# Thinking about buying a super splitter...



## iamspt (Jan 17, 2008)

I'd like to hear from the guys that own super splitters and let me know what you think of them for production work....say under 30 cords a year. 

Are they reliable? Will it out perform / underperform a timberwolf with a 4 way wedge (amount of wood split in same amount of time)

Let me know what you think!


----------



## triptester (Jan 17, 2008)

Let me start by saying that I own neither the Super Split or the Timberwolf.

Yes the Super Split has a fast cycle time, 2 seconds, but if you have a 12" round that you want to split into 4 equal pieces you have handle and resplit the wood 3 times. 6 seconds machine cycle time and if you are real fast another 3 seconds to reposition the wood for secondary splits, total time 9 seconds.

Timberwolf TW-5 FC , 6 second cycle time, 4-way wedge. 12" round ,4 equal splits , one cycle, total time 6 seconds with 1/3 the operator effort.

Super Split is a fast machine but can the operator keep up the pace over an extended time period. Machine is narrow and top heavy towing could be ruff.
Limited options , no log lift, no multi-split wedge.


----------



## STLfirewood (Jan 17, 2008)

I have a super splitter and I think I would take it over the timberwolfe. I have never used a timber wolfe 5 or 6. Here is my take the super splitter is fast and very cheap compared to the wolfe. How much of your wood is a perfect 12inches? what about 8 inch wood. You will have a hard time wearing out a super splitter. You might have to replace the engine but the drive set lasts a long time(thousands of cords). Plus they use very little fuel. A lot of it would depend on what kind of wood you are going to be cutting.

Scott


----------



## 046 (Jan 17, 2008)

if you've got the budget and are doing production work. 
hard to go wrong with timberwolf! 

for us folks splitting under 10 cords a year. high recommendations for a 35ton Huskee (speeco) with 12.5hp, 5in ram. slow cycle times of 15second range is main drawback. busts through 3ft+ rounds with ease. 

super solid with zero negative feedback so far. definitely one of the best buys around for $1,600. four way wedges are questionable, if you are splitting inconsistent wood sizes and not doing production work.


----------



## iamspt (Jan 18, 2008)

Most of what I split is in the 12-24 inch range...


----------



## CharlieG (Jan 18, 2008)

I've got the Iron and Oak 30 ton (horizontal only), $2039 delivered. Slower than the Super Splitter, but has split very large rounds without complaint .


----------



## gage52 (Jan 19, 2008)

i had a tw-5. i bought a ss heavy duty used it for under 10 hours and sold my tw-5. if your splitting stuff under 24 inches the ss is the way to go!


----------



## Ford's Lawncare (Jan 20, 2008)

Definatly get a supersplit! I bought one three months ago and love it. Even if it might take a little longer to split a piece into four equal pieces, a little practice can fix that. I know for a fact I can split wood faster then any other splitter out there, including timberwolves with four way wedges. If anyone objects to this, bring your splitter and wallet, and we'll have a split off.


----------



## Philobite (Feb 4, 2008)

I'm on the west coast and have about 60 acres of redwood timber in an NTMP I manage. There is an overburden of tanoak and our forester wants us to thin down the tanoak quite a bit to provide more light to the redwoods. So this puts me in the position of selling perhaps 15-25 cords of tanoak a year.

The logs are anywhere from 3" up to 24" in diameter and generally 16" length.

The Super Splitter has caught my attention, and I have a few questions.

1. Tanoak is fairly straight grained and easy to split when green, but is a bit stringy. When using the hydraulic splitter it is sometimes necessary to sort of pry the pieces apart after the split. I'm wondering how the Super Splitter approach would work on this. The splitter blade seems a bit short.

Along these lines, have you tried both green and dry wood splitting?

2. Has anyone worked out any kind of feed table, lift, or other system so you're not having to lift the rounds up to the Super Splitter?

3. Is the electric motor as effective as the gas motor?

4. What happens if the end is not bucked at 90 degrees, but bucked crooked?

Thanks in advance, Eric


----------



## STLfirewood (Feb 5, 2008)

Philobite said:


> I'm on the west coast and have about 60 acres of redwood timber in an NTMP I manage. There is an overburden of tanoak and our forester wants us to thin down the tanoak quite a bit to provide more light to the redwoods. So this puts me in the position of selling perhaps 15-25 cords of tanoak a year.
> 
> The logs are anywhere from 3" up to 24" in diameter and generally 16" length.
> 
> ...




Scott


----------



## Philobite (Feb 5, 2008)

Scott,

Thanks a million! I spoke to Paul at Super Splitter this AM and the only downside for me being on the Far Left Coast  is that shipping would be around $500, as it's all direct factory sales so no local dealer.

I also spoke to him about the electric motor. He says it, of course, has less "grunt" for splitting gnarly stuff compared to the gas engine, but for most splitting it's just fine as it's the flywheel action that you're using. I like the idea of quiet splitting!

He suggested if I want flexibility I could get the gas engine model, pick up a used electric motor locally and purchase the adapter plate, pulley and belt from SS for around $70. That way I could swap between electric and gas from time to time. I think this would be great as it would enable me to split without disturbing neighbors (nearest is a couple hundred yards, but on still days the engine could be heard by them, as well as taking the unit into the woods and splitting on gas power.

One other thing he said is that the trailerable unit has a work surface that is uncomfortably low, whereas the regular unit has a higher work surface and is much better for production (but is too top-heavy for highway hauling). So to haul the unit around our property I'd need to mfg my own goose-neck with a hitch. No prob.


----------



## woodrat51 (Feb 6, 2008)

For what it's worth--. I have a Brute/Timberwolf TW3HD with 6 way wedge on my tractor and love it (high production& low noise. That being said-- if I had to drop to one splitter, it would be my other one--a Super Split that I changed to an electric motor to get rid of the noise. 
This machine is 20-25 years old and in all probability will still be working fine in another 25. My son would “take it of my hands” anytime. My point is that with any wood up to 16”, I could probably run “head to head “ with someone operating my tractor because of the cycle time factor. The Super Split has about a 2 second cycle-- I use a pulp hook to grab & position (and reposition) the pieces, so basically I can get six splits off a round in the same time my tractor with the six way wedge completes its cycle! 
With the "production table", the bending is pretty much eliminated.
Most all splitters are lousy for towing on the road ( little or no suspension-too much bouncing around). I seldom take mine out of the yard- when I do, I run it up into the back of the truck on ramps.
Do you get enough large wood to justify the investment in the TW5?? If you do (and/or you're thinking about doing firewood as a business) get the TW5-- you'll never regret it! 
But if you don't really need the "firepower" of the TW5, the Supersplits are the best splitters out there for the average person. I have a TW3HD (pto mount) as well as a Supersplit-- they're both first class pieces of equipment. Just depends on your needs.
BTW-- I have a logger friend who split literally mountains of wood using a Supersplit til he "upgraded" to an 80K processor!
Over the years, both of my machines have split many hundreds of cords of wood. Both of them are great machines!

--Best wishes-Woodrat51


----------



## Philobite (Feb 6, 2008)

Woodrat,

Thanks a bunch for your helpful info. While there are some tanoaks on our place that are 24", I'd say the average round I'd be splitting is 7-12". (So a lot are just split once, in half and those one or two splits really would go fast on the SS). My second choice (because of price) would be the TW5, or the TW5-F-C, with the log lift, but that's over $5k I think. Nice machines though!

I have a generic 11 ton splitter I can use for the odd really large round. I'm just thinking that the Super Splitter would be only 5/8ths the price of the TW5, quick at exactly the size and kind of round I'll be splitting, and very low maintenance and operating cost. And that electric motor idea seems like a silent winner. I could operate it nearer the house and family and not feel like I'm in an earmuff tunnel, if you know what I mean.

In any case I am appreciating all the input and advice here.


----------



## Ford's Lawncare (Feb 7, 2008)

I think the supersplit's power is very underrated. I have never seen a piece it can't go through. Sure, it might take two hits to get some of the bigger stuff, but most of the time when you have to hit it twice is because the wedge gets caught in the cross-grain, so your cutting more then splitting it. Other then that, for it's price comapared to most hydraulic splitters, I think you will be happy having a superwsplit in your situation. Good luck!


----------



## Philobite (Feb 7, 2008)

A good friend came by to tell me he's already lining up customers for seasoned tanoak for me. This thing's getting out of hand! 

I'm becoming encouraged by the prospects for upping my target to 30-50 cords. I can skid the logs with the D7, and use the 950 Wheel loader to deck, pull and hold logs up to cut with the chainsaw, and I can shove split stacks around and use the loader to grab split stacks to drop into the delivery truck. Sort of brute-force and not as elegant as a conveyor, but it works.

I'm also encouraged by what thinning the tanoak has already done for the redwood growth, just since summer '07. Check out this redwood. It's put on 15 feet just since then.






I think the Super Splitter is the way to go. I'm deciding on which model at the moment. Thanks everyone for the input.

It's kind of exciting, actually.


----------



## abohac (Feb 8, 2008)

*iamstp*

I bought a TW6 and have now split 121 face cords with it this winter. I bought a bunch of very large stuff (nothing under 2 ft and up to 4 ft). I bought the TW6 because it looked a little more rugged than the other ones I looked at. I can't comment like the other guys because I have only ever used the homemade splitter I made when I was a kid. My homemade one was great with the exception of the log lift. The log lift is great! The TW6 splits pretty well and is fast. I like the way the valve works (set it in motion and get another piece of wood) but you can stick the damn thing on some nasty stuff so you still have to use some common sense.'ve been happy with the purchase but man- get your checkbook out! I also looked at the SS and it looked like a pretty good machine, but if I remember, it didn't have a log lift. In my opinion if you buy a splitter without a lift you are making a mistake.


----------



## Ford's Lawncare (Feb 8, 2008)

abohac, you don't have to have a log lift to be productive. Obviously in your situation, I would like to have one too. However, he said his rounds are smaller, 7-15" or something. I usually split about the same size, with the biggest getting up to 20" red oak. Every once in a while I might get some up to 35", which does stink. That's when its a two man operation to get it up. I'd like to fabricate some lift for my supersplit that might be removeable so I can take it off when I'm splitting the smaller stuff. Just a thought


----------



## triptester (Feb 8, 2008)

For the super split owners or the hydraulic splitter owners that would like to have a log lift. Harbor Freight has hydraulic lift tables that will lift 770 pounds and raise to about 4 feet they normally sell for about $250 were recently on sale for 40% off.


----------



## PB (Feb 9, 2008)

Ford's Lawncare said:


> abohac, you don't have to have a log lift to be productive. Obviously in your situation, I would like to have one too. However, he said his rounds are smaller, 7-15" or something. I usually split about the same size, with the biggest getting up to 20" red oak. Every once in a while I might get some up to 35", which does stink. That's when its a two man operation to get it up. I'd like to fabricate some lift for my supersplit that might be removeable so I can take it off when I'm splitting the smaller stuff. Just a thought



I seen a Super Split in action at the common ground fair. It looks fast, but it didn't seem substantial enough. I guess I am used to the traditional hydraulic splitters.


----------



## Ford's Lawncare (Feb 10, 2008)

Plant Biologist, you must be from my area if you saw that at the common ground fair. What town are you in? Let me tell you though, I cut 50 cord a year on one, and it holds up just fine.


----------



## tomtrees58 (Feb 10, 2008)

*log splitter*

have a .ek 308 lickety split just sold a baileys 26 ton looking to by a northern 37 ton new the splitter good bad ? cordwood here on li ny 250 $ a cord tom trees:greenchainsaw:


----------



## Philobite (Feb 26, 2008)

*Ordered the SuperSplitter today*

Alright,

Y'all convinced me. I ordered the Heavy Duty model w/6hp Subaru Robbins, production table and in the non-highway trailerable version, which has a higher working surface than the trailerable. I chose the HD over the lower priced J model due partly to the higher "grunt" of the engine, but also because the design doesn't cause the rack to spring up at the end of the push cycle for it to return. The rack springing up on the J model opens a little space for chips and slivers to get caught under there and tanoak does tend to produce little wedges and slivers as it's split. The difference in price is just a couple cords. The HD model only has 1/16" clearance so less likely to gather anything substantial.

The only thing that tears me up is the shipping from Mass. to Northern CA!!!  $507, and I have to go to the loading terminal with my truck over an hour away, so that's an addit'l $20 in gas, etc. But I'm sure in the end it'll be worth it to have the snappiest tanoak splitters in the area.

I'll let you know in a couple weeks how it runs/splits for me.


----------



## PB (Feb 26, 2008)

Ford's Lawncare said:


> Plant Biologist, you must be from my area if you saw that at the common ground fair. What town are you in? Let me tell you though, I cut 50 cord a year on one, and it holds up just fine.



Sorry, just seen your post. I am up in Old Town. It looked great, and sure it would hold up, but it looks dinky compared a traditional splitter.


----------



## Philobite (Mar 6, 2008)

The Super-Splitter came in today and it took about two hours to set it up. It comes with the engine, wheel support/axles and wheels and front support, as well as work table, disassembled. I was able to lift it with my Cat 950 FEL and chain in order to support it to put those things on. It's _quite _heavy and I think that without the FEL a come-along or something else would be required to lift it to assemble it.

One minor critique: there were no unpacking nor assembly instructions, but it's fairly straightforward if you're mechanically inclined. The operating and maintenance booklet is adequate and contains a complete parts breakdown and listing. One nut securing the "go" handle bolt was not as tight as it should have been.

The SS design is startlingly and cleverly simple. When I first looked at the mechanics of it I was tempted to think they'd left a bunch of parts out. But the system is elegant in its simplicity. It looks light, but believe me, it's substantial with those two big flywheels and the push rack and I-beam and worktable. Very sturdy.

One funny: there are decals warning that if you're a person that doesn't read safety manuals or are a person without common sense or are a person that doesn't respect the danger of mechanical things, don't operate this machine!

The Subaru-Robbins 6hp started on the first pull. It's very quiet. Surprisingly so.

_Now as to performance:_

In a quick test before nightfall I split about 15 pieces of very green, heavy tanoak and some semi-dry fir. Tanoak ranging from 8" thru 15" on up to a 150lb beasty about 28" across. I've got to tell you, *I think I died and went to heaven! The splitter is fast!* A couple seconds per piece. The worktable is so great when splitting larger pieces... no picking them up off the ground, and following splits push the formerly split pieces off the end into the split pile, so no handling of the splits.

Our regular hydraulic splitter would have seriously grunted and strained at the big 28" piece before splitting it. The SS went through it like it wasn't there! I pulled one half back and got 5 sections out of that, and then the other half lickity-split. A total of 10 sections from that piece in about 1/3 time it would have taken me before and that's without knowing what I was doing. Knotted pieces and yokes, no problem either.

I can see that it will take some practice to extract all the speed benefit the SS is capable of, as I have to change the way I think about splitting and wood handling. The bottleneck now changes to how fast I can get logs to the splitter, at the right elevation so I don't have to lift. I also have to be strict about the habit of not putting my hand on the "go" handle until I'm ready to split, for safety reasons. No resting the "trigger" hand there. This thing is that fast and there would be little time to remove my hand if its between the wood and the splitting blade. The right method is use both hands to position the log making sure the wood is against the blade, then place the left hand on top of the wood, right hand then pulls the "go" handle. It's a snappy routine.

First impressions? _Very _impressed. Very sturdy and simple. Very fast. More later as I gain experience.


----------



## drmiller100 (Mar 6, 2008)

one habit we found on my splitter.

NEVER NEVER NEVER put your hand on either end of hte log. we yell at each other to learn it.


----------



## 046 (Mar 6, 2008)

seems too much of a good thing can be bad... what I'm referring to is the super fast cycle times. 

does the mfg keep track of accidents? 

wonder how many folks have gotten hurt on these splitters?


----------



## Philobite (Mar 6, 2008)

046 said:


> seems too much of a good thing can be bad... what I'm referring to is the super fast cycle times.
> 
> does the mfg keep track of accidents?
> 
> wonder how many folks have gotten hurt on these splitters?



I hear you, but keep in mind that this is essentially a professional machine, intended for people pumping out dozens up to low hundreds of cords/yr. The pricing is such that the casual user won't generally bother. By the very nature of the design, newbies don't buy these splitters. People that have worked with a hydraulic splitter and are looking for the next step up just under a full wood processor investment do. It's perfectly safe as long as the operator understands that you don't put your hand on the business end of the log and have your other hand near the handle. Very simple. I'm sorry if I gave the impression of any undue danger.

The other thing to consider is the number of injuries -including micro-injuries to hands, arms and backs that don't go immediately noticed- that happen on slow splitters due to having to pry partially split wood apart by hand (happens a lot with tanoak), back injuries from tossing the split pieces and/or picking up pieces from the ground to re-split, and the many injuries that occur from fatigue and mental loss of focus from the slow work and standing there waiting.

I (speaking only for myself now) would much rather work sharp and with full focus and fresh muscles for 2 hours at a fast clip than plod into a tiring and dangerous stupor for 6 or more hours to split the same amount of wood. There are a lot of ways to measure safety. Time at task and fatigue are proven serious threats. I know myself and I know the kinds of injuries and back strain I get from hovering over the hydraulic splitter.

For me and my work style this is overall much safer for me and best suits the cycle and timing of things I need to do around the log deck, caveat on putting the hand on the end of the piece kept in mind. Each person must judge these things for themselves and their particular situation.


----------



## wkpoor (Mar 7, 2008)

There is a way to have super quick cycle times in a hydraulic splitter. Its called BIG pump and lots of power. Surprisingly however this setup is very thrifty on fuel. I would go as far as to say no more than a 5hp Briggs. That JD diesel can't even feel that pump at all. Cycle times under 6secs and the unit will tip vertical for the big ones. No2 stage to slow me down here. Raw speed and power!!!


----------



## JackD_ME (Mar 7, 2008)

That's a nice looking rig, IF you already have the $30,000 tractor, but it still has the wedge mounted to the ram. That by itself slows down production by keeping the pieces right under foot!

Like was mentioned before, the return of the carriage is automatic on the Super Split.

I'm still looking for a used one but may buy new since it's only a 3 hour drive to the factory!


----------



## wkpoor (Mar 7, 2008)

The wedge on the ram is a big plus in my book. Thats what allows vertical use and if one ever gets stuck ( almost never happens) you can retract the ram out. I would be curious to know how well that Super Split does on curly elm? I have a pressure gauge on that unit and most wood does split under 300lbs. However get into some really tough stuff and I might be on the relief valve the whole way through. And the 3pt unit allow infinite positioning of height for the operator. I'm going to add a table and a seat for the operator that will plug into the receiver. This unit can go to the woods or wherever and tow my wagon or trailer behind so its adds to the versatility. If you already own a tractor ( which most do that do firewood) this setup makes alot of sense.


----------



## triptester (Mar 7, 2008)

wkpoor,

real nice looking rig you have there.


----------



## Philobite (Mar 7, 2008)

wkpoor,

Slick setup! Boy am I jealous.  If I had the PTO diesel tractor, that's probably what I would have done instead of SS. In our situation I have a lot of stuff that wouldn't be appropriate for vertical splits (smaller) and the horizontal position with some sort of work table or tray would be the trick.

I'll keep our gas powered hydraulic splitter around, in the vertical position, to split the big (heavy) rounds in half before using the SS.


----------



## gtstang462002 (Mar 7, 2008)

wkpoor, 

How much did that splitter cost you? And where did you get it from?


----------



## cabinman (Mar 7, 2008)

wkpoor said:


> The wedge on the ram is a big plus in my book. Thats what allows vertical use and if one ever gets stuck ( almost never happens) you can retract the ram out. I would be curious to know how well that Super Split does on curly elm? I have a pressure gauge on that unit and most wood does split under 300lbs. However get into some really tough stuff and I might be on the relief valve the whole way through. And the 3pt unit allow infinite positioning of height for the operator. I'm going to add a table and a seat for the operator that will plug into the receiver. This unit can go to the woods or wherever and tow my wagon or trailer behind so its adds to the versatility. If you already own a tractor ( which most do that do firewood) this setup makes alot of sense.



Thats a great option, with lots of advantages, Eric


----------



## wkpoor (Mar 7, 2008)

> How much did that splitter cost you? And where did you get it from?


It started out as a Speeco 3pt splitter with stand. I chucked the stand (who needs that anyway). Then I had a local fab shop build the tank and frame and mount the cylinder and beam setup on it. Then I plumbed it and bought all the fittings out of McMaster Carr catalog.Tank is 21gal to match the Prince pump capacity. The pump I bought direct from Prince approx. $400.00. All total about $1500.00 in it.
I know there are alot of splitters on the market with 20+GPM pumps but they are all 2 stage. And most when they hit the 2nd stage its a 10th the speed. This unit is one stage so it never slows down regardless of how tough the log is. I compared it side by side with the same cylinder setup with 5.5 Briggs and its a minimum of 4xs faster. This is the 3rd season for the rig and in all around use in the woods, back home,in all kinds of wood it has proven to be a versatile design that is comfortable to use and FAST!!!. The diesel is thrifty on fuel because it is loafing at turning that pump. It really doesn't appear to use any more fuel than the Briggs model does.


----------



## Philobite (Mar 8, 2008)

*Update*

I said I'd give an update after I got some wood through the Super Split. This afternoon I did a couple cords of tanoak and about a quarter cord of green Douglass Fir and another half cord of dry Doug Fir.

The green tanoak (which is what I bought the SS for), I can split easily at any size and knots or no knots is just right-now fast... 2 second cycle time. So I'm delighted.

The green fir, interestingly, can slow things down a bit. A straight split was no problem. If I got it in a little cockeyed it didn't like to cut diagonally and I'd have to bang it two or three times or take it off and straighten the log out. Also, if there was a substantial knot in it would hang up and sometimes I'd have to flip the log around to avoid a direct slice of the knot.

The dry fir, which was 30 inches across, split easily although the occasional knot would require a couple hits.

So I think if you have some seriously gnarly wood that is famous for being tough you'd need to try the SS on it before you buy one as compared to a higher end hydraulic.

But for "normal" hardwood firewood production, in my case tanoak, the SS is a perfect fit. Even with my inexperience with it, splitting was so fast that I had to move the splitter back a couple feet every few minutes. So a conveyor is next. I can see that if I get my ducks lined up that 5 cords a day would be a reasonable short day for me.


----------



## STLfirewood (Mar 8, 2008)

The more you use it the beter you will get at reading the knots and knowing where to hit the block. That is the learning curve I talk about when using this splitter. I'm gladyour happy with it. I love mine.

Scott


----------



## douglas1 (Mar 8, 2008)

*Purchased a splitter*

Hey folks.... I'm fairly new to this sight, signed on this year. I love it it's filled with very proffesional people that don't mind sharing their knowledge.

I just bought a TSC spliter, when I picked it up the sales rep told me NEVER run it at less than full throttle as teh motor will not cool properly and always use high test gas. It has a 12.5 HP B&S motor.

I don't know about your area, but we are going to hit 4.00 for hightest soon. Does it really matter?

Any thoughts?

Thank you!!


----------



## Philobite (Mar 8, 2008)

STLfirewood said:


> The more you use it the beter you will get at reading the knots and knowing where to hit the block. That is the learning curve I talk about when using this splitter. I'm gladyour happy with it. I love mine.
> 
> Scott



Scott,

Thanks for the encouragement. I lay all the blame for us buying the SS at your feet. 

One addition to my observations in my previous post. My hands, wrists and arms aren't beat up and sore like they'd be if I split a few cords with my hydraulic splitter. There's no pulling, pushing or tossing. The only "work" involved is getting the wood to the splitter.

Another addition (a minor criticism that I'll pass on to the mfg) is that the work table the comes with the SS has curved up lips to hold the split wood from falling off the sides. The table edge was cut with a shear and then the lip bent up with a bender. The sheared edge is sharp and gave my father a small slice when he came out to help me a bit. So the mfg needs to spend a couple minutes de-burring that edge. I'll take a file to it to fix that.


----------



## triptester (Mar 8, 2008)

It is designed to run at full throttle. Manufacturer recommends regular unleaded.


----------



## Jimmychips (Mar 8, 2008)

*Big wood: TW-5 no problems*

For what its worth: I bought a Timberwolf TW-5 three years ago. I went with the TW-5 because we handle some big wood. The hydraulic lift allows my guys to split efficiently for longer periods of time. We average 30-40 cords/year. Last summer my guys split 50" round pieces of ash, and the machine lifted each piece w/ no problems. We also handle quite a bit of large oak, which the machine also handles without a problem. Speed wasn't that big of a concern for me, durability, ruggedness and the 500lb lift were what sold me on the Timeberwolf.


----------



## JackD_ME (Mar 8, 2008)

But, but . . . this thread is about him buying a Super Split! LOL


----------



## STLfirewood (Mar 9, 2008)

There is no doubt that the Timberwolfe is a nice machine. It's just to much money for me. Also they seem to make a lot of scrap from a 4-way or a 6-way. I don't sell the little slivers. I also split my wood up really small. That makes the supersplitter perfect for me. If I was splitting huge wood all the time and leaving the pieces really big the I would think about a timberwolfe.

Scott


----------



## Philobite (Mar 11, 2008)

^^What he said.

I can go a long way in getting increased production tools for the difference in price between the TW-5 (a very nice machine) and the SS. Our wood is generally not big enough to justify a lift. The TW-5 would be great for large rounds, but too slow for most tanoak which ranges from a few inches up to 18", and only very occasionally up to a couple feet.

We put several cords through the SS today. It splits so blazing fast, I was able to keep two men working as fast as they could lifting rounds from the pile up to the splitter table. In some series where the rounds were 8" and under we were completing the splitting and expulsion operation on a new log about every 4-5 seconds for several minutes at a time. Two to three seconds to position the log and two to split and expel. The speed limit with the SS in the loop is not the splitter, but just getting the round onto the table, which is a human speed and endurance issue.

So the next thing to work on is a feeder hopper for the rounds, where I can lift a bunch of trees with the 950 loader, buck the rounds off and they fall into the hopper where the slant and narrowing sides funnel them down toward the splitter table. Then I can pull each one off right onto the splitter and eliminate all lifting.


----------



## Philobite (Apr 23, 2008)

*Update*

A quick update on the SuperSplit. I've now split about 25 (full) cords of tanoak, plus a bit of doug fir and madrone, in the past several weeks, putting in a few hours here and there. It's one sweet machine.

For about the first 5 cords the pusher wouldn't return easily and I had to regularly scrape the tree crud off the top of the H beam where the pusher bearing slides. Now that it's worn in I only need to clean it off about every cord, which takes about 30 seconds. The instructions said this would be the case. Changed the oil at 10 hrs, and grease the rack/pinion every couple cords, that's about it. Engine starts first pull every time.

My father (82 yrs old) and I built a 4' x 8' angled ramp/chute with 3/16" metal sheet with sides bent up at an angle, and redwood framing. This holds a bunch of rounds to be split and they slide down to the splitting table as I pull them off onto the splitting table. Next step is a large bucking platform at the height of the chute top. So I'll use the 950 wheel loader to hold the logs a few inches above the bucking platform and buck them a cord at a time, then roll them about 1/5 cord at a time down the ramp/chute for splitting. Then there'll be no lifting at all.  

So even without optimal bucking setup, and having to lift the logs 1/5 cord at a time up to the ramp/chute by hand, I'm able to fell, limb, skid, buck and split about 2-3 cords a day myself. And my wife enjoys the occasional time of running the splitter. With the ramp/chute there's no lifting for her and with me loading the chute, moving the splits pile and her splitting we can do just over 1 cord an hour or so for a few hours at a time. Following safety rules we both consider the SS quite safe.


----------

