Came across this ad and thought it made for an interesting read .
I don't have a lot of time on my machine (circle blade and different manufacturer) but quickly learned what the short comings are and work around them .
I'm not sure if bought a dud , bought the salesman's pitch and was expecting it to be the greatest thing since sliced bread or is just a ham fisted user that does not correct his mistakes .
The reason I'm posting this is because it points out things related to real world use that are not in the glossy brochure and to keep in mind if your thinking of buying a piece of equipment .
Hope it helps some .
Date Listed 04-Aug-11
For Sale By Owner
Year 2011
A WORD TO THE WISE: Wow.......considering a wood processor. THINK TWICE and be darn careful on what you are considering for a machine. Perhaps checking with the N.S. Dept. of Labour and Safety may be a good idea first. Perhaps The Federal Level under Product Safety IN HALIFAX @ 902-424-5200.
I bought one (HAKKI PILKE 1 X 37) and it has been a literal pain in the butt in reference to safety issues and performance. Here are just a few of the blunders with these machines that my quick three months has taught me.
(1)In 30 cord of wood, the chain has come off over 40 times. Not an adjustment issue. Just a problem. And the dealer says, and I quote, 'bring the machine in and we will see what we can do.' Right......truck the darn thing around at my expense. Wasted time and time consumming. And warranty....don't count on it.
(2) Wet wood and excess chain bar oil creates plugging up of the sawdust exhaust exit venting causing a frigging mess throughout the machine. When this happens, all of the sawdust falls below and onto the foot controls for the splitter and reverse because the chute plugs solid and wet sawdust creates a safety issue.
(3) In a cord of wood on the splitting process, the wood dropping will sometimes criss/cross causing wasted time in jamming, dislodging, and a mess when it jams up tight because in my opinion, the drop channel could have been better designed.
(4) Table inadequate on the machine due to NOT ENOUGH rollers to keep wood from catching the feed rollers or should have had a guide bar to prevent from happening. Another pain in the butt and safety concern.
(5) Poor set up on the feed just below the bar drop and if one is not careful, a piece (as did mine four times) catch the exposed metal edge and drive the metal guide into the blade and chain. Replaced two blades and two chains in less than 50 cord of wood because of this.
(6) The metal is too light on the slides and guides when the wood comes into the cutting chamber and this is what causes #5 and throwing the chain in the wood in process creates safety issues.
(7) Kick backs on and from the splitter has driven pieces of wood completely thru the protective cage over the splitting chamber ripping one hole the size of a football in the cage and damaging the wood gauge that it had to be removed, heated with torches and repaired. I did see the kickback and jamming being #3 happen on the demo and SHOULD HAVE walked away then. Now.....I wish I would have purchased a better made or another breed of machine. This too is a Product Safety Issue that should be addressed.
(8) The wood conveyor is not without problems. It is a poor set-up and if something falls through the exit chute and or up the belt and under the brackets on the belt, it automatically is dragged down the underneath of the chute and then JAMS UP at the bottem. I have spent more time on my knees with tools getting chips and debris out that should not have gotten in there if there was a better system. When this happens, the chute stops and so does producttion.
(9) I bought a hydraulic feed table. Another friggin' headache. Unless you mount the thing in cement, any excess of rolling on of wood causes the table to move and run crooked. This then has to be manually unloaded and re-positioned before using. It matters not on the adjustment of angle or height.
(10) On the hydraulic feed on the table, it should have at least two more rollers on the side because like the table on the machine, it too will jam up when wood catches the front of the roller because there is just too much space between the rollers.
(11) The control for the table mal-functions when there is too much weight on the table and WILL NOT come up to stop the wood flow therefore causing three and four pieces to bunch up and roll over the top and down on top of the work area. Very dangerous.
(12) On the hydraulic feed table, I had to make a piece of 2 1/4 inch tube for the work side to keep wood from rolling down and falling thru and short of the table DROPPING AT YOUR FEET. When this happens, there is nothing to prevent the operator from being injured. All of this causes wasted time and wasted work when you are trying to maintain production.
(13) When the machine is placed in the safety position on the cut lever below by the knees, (due to jamming, bind-up and other things, WHY IS THE CHAIN ON THE BAR STILL MOVING, THE CONVEYOR STILL GOING WHEN THE SPLITTER RAM STOPS? THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN.
(14) Warranty........don't go there. It isn't worth a damn. None of this crap is covered.
WOULD I BUY ANOTHER? WILL HELL FREEZE OVER? And yes....I do know tractors and equipment. Any questions, please do not hesitate.
I don't have a lot of time on my machine (circle blade and different manufacturer) but quickly learned what the short comings are and work around them .
I'm not sure if bought a dud , bought the salesman's pitch and was expecting it to be the greatest thing since sliced bread or is just a ham fisted user that does not correct his mistakes .
The reason I'm posting this is because it points out things related to real world use that are not in the glossy brochure and to keep in mind if your thinking of buying a piece of equipment .
Hope it helps some .
Date Listed 04-Aug-11
For Sale By Owner
Year 2011
A WORD TO THE WISE: Wow.......considering a wood processor. THINK TWICE and be darn careful on what you are considering for a machine. Perhaps checking with the N.S. Dept. of Labour and Safety may be a good idea first. Perhaps The Federal Level under Product Safety IN HALIFAX @ 902-424-5200.
I bought one (HAKKI PILKE 1 X 37) and it has been a literal pain in the butt in reference to safety issues and performance. Here are just a few of the blunders with these machines that my quick three months has taught me.
(1)In 30 cord of wood, the chain has come off over 40 times. Not an adjustment issue. Just a problem. And the dealer says, and I quote, 'bring the machine in and we will see what we can do.' Right......truck the darn thing around at my expense. Wasted time and time consumming. And warranty....don't count on it.
(2) Wet wood and excess chain bar oil creates plugging up of the sawdust exhaust exit venting causing a frigging mess throughout the machine. When this happens, all of the sawdust falls below and onto the foot controls for the splitter and reverse because the chute plugs solid and wet sawdust creates a safety issue.
(3) In a cord of wood on the splitting process, the wood dropping will sometimes criss/cross causing wasted time in jamming, dislodging, and a mess when it jams up tight because in my opinion, the drop channel could have been better designed.
(4) Table inadequate on the machine due to NOT ENOUGH rollers to keep wood from catching the feed rollers or should have had a guide bar to prevent from happening. Another pain in the butt and safety concern.
(5) Poor set up on the feed just below the bar drop and if one is not careful, a piece (as did mine four times) catch the exposed metal edge and drive the metal guide into the blade and chain. Replaced two blades and two chains in less than 50 cord of wood because of this.
(6) The metal is too light on the slides and guides when the wood comes into the cutting chamber and this is what causes #5 and throwing the chain in the wood in process creates safety issues.
(7) Kick backs on and from the splitter has driven pieces of wood completely thru the protective cage over the splitting chamber ripping one hole the size of a football in the cage and damaging the wood gauge that it had to be removed, heated with torches and repaired. I did see the kickback and jamming being #3 happen on the demo and SHOULD HAVE walked away then. Now.....I wish I would have purchased a better made or another breed of machine. This too is a Product Safety Issue that should be addressed.
(8) The wood conveyor is not without problems. It is a poor set-up and if something falls through the exit chute and or up the belt and under the brackets on the belt, it automatically is dragged down the underneath of the chute and then JAMS UP at the bottem. I have spent more time on my knees with tools getting chips and debris out that should not have gotten in there if there was a better system. When this happens, the chute stops and so does producttion.
(9) I bought a hydraulic feed table. Another friggin' headache. Unless you mount the thing in cement, any excess of rolling on of wood causes the table to move and run crooked. This then has to be manually unloaded and re-positioned before using. It matters not on the adjustment of angle or height.
(10) On the hydraulic feed on the table, it should have at least two more rollers on the side because like the table on the machine, it too will jam up when wood catches the front of the roller because there is just too much space between the rollers.
(11) The control for the table mal-functions when there is too much weight on the table and WILL NOT come up to stop the wood flow therefore causing three and four pieces to bunch up and roll over the top and down on top of the work area. Very dangerous.
(12) On the hydraulic feed table, I had to make a piece of 2 1/4 inch tube for the work side to keep wood from rolling down and falling thru and short of the table DROPPING AT YOUR FEET. When this happens, there is nothing to prevent the operator from being injured. All of this causes wasted time and wasted work when you are trying to maintain production.
(13) When the machine is placed in the safety position on the cut lever below by the knees, (due to jamming, bind-up and other things, WHY IS THE CHAIN ON THE BAR STILL MOVING, THE CONVEYOR STILL GOING WHEN THE SPLITTER RAM STOPS? THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN.
(14) Warranty........don't go there. It isn't worth a damn. None of this crap is covered.
WOULD I BUY ANOTHER? WILL HELL FREEZE OVER? And yes....I do know tractors and equipment. Any questions, please do not hesitate.
