My 28 ton speeco log splitter ordeal

[freemind]

Now, second, if say I did buy a husqvarna from a big box store and took it to my full line dealer for repair, would I expect them to treat me like a king? No, I would however expect to be treated with the same respect as every other customer. They are a dealer and that is their job.

Wrong on several levels.....

One, if the dealer didn't sell you the saw, they didn't make ANY money on the saw. Warrenty repairs don't net the dealer the same money as a customer walking in for a repair. It is kin to your doctor giving the insurance company a discount as opposed to a cash paying customer.
Secondly, the shops around me record your serial number in the saw. If you bought it from them, you get priority service. If not, back of the line for you. Don't like it? Fix it yourself then.

The dealers JOB, is to make money, like any other business. If you aren't buying from me, you aren't making me money. Why should I care about warrenty work on the saw you bought somewhere else for 10 or 20 bucks less? I wouldn't be making much on the repair end.

 

[Gologit]

Excalibur, I understand there being 3 sides to every story. I have tried to be as impartial as possible. I would welcome speeco or omni to to confirm or refute my statements. Speeco did fix the problem as I pointed out in my above post and the splitter now works as advertised. I have posted what I have had to do and to spend to get it to work as it should have, out of the box.

Too all, I relied on this forum for gathering information when I was researching wood splitters. There is a lot of knowledge and experience among its members and stored on its servers. All I am trying to do is provide more information. Right now there is someone contemplating spending a large (to me) amont of money on a new splitter and they are using this site. I know this because that was me a month ago. The more information they have before they make that purchase the better the outcome will be.

Well said.

 

[REJ2]

Very good thread, I never could have remained as polite and civil as the OP after all he went thru. I can understand mechanical objects failing at any time as well as the next guy, but a manufacturer should have a policy in place to ensure the purchaser is not put out and inconvenienced as the OP here was especially on a brand new unit. Whether that is allowing their sellers, dealers, to offer a "loaner" or exchange is up to them. But to put a purchaser thru this is unbelievable. I myself am looking to buy a splitter, these reviews are of importance to me. Ive read many a good thing about Speeco but it only takes one bad review to alter my thought process. Thank you Slt Skier for your first hand review from start to finish.

 

[EXCALIBER]

Wrong on several levels.....

One, if the dealer didn't sell you the saw, they didn't make ANY money on the saw. Warrenty repairs don't net the dealer the same money as a customer walking in for a repair. It is kin to your doctor giving the insurance company a discount as opposed to a cash paying customer.
Secondly, the shops around me record your serial number in the saw. If you bought it from them, you get priority service. If not, back of the line for you. Don't like it? Fix it yourself then.

The dealers JOB, is to make money, like any other business. If you aren't buying from me, you aren't making me money. Why should I care about warrenty work on the saw you bought somewhere else for 10 or 20 bucks less? I wouldn't be making much on the repair end.

Yes what you say is true they will not make as much money on this warranty work, however that is a very short termed view of things. What about the future sales, where they stand to make way more money by not treating you like a second rate customer. I mean if you go to a restaurant and order your food, after ten minutes someone else (a daily regular) comes and orders the same food, under you idea you want the server to serve him your food because he is regular and you can wait right? How likely are you to revisit this restaurant? Probably not going to be on your best restaurant list. Treat your customers right and they will return and spend more money with you. Quite frankly most dealers around me locally have you mentality towards customer service and that is why they do not get anyone taking their saws in to them anymore, and why they decided to buy at a big box store instead of a full service shop...either place doesn't serve their needs so what's the difference. Most the repairs around here people do themselves and I help them get the parts. If they can't fix it they take it to Cheyenne or Denver several hours away just to get treated fairly.

 

[freemind]

Yes what you say is true they will not make as much money on this warranty work, however that is a very short termed view of things. What about the future sales, where they stand to make way more money by not treating you like a second rate customer. I mean if you go to a restaurant and order your food, after ten minutes someone else (a daily regular) comes and orders the same food, under you idea you want the server to serve him your food because he is regular and you can wait right? How likely are you to revisit this restaurant? Probably not going to be on your best restaurant list. Treat your customers right and they will return and spend more money with you. Quite frankly most dealers around me locally have you mentality towards customer service and that is why they do not get anyone taking their saws in to them anymore, and why they decided to buy at a big box store instead of a full service shop...either place doesn't serve their needs so what's the difference. Most the repairs around here people do themselves and I help them get the parts. If they can't fix it they take it to Cheyenne or Denver several hours away just to get treated fairly.

You are looking at his a little backwards. The customer bought a saw from a competitor. to save a few bucks, not a substantial sum. The customer didn't bother to think, that Home Depot doesn't service jack. So when it breaks, like ALL mechanical things tend to do, where are they gonna get it serviced? Well that saw shop can't survive on warrenty repairs. It doesn't pay. That same customer, will likely buy all his oil and premix oil, chains, ect. from Home depot. So WHY should the saw shop put themselves out for a guy that is only coming there to get something he can't at Home Depot? Those loyal customer pay the businss owners expenses. Not the guy that runs in once a year for a chain, or to get his home depot cheapy saw fixed.

It boils down to money, like it does in EVERY business. If you aren't spending your money there, you can't have the expectation that they are gonna bend over backwords for you. Lots of people nowadays, have no problems with wasting people's time with no intention of spending any money there.

 

[ijon]

I just had my cylinder rebuilt, it was twenty-three years old. It was not going into second stage. It ended up being a broken piston in the cylinder letting the oil bypass.

 

[howellhandmade]

Wrong on several levels.....

One, if the dealer didn't sell you the saw, they didn't make ANY money on the saw. Warrenty repairs don't net the dealer the same money as a customer walking in for a repair. It is kin to your doctor giving the insurance company a discount as opposed to a cash paying customer.
Secondly, the shops around me record your serial number in the saw. If you bought it from them, you get priority service. If not, back of the line for you. Don't like it? Fix it yourself then.

The dealers JOB, is to make money, like any other business. If you aren't buying from me, you aren't making me money. Why should I care about warrenty work on the saw you bought somewhere else for 10 or 20 bucks less? I wouldn't be making much on the repair end.

It's all in the attitude. A dealer can have whatever kind of attitude he wants, but I think "Why should I care?" is a little short-sighted.

I understand that a Husqvarna (for instance, substitute Speeco or whatever) dealer makes less money on a warranty repair as opposed to a regular repair, and I understand how he can be frustrated with Husky's practice of selling saws in box stores where the sales staff is not knowledgeable and then expecting the small dealer (who is not given the opportunity to compete on price with the box store for the sale) to take care of problems, some of which perhaps could have been prevented by a little education at the point of sale.

However, presumably there is some benefit to being a Husqvarna dealer, and warranty work is part of the package. If it didn't make any money at all, or if the mix of income from sales/service/parts didn't balance out, Husqvarna wouldn't have any dealers. It can't all be cherries all the time, and business isn't just money. I work hard for what I make, and I think I'm reasonably sensitive to the other guy's need to make a living, too. But I prefer to spend money with people who seem fair and communicative. When I buy item X from store Y, and bring it for service to business Z for service as per the manufacturer's instruction, and instead of getting decent service I am punished for buying item X at store Y rather than Z, I won't be back, probably not to brand X and certainly not to business Z. A dealer who sneers that I'm not making him money may be right in a very limited sense at a certain point in time, but in the manufacturer/dealer/consumer triangle, I'm the one WITH the money.

If it's possible for a dealer to let me know that warranty work is important to him, but not more important than the existing backlog of customers waiting for their machines and that I'd like to leave it he'll take it in turn but he'd understand if I want to take it somewhere else that might have a shorter wait, we're cool. I may be glad to have found him, been unaware that he even existed before now, and I'll probably be willing to spend an extra $20 on the next thing I buy to have him on my side.

 

[ijon]

One last comment. Put the matter in dispute with your credit card company if you used a CC on the purchase. Nothing gets attention faster from a retailer if they aren't getting paid.

That works. I did that with a bad backhoe one time.

 

[ptabaka]

splitter

i hate to say it but you could got a tw bulitright iorn oak all good mach you get what you pay for good luck dont ever buy cheap you pay 2 times i know well

 

[avalancher]

Avalancher I think you need to read what you write sometimes. I like most of your stories but seem to find this one a little off. Perhaps I am missing something though. Buying a splitter online or over the phone is much like buying a car from your local dealer.Once you buy it, its yours. A car dealer doesnt care nor does he have a way of dealing with a car once its purchased in the event something goes wrong beyond repairing the defect. You could buy a new truck or car, pull out of the lot, and have the engine seize.Will they give you a new one?Hell no. They will repair the vehicle under warranty.

But buying a splitter you are more or less opening an agreement with the manufacturer that in the event something goes wrong you are to take it to the nearest facility for repair, and it matters not to Speeco that you live out in the sticks.

I have the same situation here, not a lot of options when it comes to buying local. We do have a TSC 20 miles from the house, but their customer service is rotten. I bought a Warn winch there, used it twice, and the thing locked up.Back to the store I went with the winch and receipt in hand, and the manager acted like I showed up in a dress and was asking for his daughters hand in marriage.

So you are saying he shouldn't expect his dealer to take care of the problem, and he should just haul it to Speeco repair facility right? Yeah, but then you buy something, it breaks and you expect the dealer who sold it to you to fix the problem, even though your warranty is with warn the manufacturer? Maybe I am just reading this wrong (its been known to happen), but seems to me instead of going back to tsc you should have contacted warn and drove/shipped the winch to a repair facility? Right? I am also betting you didn't spend $1700 on the winch either, and yet wanted a replacement right? Or do I just have things all turned around?

There is a difference here, and here it is. I returned the winch back to TSC because clearly stated in their literature and on a sign nailed to the wall that they have a "no questions asked" return policy for the first 30 days as long as you have a receipt. I asked for nothing more. But, when I returned the winch, the manager attempted to direct me to Warn for repairs which I would have agreed to if that had been the store policy on the wall. But, as in the case of a local auto dealer, they have no such warranty that I am aware of.If you are unhappy with your new car or truck, or it broke down, they dont have an "instant exchange" policy, they repair the unit that you bought.

I dont know what Speeco has for a return policy, never have I pursued it. I know that Omni probably doesnt have any kind of "30 day return policy" because in reality they never see your splitter. When you buy one from them, they turn the order into Speeco who then ships it out.

But like I said, if you buy local, they may have a 30,60, or 90 day policy if you are unhappy, it breaks down, etc. And if they do, then sometimes, and I mean sometimes, it pays to shop local. But it all boils down to one thing. How much of a risk are you willing to take buying online, what is their return policy to the store, not the manufacturer, and is it worth it to you to ship it back.

 

[logbutcher]

Middle of winter and we have rain. Indoors paperwork, prep for a program next week, and plain lazy.

Return, warranty, repair, even liability policies are all over the business map. It's up to us as buyer to choose where we purchase: bricks or online.

That TSC "Return Policy" should have been honored; you needed to either go up the chain (CEO level), or make some aggressive yet firm noise with that manager. The few QC or return problems we had that were not handled politely in store, were easily solved by Registered/Return Receipt mail telling ( not asking) the CEO of the firm what we needed to be done, when (time frame ), and what would be done if the request was ignored; common legal way to get something done, fast. No anger, no rudeness, no argita on any side.

Example here for me is the no B.S. warranty, customer service, return policy ( "6 Month Trial" of any product ), parts availability, and known quality of DR machines. Sure, I'll pay a little more for the splitter we'll get, but those customer-oriented qualities attract many. Dealers in our region will sell DR, but without any "trial" return, just warranty repair. Another example is my local Stihl/Husky dealer. You will pay slightly more for their machines, but when you need instructions on a repair they'll take the time with you WHETHER OR NOT YOU BOUGHT THE MACHINE FROM THEM. I buy consumables such as chains from them always. It's plain good business for both buyer and seller.

 

[obee1kubota]

Wow wish I had seen this sooner!

This is Rock from OMNI MFG LLC.

First off I would like to apologize to SLT Skier for his problems. What previous posters have said about buying online and thus foregoing service from the dealer you bought from is spot on. I try to compensate for that inconvenience with excellent pre and post sale service and very competitive pricing.

Most of my customers and I have experienced the reliability and performance of a machine priced hundreds if not thousands of dollars of dollars more than the Speeco. Another often overlooked benefit of the Speeco is it's excellent resale value, if you can find an owner willing to part with one. Let's face it though it is not a Builtrite, Timberwolf or Spliteze and the price tag reflects that.

That being said there have been and will continue to be problems with any brand of splitter including Speeco. The proof in the pudding is how the issues are dealt with. I try to make sure the customer gets the most efficient and effective warranty service possible even though I am an "internet dealer". I assume my customers will attest to that fact and comments here and on our website seems to back that up. I have sold over 200 Speeco splitters in the last 3 years. In that time I have had the following problems reported.

1. firewood guy's explosion.
2. two customers had significant damage during transport.
3. one customer had his engine (B&S) seize after minimal use.
4. one customer lost compression after initial warmup (B&S).
5. two customers had problems mounting the wheels and tire because of oversized axles
6. one customer had a broken lovejoy connector.
7. The valve mentioned in this post

note:It might appear that B&S builds an inferior engine. We sell 10-15 splitters with the Briggs engines for every one Honda. That means there are many more opportunities for failures and if the numbers were equal I think there would not be such a disparity. I love Honda engines but for the $500 added cost you could use up the Briggs and then buy a new Honda for the same total investment.

That's it. 9 problems 200+ splitters. (Unless some customers had problems and did not contact me.) With the exception of firewood guy all the the issues were corrected free and in a fairly timely manner. Some within days.

I will not sell a product that does not produce satisfied customers. It makes no business sense to do so. I do not consider negative comments about me or Speeco on this site as rants. We are all here to share buying, performance, quality and service experiences with our fellow users.

Regarding the OP and the problems he had consider this. Speeco sells hundreds of splitters annually, using parts from many suppliers. The offending valve on his splitter was a $120 part on a $1700 splitter. The splitters cannot be transported with all fluids and there fore cannot be tested at the factory. This would normally be done by the "local" dealer and if the OP had purchased from a brick and mortar dealer his problem may have been avoided. As I previously stated we try to offset this inconvenience with other services (we pride ourselves on our thorough product knowledge) and a pricing structure that is very competitive. Even after the travel expenses the OP incurred he spent less than the local purchase price would have been. The inconvenience of the down time and expense of the repair is unfortunate. I wonder how many servicing centers for any other splitter manufacturer were any closer. Speeco has one of the most extensive list of service centers in the country. Thank goodness the vast majority of users have not needed them.

I would like to reiterate I think the OP has been extremely reasonable with his comments and I personally appreciate users like him whether they bought from me or not. To demonstrate this appreciation I will supply the requested cover to him at no cost.

I am ready and willing to help any Speeco owner in any way I can. My contact info is on our website.

Thank you for your time and attention

 

[Jkebxjunke]

So just to finish this out, I got a call this morning to come and pick up the splitter. So I head down and pick it up. Talk with the mechanic and he says speeco sent them a new control valve. So he R&R'd that and the splitter worked. Got back home and had a couple hours before a storm rolled in so got after it. Had about 1/4 cord of oak crotches, knots and butts to split and stack before I get shut down for winter. The speeco only had trouble with one piece that I was able to back out of and hit again with success. It worked as advertised. The engine is a little loud and it is thirsty for fuel. There is still a leak at the pump that needs to be fixed. But aside from that I am happy with the performance. There is no way I could have spit some of these rounds by hand, I tried. I think this machine will work out for me. It is put away for winter now and I will get some more time with it this spring. Hope this thread helps out someone looking for a splitter. I would definitely recommend getting one, so much easier than a maul and a wedge. I just don't know yet if I would recommend this one.

they should have fixed the leak too while they had it.

Briggs are loud engines.. compared to Honda

 

[Jkebxjunke]

There is a difference here, and here it is. I returned the winch back to TSC because clearly stated in their literature and on a sign nailed to the wall that they have a "no questions asked" return policy for the first 30 days as long as you have a receipt. I asked for nothing more. But, when I returned the winch, the manager attempted to direct me to Warn for repairs which I would have agreed to if that had been the store policy on the wall. But, as in the case of a local auto dealer, they have no such warranty that I am aware of.If you are unhappy with your new car or truck, or it broke down, they dont have an "instant exchange" policy, they repair the unit that you bought.

I dont know what Speeco has for a return policy, never have I pursued it. I know that Omni probably doesnt have any kind of "30 day return policy" because in reality they never see your splitter. When you buy one from them, they turn the order into Speeco who then ships it out.

But like I said, if you buy local, they may have a 30,60, or 90 day policy if you are unhappy, it breaks down, etc. And if they do, then sometimes, and I mean sometimes, it pays to shop local. But it all boils down to one thing. How much of a risk are you willing to take buying online, what is their return policy to the store, not the manufacturer, and is it worth it to you to ship it back.

I also had an issue with TSC return policy.. I bought a GPI fuel transfer pump.. and after 10 months it started locking up... contacted TSC store... I have to call the warranty people ( one time I actually bought the extended warranty) GPI has a 2 year warranty... explained that it was still under mfg warranty .. all I got was call this number... so I did.. they took my info and would get back to me where to take it for repairs... within 5 days... they called back.. no place to take it... so they refunded my $349.00 .. ok .. so I went and bought a set of replacement gears for $30... what the hay.. they worked... then 5 months later... it is doing the same... so I write to GPI... asking if there was an issue with these pumps... told them my ordeal.. he responded back with what was the ser number and date code on it.. sent that back... he sent me a new pump set... ( hose and all ) all he wanted back was the head unit.. told me to keep the rest for my trouble... when I go the new unit it had a much better hook plate for putting a lock through to actually secure the nozzle ... ask if I could buy a upgrade to my older same model Diesel pump... he sent me one no charge.
Now he also told me that they have a "2 year over the counter " warranty with TSC and they SHOULD have taken my defective pump back and gave me a new one no hassle or problems.

 

[Slt Skier]

Rock, thank you.

 

[firewood guy]

I also had an issue with TSC return policy.. I bought a GPI fuel transfer pump.. and after 10 months it started locking up... contacted TSC store... I have to call the warranty people ( one time I actually bought the extended warranty) GPI has a 2 year warranty... explained that it was still under mfg warranty .. all I got was call this number... so I did.. they took my info and would get back to me where to take it for repairs... within 5 days... they called back.. no place to take it... so they refunded my $349.00 .. ok .. so I went and bought a set of replacement gears for $30... what the hay.. they worked... then 5 months later... it is doing the same... so I write to GPI... asking if there was an issue with these pumps... told them my ordeal.. he responded back with what was the ser number and date code on it.. sent that back... he sent me a new pump set... ( hose and all ) all he wanted back was the head unit.. told me to keep the rest for my trouble... when I go the new unit it had a much better hook plate for putting a lock through to actually secure the nozzle ... ask if I could buy a upgrade to my older same model Diesel pump... he sent me one no charge.
Now he also told me that they have a "2 year over the counter " warranty with TSC and they SHOULD have taken my defective pump back and gave me a new one no hassle or problems.

That is over and beyond warranty performance! Great that they came through for you. Wish I could say the same about Speeco......still NO responce. Oh well, I guess I got screwed so put it back in service after lots of time and expense.

 

[Steve NW WI]

Rock. welcome to AS (although it appears you've been here for a year)!

Might I suggest an AS sponsorship?

I get down on "online superstores" because I'm lucky enough to have very good brick and mortar stores local to me. I understand that Bum Fark Egypt Idaho (sorry Potatoheads, I'm pickin on ya here) might not have the same options I have. Heck, I have 3 John Deere dealers within 30 miles, some guys out west drive 100+ miles to their closest dealer.

We would like to see more from you here, both of what you have to offer and what problems you've seen and the cure for them.

I'd like to meet ya one day, and you're less than 2 hours from me. I hope you stick around, and become one of the fixtures here.

 

[dangerbob]

Jus purchased a 22 ton speeco, from a company on ebay. When I arrived I noticed that It looked like it had been sitting for a while. Both the hydraulic fluid and the engine oil (6.5hp chinese motor) were milky and odd smelling. I was under the impression the machine would be empty of fluids, so I already had new juice waiting. I drained and changed hyro and motor oil, before starting. I also went over the whole machine and checked for loose bolts, etc.... I have given up on ever believing anything is shipped ready to run, you should too Check everything. The machine fired right up and I have probably split about a cord and a half so far. The machine works flawlessly, so far. No complaints.

 

[WidowMaker]

We have 35 ton Speeco with B/S 9 hp that was purchased some 8 or 10 years ago, prior to the change in the beam and end plate. It has split 30 to 50 cords a year since purchase and we have had not one single problem with it and has split everything we have thrown at it. Mostly our PNW Piney Wood,up to about 50" in dia, as well as apple and cherry orchard wood and some chinese elm....
Since purchase I have added a hydraulic lift, and catch table, just made a 4 way wedge based on Kevins "Catterspliter" build and the entire unit has been mounted on rails in a toyota P/U box for hiway transportability. Works great, pictures have been posted, search under my user name if interested...
Would I buy one of the current prodution units????????, they don't look as sturdy as the earlier units...jmho


Glad you got your unit going