MTD sold out of splitters

[spike60]

Got an E-mail from my rep that MTD was just about out of log splitters, so I logged in this afternoon to get an order in. TOO LATE!!

All of the 21 and 27 ton units are sold out. This encompasses the 3 brands we have access to: Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt, and White Outdoor, which as most of you guys know differ only in paint. But still, it's nice to be able to pull from 3 different piles when necessary. But there are none to be had regardless of brand right now. Just one more indication that anything to do with firewood is going absolutely bonkers right now. There are a few of the larger 33 tons in either Cub or Troy, but these things don't sell all that well.

Definition here as a dealer is that there are obviously some units left in the field, and there may be some splitters that have been allocated and have yet to ship, but they are sold out in the sense that they are not taking any more orders as they have nothing to fill them with. They will probably schedule another build at some point, but the word is that there will be a price increase due to steel/transportation costs. (What else is new?)

I've got 7 left, so I'll be OK for a week or 2. After that, who knows? I imagine that there are similar supply/demand things happening with other brands of splitters, which will increase as the MTD units disappear from different markets, at least for a while. So, the word for those of you that are in the shopping mode is that you ought to make a move pretty soon, or you may be out of luck.

 

[iCreek]

Makes you think its going to be a busy wood burning season. I bet more people are going to be burning wood than ever before with fuel cost so high.

 

[A. Stanton]

Thanks for the info.

 

[Rookie1]

Wow and I was just thinking about buying new splitter.

 

[spike60]

Makes you think its going to be a busy wood burning season. I bet more people are going to be burning wood than ever before with fuel cost so high.

Busy isn't the word. I've been a dealer for 15 years and I don't remember them running out of splitters before. But to be sold out in the middle of August is freaking unreal.

 

[Ductape]

FWIW, my local Tractor Supply store (recently opened) has a boatload of splitters (their Huskee brand) in stock..... 22s, 27s, and 35s.

 

[husky455rancher]

after alot of the people see how much work burning wood is they'll be alot of used stuff for sale

 

[wkpoor]

This is starting to look like 1974 all over again. And yes about 5 yrs from now it will be a thing of the past for most people. In fact alot of the second hand stoves circulating around are from the mid 70's to early 80's era.

 

[Circle B MN]

after alot of the people see how much work burning wood is they'll be alot of used stuff for sale

I like the way you think....

 

[Mike Van]

FWIW, my local Tractor Supply store (recently opened) has a boatload of splitters (their Huskee brand) in stock..... 22s, 27s, and 35s.

Ditto - TS in New Milford has about 12 set up in front of the store.

 

[Rookie1]

after alot of the people see how much work burning wood is they'll be alot of used stuff for sale

Good observation. Maybe ill just keep borrowing my BILs for a few more years.

 

[tomtrees58]

This is starting to look like 1974 all over again. And yes about 5 yrs from now it will be a thing of the past for most people. In fact alot of the second hand stoves circulating around are from the mid 70's to early 80's era.

yes it is but we are older tom trees

 

[Toddppm]

Good time to be selling woodsplitters and/or motorcycles.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Spike, I have to say that the spring storms this year, in addition to fuel prices, have had a lot to do with this. There were more trees blown down or severely damaged in this area than we had seen in at least 50 years, perhaps 100. Three major June storms caused it all.

Biomass drop off sites were everywhere. Small businesses were getting into the firewood business in numbers never seen before. Conservative estimates were that enough biomass was piled up in the Omaha area to fill Memorial Stadium in Lincoln to the brim three times. During the peak of the stormy period, all of the home improvement centers, hardware stores, and chainsaw dealers were sold out of chain saws and chain oil. That's almost unheard of.

Omaha is just one large city to see this; in fact, dozens of large towns felt the impact. Therefore, you suddenly have wood fuel staring you in the face when gasoline prices are reaching $4+ per gallon. And, it doesn't take long for people to figure out that half the tree or more has logs that must be split to produce heat.

I project that there are going to be more wood burners out there this winter than we have seen in several decades.