harbor freight log splitter

[Oliver1655]

With anything you buy, you have to look it over make the best decision you can based on the knowledge you have. Some of the stuff Harbor Freight sells is of poor quality while most of the items I have purchased have preformed at or above the level of name brand items. Example: My 14" chop saws & 12" miter saws from Harbor Freight have outlasted my Dewalt saws 3 times as long. I will not make a long list of the items I have which I have been very happy with from this store. There are threads which specifically address this subject.

A tool I have that I feel has preformed outstandingly, if bought today may not be of the same quality. Or there maybe one I did not like which had been improved & is now a superior tool. You just can't tell without checking it out each time.

If you are not knowledgeable about a particular purchase, the smart thing is to seek advice from one who is. Bashing an item because of where you find it makes no sense to me.

I have purchased more brands of tools over the years than I can list. Many of the brands have been consolidated or have lost a lot of the quality. I have a set of no name wrenches make in Brazil from K-Mart I purchased back in the 70's which have held their own against my SnapOn, Mac, Wright, Diamond, SK, ... sets. Have some brands maintained a consistent level of quality? In my opinion, yes. Do I have a lot of tools with "LifeTime" warranties which are not able to be replaced because the brand has disappeared, yes. Some of these brands had been around for years like Thorsen but alas, no more.

I guess my point would be, things are constantly changing & one has to be an informed & open minded shopper. Even then you can end up with a lemon.

 

[Oliver1655]

Quick note: I have "Greyhound" & "Predator" engines from harbor Freight which have hundreds of hours on them & they still consistently start with 1-2 pulls. I would give the engine which comes with the splitter a chance.

 

[fastLeo151]

I have a predator engine on one of my splitters. It only has 10-15 hours on it so far but its been great.

 

[ByronMill]

Byron are you pzlaning on upgrading the motor and pump first thing or are you going to use as delivered for a while

I am probably going to use either an 11gm 2 stage electrical motor system I have here or an 11gpm 5hp gas unit I have on another splitter to try it out and see if it is worth keeping. I will not run the motor and pump that comes with it unless I am sure the splitter design is good. If I keep the splitter module I will either sell the motor and pump or use it to build or rebuild another splitter. What I am really looking to do in the long run it to be able to do a quick mount design for my Deere garden tractor so I will have a very mobile unit. I will have the hp on the tractor to run a 28 gpm stage pump which will provide very fast cycle times. The interest is more in the compact size than the two way splitting, though I do see that as being a viable benefit.

 

[ByronMill]

Quick note: I have "Greyhound" & "Predator" engines from harbor Freight which have hundreds of hours on them & they still consistently start with 1-2 pulls. I would give the engine which comes with the splitter a chance.

I agree with you on the engines, I use them all the time on snowblowers I rebuild and other things. They are a solid motor. I am not looking to change out the motor and pump due to concern about quality or durability. I am looking to shorten cycle times for higher productivity when on the tractor and using an electrical drive package when splitting around the shop. This is to reduce noise and it is a lot cheaper operational cost over gas.

 

[motoman3b]

Byron, I dont think you'll necessarily have to replace the pump you should be able to find a bracket or make one to adapt a electric motor and just connect the two with some lovejoy connectors. Of course you'll want to make sure you get an electric motor that spins the right direction and rpms

 

[ByronMill]

Byron, I dont think you'll necessarily have to replace the pump you should be able to find a bracket or make one to adapt a electric motor and just connect the two with some lovejoy connectors. Of course you'll want to make sure you get an electric motor that spins the right direction and rpms[/quo

As I stated in my previous comments I already have a motor, pump, tank configuration that I use, so all I have to do is connect the pressure side line to the valve and the return line to the tank from the upper splitter module and I am in operation. The splitter comes unassembled anyways, not like it is any extra work. And if I decide to sell the pump/motor combo that comes with it, I can truthfully say it is brand new, never used. I am 57 now and have worked with hydraulics for most of my life, I know how to make this stuff work.

Regarding the motor, one would be hard pressed to find an electric motor that could not be wired to run in either direction that would be in a hp rating anywhere near capable of running an 11 gpm pump. Only some fractional hp motors come from the factory wired to run in only one direction. Of course one does need to make sure the motor is wired for the correct rotation as a typical 2 stage splitter pump can only be run in one direction.

My electric pump package is an 11 gpm 2 stage Haldex pump connected to a 2hp 1800 rpm 230V 3ph motor. I use my 230V single phase for the supply to a variable frequency drive on the pump package. I use the VFD to convert the single phase to 3 phase, overspeed the motor to 3600 rpms when under low system pressure conditions (return cycles, after initial split, etc. that result in low current draw)to provide maximum volume flow for faster cycle times, and use the current limiting function of the VFD to automatically reduce the pump speed as required when system pressures rise and the current draw of the motor increases. Because I am using an 1800 rpm motor, it is developing the full 2 hp at 1800 rpms, at a time when the pump is at a maximum capacity of 5.5 gpm. A 2 hp motor can easily operate a 5.5 gpm 2 stage pumping configuration at 3000 psi. This way I get the best of both worlds, nearly the cycle speed of a 3600 rpm system (11 gpm), but only the maximum current draw of 2hp drive (5.5 gpm).

 

[cheeves]

I would avoid that HB splitter; as stated, they are risky with their tool quality and for just a few hundred more dollars, you can get this 27-ton model (splits both horizontal or vertical) and has a Honda engine. My cousin and friend both have this one, and it is solid.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_116418-270-24CF572B711_0__?productId=3806693&Ntt=log splitters&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=log+splitters&facetInfo=

Myself and my father both have the Troy-Bilt 27 ton wood splitter with the Honda engine! Split on average 20 cords a year with mine and Never had a problem with either machines!! They start right up and run and run! I use mine in the Vertical a lot because of my back, sitting on a big round! Great machines!! And that Honda motor you can't beat!!!

 

[ByronMill]

Just get a 22 ton huskee at tsc. Harbor scrap can't even make a pair of functional pliers and you'd give them a grand for a splitter nobody has ever seen used before ?

But you are ok with TSC selling you a unit advertised with a rating of 22 tons when it is IMPOSSIBLE to get more than 19 tons of force if one where to set the relief valve at the maximum allowed system pressure (3000 psi) in their manual and actually is sold with relief valve set to provide less than 16 tons of force. And they provide no instructions on how to change those settings to even get the machine up to 19 tons of force.

Doesn't make it a bad machine, but they are not exactly being honest with their customers.

 

[Jim Timber]

Predator engines are a high quality Honda clone, so that's why they're so bulletproof.

Horrible Freight (as I call them ) has a policy of not buying a lot of any one product from the same factory unless they've had proven success with the item. That's why you'll see the SKU's change on what appears to be the same product so often.

They have some products that are excellent values (the Predator engines for instance), and some stuff that's utter junk. I've let the smoke out of enough of their power hand tools, that I won't bother buying any more.

 

[ByronMill]

Myself and my father both have the Troy-Bilt 27 ton wood splitter with the Honda engine! Split on average 20neocords a year with mine and Never had a problem with either machines!! They start right up and run and run! I use mine in the Vertical a lot because of my back, sitting on a big round! Great machines!! And that Honda motor you can't beat!!!

You guys do not have a 27 ton splitter if it is the one in the link. You have a 20 ton splitter with a 7 ton lie printed on it. Go look at the specs. You will see they avoid posting all the really important specs one needs to properly compare a splitter. They do not list cylinder diameter, pump gpm, relief pressure settings and motor hp. I can tell you what they are by calculating backwards from some of the things they do tell us and making a few very safe assumptions.

1) Cylinder diameter is 4.5" It would have to be at least that size for them to even dream of rating it at 27 tons. Their quoted cycle times would be too short for a 5" cylinder and if they had a 5" they would be bragging it up as as 32 or 35 ton unit. If it is only a 4" cylinder this is the biggest over rating of a splitter I have ever seen.

2) Motor hp is a paltry 4.4 HP (yes, that is right, ONLY 4.4 HP!). Right off of Honda spec page for a 160 cc motor.

3)Pump is an 11 gpm unit. Based on cycle times, largest pump that a 4.4 hp engine could even dream about handling.

4)Main relief valve is set at 2500 PSI or LESS. Not possible for a 4.4 hp engine to drive that pump at 11 gpm with a system pressure any higher than that, and it may not even handle 2500

A 4.5" cylinder with system pressure of 2500 psi will generate a maximum force of 39740 lbs, let's round it up to 20 tons. The components could handle 3000 psi if one was to adjust the main relief valve and take the rating up to 24 tons, which is still well below 27 tons. The snag is you would have to replace the engine with a larger hp one to drive it at those higher pressures. Oooops... Houston, we have a problem. This splitter's hydraulic system is a JOKE!

In addition the cycle time is 30% longer than the splitters that have a 4" cylinder with an 11 gpm pump. So you have a 20 ton splitter that is 30% slower than an actual 20 ton, 4" splitter with a 5.5 to 6.5 hp motor that could drive the pump at 3000 psi. If one was to put an 11 to 13 hp engine on this paired to a 22 gpm pump, then you would have something. Still would only be possible to get 24 tons of force, but at least you would have some reasonable cycle times.

I doubt I will find that the HF unit is set at 3000 PSI, I am betting I will find it to be around 2500. Point is that it has a 6.5 hp engine on it, so it can be turned up that high if desired. Probably will not be necessary as the wedge design is pretty good and probably will not need a lot of force to split the largest pieces that I (or most users) would be putting up there. And this wedge design will handle stringy and knotty wood better than most designs on vertical splitters.

Not sure where TeeMan came up with "only a couple hundred dollars more". With the 25% discount code that anyone can get by google search online the HF splitter is $750. The Troy-Bilt (same as MTD) splitter is $1300 at Loews. That is a huge difference in cost.

The basic design and component selection on the HF unit is valid. We already know the Predator engines are reliable. It remains to be seen if the pump and valve are reliable and also if the welding and steel thickness are proper to provide long and reliable service. I have the resources and knowledge to beef it up if is required. I realize many do not. I'll put it through it's paces and if it is not up to the challenge I will let everyone know. I will probably be able to identify most weaknesses even before failures occur, if they are there. My biggest question is having the splitter wedge welded to the cylinder tube. If that is not properly designed and fabricated it could be a fatal flaw.

If you are a user looking for vertical capabilities this is obviously not the unit for you, even if it does turn out to be rock solid. But if you are are a user that is looking for a compact horizontal only unit that can split in both directions this may be just what you are looking for. Give it a chance to be properly tested.

 

[fastLeo151]

Well said byron. I'm looking forward to seeing your first hand observations on this machine

 

[Jakers]

with my comparable powerhorse, (not exactly the same but its the closest thing to it) the biggest downfall ive found is the wedge height. if im splitting anything over 8-10" it likes to split on the bottom and not on the top. ive considered building the wedge taller but if i ever hit a knot in a log the stress would rip the wedge from the square tubing. i just flip it over and split it again if its too bad, otherwise i keep a hatchet handy to snip the strings. this will likely be a problem on the HF model too. not a huge deal cuz the wedge is already there waiting for the next pass in the other direction

as for wedge design, it cuts anything it wont split. only stalled it once on a really naughty piece that was frozen and didnt have a single straight grain to it. i just noodled it and was done. with my big splitter it woulda done something to it, either cut it or smooshed it into a stringy pulp that would have been useless for anything other than starting a bonfire

 

[ByronMill]

with my comparable powerhorse, (not exactly the same but its the closest thing to it) the biggest downfall ive found is the wedge height. if im splitting anything over 8-10" it likes to split on the bottom and not on the top. ive considered building the wedge taller but if i ever hit a knot in a log the stress would rip the wedge from the square tubing. i just flip it over and split it again if its too bad, otherwise i keep a hatchet handy to snip the strings. this will likely be a problem on the HF model too. not a huge deal cuz the wedge is already there waiting for the next pass in the other direction

as for wedge design, it cuts anything it wont split. only stalled it once on a really naughty piece that was frozen and didnt have a single straight grain to it. i just noodled it and was done. with my big splitter it woulda done something to it, either cut it or smooshed it into a stringy pulp that would have been useless for anything other than starting a bonfire

I think everyone that has split any of the stringy species of wood in larger diameters has experienced what you describe Jakers. Of course that happens with any of the typical mass produced logsplitters that have a 6" to 10" high wedge, which includes pretty much all of the vertical/horizontal units being compared to these dual split units. The vertical units typically have the wing taper on the back side of the wedge which can help at times to either finish the split on some stringy pieces or finish the split with a little less cylinder travel if the round is of a modest size, say 14-16 inches or less in diameter. Of course sometimes that wing will cause the piece to hang up on the wedge for the large diameter stuff and then one has to run the wedge back to the stripper plate to get the piece diislodged if horizontal. The weight will often pull it off if using it in the vertical mode, but not always.

With the narrow "knife" wedge on the dual split it rarely would hang up, and even if it did you can just put another piece of wood at the other end and strip the stuck piece as you split the one you just put in. And if one really wanted to have a winged wedge design it would be very easy to add a double taper wing to the center of the wedge and gain that benefit. It would have to be a bolt on or slip on design in order to allow for the cylinder and wedge to be removed for service.

The only machines that have wedges tall enough (12" or more) to eliminate this issue on most large diameters trunk section are very expensive commercial splitters or units the owners built themselves or had custom made. That is not what is being compared here.

 

[TeeMan]

You guys do not have a 27 ton splitter if it is the one in the link. You have a 20 ton splitter with a 7 ton lie printed on it. Go look at the specs. You will see they avoid posting all the really important specs one needs to properly compare a splitter. They do not list cylinder diameter, pump gpm, relief pressure settings and motor hp. I can tell you what they are by calculating backwards from some of the things they do tell us and making a few very safe assumptions.

1) Cylinder diameter is 4.5" It would have to be at least that size for them to even dream of rating it at 27 tons. Their quoted cycle times would be too short for a 5" cylinder and if they had a 5" they would be bragging it up as as 32 or 35 ton unit. If it is only a 4" cylinder this is the biggest over rating of a splitter I have ever seen.

2) Motor hp is a paltry 4.4 HP (yes, that is right, ONLY 4.4 HP!). Right off of Honda spec page for a 160 cc motor.

3)Pump is an 11 gpm unit. Based on cycle times, largest pump that a 4.4 hp engine could even dream about handling.

4)Main relief valve is set at 2500 PSI or LESS. Not possible for a 4.4 hp engine to drive that pump at 11 gpm with a system pressure any higher than that, and it may not even handle 2500

A 4.5" cylinder with system pressure of 2500 psi will generate a maximum force of 39740 lbs, let's round it up to 20 tons. The components could handle 3000 psi if one was to adjust the main relief valve and take the rating up to 24 tons, which is still well below 27 tons. The snag is you would have to replace the engine with a larger hp one to drive it at those higher pressures. Oooops... Houston, we have a problem. This splitter's hydraulic system is a JOKE!

In addition the cycle time is 30% longer than the splitters that have a 4" cylinder with an 11 gpm pump. So you have a 20 ton splitter that is 30% slower than an actual 20 ton, 4" splitter with a 5.5 to 6.5 hp motor that could drive the pump at 3000 psi. If one was to put an 11 to 13 hp engine on this paired to a 22 gpm pump, then you would have something. Still would only be possible to get 24 tons of force, but at least you would have some reasonable cycle times.

I doubt I will find that the HF unit is set at 3000 PSI, I am betting I will find it to be around 2500. Point is that it has a 6.5 hp engine on it, so it can be turned up that high if desired. Probably will not be necessary as the wedge design is pretty good and probably will not need a lot of force to split the largest pieces that I (or most users) would be putting up there. And this wedge design will handle stringy and knotty wood better than most designs on vertical splitters.

Not sure where TeeMan came up with "only a couple hundred dollars more". With the 25% discount code that anyone can get by google search online the HF splitter is $750. The Troy-Bilt (same as MTD) splitter is $1300 at Loews. That is a huge difference in cost.

The basic design and component selection on the HF unit is valid. We already know the Predator engines are reliable. It remains to be seen if the pump and valve are reliable and also if the welding and steel thickness are proper to provide long and reliable service. I have the resources and knowledge to beef it up if is required. I realize many do not. I'll put it through it's paces and if it is not up to the challenge I will let everyone know. I will probably be able to identify most weaknesses even before failures occur, if they are there. My biggest question is having the splitter wedge welded to the cylinder tube. If that is not properly designed and fabricated it could be a fatal flaw.

If you are a user looking for vertical capabilities this is obviously not the unit for you, even if it does turn out to be rock solid. But if you are are a user that is looking for a compact horizontal only unit that can split in both directions this may be just what you are looking for. Give it a chance to be properly tested.

I'm sure you could also get a discount for the one at Lowe's (my cousin got his for $1,000 as the floor model, but those are special cases). I was taking the difference in the posted $1,299 cost for the Troy-Built and the $999.99 posted cost for the HF model. As far as the splitting tonnage, they are listed at 27 & 20 respectively.

 

[ByronMill]

I'm sure you could also get a discount for the one at Lowe's (my cousin got his for $1,000 as the floor model, but those are special cases). I was taking the difference in the posted $1,299 cost for the Troy-Built and the $999.99 posted cost for the HF model. As far as the splitting tonnage, they are listed at 27 & 20 respectively.

Here is a code that anyone can use to get 25% off any one item at Harbor Freight. It works on the splitter, I used it to confirm. Show me a link to a coupon readily available for Loews. I've never seen one.
http://www.dealcatcher.com/coupons_by_merchant/harbor-freight/996726234

Regarding your comments about the "listed" ratings, my earlier posts address that very issue. There is clearly no industry standard applied to these ratings and are only meaningful in comparing the capabilities of any given unit if the manufacturer and seller are ethical and truthful in their claims. If one does not know the cylinder diameter, the actual pressure setting of the main relief valve, the gpm of the pump and the horsepower of the drive motor it is not possible to accurately compare the capabilities of any given splitter.

Troy-Bilt and Loews can "list" the splitting force of the unit at 27 tons, but the laws and principles of hydraulics and power dictate that the unit as sold is INCAPABLE of providing anywhere near 27 tons of force at the wedge. As shipped from the factory and sold to the user, this splitter has no capability to provide more than 20 tons of splitting force, and cannot be adjusted or tuned in any way to do better. This is not opinion, it is simple engineering facts. I have no way of knowing whether the are choosing to "misrepresent" (lie) about the actual capabilities or if their engineering, manufacturing and marketing people just don't know any better. At the same time, they certainly are not the only manufacturers/sellers that are overstating the capabilities of their splitters.

The HF unit is capable of at least close to the advertised rating of 20 tons, 19 would be more accurate, and at least you could look past that as just rounding up. The Loews unit has virtually the same splitting force available and is 30% slower in the speed of travel of the wedge. Again, does not mean it is a bad splitter, but I fail to see where anyone could honestly opine that this Loews splitter can provide better splitting than the HF unit. If splitting vertically is important to you, you are ok with 20 tons of force, do not mind that the travel speed on the wedge is 30% slower and are willing to spend $550 more for the Loews unit, then great, go for it.

 

[TeeMan]

Here is a code that anyone can use to get 25% off any one item at Harbor Freight. It works on the splitter, I used it to confirm. Show me a link to a coupon readily available for Loews. I've never seen one.
http://www.dealcatcher.com/coupons_by_merchant/harbor-freight/996726234

Regarding your comments about the "listed" ratings, my earlier posts address that very issue. There is clearly no industry standard applied to these ratings and are only meaningful in comparing the capabilities of any given unit if the manufacturer and seller are ethical and truthful in their claims. If one does not know the cylinder diameter, the actual pressure setting of the main relief valve, the gpm of the pump and the horsepower of the drive motor it is not possible to accurately compare the capabilities of any given splitter.

Troy-Bilt and Loews can "list" the splitting force of the unit at 27 tons, but the laws and principles of hydraulics and power dictate that the unit as sold is INCAPABLE of providing anywhere near 27 tons of force at the wedge. As shipped from the factory and sold to the user, this splitter has no capability to provide more than 20 tons of splitting force, and cannot be adjusted or tuned in any way to do better. This is not opinion, it is simple engineering facts. I have no way of knowing whether the are choosing to "misrepresent" (lie) about the actual capabilities or if their engineering, manufacturing and marketing people just don't know any better. At the same time, they certainly are not the only manufacturers/sellers that are overstating the capabilities of their splitters.

The HF unit is capable of at least close to the advertised rating of 20 tons, 19 would be more accurate, and at least you could look past that as just rounding up. The Loews unit has virtually the same splitting force available and is 30% slower in the speed of travel of the wedge. Again, does not mean it is a bad splitter, but I fail to see where anyone could honestly opine that this Loews splitter can provide better splitting than the HF unit. If splitting vertically is important to you, you are ok with 20 tons of force, do not mind that the travel speed on the wedge is 30% slower and are willing to spend $550 more for the Loews unit, then great, go for it.

Byron, I never said there was a 'coupon' for Lowe's. I was simply stating that in some cases you can get a floor model for far less. Vertical splitting is important to me and so is having a Honda engine. I'm not saying the HF model is a bad deal, just saying that I personally would stay away from it. Please stop quoting my statements and following them with things as if to make me look foolish. This is a message board and any poster sets themselves up for follow up comments, but I am withdrawing from this thread.
Best of luck selecting a splitter for your needs fastLeo151.

 

[Jim Timber]

Most box stores won't sell a demo unless it's the only one they have, or they want to get it off the floor (out of season).

Home depot wouldn't even let me use my veterans discount (10% all the time) on my demo Ridgid 5pc cordless tool set because it was already marked down 20% as an open box. I did still get the free battery, and was able to return that for full price though. I had another drill which uses the same batteries and didn't need 5 of them, so I took the extra $90 off instead.

 

[fastLeo151]

I

Byron, I never said there was a 'coupon' for Lowe's. I was simply stating that in some cases you can get a floor model for far less. Vertical splitting is important to me and so is having a Honda engine. I'm not saying the HF model is a bad deal, just saying that I personally would stay away from it. Please stop quoting my statements and following them with things as if to make me look foolish. This is a message board and any poster sets themselves up for follow up comments, but I am withdrawing from this thread.
Best of luck selecting a splitter for your needs fastLeo151.

I'm good on splitters my man, just brought this up to share my findings. Were all terribly sorry your statements were disagreeable at times and your feelings got hurt.

 

[fastLeo151]

Most box stores won't sell a demo unless it's the only one they have, or they want to get it off the floor (out of season).

Home depot wouldn't even let me use my veterans discount (10% all the time) on my demo Ridgid 5pc cordless tool set because it was already marked down 20% as an open box. I did still get the free battery, and was able to return that for full price though. I had another drill which uses the same batteries and didn't need 5 of them, so I took the extra $90 off instead.

IMO home depot sucks....