jester8118
ArboristSite Lurker
great way to get everybody home. awsome video, wouldn't belive it without it! 
Troy-Bilt 27-Ton 160cc Log Splitter from Lowes
- Thread starter bobspruce
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Mr. Firewood
ArboristSite Operative
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all I have gathered from this thread is that you want a 7 year old splitter repaired for free, and sence they wont repair your beat to hell splitter for free your going to trash talk the company.... 
indiansprings
Firewood Purveyor
We have used a troy-bilt now for two and a half seasons in our firewood business. I can safely say it has split over 400 cord. Is it the fastest splitter, no, it is on the slow side. After 2.5 seasons we finally blew the little honda, locked it up tight, had a valve drop. I got my local service center to warranty the engine. It seems like the pump is starting to have issues.
For the money I spent on the intial purchase and the use and abuse this machine has seen I am very happy with the longevity. Next week I plan on putting a 11 hp i/c briggs on it and change the pump to a 22 gal min pump to speed the cycle time up.
In an 10 hour day with only a 30 lunch break I have seen the hydraulic oil get hotter than hell but she kept on splitting. We change our hydraulic filter approx every 100 hours. The auto detent on the return cycle has long since stopped working.
I traded wood for a "swisher" brand unit that uses a 11 hp briggs and a 16 gpm pump and a much different wedge set up and it does an excellent job.
I think it is rated at 26 ton.
For a home owner doing 5 to 25 cord of wood a year the Troy Bilt splitter is fine. Use the factory log cradle until they break off and then weld some 2" angle iron to directly to the beam on the engine side and make you a 20" x 24" table right in front of the motor. It works fantastic.
Sure there are better splitters out there, but for the money you'll get a heck of a lot of wood split with the troy bilt. Love to have a timber wolf but can't justify the expense.
For the money I spent on the intial purchase and the use and abuse this machine has seen I am very happy with the longevity. Next week I plan on putting a 11 hp i/c briggs on it and change the pump to a 22 gal min pump to speed the cycle time up.
In an 10 hour day with only a 30 lunch break I have seen the hydraulic oil get hotter than hell but she kept on splitting. We change our hydraulic filter approx every 100 hours. The auto detent on the return cycle has long since stopped working.
I traded wood for a "swisher" brand unit that uses a 11 hp briggs and a 16 gpm pump and a much different wedge set up and it does an excellent job.
I think it is rated at 26 ton.
For a home owner doing 5 to 25 cord of wood a year the Troy Bilt splitter is fine. Use the factory log cradle until they break off and then weld some 2" angle iron to directly to the beam on the engine side and make you a 20" x 24" table right in front of the motor. It works fantastic.
Sure there are better splitters out there, but for the money you'll get a heck of a lot of wood split with the troy bilt. Love to have a timber wolf but can't justify the expense.
BlueRidgeMark
Addicted to ArboristSite
all I have gathered from this thread is that you want a 7 year old splitter repaired for free, and sence they wont repair your beat to hell splitter for free your going to trash talk the company....
I guess you weren't paying attention, then.
fidiro
ArboristSite Guru
Hope Mr F. had time to reread everything to learn something.
Here are some pics of my cylinder in the works of becoming the right way to build a trunion mount or at least a better way. Notice what happened to the inside of cylinder where the pins got welded from factory. Am I wrong or is that blue metal from too much heat from welding pins directly to cylinder? Doesn't that blue metal make the walls lose it's strength?
fidiro
ArboristSite Guru
a couple more pics of the ongoing project. I can't post pics direct onto thread without having them uploaded to my sig, one of these days I'll spend some time figuring that out
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fidiro
ArboristSite Guru
Thanks, I just wished that I had all this info about this failure before mine blew. I would have had done this work before it all happened as now I can't seem to find a local shop to get me the right seals. One seal broke coming off past the hole on side of cylinder. I am going to another place tomorrow and hope I can get them there so that I can get this back together. I have 120+ yards of full length logs(20') to cut and split for next season and I wanted to get started soon.
hunter0182
ArboristSite Member
troybuilt log splitter
I have two one honda and one briggs the honda is far better and quiet they are not the fastest but they are steady the briggs i have had 5 years no problems , i changed the cradles to tables, and we split about 300 cords a season
I have two one honda and one briggs the honda is far better and quiet they are not the fastest but they are steady the briggs i have had 5 years no problems , i changed the cradles to tables, and we split about 300 cords a season
fidiro
ArboristSite Guru
Here are the latest results from my splitter. Pics are probably all over the place and out of order but you'll get the idea which came first. I decided the cly pins were too thin for my likings and created thicker ones. Had to grind the cylinder mount on the splitter to accept the thicker cly's.
The honing process after I welded the sleeve around cylinder.
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fidiro
ArboristSite Guru
Here's a few more of the work during progress.
I still need to figure the picture posting out. I'm getting just those little x's.
Anyway need to find the 4 way slip on wedge for this now to really put it to the test. What thickness metal should the plates be to weld one up myself? I'm not a professional welder but I got it done and it looks decent. I drained the 10w hydro that was still in excellent condition and refilled it with dexron III to test out during winter. I'll go back to 10w in the summer.
I can't seem to get the pics to come out bigger. Pics are all over the place now but you get the idea what it looks like now. Hope to make time to have it splitting in the next few weeks. The 4 way will definately test this trunion, I wouldn't use it on the stock cylinder.
I still need to figure the picture posting out. I'm getting just those little x's.
Anyway need to find the 4 way slip on wedge for this now to really put it to the test. What thickness metal should the plates be to weld one up myself? I'm not a professional welder but I got it done and it looks decent. I drained the 10w hydro that was still in excellent condition and refilled it with dexron III to test out during winter. I'll go back to 10w in the summer.
I can't seem to get the pics to come out bigger. Pics are all over the place now but you get the idea what it looks like now. Hope to make time to have it splitting in the next few weeks. The 4 way will definately test this trunion, I wouldn't use it on the stock cylinder.
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bpirger
ArboristSite Lurker
4-way done?
Did you ever get your 4-way head for the TB splitter after the rebuild?
I have the splitter, wish I had noticed what I agree is a poor fundamental design before I purchased. Told the wife to make sure when she's running it not to let it push through the really nasty knots when there is an easier way.
I worry about my kids being around as well....
I for one am truly appreciative of your efforts to inform those of us with the splitter of what has happened. Thank you. Merry Christmas!
Did you ever get your 4-way head for the TB splitter after the rebuild?
I have the splitter, wish I had noticed what I agree is a poor fundamental design before I purchased. Told the wife to make sure when she's running it not to let it push through the really nasty knots when there is an easier way.
I worry about my kids being around as well....
I for one am truly appreciative of your efforts to inform those of us with the splitter of what has happened. Thank you. Merry Christmas!
Chainsaw_Maniac
ArboristSite Operative
Be sure to get a Honda engine is you do get one!! You can actually get the models with the Honda (usually) for the same price.
I'm looking for a new woodsplitter as well, and I am not considering the Troy-Bilt since other brands appear to be superior. I'm looking more at a commercial duty wood splitter though.
I'm looking for a new woodsplitter as well, and I am not considering the Troy-Bilt since other brands appear to be superior. I'm looking more at a commercial duty wood splitter though.
fidiro
ArboristSite Guru
I've only split about 3 cords since rebuild and still have not had a use for a 4 way. What I really need is a nice table on motor side instead of those bendy cradles. Maybe after making a table it will be easier to hold the bigger logs and I may find a use for the 4 way. But then I'll probably be replacing the little honda since it will stress it out more than it was made to handle, making it fail.
I've pushed this splitter to the limit through very knotted maple recently to the point where it would just barely crawl through the whole log length and kept my eyes mostly on the cylinder to see it shouldn't be a problem there anymore for me. One really nice feature about this splitter is it is easy to maneuver by hand and takes up little space.
Try not to split very knotted hardwoods as it was a sycamore knotted log that did it for my splitter. Keep the stuborn knotted pieces for last.
I want to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas as well.
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