EXCALIBER
ArboristSite Guru
What's the price on the YTL? Can't seem to find a price anywhere
Kinetic splitter rack and pinion styles
- Thread starter RobbyBobby
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RobbyBobby
ArboristSite Lurker
1500, goes on sale for 1200 every now and then. On sale now I think
I always try to buy the real thing when buying tools, just used. It may take time locating one, but it will be worth it. If you look you will find one.
I have not seen the YTL in person, so my observation is based on two YTL videos and using a SuperSplitHD.
Watch the person, not the splitter.
It is a two hand operation to engage. Very safe. Once engaged, he then steps forward to retrieve the pieces to re-split, and steps back, or rocks back to reengage the ram with both hands. Lots of motion per piece. Secondly and more noticeable is that it appears the YTL can only be operated from one side because of the placement of the engagement safety lever.. (1) That limits how you approach your wood pile and where the splits are going. (2) One sided dedication also means physical imbalance for the operator. I experienced shoulder and neck pain at night from splitting daily on one side of the machine. (5,800 pounds per cord) I now alternate sides and after fifty cords this season have yet to experience the previous imbalance and pain. If you are splitting smaller amounts, or over extended periods it may not be a factor.
Your comments seem to be focused on clutch and rack engagement. Addressing that, I have heard of brands with issues with rack engagement and consequently down time discussed on AS threads. None of them however were about SuperSplit, which is why I chose that brand over others.
The photos are to emphasis imbalance and the adjustments I made from one year to the next to try and address that, using alternate sides of the splitter.
You too may want the option of working either side of your splitter.
Using photo one as an example, the YTL would discharge split to the left similar to the SS pictured. However, you would have to walk around the splitter each time to engage the ram, and then back again to grab a new round to split.
RobbyBobby
ArboristSite Lurker
Here's me dancing on the table for your viewing pleasure!!
As far as operating the unit only from one side all you have to do is make a T handle instead of the L that is currently bolted to the safety handle and it's good to go either side.
EXCALIBER
ArboristSite Guru
Cannot find one of those for sale anywhere around me or online.
Reminds me of one of Robin Williams movies, The Dead Poets Society.
My 2 cents worth.
I have replaced? my DR K34 with a SuperSplit model J. I have never seen or used a YTL or whatever you guys are talking about. However, I can fill in the blanks on the two kinetic's that I have used.
The flywheels are almost identical, and the splitting force is equal for what I experienced. The engage system is totally different between the two manufacturers. The DR with it's vertical lever is pretty good, but the interlock was a pain in the you know what. Once removed, it is workable. You have to hold the lever to keep the rack extending. Not a big deal, I split a lot of cords with this machine.
The SuperSplit has a horizontal bar that you lift up on the engage, and not bothersome interlock. Once the mechanism is engaged it will go full stroke automatically. This took some "getting used to" and once expected you can work with the auto saving you a second or so in positioning. The DR stops several inches from the wedge, but the SS comes within a inch of the wedge! Which is really nice when working stringy stuff, or busting knots down at the end. The DR has a rough habit of getting to the end of the stroke, finding a knot in the block, and it sits there at the end of the rack making the most gawd awful clanking/ratchity sound of the pinion beating against the end of the rack. The only answer is to FORCE (and I mean it, PUSH hard) the lever to disengage and retract. THe SS has no such design flaw. the mechanism is flawless in design. Belts... The SS has a centrifugal clutch. The DR does not. I have not stalled out the SS yet, but have stalled out the DR many times. IF the belts are tight enough the DR will stall and kill the engine. if the belts are not... then they scream some usually resulting in one belt falling off. Subsequently reducing the drive to 1/2, and things get anemic after that. I suppose that the SS system is that the flywheels will stall, the clutch will start slipping, and you simply back it off wind it up, and HIT it again!
What I am most interested in getting the SS machine is reliability. The DR has let me down 3 times thus far, and that is about 60 to 80 cords total split. I can see that the SS is very well thought out, and correctly designed. I have no doubt in my mind that it will serve me quite well for years. That being stated, I have most of the bugs worked out of the DR by now... it should be able to run for years as well.
Pricing... Neither machine is really worth the 2800 ish cost. However the SuperSplit come a LOT closer to justifying the investment!
I have replaced? my DR K34 with a SuperSplit model J. I have never seen or used a YTL or whatever you guys are talking about. However, I can fill in the blanks on the two kinetic's that I have used.
The flywheels are almost identical, and the splitting force is equal for what I experienced. The engage system is totally different between the two manufacturers. The DR with it's vertical lever is pretty good, but the interlock was a pain in the you know what. Once removed, it is workable. You have to hold the lever to keep the rack extending. Not a big deal, I split a lot of cords with this machine.
The SuperSplit has a horizontal bar that you lift up on the engage, and not bothersome interlock. Once the mechanism is engaged it will go full stroke automatically. This took some "getting used to" and once expected you can work with the auto saving you a second or so in positioning. The DR stops several inches from the wedge, but the SS comes within a inch of the wedge! Which is really nice when working stringy stuff, or busting knots down at the end. The DR has a rough habit of getting to the end of the stroke, finding a knot in the block, and it sits there at the end of the rack making the most gawd awful clanking/ratchity sound of the pinion beating against the end of the rack. The only answer is to FORCE (and I mean it, PUSH hard) the lever to disengage and retract. THe SS has no such design flaw. the mechanism is flawless in design. Belts... The SS has a centrifugal clutch. The DR does not. I have not stalled out the SS yet, but have stalled out the DR many times. IF the belts are tight enough the DR will stall and kill the engine. if the belts are not... then they scream some usually resulting in one belt falling off. Subsequently reducing the drive to 1/2, and things get anemic after that. I suppose that the SS system is that the flywheels will stall, the clutch will start slipping, and you simply back it off wind it up, and HIT it again!
What I am most interested in getting the SS machine is reliability. The DR has let me down 3 times thus far, and that is about 60 to 80 cords total split. I can see that the SS is very well thought out, and correctly designed. I have no doubt in my mind that it will serve me quite well for years. That being stated, I have most of the bugs worked out of the DR by now... it should be able to run for years as well.
Pricing... Neither machine is really worth the 2800 ish cost. However the SuperSplit come a LOT closer to justifying the investment!
This is the only wear part I've found so far on the SS HD.
Note: It is important to read the instruction manual when mounting the activation handle. The lock nut above and below should allow for play in the handle between them, and not capture the handle tightly.
Note: It is important to read the instruction manual when mounting the activation handle. The lock nut above and below should allow for play in the handle between them, and not capture the handle tightly.
KiwiBro
Mill 'em, nails be damned.
Thanks for the comparison. Does your DR have those funky log supports on the table, as opposed to SS's clear table? If so, which do you prefer, especially when breaking down a large round that needs many re-splits?
csmith
ArboristSite Lurker
How does you coworker like the woodmaxx
He likes it, it impressed him. I asked him what he thought about the quality because usually the Chinese products use low grade fasteners and the tolerances for holes is poor and they never line up. He said it was all good, only had to drill out on hole to slightly enlarge it. All the hardware seemed like good quality and were nylock nuts. He bought the base extensions to widen the axle stance and had to put those on. He did say he had to go back through the machine and check all the pre-assembled stuff because he has a bolt or two fall out while using. He blamed the dealer for not tightening them as much as needed. I will get a video before the new year.
nygrappler
ArboristSite Lurker
I also have an early DR model Pro XL (WR2) and just upgraded to the heavy duty linkage kit. Customer service was not knowledgeable and I ended up making two separate orders resulting in two separate shipping charges.
I have put around 350 face cord through my machine to date.
I had replaced the “arm“ once before before they redesigned it to the heavy duty version. The previous version only cost around $35. The heavy duty version Is much beefier. But, with the upgraded version, they got away from a roller bearing and replaced it with a roller bushing. I never had an issue with that roller bearing so I’m skeptical that it needed to be altered, but unfortunately with the heavy duty “arm”, the previous roller bearing will no long fit so you’re stuck purchasing the roller bushing from DR/Generac.
Word to the wise, you need to buy the following parts from DR/Generac (or fabricate yourself) to upgrade to the heavy duty linkage kit...
35259 arm, bushing, heavy duty
33557 plate, frame, heavy duty
35237 bushing, roller
All other parts can be purchased much cheaper from your local hardware store.
Also, the original bushings (bronze) can be reused. They have a different part number listed, but they’re the same size and will fit. Lastly, I purchased a extra long grade 8 bolt from the hardware store (to take the place of 35357) and then cut off the extra threads so that the roller bushing was not rotating on threads.
I couldn’t find these instructions anywhere, and after purchasing the parts, finally got someone to email them to me. The original customer service rep made to mention of having a diagram available.
I have put around 350 face cord through my machine to date.
I had replaced the “arm“ once before before they redesigned it to the heavy duty version. The previous version only cost around $35. The heavy duty version Is much beefier. But, with the upgraded version, they got away from a roller bearing and replaced it with a roller bushing. I never had an issue with that roller bearing so I’m skeptical that it needed to be altered, but unfortunately with the heavy duty “arm”, the previous roller bearing will no long fit so you’re stuck purchasing the roller bushing from DR/Generac.
Word to the wise, you need to buy the following parts from DR/Generac (or fabricate yourself) to upgrade to the heavy duty linkage kit...
35259 arm, bushing, heavy duty
33557 plate, frame, heavy duty
35237 bushing, roller
All other parts can be purchased much cheaper from your local hardware store.
Also, the original bushings (bronze) can be reused. They have a different part number listed, but they’re the same size and will fit. Lastly, I purchased a extra long grade 8 bolt from the hardware store (to take the place of 35357) and then cut off the extra threads so that the roller bushing was not rotating on threads.
I couldn’t find these instructions anywhere, and after purchasing the parts, finally got someone to email them to me. The original customer service rep made to mention of having a diagram available.
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