DR Rapid Fire Rack & Pinion

[KiwiBro]

It's just ocurred to me that here down under, DR have a golden opportunity to establish their brand as the original kinetic splitter solution for NZ and Australia on account of SS refusing (I've spoken with Paul too many times to warrant wasting another minute trying again to convince him) to sell into these markets. Get in quick, DR, but please, drop the cradle. I'll be your downunder product crash test dummy and quite possibly the best product champion you've ever had down in these parts of the world. DR, how about you front me a test splitter and I'll pay the freight and line up a NZ and possibly also an Aussie splitter GTG with fellow sheep-shaggers and convicts? If it can handle our woods, it can split just about anything.

They say God loves a tryer, but I'll settle for DR's luv'n.

 

[tassie phil]

Kiwi, you're an argumentive cuss! I operate Splitfires as well as sell them, and you NEED a cradle to hold the round in place. If you have any sense at all you won't have your hand anywhere near that ram or the wood. (But looking at the various youtube videos there is not a lot of sense in most operators, just bravado, which won't help anyone grow another finger!) Besides, don't you need a pitstop occasionally?
On the other point of getting DRs into Australia/NZ, I have enquired and an importer does bring DR products into West Australia and quoted me around A$4000, which I thought was pretty hot for a lightly built machine with the Aussie dollar above USD at the moment. They also said that impact splitters are not suitable to split Aussie hardwood! Anyway, to all contributors to this thread, thankyou, it is all very interesting, and keep it going!
Ps. If DR is following this I would love to have an evaluation machine over here, even if I had to send it back after a while.

 

[D&B Mack]

Why put it there if you are not going to split it? If you are bringing multiple rounds to the table and one goes on the cradle while you get others, why not just have the last one you bring to the table as the first one you split so it goes straight on? If there's a good reason for leaving a round on the cradle then I'm always keen to learn, but it would have to be pretty darn spectacular to overcome the (perceived or real) extra effort of handling resplits back onto the cradles.

I'm not really sure about these extended scenarious you are coming up with. But, in the end, the cradles don't hinder any resplitting from my standpoint. Rounds continue to slide right back over them.

 

[mikereynolds]

The cradle doesn't bother me one bit....I like the black paint in the table by the way.

 

[Locust Cutter]

It's amazing how many people will judge and lampoon anything with little to no first-hand knowledge on which to base an educated opinion. I have seen he the S.S. in action and was darn impressed. That said I didn't have the opportunity to use it myself. I now have a better idea of what it's all about, but I'd like to split a cord with each machine to honestly compare them. That log holder might be pretty handy from a safety perspective. That said if the the DR had an auto cycle function, (Upon initiation) like the S.S. it might be better. I still think if either machine offered a capstan rope winch, a tow hitch, and a log lift (possibly cycling off of the aforementioned winch), it would be almost impossible to beat in typical firewood (6"-18" thick).

 

[mikereynolds]

how cool would that be?

It's amazing how many people will judge and lampoon anything with little to no first-hand knowledge on which to base an educated opinion. I have seen he the S.S. in action and was darn impressed. That said I didn't have the opportunity to use it myself. I now have a better idea of what it's all about, but I'd like to split a cord with each machine to honestly compare them. That log holder might be pretty handy from a safety perspective. That said if the the DR had an auto cycle function, (Upon initiation) like the S.S. it might be better. I still think if either machine offered a capstan rope winch, a tow hitch, and a log lift (possibly cycling off of the aforementioned winch), it would be almost impossible to beat in typical firewood (6"-18" thick).

Capstan winch and log lift I want just like Logrite! uttahere2:uttahere2:uttahere2:

 

[KiwiBro]

Kiwi, you're an argumentive cuss! I operate Splitfires as well as sell them, and you NEED a cradle to hold the round in place. If you have any sense at all you won't have your hand anywhere near that ram or the wood. (But looking at the various youtube videos there is not a lot of sense in most operators, just bravado, which won't help anyone grow another finger!) Besides, don't you need a pitstop occasionally?
On the other point of getting DRs into Australia/NZ, I have enquired and an importer does bring DR products into West Australia and quoted me around A$4000, which I thought was pretty hot for a lightly built machine with the Aussie dollar above USD at the moment. They also said that impact splitters are not suitable to split Aussie hardwood! Anyway, to all contributors to this thread, thankyou, it is all very interesting, and keep it going!
Ps. If DR is following this I would love to have an evaluation machine over here, even if I had to send it back after a while.

Would you rather a bunch of back-slapping, backside-kissing circle jerkers instead?
If it's useful when (Dog loves a trier) DR sends me a splitter, I'll be the first to change my stance on this but frankly, I can't see the point of putting anything in the way of moving the round back to the wedge to be re-split. It seems more motivated by some attempt at differentiation.

Next, you'll be demanding Stihl limits the chain speeds so users can get out of the way of kickback, or perhaps a ultra green safety chain, or maybe a saw that wont operate if lifted above waist height or....

AU$4k is quite a bit of split wood needed to pay for it. It would be great to line up a selection of various woods and see what would choke these. Some dry, knotty gum, you guys could throw in some ironbark, how about rather than hard, why not some stringy and knotty old-man pine, etc, etc. The thing is, until DR send you and I one each to trial and report back, this side of the world will never know what a DR can or can't handle. And to engage any closet conspiracy theorists in our audience:
Perhaps that is the way DR and co. would like it to stay? Hmmmm.

 

[KiwiBro]

the cradles don't hinder any resplitting from my standpoint.

At the end of the day, you're the customer and you're happy, so I suspect DR are too.

 

[paramedicchuck]

DR now towable

I am new to the site, and haven't seen this in any other threads...

I ordered a DR today. They asked me if I was interested in a towing option! I hadn't seen it on the website until today; the sales rep who I talked to on the phone said this addition is very new. Thought you might be interested:

DR® Power Equipment - RapidFire Tow Hitch Kit - For easy transport to your work site!

Chuck

 

[D&B Mack]

I am new to the site, and haven't seen this in any other threads...

I ordered a DR today. They asked me if I was interested in a towing option! I hadn't seen it on the website until today; the sales rep who I talked to on the phone said this addition is very new. Thought you might be interested:

DR® Power Equipment - RapidFire Tow Hitch Kit - For easy transport to your work site!

Chuck

I would like to see how it connects.

 

[KiwiBro]

For easy transport to your work site!

Do they also sell optional extra 'work sites' that do not involve highway or normal road towing to get to? If so, then I'd be able to use this tow hitch on any DR if I end up buying a DR. Otherwise, I'll be S.O.O.L with that tow hitch kit.

 

[Como]

Perhaps the problem with the SuperSplit in Australia is that they do not work well upside down? Fuel starvation?

I am sure shipping is the killer on the price, unless you ship a container load.

I will probably pull the trigger before Friday when their current sale ends.

 

[KiwiBro]

Perhaps the problem with the SuperSplit in Australia is that they do not work well upside down?

that just prompted a thought: how about a bigger/sturdier kinetic that splits under the beam so we don't have to noodle rounds, just roll them over to and under the upside down monster kinetic and hey presto-they are busted in half. No lifting of heavy noodlers. Now, I didn't say it was a good thought, but a thought it was.

I am sure shipping is the killer on the price, unless you ship a container load.

I don't think a container load of parts and local assembly would be out of the question for down-under should the market develop a kinetic splitter infatuation.

 

[Como]

You can certainly get Hydraulics that split upside down, attached to a PTO.

I am currently in the UK and looked to see what was available, most are vertical electric powered table types which I have never seen in the US.

Different markets, different requirements.

 

[nysparkie]

Now they make it.

I am new to the site, and haven't seen this in any other threads...

I ordered a DR today. They asked me if I was interested in a towing option! I hadn't seen it on the website until today; the sales rep who I talked to on the phone said this addition is very new. Thought you might be interested:

DR® Power Equipment - RapidFire Tow Hitch Kit - For easy transport to your work site!

Chuck

This sort of pisses me off.:msp_angry: I spent the ????? about 2500.00 price/shipping costs. For the 99.00 they are asking to this tow kit, I would think
they should have contacted everyone who has purchased a RapidFire and offered a discount for this towing option. (If not given free as OME).
Of course that is my opinion and like backsides........:jester:
60 + cords and still flying along. Minor issues of chunks getting wedged between table and ram still. Belts still good. Ram head still good. Have not made changes to oil drain as I was going to. Time is not on my side.:msp_sad:

 

[nysparkie]

Cradle

But still with that dog aweful cradle. I find it hard to fathom why they persist with that impediment to a smooth and near effortless sliding of re-split blocks. It'd be the first thing I'd grind off it if I buy a DR.

That Cradle is hardly more than a bump. It doesn't take much to slide anything right over the top of it. I consider DR putting them on the table as a non-issue.

 

[nysparkie]

Agree

The cradles don't hinder me, plus it is nice if you want to walk away from a round for a second.

Have to AGREE with your statement. I don't even notice they are there.

 

[Como]

This sort of pisses me off.:msp_angry: I spent the ????? about 2500.00 price/shipping costs. For the 99.00 they are asking to this tow kit, I would think
they should have contacted everyone who has purchased a RapidFire and offered a discount for this towing option. (If not given free as OME).
Of course that is my opinion and like backsides........:jester:
60 + cords and still flying along. Minor issues of chunks getting wedged between table and ram still. Belts still good. Ram head still good. Have not made changes to oil drain as I was going to. Time is not on my side.:msp_sad:

They send e mails out on a regular basis, or so it seems. Would not surprise me if it was not mentioned on one of them.

The tow hitch is not for road use.

The $99 is a discount, to the extent that means anything.

Hosted Email

This was the last one, 2 days to make the call or wait until the next offer.

 

[nysparkie]

Towing RapidFire

They send e mails out on a regular basis, or so it seems. Would not surprise me if it was not mentioned on one of them.

The tow hitch is not for road use.

The $99 is a discount, to the extent that means anything.

Hosted Email

This was the last one, 2 days to make the call or wait until the next offer.

Hmmm, I'm sure I gave my email address.. Always seems to be me when some SNAFU is going on. Have to Tele...and see what is up~~!!

 

[Como]

Caught with your spam?