Just to be clear the HF splitter is not the same as the PowerHorse from NT. Similar design for sure but look at the too side by side.
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For one the tongue is integrated on the NT and the HF tongue is bolted on. Looks a bit wobbly with the box mounted up over top like that. Also check the hose routing. The NT becomes almost balanced over the wheels when the wedge is near the engine so that you can move it about easily with one person. The HF has the wedge welded on the other end of the center beam so the beam will protrude to the hitch when operated. While it mayBnot interfere with normal use, I can sure see someone towing it into place dropping the tailgate to start loading the splits and promptly crushing their tailgate with the inner beam.
4seasons is correct on multiple observations. The units are not identical, but are both knockoffs off another manufacturer. No problem there, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.
I have downloaded the manuals with the illustrated parts list for each unit. I have a background in manufacturing of mobile equipment and hydraulics and am certain of the following:
1) The is no center carrier section in the HF unit. The splitter wedge blade is welded to the outside of the open end of the outer barrel (tube) of the cylinder. The shaft end of the cylinder is fixed (on the end the hoses go into) and the outer barrel is what moves back and forth.
2) Because the outer barrel moves the hoses are not connected to the barrel. The cylinder shaft is rifle drilled the full length of it to get the hydraulic fluid to the far end of the piston for the extension stroke. There is also another hole drilled in the shaft nearly the full length to get the fluid to the front side of the piston for the retraction stroke. The shaft end yoke will have to have 2 threaded ports for the hoses to attach to, providing the path for the fluid to get to the proper path down the center of the cylinder shaft. This is a very unusual arrangement, but technically sound as long as the weldment of the splitter wedge onto the tube is well designed and manufactured. But this does mean there is no simple way to replace the splitter wedge if it was damaged. In the HF unit the entire cylinder barrel would have to be replaced or at least the cylinder would have to be disassembled and a weld/fab shop would have to repair or replace.
3) With the NT unit the inner carrier has the wedge welded to it, so that weldment could be replaced independently of the cylinder. The cylinder is a basic 4 x 24 unit with clevis yoke ends. On the NT unit the barrel end of the cylinder is fixed and the shaft end (attached to the center carrier weldment) moves.
4) 4seasons observation about the extension travel is correct. On the NT unit the carrier extension comes out the back end by the motor. On the HF unit the cylinder tube will extend out the other end towards the hitch. That extension will be about 24".
5) As far as repair part, the main items will be the motor, the pump, the valve and the hoses. Predator motor is on sale all the time at HF for $99. 11gpm haldex or speeco pump off ebay for $100 or less. Same with the valve. Hoses from you local NAPA. At those costs there would be no incentive to repair either the motor or pump, even if it was a carb. They are throw-aways. I do not think the cylinder and wedge will be a problem on the HF unit, but it is possible and that would be the most serious repair snag. Most anything else would be simple bolt on or welding repairs.
6) HF unit has only bushings in the wheels, so NO HIGHWAY. NT has bearings, but does not recommend speeds over 45 mph.
7) As far as splitting capabilty, either of these units will do as much as a Speeco or other "22" ton splitter. IMO they will do more as they have better wedge design. These double split designs have a much longer taper on the the wedge angle which increases the splitting forces. Remember "inclined planes" in grade school science? Wedge design is as critical (if not more) than force ratings, but get little heed paid.
8) There are no industry standard for the "Ton" rating, so many play fast and free with their rating. Virtually all splitters rated in the 20 to 24 ton range have a 4" cylinder. With a very few special exceptions the maximum allowable system pressure is limited to 3000 psi max by design on the components used. Therefore any splitter running a 4" cylinder at 3000 PSI is capable of 37680 pounds of force, or roughly 19 tons. And that is even unlikely as many systems are set to bypass at 2500 PSI (31400 lbs or about 16 tons of force). Force of a cylinder is the surface area of the piston times the system pressure in PSI. Surface area is Pi (3.14) x Diameter of the piston (in this case 4") squared, then divided by 4. So 3.14 x (4x4) divided by 4 = 12.56 sq inches of surface area. 12.56 times 3000 PSI = 37680 pounds of force maximum. Motor HP has NOTHING to do with the maximum force any given system is capable of, as long as the motor is large enough to pump the volume the pump is capable of delivering at the design pressure. A cordless drill is capable of powering a 2 stage pump to split wood, it will just be a REALLY LONG cycle time. A 100 hp 200 gpm pump connected to a 4" cylinder has no more potential splitting force than a 5 hp 11 gpm pump connected to the same system.
If you prefer a vertical design splitter, or the traditional single direction horizontal splitter that is fine, but either of these units is more than capable of splitting anything either of those designs are capable of if they have a 4" cylinder. There is nothing "light duty" in these units compared to a 22 ton splitter from TSC.
That being said I am going to order one. HF has 25% discount coupon and shipping is only $96. With IN tax the total delivered cost is like $906. I am going to modify it to be an electric motor drive when on the frame and also configure a mount for my Deere GT to mount only the splitter module to the tractor and use a 28 gpm pump when I am doing high production splitting. The splitting force will not be increased, but that spitting wedge will be just flying through the wood. I will have cycle times rivaling a SuperSplit.
