Naked Arborist
Hack from way back.
Sounds like you finally got it working right. Good Job! Is the bolt a grade 5 or 8? Just curious...
New SpeedPro Kinetic Log Splitter from TSC...
- Thread starter stumpy75
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i believe it was grade 5. going to put an 8 in there. i don't see any benefit to replacing with a 5. there is no need to shear off (like in a snowblower or something)
CRThomas
ArboristSite Guru
I am glad
I am sure glad I didn't get one of them super splitters after reading 59 pages of problems with them. I am going to stick with my old 12 second and 20 and 30 ton splitters hydronic. Different stocks for different folks. Later
I am sure glad I didn't get one of them super splitters after reading 59 pages of problems with them. I am going to stick with my old 12 second and 20 and 30 ton splitters hydronic. Different stocks for different folks. Later
If I had to wager I would put down money that you could have read 59 pages of good things and it would not have changed your mind.
Mr. HE
Edit your post "Speedpro" not" Super Splitters" Granted I still give Speedpro the benefit of doubt to clear up the problems, I can see simple solutions for the problems they just need to get them resolved asap.
CRThomas
ArboristSite Guru
Reply
no I run a very money making firewood business. Why would I want to gamble on a machine that is having problems. I am glad that all of this was put in here to make me not want one now. I have old stand by hyd. Splitters never had a problem with them. I have a 20 ton electric and a 30 and 20 ton three point they have been reliable for years. I am always looking for a better way to run my profit margin up. I real don't have time to wait on parts and time to repair on one. I have changed ways to run my business over the years. I am not stuck in a ditch. LaterIf I had to wager I would put down money that you could have read 59 pages of good things and it would not have changed your mind.
Mr. HE
Super Splits have been around for 20 years or so.
Or have a look at the DR Rapid Fire, 6 month trial.
philwillmt
ArboristSite Operative
There certainly is less to go wrong with a hydraulic splitter, but I still believe that if the kinetic splitters are built well (i.e. quality parts and good engineering) then they too should give many years of service. From what I have read, there are a number of old kinetics out there. Granted, an old, trusty hydraulic is hard to beat, but we're talking 6 times faster with a kinetic! It all gets back to personal choice I guess. One thing is for certain...either one sure beats a splitting maul!
Dozer Man
ArboristSite Operative
Commercial Use
CRThomas,
IMO...if you are looking for a way to increase production out of your money making firewood business, a kinetic splitter will do that...Hands down!
Imo...speeco has entered the kinetic splitter market with a machine that had some bugs. They are attempting to fix them as we speak. I have no worries that between speeco and myself, that this machine will be reliable for many years to come. All of us who own a speedpro have stuck it out for one main reason...we don't want to go back to splitting in slow motion. Once you've split with a kinetic splitter, there is no return to hydro.
As for the DR...it seems to be a good machine, but possibly with some bugs of its own. 6-month trial is only for residential use. Commercial use trial is only 30 days. Not saying it's not a good machine, but for me it still has to prove itself also. I don't split any where near 100+ cord a year. I won't split 100+ cord in 5 years, which is well out of it's warranty.
CR...please don't put the Super Split machine down just because of anything you've read in here about other brands. SuperSplit has been around for over 30 years. It is tried and true. It's the whole reason for me wanting a kinetic splitter. It was just always out of reach from my pockets. If you can afford the extra money, and from all I've read in AS about them, the Super Split will increase your firewood production for many years to come.
We can all only hope that the Other Brands of kinetic splitters will eventually have the tried and true reliability of the Super Split.
To me it was worth the gamble to buy the Speedpro. For the simple reason that I got a kinetic splitter for the price of a hydraulic splitter, which was all my wood splitting budget would allow. I don't rely on a "money making firewood business" for income, it's just a hobby for me. The SpeedPro will take care of all my needs for many years to come. Imo...Once the bugs are out of this machine, Speeco will have a good stand in the kinetic splitter business for many years to come also.
CRThomas,
IMO...if you are looking for a way to increase production out of your money making firewood business, a kinetic splitter will do that...Hands down!
Imo...speeco has entered the kinetic splitter market with a machine that had some bugs. They are attempting to fix them as we speak. I have no worries that between speeco and myself, that this machine will be reliable for many years to come. All of us who own a speedpro have stuck it out for one main reason...we don't want to go back to splitting in slow motion. Once you've split with a kinetic splitter, there is no return to hydro.
As for the DR...it seems to be a good machine, but possibly with some bugs of its own. 6-month trial is only for residential use. Commercial use trial is only 30 days. Not saying it's not a good machine, but for me it still has to prove itself also. I don't split any where near 100+ cord a year. I won't split 100+ cord in 5 years, which is well out of it's warranty.
CR...please don't put the Super Split machine down just because of anything you've read in here about other brands. SuperSplit has been around for over 30 years. It is tried and true. It's the whole reason for me wanting a kinetic splitter. It was just always out of reach from my pockets. If you can afford the extra money, and from all I've read in AS about them, the Super Split will increase your firewood production for many years to come.
We can all only hope that the Other Brands of kinetic splitters will eventually have the tried and true reliability of the Super Split.
To me it was worth the gamble to buy the Speedpro. For the simple reason that I got a kinetic splitter for the price of a hydraulic splitter, which was all my wood splitting budget would allow. I don't rely on a "money making firewood business" for income, it's just a hobby for me. The SpeedPro will take care of all my needs for many years to come. Imo...Once the bugs are out of this machine, Speeco will have a good stand in the kinetic splitter business for many years to come also.
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CRThomas
ArboristSite Guru
Reply Dozer man
I am not bad mouthing DR or any other splitters I am a one man operation. I was looking at the electric one for in side my building me and the boss lady talked it over and she said stay the way we are. I travel and split I need my tractor so I use a three point with a princess pump. I split on the job and leave the mess in the woods or lot I take the pieces that I can pick up work them up in my heat and central air building. My business I sell firewood year round my firewood is not for heat it is burn for looks in a fire place. I do a couple rank a day when I am not working on another job. Like now I am in Harrisburg cleaning up trees about ready to move out the big boys are here. Lunch break is over with got to go back to work one little job to do that's it. Different stokes for different folk. I got a good deal with Ramsplitter out of Rockford Illinois and it works for me. I call Doug he knows my equipment and me we have become friends over the years. I need something I get it quick and on time.
CRThomas
ArboristSite Guru
Reply
This whole 57 pages if you read them has been problems with splitters of all kinds not a thing more to say on the subject. I am content with what I have to work with and it makes me a very good living very good living.
Dozer Man
ArboristSite Operative
Not knocking anyone
Bugs...issues...details...whatever you want to call it. You will have to read the last few pages of the DR Rapidfire thread to get the jist of it. I'm not getting into a peeing contest with the DR boys (again)!!
Also, DR is taking care of these issues extremely well (Kudos to them for replacing the machine with problems). My only concern is that, more than likely, I won't put enough hours on the machine for these issues to show up under warranty.
Bugs...issues...details...whatever you want to call it. You will have to read the last few pages of the DR Rapidfire thread to get the jist of it. I'm not getting into a peeing contest with the DR boys (again)!!
Also, DR is taking care of these issues extremely well (Kudos to them for replacing the machine with problems). My only concern is that, more than likely, I won't put enough hours on the machine for these issues to show up under warranty.
Dozer Man
ArboristSite Operative
Thanks for chiming in
CRThomas,
I'm glad you are happy with what you have. 57 pages of problem with all kinds of splitters??? I thought this was the SpeedPro thread. Or, as some have come to know it, the speedpro bashing thread. There are lots of ignorant comments on these pages.
If you are truely happy with what you are splitting with then so be it. BUT... I highly suggest that you NOT use a kinetic splitter, if ever given the chance. Only then will you understand the hype.
CRThomas,
I'm glad you are happy with what you have. 57 pages of problem with all kinds of splitters??? I thought this was the SpeedPro thread. Or, as some have come to know it, the speedpro bashing thread. There are lots of ignorant comments on these pages.
If you are truely happy with what you are splitting with then so be it. BUT... I highly suggest that you NOT use a kinetic splitter, if ever given the chance. Only then will you understand the hype.
I am familiar with that thread, the one they swapped out had done a 100 cords and it sounded they wanted to see how it had stood up.
Otherwise the issues seemed minor, nothing intrinsic.
Dozer Man
ArboristSite Operative
Again, kudos to DR for replacing the machines. But I have a hard time calling a complete ram-head failure do to poor weld penetration a minor issue. My fear is that if that had happened to me, it would be out of warranty by then, as I don't use it as often.
Just pointing out...not trying to cut anything down. Issues with new products entering the market are common. How these issues are resolved is the bigger problem.
Seemed an odd minor weld failure, and no biggy to fix.
I am not sure what to recommend as an alternative if that is your issue.
a foot plate failing because of a bad weld is a major problem. thats like saying a wheel falling off a car while traveling down the interstate is an inconvenience.
I'm glad to see DR stepped up and quickly sent him another, that's more than I can say about speeco at the moment.
The point is, every machine has its glitches and problems. I, as many of the others that still own a speedpro are still here to talk about fixes, work-arounds and just general reporting about how the machine is holding up. we chose to gamble a savings to try a design by a reputable company in the industry. Yes, there are issues, but at the moment it looks like speeco is holding true on fixing and updating the design of the unit. Yes, it's taken far longer than it should have, but they are still working on it.
If you've never used the machine, or even the style of kinetic machines, please don't bother giving us your 'expert' opinions. we don't give a rats rear-end about how strong and slow your hydro machine is. there are only a handful of members here to regret their purchase, and speeco/TSC have bought back their units for full refund.
Dozer Man
ArboristSite Operative
I don't have a problem welding the thing back together. That's the easy part.
But I'm sure DR's warranty department won't like my weld...no matter how good it looks.
Catching flying debree concerns me quite a bit......:confused2: :msp_scared: :censored:
But I'm sure DR's warranty department won't like my weld...no matter how good it looks.
Catching flying debree concerns me quite a bit......:confused2: :msp_scared: :censored:
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Junkfxr
ArboristSite Operative
I've been lurking on this thread since it started, mainly because of an untested new machine being introduced. I almost was one of the intial owners also, I have an aunt that works at a local TSC and the temptation was almost unbearable to own a kinetic splitter. My hat's off to everyone on here that has stuck it out so far and for all of the R&D that has gone on in poeple's back yards.
I've seen where several people said that they couldn't go back to hydraulic splitters because of the slow speed. I'd like to offer some thoughts on that if I may and I'm not bashing anyone or kinetic splitters by any means. I'm sure that most have seen the promotional video by DR comparing the RapidFire to a hydraulic splitter. I've never seen a hydraulic splitter that was that slow unless it was at idle. I have demo'd a couple different kinetic splitters, even the speedpro, and thought that there was still an awful lot of maual labor involved with having to drag the round back to be split over again if it was too big for just one split. Most of what I split is almost always too big for just one split.
I built my hydraulic splitter for less than what the SpeedPro costs by scrounging parts and what I couldn't scrounge, I bought as I could afford, one piece at a time. Mine has a 5" X 30" cylinder with a 2" rod, 22 gpm, 2 stage pump and an autocycle valve. Yes, splitting a round only one time, the kinetic splitters will walk all over it for speed but when a round needs multiple splits, I think that a hydraulic splitter with a multiwedge will give it a run for its money. I have a 4 and a 6 way wedge for mine. I got bored the other day and done some theoretical calculations. I cut my rounds 18" long whenever possible. I figured that once a round was placed on the splitter and the valve handles were pulled, the cylinder will advance 12" to the round at 22 gpm for a time of 2.8 seconds. Then if the pump kicks into low flow / high pressure at that moment, which never happens, it pushes the round onto the wedges a ways first, then the cylinder will advance another 18" pushing the round across the wedges at 7 gpm for a time of 4.17 seconds, then the autocycle valve retracts the cylinder for a time of 5.8 seconds. That's a total time of 12.8 seconds. If the 4 way wedge is on there, then that's 3.2 seconds per split piece. If the 6 way wedge is on there, then that's 2.1 seconds per split piece. All of that with only having to handle the round one time.
Even at this rate, it'll work two people to death and still is waiting on you a lot of the time. It would be even faster with a shorter cylinder but I got what I could find at the time. I'm still giving some serious thought to getting one of the SpeedPro's once the bugs are all worked out if for nothing else but for splitting the small wood that the cookstove takes.
Again, no bashing or bad mouthing anyone or their splitters. Just an obsevation that might have been ovelooked by some.
I've seen where several people said that they couldn't go back to hydraulic splitters because of the slow speed. I'd like to offer some thoughts on that if I may and I'm not bashing anyone or kinetic splitters by any means. I'm sure that most have seen the promotional video by DR comparing the RapidFire to a hydraulic splitter. I've never seen a hydraulic splitter that was that slow unless it was at idle. I have demo'd a couple different kinetic splitters, even the speedpro, and thought that there was still an awful lot of maual labor involved with having to drag the round back to be split over again if it was too big for just one split. Most of what I split is almost always too big for just one split.
I built my hydraulic splitter for less than what the SpeedPro costs by scrounging parts and what I couldn't scrounge, I bought as I could afford, one piece at a time. Mine has a 5" X 30" cylinder with a 2" rod, 22 gpm, 2 stage pump and an autocycle valve. Yes, splitting a round only one time, the kinetic splitters will walk all over it for speed but when a round needs multiple splits, I think that a hydraulic splitter with a multiwedge will give it a run for its money. I have a 4 and a 6 way wedge for mine. I got bored the other day and done some theoretical calculations. I cut my rounds 18" long whenever possible. I figured that once a round was placed on the splitter and the valve handles were pulled, the cylinder will advance 12" to the round at 22 gpm for a time of 2.8 seconds. Then if the pump kicks into low flow / high pressure at that moment, which never happens, it pushes the round onto the wedges a ways first, then the cylinder will advance another 18" pushing the round across the wedges at 7 gpm for a time of 4.17 seconds, then the autocycle valve retracts the cylinder for a time of 5.8 seconds. That's a total time of 12.8 seconds. If the 4 way wedge is on there, then that's 3.2 seconds per split piece. If the 6 way wedge is on there, then that's 2.1 seconds per split piece. All of that with only having to handle the round one time.
Even at this rate, it'll work two people to death and still is waiting on you a lot of the time. It would be even faster with a shorter cylinder but I got what I could find at the time. I'm still giving some serious thought to getting one of the SpeedPro's once the bugs are all worked out if for nothing else but for splitting the small wood that the cookstove takes.
Again, no bashing or bad mouthing anyone or their splitters. Just an obsevation that might have been ovelooked by some.
