.

 

[shelbythedog]

I've been around splitters for a long time and also read a lot of posts on AS about log splitters in the last few years, but I've never heard or a log dislodger. What exactly is such a thing? Around here a log dislodger is another round that you grab and use to give a few whacks to the stuck round, I can't imagine needing anything else to do the job.

 

[dave_dj1]

I have never seen an Iron and Oak up close and personal but I could never figure out why they were so much more money. I'm sure all splitters have their faults.
Sounds like a good review, maybe Iron and Oak will read it and lend you a new one to compare it to the old tired one! LOL
dave

 

[Kevin in Ohio]

I've been around splitters for a long time and also read a lot of posts on AS about log splitters in the last few years, but I've never heard or a log dislodger. What exactly is such a thing? Around here a log dislodger is another round that you grab and use to give a few whacks to the stuck round, I can't imagine needing anything else to do the job.

I believe this model has the wedge on the ram so I'm assuming it is to keep the stuck log from traveling back with the wedge.

 

[4seasons]

This is the log dislodger:

It certainly does not have to have this option, but many of the vertical splitters have something like it. I have also heard it called a log stripper. The problem with this one is the legs that contact a stuck log have no lateral reinforcement. Any log that become stuck is not going to excerpt force in only a parallel direction because of the design of the wedge. A brace across the front is needed to strengthen this part. But they seem to have saved metal by making some parts too weak or placing them in odd or awkward locations. I would assume that is why they mounted the valve right on the cylinder to save an extra fitting and hose to put it in a more user friendly location. Same thing for the 2 small sets of teeth on the foot. I would expect these kinds of corners to be cut on a cheep, big box store splitter, not one that cost this much.

 

[Whitespider]

Seriously, none of your "cons" surprise me in the least.
I've used a couple of those tall, heavy, horizontal/vertical splitters (not an Iron & Oak)... and I can't figure why anyone would want one.
I've tried using them in both the H and V positions and they flat wear me out. The H position requires lifting every piece to waist level and I find the V position to be a joke... who wants to crawl around on your hands and knees? Moving them is a real test of manhood; why would you want a piece of portable power equipment that requires another piece of equipment to make it portable... makes zero sense to me anyway. Because they're so heavy and inconvenient to move and position, you end up moving the wood to the splitter, which further wears me out (and wastes a ton of time). It's a "catch-22/catch-22" thing, first the H/V capability increases size and weight (almost doubles), and the tongue needs all that weight so it will tow properly (and tell me, when was the last time you towed it a highway speed anyway ??). The vertical capability necessitates mounting the wedge on the ram... in my mind that's just dumb because you're messing around pulling stuck logs of it, whereas a beam mounted wedge allows you to just set the next log and it pushes the previous (stuck) log on through (usually finishing the split).

Unless you're working out of a pickup bed, splitting firewood requires bending over... after all, the wood is laying on the ground!! Give me a light, easy to move by hand, low, horizontal splitter any day and I'll out-work your monster convertible hour-after-hour... and I won't be near as worn out. Just the time and energy savings by being able to roll and position the machine right up next to the log using one hand is huge... monster huge!! And I can hook/roll/flip some really big rounds on the beam in just a couple seconds without much effort at all. Transportation isn't any problem on those rare occasions, I just load the splitter into the back of my pickup... all-by-myself!!

You guys can keep those monsters... I ain't having one.

 

[Preston]

Wow. The log dislodger is an extra. I got one of those on my Huskee. Bugger works too. I put all my rounds I splitting in my trailer. It's a small dump trailer I made for around the place. The height is just a speck above the splitter beam. So far it has worked fantastic. If rounds are heavier than I can lift, I use my tractor lift and put each one on the beam one at a time. I would like to have more power. The Iron and Oak, I've never has the privilege of using one.

 

[Whitespider]

I put all my rounds I splitting in my trailer. It's a small dump trailer I made for around the place. The height is just a speck above the splitter beam. So far it has worked fantastic.

But you still had to bend over and lift them into the trailer... an extra step requiring extra time and energy.
With a beam low to the ground you never have to lift any log more than a few inches... mostly just arm motion.

If rounds are heavier than I can lift, I use my tractor lift and put each one on the beam one at a time. I would like to have more power...

Just think, with a light weight, low beam splitter there ain't any need for the tractor lift, the extra time, the extra fuel and whatnot... you just position it right next to the log with one hand (at the same time using your other hand to take a sip of your favorite beverage) and sort'a hook/roll/flip it directly onto the beam. I'm bettin' I can make a pile of splits from three of those large, "too heavy to lift" rounds in the time it takes you to do one.

How much power ?? My splitter is rated at 18-ton (a true sustained 18-ton) and I've never needed more power... well, maybe that's not 100% true, there has been a few nasty elm crotches that I didn't read the grain correctly.

 

[memory]

Whitespider, how low to the ground are we talking about? Do you have any pics of the splitter?

We have a 20ton V/H splitter and I prefer to use it in the vertical position 99.9% of the time. I can't see using it in the horizontal position for a couple of reasons. One, it does not have a cradle to catch the splits, it would fall on the engine. I have been thinking about fabricating one. Two, it does not have a log lift and there is no way I am lifting the really big rounds up that high.

In our situation, normally we are not messing with wood year round like some guys on here. We do not make any money from firewood, just heat the house and water. Maybe I would change my views about using the splitter in vertical position if I was using the splitter more. But I am perfectly fine splitting in vertical position. Now if I had a splitter that had the log lift and a cradle, I would probably be splitting in the horizontal position.

 

[4seasons]

I admit I am biased against vertical splitters. I am 6 ft tall so why would I want to work at a 2 foot high level. If a log is too big to pick up and set on the splitter (if you don't have a log lifter) then it is a pain to wiggle around on the ground and stick under the ram of a vertical splitter. Sure you can eventually get a 40 inch round under the ram but the time I spent wrestling it to the splitter shoving a split under it to hold it up to the beam bust it into 2 smaller pieces that are still to big to handle and have to booth be manhandled around on the ground until eventually you have a big pile of splits right in your workspace so that you need to either move the splits or the splitter to keep working. The same amount of time could be spent noodling the monster round into 4 pieces that I can handle and run them thru a horizontal only and the stack of splits would be at the end of the splitter out of my workspace so no moving required to keep working. Also my back would not be throbbing from all the shoving a 400lb round on the ground. For what one of these Iron & Oak units cost, you could buy a horizontal splitter and add a log lift to it. Throw in a 4 way wedge and you could easy split 2-3 times as much wood in the same amount of time. A vertical splitter is fine if you bought it cheep, only split a few cords a year, and only use it for a couple of hours at a time. Do not rent one, try to cram as much wood thru it in one day as possible to save time. You will be sore and very unhappy with the amount of work you got accomplished. The main reason I did this review was to point out that the Iron and Oak is not worth the money. While another cheaper splitter may not last as long, for the money there are much better splitters out there.

 

[memory]

I admit I am biased against vertical splitters. I am 6 ft tall so why would I want to work at a 2 foot high level. If a log is too big to pick up and set on the splitter (if you don't have a log lifter) then it is a pain to wiggle around on the ground and stick under the ram of a vertical splitter. Sure you can eventually get a 40 inch round under the ram but the time I spent wrestling it to the splitter shoving a split under it to hold it up to the beam bust it into 2 smaller pieces that are still to big to handle and have to booth be manhandled around on the ground until eventually you have a big pile of splits right in your workspace so that you need to either move the splits or the splitter to keep working. The same amount of time could be spent noodling the monster round into 4 pieces that I can handle and run them thru a horizontal only and the stack of splits would be at the end of the splitter out of my workspace so no moving required to keep working. Also my back would not be throbbing from all the shoving a 400lb round on the ground. For what one of these Iron & Oak units cost, you could buy a horizontal splitter and add a log lift to it. Throw in a 4 way wedge and you could easy split 2-3 times as much wood in the same amount of time. A vertical splitter is fine if you bought it cheep, only split a few cords a year, and only use it for a couple of hours at a time. Do not rent one, try to cram as much wood thru it in one day as possible to save time. You will be sore and very unhappy with the amount of work you got accomplished. The main reason I did this review was to point out that the Iron and Oak is not worth the money. While another cheaper splitter may not last as long, for the money there are much better splitters out there.

I will agree with you on that part. I don't know why the bottom piece was not made bigger from the factory. That is why I made something myself to make that is attached to the bottom piece to make a larger area for the round to sit on where you don't have to hold it up until the ram hits it. I wish I made that piece along time ago. I has been a huge help.

[URL=http://s170.photobucket.com/user/clarke_017/media/IMG_0238.jpg.html] [/URL]

Just an FYI, that piece in the pic is not attached yet. With everything attached, the piece I made is almost perfectly level with the splitter foot.

 

[Whitespider]

Whitespider, how low to the ground are we talking about? Do you have any pics of the splitter?

Sure, I got pics… lots of ‘em.

 

[Whitespider]

Here's a few more.

 

[Preston]

Do you not still have to pick um up to beam height? Oh well, what ever works for each of us, go for it.

 

[half]

splitters

Mine is normal height, but I always have to cut and road transport rounds to the splitter,at home, so I work off the trailer.Drop the tailgate, and put the end of the beam over the end of the trailer. that make log handling a lot better,
I split it and throw it into a wheelbarrow for stacking Plus doing it on my concrete drive ,it is easy to recover the splitter trash and use it for kindling.Pick it up with a square mouth shovel. Its all a matter of where you work and adapting the tools available to fit the situation you are in. no one is really wrong. If it makes the job easy ,its a bonus

 

[Whitespider]

Do you not still have to pick um up to beam height?

Well sure... but the top of the beam is well below my knee caps.
Lifting something a few inches (basically arm motion) uses about 10% of the energy needed to lift and set it on something at waist level. Really, if the rounds are piled-up a bit I don't even lift many of them, I just swing 'em over and drop 'em onto the beam. And don't forget, I don't even move my feet while splitting because I can easily re-position the splitter as I work the pile (i.e I never move wood to the splitter, I roll the splitter to the wood).

Try this experiment... forget about the weight of the logs, just use your own body weight... do 100 deep knee bends or even touch your toes and straighten-up 100 times... now bend over or squat down letting your arms dangle and lift your hands 12-inches 100 times. So... which of those two made you breath hard ?? Every time you lift something from ground, or near ground level up to waist height, you're also lifting a sizable portion of your body weight. If you really wanna' feel the difference... try both of those exercises holding a gallon jug of water in each hand (be sure and lift those jugs to beam height when you do it). It's even more than the lifting distance, think about the lifting time... when I lift a log onto the low beam my body and muscles are stressed for less than a second on each lift, whereas lifting to the waist and setting the object onto something at that height stresses the body and muscles for at least three times as long, probably more on the heavier rounds. The really heavy rounds (the ones that make you squirt in your shorts :msp_wink: ) I just roll up onto the beam in one quick motion, with relatively little effort.

Like I said, I've used those tall splitters... I've never been so friggin' worn-out from splitting firewood (and I didn't get near as much done). Heck, as far as I'm concerned, splitting with an 8-pound maul is less work.

 

[Preston]

I think it's all what we're use to. Although I do have to use the tractor lift to get the larger rounds on my trailer, when I backup to the splitter at my height, 5'8", and only being 165 lbs, I position the rounds on the trailer at the back edge and use my upper thigh and without that much back pressure, rotate the rounds onto the splitter beam. The bending over with the lower beam would make my splitting time about 30 a day. My lower back would not take it. Like I say, we all have to use what works best for us and our "own" situation. Yours works best for you, and I've found what saves my back. I have ended up on the floor on my stomach with my chest elevated just trying to get my back to where I could walk without being hunched over.

It's all about what works for each of us.

 

[jrider]

I used to have an old splitter my dad had bought from Sears sometime in the early 70's. it was low to the ground - not quite to my knees. I split a lot of wood with it through the years but was tired of being bent over so much. I finally bought an iron and oak. Not the model in question here but instead the 22 ton with 4 way wedge. I am 6'2" and it comes just a little below my waist. I always have the stand sitting on a couple boards to bring it up a few more inches and can routinely put in 5-6 hour days, day after day since I only bend down to pick up the log. I couldn't think of doing that with that old low boy. Have never tried a vertical splitter but they don't look like much fun at all. For the big ones I can't split, I just use a 6 foot 2x10 and rest it on the bottom of the I beam then roll the log up.

 

[Kevin in Ohio]

For what it's worth you probably won't have to worry about "having" the option of Iron and Oak. Heard through the grapevine they may be calling it quits with their splitters. Hate to see any US made machine go by the wayside. Effects a lot of people here.

I'd suggest anyone with one that's been putting off buying some spare parts, contact your dealer and do so before you can't get them.

 

[avalancher]

Seriously, none of your "cons" surprise me in the least.
I've used a couple of those tall, heavy, horizontal/vertical splitters (not an Iron & Oak)... and I can't figure why anyone would want one.
I've tried using them in both the H and V positions and they flat wear me out. The H position requires lifting every piece to waist level and I find the V position to be a joke... who wants to crawl around on your hands and knees? Moving them is a real test of manhood; why would you want a piece of portable power equipment that requires another piece of equipment to make it portable... makes zero sense to me anyway. Because they're so heavy and inconvenient to move and position, you end up moving the wood to the splitter, which further wears me out (and wastes a ton of time). It's a "catch-22/catch-22" thing, first the H/V capability increases size and weight (almost doubles), and the tongue needs all that weight so it will tow properly (and tell me, when was the last time you towed it a highway speed anyway ??). The vertical capability necessitates mounting the wedge on the ram... in my mind that's just dumb because you're messing around pulling stuck logs of it, whereas a beam mounted wedge allows you to just set the next log and it pushes the previous (stuck) log on through (usually finishing the split).

Unless you're working out of a pickup bed, splitting firewood requires bending over... after all, the wood is laying on the ground!! Give me a light, easy to move by hand, low, horizontal splitter any day and I'll out-work your monster convertible hour-after-hour... and I won't be near as worn out. Just the time and energy savings by being able to roll and position the machine right up next to the log using one hand is huge... monster huge!! And I can hook/roll/flip some really big rounds on the beam in just a couple seconds without much effort at all. Transportation isn't any problem on those rare occasions, I just load the splitter into the back of my pickup... all-by-myself!!

You guys can keep those monsters... I ain't having one.

I guess everyone has their own way of doing things, but for me I have found what works best for me is the "tall and heavy" type splitter.After my Troybilt crapped the bed, I looked at many models, and the Speeco 35 ton model suited me best.

All my wood comes from the job site where rounds are cut to length and heaved in my trailer for the ride home. Back at the wood lot I back the trailer up to a very specific area where the ground drops suddenly, and the splitter is parked so that the side opposite the valve is right up against the back of the trailer. Rounds are easily rolled right from the trailer across the log table and on to the splitter. Split pieces are dropped on to a home made conveyor and carried right to the wood pile. I really cant imagine being able to cut any more handling out of the situation than that. And I prefer to work standing up, not bent over over a low slung splitter. Did that years ago with my first splitter that was a no name jobby that some chimp built with his ten thumbs, and I will never go back to that kind of setup again. Two cords at that rate and my back was shot.

Nope, give me tall and heavy please, just the way I am built myself!