Buying a Wood Splitter?

[OM617YOTA]

I'd load a splitter in the back of a truck with ramps, but not pushing it by hand. Use a winch mounted up near the cab, even if just a hand winch cable puller. Even a couple stout ratchet straps.

If you get a busted leg or a busted face, and a genie popped out of a bottle and offered to make that never happen, for $1200, you'd take them up on that deal. Along those lines, if I'm loading something big, and it goes, I'm standing aside and watching it go.

 

[lone wolf]

Around here, it's not worth buying a used splitter, they're just priced too close to new. It's like Honda 2000w generators. I'm not paying $950 for a used one, when they're $1200 new.

Not worth building one, either. I priced that out a couple years back, and was up to the cost of a new splitter, just in hydraulics and the motor. That was before adding steel, wheels, or picking up a tape measure and soapstone. I was hoping to build a 240v electric powered splitter, as I only split here at home near the shop, and I REALLY didn't want to deal with maintaining another gas engine, but the cost just wasn't worth it.

If you're not in a hurry for a splitter, maybe keep your eyes open and see if a fantastic deal comes around, or if someone you know is letting one go. I'd pay $950 for a used splitter if I know it's been maintained and cared for. There's a Champion 34T nearish by going for $1200, new they're $2000, has one season of use on it. If I needed a splitter, I'd probably roll the dice on that one.

Y'all will laugh at me for this, but a few years back I bought a 5 ton electric splitter. I was skeptical, but as I said, I REALLY didn't want to deal with another gas engine, and was willing to roll the dice on $350 to try it. It split 7+ cords, and only failed to split less than 10 pieces of wood. Very nice to put in ear buds and split wood while listening to an audiobook or podcast. Also nice to be splitting wood inside the shop, while rain is being blown sideways outside. No, it's not going to handle a 4 foot round, but I try to avoid that stuff if possible too.

I also have plenty of saws, and ready access to a buddy's 37 ton splitter, any time I want it. That seems to be the best set up. Don't have a splitter yourself, have a buddy with a splitter.

Wait a minute now it depends on if its a commercial splitter or box store one that would justify the price .

I'd load a splitter in the back of a truck with ramps, but not pushing it by hand. Use a winch mounted up near the cab, even if just a hand winch cable puller. Even a couple stout ratchet straps.

If you get a busted leg or a busted face, and a genie popped out of a bottle and offered to make that never happen, for $1200, you'd take them up on that deal. Along those lines, if I'm loading something big, and it goes, I'm standing aside and watching it go.

How about tow it?

 

[VirginiaIron]

Fyi- I love watching videos of woodsplitters. I get all sorts of ideas on how/how no to, or what I would change/add to the design.

 

[lone wolf]

Fyi- I love watching videos of woodsplitters. I get all sorts of ideas on how/how no to, or what I would change/add to the design.

 

[OM617YOTA]

Wait a minute now it depends on if its a commercial splitter or box store one that would justify the price .

Good point. Guess it's like saws, lots more bang for the buck buying a used commercial saw than a new homeowner saw.

How about tow it?

I've seen guys in their brodozers towing these things down the freeway, log splitter only touching the ground for an instant every 20 feet. The homeowner stuff is meant to be towed around someone's property with a riding mower, not actually out on the road. 20mph, tops? Take a long time to get anywhere at that speed. Really rather toss it on a legit highway rated trailer, or in the back of the truck. Some splitters are built with reasonable highway towing in mind, but none of the homeowner stuff that I'm aware of is, no matter if it's advertised as such, and has trailer lights or not.

 

[lone wolf]

Good point. Guess it's like saws, lots more bang for the buck buying a used commercial saw than a new homeowner saw.



I've seen guys in their brodozers towing these things down the freeway, log splitter only touching the ground for an instant every 20 feet. The homeowner stuff is meant to be towed around someone's property with a riding mower, not actually out on the road. 20mph, tops? Take a long time to get anywhere at that speed. Really rather toss it on a legit highway rated trailer, or in the back of the truck. Some splitters are built with reasonable highway towing in mind, but none of the homeowner stuff that I'm aware of is, no matter if it's advertised as such, and has trailer lights or not.

If it dont have suspension it will hop up and down a ridiculouse amount.

 

[Old Line State]

The couple of box store splitters I have looked at said not to exceed 45 MPH

 

[blades]

he will be paying for that for quite awhile.

 

[blades]

Got to have a real smooth rd for 45 mph. I have an echo/Bearcat chipper shredder got all the making for road worthy except springs, good road max 30 bad road I can walk faster. Same for splitters. Think the next one I build I will have to vist the junk yard for a rear supension from some little car. or pony up for a torsion type - but i have heard that they do not last real long.

 

[Hexa Fox]

Good point. Guess it's like saws, lots more bang for the buck buying a used commercial saw than a new homeowner saw.



I've seen guys in their brodozers towing these things down the freeway, log splitter only touching the ground for an instant every 20 feet. The homeowner stuff is meant to be towed around someone's property with a riding mower, not actually out on the road. 20mph, tops? Take a long time to get anywhere at that speed. Really rather toss it on a legit highway rated trailer, or in the back of the truck. Some splitters are built with reasonable highway towing in mind, but none of the homeowner stuff that I'm aware of is, no matter if it's advertised as such, and has trailer lights or not.

So this was going to be my next question. Because I have seen the same thing lol. Bouncing around like that cannot be good for them. However, if you look at them they rate most of them for "highway towing up to 45MPH". So if I purchase one from my local Home Depot and make certain I max out at 45MPH will I be in good shape?

 

[Hexa Fox]

he will be paying for that for quite awhile.

Yeah and this is how I keep moving up models and spending more money than I want to spend. It works out sometimes like with my Ferris IS2100Z. I went to my dealer for a much less expensive mower and he talked me out of a little Husqvarna zero turn that I am so thankful for today. He recommended a Hustler he had for a couple thousand more dollars and I think that is when I saw a Ferris in a crate. I was able to step up to the smallest unit available with a Vanguard engine on it for right at $10,000 in 2015. I will never look back, the ride quality and dependability of this thing is unmatched.

Anyway just last night I was looking at RuggedMade splitters. You can get a 22-ton piece of equipment for around $3,200. Not sure what freight or other fees look like. However, the machine comes 'loaded'. It comes with a 4-way splitter attachment, log catcher table and a log lifter as well. These are features that you are easily going to pay much more for on a regular machine. I figure I am probably going to buy the 4-way splitter adapter right off the bat. Then not having the catchers is probably going to annoy me so I will buy them next. Then I will wish I had an easier way to lift the logs onto the unit. Then a machine like this comes viable. Just it is hard to justify that price tag for something I may very well use only this season, drain the gas from and let it sit for awhile.

 

[Hermio]

Around here, it's not worth buying a used splitter, they're just priced too close to new. It's like Honda 2000w generators. I'm not paying $950 for a used one, when they're $1200 new.

Not worth building one, either. I priced that out a couple years back, and was up to the cost of a new splitter, just in hydraulics and the motor. That was before adding steel, wheels, or picking up a tape measure and soapstone. I was hoping to build a 240v electric powered splitter, as I only split here at home near the shop, and I REALLY didn't want to deal with maintaining another gas engine, but the cost just wasn't worth it.

If you're not in a hurry for a splitter, maybe keep your eyes open and see if a fantastic deal comes around, or if someone you know is letting one go. I'd pay $950 for a used splitter if I know it's been maintained and cared for. There's a Champion 34T nearish by going for $1200, new they're $2000, has one season of use on it. If I needed a splitter, I'd probably roll the dice on that one.

Y'all will laugh at me for this, but a few years back I bought a 5 ton electric splitter. I was skeptical, but as I said, I REALLY didn't want to deal with another gas engine, and was willing to roll the dice on $350 to try it. It split 7+ cords, and only failed to split less than 10 pieces of wood. Very nice to put in ear buds and split wood while listening to an audiobook or podcast. Also nice to be splitting wood inside the shop, while rain is being blown sideways outside. No, it's not going to handle a 4 foot round, but I try to avoid that stuff if possible too.

I also have plenty of saws, and ready access to a buddy's 37 ton splitter, any time I want it. That seems to be the best set up. Don't have a splitter yourself, have a buddy with a splitter.

I like my 20 ton electric Ramsplitter. I would like more tonnage, but honestly I only find 1 or 2 logs per year it will not split. I either noodle those or flake them with a maul. I like the low maintenance and low heat, no fumes and low noise. They are pricey; going for about $2000 these days. Though mine is a horizontal/vertical model, if you get a log stuck in vertical mode, you basically cannot get it unstuck without lifting it back to horizontal. Not easy to do!

 

[lone wolf]

The couple of box store splitters I have looked at said not to exceed 45 MPH

And wait till you are doing 45 and hit a big hump in the road it will be airborne.

 

[Lionsfan]

Oh, and as far as renting it out, not a chance. Maybe with a cash deposit that's $100 more than full current replacement cost.

Amen, and double that price if it's family.

 

[Hexa Fox]

Amen, and double that price if it's family.

I mean I see people renting them cheap all the time. What precaution do you take to keep people from renting it and you never seeing it again? The way people are stealing stuff right now I can't imagine it being difficult to find someone renting it during a road trip, paying them the rental fee and having it three states over and sold to someone else by the time you are suppose to return it. Not to mention like I said, people treat other peoples equipment badly to say the least.

I would never consider renting my mowers out to people just because I know how people treat them. They are either brush hogging with them or lowering the deck down to 2.00" and throwing dirt. A new sharp set of blades dull in about two seconds.

By the way I was a fan of Regular Show. I laughed when I first saw your profile picture.

 

[REJ2]

And wait till you are doing 45 and hit a big hump in the road it will be airborne.

And it gets worse, many including my 37 ton NorthStar doesn’t have an axle that runs completely thru, just short pieces of rod welded to the hydraulic reservoir tank. Try a hole in the road at 45 with that.

 

[Squareground3691]

Iron & Oak 30T vert / horiz it’s a beast

 

[Lionsfan]

Yeah and this is how I keep moving up models and spending more money than I want to spend. It works out sometimes like with my Ferris IS2100Z. I went to my dealer for a much less expensive mower and he talked me out of a little Husqvarna zero turn that I am so thankful for today. He recommended a Hustler he had for a couple thousand more dollars and I think that is when I saw a Ferris in a crate. I was able to step up to the smallest unit available with a Vanguard engine on it for right at $10,000 in 2015. I will never look back, the ride quality and dependability of this thing is unmatched.

Anyway just last night I was looking at RuggedMade splitters. You can get a 22-ton piece of equipment for around $3,200. Not sure what freight or other fees look like. However, the machine comes 'loaded'. It comes with a 4-way splitter attachment, log catcher table and a log lifter as well. These are features that you are easily going to pay much more for on a regular machine. I figure I am probably going to buy the 4-way splitter adapter right off the bat. Then not having the catchers is probably going to annoy me so I will buy them next. Then I will wish I had an easier way to lift the logs onto the unit. Then a machine like this comes viable. Just it is hard to justify that price tag for something I may very well use only this season, drain the gas from and let it sit for awhile.

How much wood are you going to split in a season? I do 25-35 face cord a year with a 25 ton Countyline and it's been dead nuts reliable, even with the el-cheapo Kohler that some guys seem to hate. As far as starting in the cold, I've used it down to 10* F and she started right up.

 

[Lionsfan]

I mean I see people renting them cheap all the time. What precaution do you take to keep people from renting it and you never seeing it again? The way people are stealing stuff right now I can't imagine it being difficult to find someone renting it during a road trip, paying them the rental fee and having it three states over and sold to someone else by the time you are suppose to return it. Not to mention like I said, people treat other peoples equipment badly to say the least.

I would never consider renting my mowers out to people just because I know how people treat them. They are either brush hogging with them or lowering the deck down to 2.00" and throwing dirt. A new sharp set of blades dull in about two seconds.

By the way I was a fan of Regular Show. I laughed when I first saw your profile picture.

I'm 51, and STILL a fan of Regular Show. Big kid at heart I suppose.

 

[HumBurner]

Tell me about it. I am only 33 but I have done a lot of splitting by hand and was not taught how to properly swing an age or hit a wedge at first. I still make costly mistakes but I learned from YouTube how to "let the tool do the work". It has definitely made it a lot easier on me. I just have some huge pieces of this cherry tree and some from my neighbor.

Anyway the question remains, would you guys ever consider renting your log splitter or offering your services to someone that needs wood split? I am sort of against renting anything because of how people treat stuff. I always thought about starting a little rental business with a zero turn that I repaired or something. However, as many of you know people just treat your equipment like crap. They will rent a zero turn you put a lot of work into so they can brush hog a log that has not been mowed in five years or worse drop the deck down so low they are mowing dirt.

Hand a generic person an axe or maul and they'll swing it from the ground up.

But, eventually, some people learn.