what's the deal with super split

[buildmyown]

sorry that wasn't clear. I do a average75 cord per year. 65000 was a ball park number for the years ive owned it. And I'm in hampden county.

Ok thats a little better. I was going to say even the largest seller by me tah I know of only does a little over 100 cord a year.

Alone 45 tops per cord. One good helper two an hour

So its close and there are so many variables in wood that it really could swing one way or the other.

At the end of the day each machine has its place and just like any equipment the operator plays a large roll.

 

[Hedgerow]

Alone 45 tops per cord. One good helper two an hour

What's a helper???:msp_confused:

 

[CUCV]

the tw5 when I bought it had two models. The tw5 and the tw5 fc( fast cycle6 seconds)

Good call, I do remember hearing about that.

 

[Maplekid]

I have a super split and a hydro splitter with a 4 way wedge. The super split out produces it. We only split tree service wood, everything from 4" to over 5 feet. The wood I cant lift gets quartered with the bobcat splitter no matter if I use the super split or hydro splitter. The super split is faster in everything except elm and really nasty croches. I can split everything on the supersplit but I usully use the hydro for the elm and croches because you dont need to fight it as much. The other day me and my friend split 1.5 cords in 45 minutes. We are both 15 about 5'8" and 140lbs. Were not big guys by any means and we could have worked faster. Also a 6hp motor that is not working very hard is going to use alot less gas than a 15+ hp motor always working. Also A brand new super split is less than $3000 a timberwolf or comparable is 2 to 3 times that. If I didnt find a super split last fall I was going to build another hydro with a 28 gpm pump and an 8 way wedge. Just the parts I would have to buy would have cost me what I paid for a used supersplit and I already had the motor and steel. They both have there places in a firewood operation. Untill you have run both dont trash talk the other. If I could only own one spliter it would be a huge hydro because of the wood I process but because I have 2 splitters and a bobcat with a splitter the super split is amazing and fits great in my operation.

 

[Circle B MN]

You know....without "debates" such as this, it could get a little dry around here. Thanks to all parties involved...

 

[buildmyown]

You know....without "debates" such as this, it could get a little dry around here. Thanks to all parties involved...

So true and there is no one shoe that fits all. What works well for some wont work for others.

 

[KiwiBro]

super size the ss to about 5 times its current size and it would be useful. Put 1000lb flywheels on it with a 8 way splitter head and you would have something.

Someone, somewhere is probably doing just that, and I for one would love to see the results.

 

[Hddnis]

Someone, somewhere is probably doing just that, and I for one would love to see the results.

I've thought of doing it. I know where to get the racks 2 6"x6" by 1TPI and each one 9' long. Same guy has two flywheels off of some old presses that weigh 1200lbs each. I have a friend that wants to sell me an I-beam that is 16"x30" 1" thick and thirty feet long. All I'd need is another set of flywheels and I could make two.:hmm3grin2orange:


My plan was to use it to split fence rails. Not sure if it's really worth it or not, I'd have to sell a lot of fence posts just to cover putting such a bad boy together.



Mr. HE

 

[KiwiBro]

All I'd need is another set of flywheels and I could make two.:hmm3grin2orange:

If the first one works, I'll buy the second and 'take you public', promise.

 

[Hddnis]

If the first one works, I'll buy the second and 'take you public', promise.

Deal! I'll let you know if I ever build such a beast.




Mr. HE

 

[Dalmatian90]

I have seen this debate before and have raised my doubts of the ss being any faster than a good 6-8 way hydraulic splitter. It just depends on the wood I guess. If you were only splitting 10 inch diameter rounds of wood the ss would be faster, however, most every piece of wood I split minus the limbs are in the 2ft on up to 6 ft diameter range. I would say average around 3ft diameter for most all the wood. How many times would you have to cycle the splitter to split a 3ft dia round on a ss?

You've raised the debate before and it's still just as silly as discussing which handgun caliber is appropriate for elephant hunting.

Clearly if you're splitting 3' x 16" rounds routinely it's not the right tool.

For the vast majority of posters here, that's not the world they live in. They're not splitting cottonwood. They're not splitting exclusively yard tree butts dropped off by tree services. 36" x 16" round of red oak is 565# green. Good luck getting that onto the Super Split if you're not noodling and it's your only piece of equipment. Even with a front end loader it's time consuming to load the occasional big one.

Don't think anyone would chose the SS if that was your normal wood; a hydraulic capable of going vertical or with a log lift would be far faster.

 

[Rockland Farm]

Doesn't it really just come down to the right tool for the job . I personally would like to own both types of splitters . Just like I own more than one saw . If you have alot of wood to split and it is of manageable size the super split seems to fit the bill . If you do mostly monster rounds then go hydraulic . If you are just cutting wood to heat your own home any splitter is better than no splitter . Whats the rush ?

 

[Hedgerow]

Doesn't it really just come down to the right tool for the job . I personally would like to own both types of splitters . Just like I own more than one saw . If you have alot of wood to split and it is of manageable size the super split seems to fit the bill . If you do mostly monster rounds then go hydraulic . If you are just cutting wood to heat your own home any splitter is better than no splitter . Whats the rush ?[/.

I need a new splitter...:msp_wink:

 

[CUCV]

Simplicity, Speed and Price

I think the appeal of the Supersplit comes down to Simplicity, Speed and Price.

I got my TW5 put back together and put a cord thru the 6-way. I must say I was pretty impressed at how fast I was going thru the wood. Then I started to think how it compared to my supersplit. What struck me was that I was comparing a machine with a single 6" wedge to a machine with 6 wedges and cost 2+ times more. I pulled off the 6-way to see how it felt with just a single wedge.... slow.
I can tell you my supersplits and TW5 will NOT be going on Craigslist anytime soon but the Powerhorse and HF splitter will be asap. I think the machines compliment each other (SS and TW5) and it will be great 1/4 big nastys on the TW5 and finish them off with the SS.

The 6-way was cool but left me chasing 6 pieces that were all still to big.

 

[BSD]

The 6-way was cool but left me chasing 6 pieces that were all still to big.

bingo. that's my issue with multi heads. i watched a processor run through some wood the other day, 6 out of 10 pieces were still too big for my stove and what most people around here would consider a "good size" for their stoves too. there is no good way to resplit them after either.

it all comes down to there is no "perfect" machine. it's like having different size saws for different size wood, same thing with guns, different sizes for different bad guys. Personally, we have a hydro that we run vertical to quarter down the real big ones then they get put on the SS clone (speedpro). we keep quality control up this way.

 

[dancan]

I think the appeal of the Supersplit comes down to Simplicity, Speed and Price.

I got my TW5 put back together and put a cord thru the 6-way. I must say I was pretty impressed at how fast I was going thru the wood. Then I started to think how it compared to my supersplit. What struck me was that I was comparing a machine with a single 6" wedge to a machine with 6 wedges and cost 2+ times more. I pulled off the 6-way to see how it felt with just a single wedge.... slow.
I can tell you my supersplits and TW5 will NOT be going on Craigslist anytime soon but the Powerhorse and HF splitter will be asap. I think the machines compliment each other (SS and TW5) and it will be great 1/4 big nastys on the TW5 and finish them off with the SS.

The 6-way was cool but left me chasing 6 pieces that were all still to big.

Sell me your SS and you'll be able to keep both the HF and Powerhouse ...........................:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[natems361]

I think the appeal of the Supersplit comes down to Simplicity, Speed and Price.

I got my TW5 put back together and put a cord thru the 6-way. I must say I was pretty impressed at how fast I was going thru the wood. Then I started to think how it compared to my supersplit. What struck me was that I was comparing a machine with a single 6" wedge to a machine with 6 wedges and cost 2+ times more. I pulled off the 6-way to see how it felt with just a single wedge.... slow.
I can tell you my supersplits and TW5 will NOT be going on Craigslist anytime soon but the Powerhorse and HF splitter will be asap. I think the machines compliment each other (SS and TW5) and it will be great 1/4 big nastys on the TW5 and finish them off with the SS.

The 6-way was cool but left me chasing 6 pieces that were all still to big.

I don't have a six way on mine but try to offset the log to the operating side so you get three keepers on the opposite side the resplits will end up on your side. Make a table grate. The four way works better upside down the blades will be lower, if you have one. The benefit of having such long and tall blades ( and power) is you can stack the resplits take care of two or three at once.

 

[cheeves]

I know its different machines, but the claim for productivity against hydraulic splitters isn't true. If you could put a four way on the super split it would be untouchable, but you would probably lose your hands. Those guys in the vids a moving super fast. I know I couldn't keep that pace.just saying a fast four way would be more productive. I would go head to head with one.

I ran one for 5 years. A friends older model with an electric motor. You can work at your own pace with one. IMHO the best invention for splitting wood anyones come up with. When we bought the 27 ton Troy Bilt with the Honda motor gave it back to my friend who had another one. Only draw back is not having a lift for heavy pieces. But it is one amazing machine and you can pile up the splits in no time at all. Will keep you warm in cold weather working it!

 

[CUCV]

I don't have a six way on mine but try to offset the log to the operating side so you get three keepers on the opposite side the resplits will end up on your side. Make a table grate. The four way works better upside down the blades will be lower, if you have one. The benefit of having such long and tall blades ( and power) is you can stack the resplits take care of two or three at once.

Thanks for the tips!

I figured out the "keep the wood to the operator side" thing real quick as soon as I saw what was coming out of the 6-way. I do have the Timberwolf grate and a 4 way but haven't tried either. The tall push ram sure is nice for stacking pieces to be split.

 

[EXCALIBER]

In the time you spend wresting around that 36" block I can noodle it into three twelve in slabs and toss it on the SS....BUT...if we are talking about high volume production equipment made for high volume producers, 36" blocks are not a factor as nobody in the business is messing with them. Joe Homeowner maybe, but volume producers are not going to monkey with that stuff when it's too easy to order up a truckload of bolts and go crazy...

ETA.....I would pay for a truck load of bolts, before I took a truckload of 36" wood for free....:msp_thumbup:

Ok I have to throw the bs flag here. Have you ever timed how long it takes to noodle a round? Or as stated noodle a 36 inch round into 12 pieces? I would bet your would have several minutes in noodling alone then have to resplit on the ss. I would bet my vertical horizontal splitter will split it way faster then noodling it. Second how did we get on what volume produces only are using instead of what most people use? I guess I was under the impression that most of us cut our own wood, then split it and not all of us were doing it for volume resale. I guess that there is just a huge difference between the east and west on how we do our firewood. In the west we take what we can get for wood. Big or little we are just happy to have some wood. Truck in a load of wood? LOL Around here you would be trucking it 500 to 1000 miles to get a load of wood, man that would be expensive! Second our wood is not all 12-16 inch stuff it is whatever we can get usually 2ft to xft diameter. I would say it is fairly standard around here to cut wood to 16 inch length. I have never seen anyone have to split their wood to 3" to 5" inch diameter to make it burn or fit it in a stove, unless its an old cook stove. I am shocked that most of you guys in the east do this, kinda blows my mind. Seems like the wood would burn faster and you would use a lot more of it this way. I would say most in the west don't split the wood if its 8-10" diameter, just throw it in the stove. I find it very interesting to see the differences, I just never though about it before. Also to those who say most are not splitting cottonwood or pine, lol, again come to the west and show me what else there is to cut. Cottonwood, pine, aspen, and that is about it. So guess all of us from Nebraska west just don't know what we are doing. If you are going pure production you would buy a processor and not mess with a ss.

Each has their own place I guess and I just never knew so many people split so small of pieces. Very interesting topic and if some of this does not make much sense thats because its way late for me to be up.