Is a $10k splitter worth it?

[Pungo]

Hello everyone,
New member here! I have been splitting wood with a 20 ton yard machine and a 25 ton county line for years. I am looking at purchasing a Built-Rite super 11 model. It’s one year used with 90 hours for $8800.
I’m wondering if there is justification in spending that kind of money for a splitter? I have 3 to 4 guys that help me split wood during our off-season and a Ditch Witch machine.
Trying to decide if I should pull the trigger. I’d have to sell 30 cords to break even.

 

[dave_dj1]

To me, no, but for you maybe. I would think a 1000 machine from TSC or the like would work fine for many years and you could probably sell it for 75% of what you paid for it after 5 years. How much wood do you split? Can your equipment keep up now?

 

[Pungo]

To me, no, but for you maybe. I would think a 1000 machine from TSC or the like would work fine for many years and you could probably sell it for 75% of what you paid for it after 5 years. How much wood do you split? Can your equipment keep up now?

We haven’t done enough in the past to warrant a faster production machine, but that’s changing. I now have the space to ramp up firewood production, sell by the cord (and fractions of one), and I’m going to start bundling.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Question number one: What are you splitting?
Have you watched the Built-Rite youtube video of the Super 11, w/10-way wedge?
What do you see?
Edit: Welcome to the site

 

[lone wolf]

Hello everyone,
New member here! I have been splitting wood with a 20 ton yard machine and a 25 ton county line for years. I am looking at purchasing a Built-Rite super 11 model. It’s one year used with 90 hours for $8800.
I’m wondering if there is justification in spending that kind of money for a splitter? I have 3 to 4 guys that help me split wood during our off-season and a Ditch Witch machine.
Trying to decide if I should pull the trigger. I’d have to sell 30 cords to break even.

If you do firewood for income every winter then yes it would be an asset for you. It will make work go faster.

 

[lone wolf]

 

[CentaurG2]

That thing brings back bad back memories. If you are going to start processing wood, give a timber devil/ powersplit a good deal of thought.





Commercial Wood Splitter Demo: Powersplit Self-Propelled Single Vertical Wood Splitter with Conveyor - YouTube

 

[lone wolf]

That thing brings back bad back memories. If you are going to start processing wood, give a timber devil/ powersplit a good deal of thought.





Commercial Wood Splitter Demo: Powersplit Self-Propelled Single Vertical Wood Splitter with Conveyor - YouTube

How much is that one?

 

[CentaurG2]

Good question. I look at it more like “what is my back worth”. I spent too much time on a horizontal splitter before I got my head on straight. I still own two and they do have their niche, but I do not look forward to running either of them.

 

[SamT1]

I’d think for 30 you could just rent one. Or just do it by hand. I do 200 or so a year with a fiskars X27. Maybe not an option depending on what wood you’re cutting though. I have a competitor that buys his wood from anyone who shows up with it. He has a tractor supply special he lets them use on his yard and I bet that sucker does 75 a year being run by guys who don’t own it. It’s this one.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/countyline-25-ton-log-splitter-126151799--1
If you want speed I’ve never been around A hydro that I could tolerate the speed of.

 

[Marley5]

If you got 3 or 4 guys it'll be faster to split by hand......unless you cut nothing but white Oak and Elm. Lol

I know, not much of an answer but I've averaged about 10 years of heavy use from run of the mill 1K splitters from TSC in 20+ ton.

$10 is steep in my mind but if you got the client's, do it.

 

[unclefish]

Bought the Eastonmade 12-22 yes alot of money but what a back saver. Getting old sucks. 6 way wedge is good if you have consistant 16 to 22 inch diameter log. But now I find myself using the 4 way more for multi size pieces. The other was a hookaron . After using these I would have a hard time ever going back if I had to. With shoulders being shot and low back issues now I really don't have a choice but I can't give up burning wood. To me the wood heat is the best heat and there is nothing like driving in my driveway smelling the wood stove burning then opening the front door and smelling the wood fire and a home cooked meal all at once.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

I sold mine, 20 hp TW-6, and use a 6 1/2 hp SuperSplit HD. $3,400. or so shipped.
But what works for another depends on what your splitting.

 

[stihl023/5]

No I wouldn't spend that much

 

[mijdirtyjeep]

Agree, with the above. You could save a ton of cash and make more spits per hour with a supersplit. That’s if the wood is good size up to 30” around. Anything bigger a log lift would be nice and an 6-8way wedge are nice too!

 

[nathan4104]

Or.... double your investment and buy a used processor and save the sawing and some of the lifting/rolling work!
I’d say everyone’s situation/wood supply is different enough, that an internet full of people will have advice ranging as much as the variety of equipment out there. What’s good for me won’t be good for the next guy but we likely make (lose) the same money doing firewood!

 

[Husky Man]

Or.... double your investment and buy a used processor and save the sawing and some of the lifting/rolling work!
I’d say everyone’s situation/wood supply is different enough, that an internet full of people will have advice ranging as much as the variety of equipment out there. What’s good for me won’t be good for the next guy but we likely make (lose) the same money doing firewood!

Yep, I have heard that it is Very EASY to make a Small Fortune selling Firewood, you just have to Start with a LARGE FORTUNE, very similar to the truck driving, and some other business opportunities


Doug

 

[SamT1]

Yep, I have heard that it is Very EASY to make a Small Fortune selling Firewood, you just have to Start with a LARGE FORTUNE, very similar to the truck driving, and some other business opportunities


Doug

It’s actually very profitable if you put your nose on the grindstone and work. Guys go broke buying stuff like a 10k splitter, skidsteer. Just get to swinging that axe and after a while it’s not hard work anymore. And don’t cut the dang stuff in the forest, load it and bring it home, unload it, split it, stack it, reload it, driver it. If you touch a stick more than twice with your hand before you get paid for the stick your doing it wrong.

 

[Socalmisfit]

A commercial splitter is a good investment if you process enough wood to warrant it. How much wood do you sell a season? There are a lot of nice machines out there. I’m not sure where you are at, but you can get an eastonmade 9-16 for $8800 brand new. Only problem is shipping depending on where you are at. I think a fast cycle time with a 4 way wedge and a conveyor will get u a lot of wood fast, if you have 2 good guys working the machine. Then that leaves you 2 other guys to still use your old splitters. If you had a machine like the Easton made 9-16, or even a tw-5, 2 good workers, with the wood being bucked up and ready to split so the guy feeding the machine just has to feed the machine. You can out split both single splitters with 2 guys on each. You can make a lot of wood, and if you get a conveyor, it stacks it in the pile so no one has to worry about clearing or moving the machine. If buying used I would be looking at spending 6000 on a nice splitter and the other 2800 on a conveyor.
If you split a lot of big rounds you could use your smaller splitters to buck them into quarters and process through your 4 way. Once you start flipping those big rounds on even a tw6 or comparable u start loosing time. But there are a lot of nicer machines than the one you can buy, for a better price.

 

[nathan4104]

Another thing I’ll add is.... size your machine to the average size of your wood, or say 80% of it. If you know you you’ll always have giant logs from tree services, or you just have lots of big wood to deal with, then the big HD splitters are likely better, but if a lot of your wood is smaller, that big machine will be slow for that! I rarely see a log over 14”. Some of you likely don’t often see them smaller than that!! Need 2 totally different operations to deal with that, if you’re selling into the hundreds of cords. Or, if you’re just doing 10’s if cords.... what’s worth it for you!