So.... am I nuts? Selling Timberwolf and getting a Oregon

[mybowtie]

I currently have a TW1. Log cradle, 4 way wedge, manual log lift. Been a fantastic splitter.
However, I'm getting older. Shoulder has gotten worse, tendinitis/ arthritis. Hard to lift the larger rounds even with the log lift.
Dealer that I get all my mowing equipment fron has the Oregon splitters. Seriously considering the 28 ton.
The vertical option cures the larger round issue.
Ya, I could noodle the large rounds, but that takes time, and its a PITA.

 

[absrio]

I currently have a TW1. Log cradle, 4 way wedge, manual log lift. Been a fantastic splitter.
However, I'm getting older. Shoulder has gotten worse, tendinitis/ arthritis. Hard to lift the larger rounds even with the log lift.
Dealer that I get all my mowing equipment fron has the Oregon splitters. Seriously considering the 28 ton.
The vertical option cures the larger round issue.
Ya, I could noodle the large rounds, but that takes time, and its a PITA.

can't you just add a hydraulic log lift to your tw1? if you have some welding and fabricating experience you can build your own I know ppl who have scrounged the cylinder and valve and built one for around $100. that would be much easier than working on the ground. with a vertical splitter. just an idea.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

The vertical option cures the larger round issue.

You may or may not like the horizontal/vertical style. Even more pushing and pulling on that shoulder in my opinion, and you loose the four-way. Step up with a hydraulic log lift. Find a welding shop, price out the TW-2hd, try a pulp hook for moving/lifting wood... At the very least rent, or demo, the style of splitter your looking at, to know that it is a step up, or just sideways. Do a search on here on pulp hooks. You can get them at Bailey's for less than $30.

 

[CaseyForrest]

I too believe you will find going vertical on the splitter won't be easier. Yeah you won't have the physically lift bigger pieces, but you do have to manhandle them under the wedge. And they don't roll on their flat side.

sent from a field

 

[Babaganoosh]

I too believe you will find going vertical on the splitter won't be easier. Yeah you won't have the physically lift bigger pieces, but you do have to manhandle them under the wedge. And they don't roll on their flat side.

sent from a field

This is exactly why I'll be putting together an electric winch and a pulp hook set up in my splitting area. Yeah vertical is ok but there's still a lot of muscling the round.

 

[kyle1!]

Keep the TW and add a log lift. Moving the large rounds to fit on the vertical takes alot of pushing/pulling/leveraging. Too much work in my opinion.

 

[bigbadbob]

I tried a splitter just like the Oregon one. Horizontal/vertical.
I found wrestling the rounds on the ground to get them on the splitter pad was very hard on the back.
I would just as soon lift them up to a horizontal, which I have now. I need to add some work tables to mine.
BBB

 

[muddstopper]

I have rented and borrowed vertical splitters before. I hate it, even with small wood. I have to throw every split out of the way before splitting the next one. When I decided to build one, I built it to be horizonal only. I dont like log lifts for about the same reason I dont like vertical splitters. For a log lift to work, I still have to roll that round onto the lift. Raise the lift to load the log on the splitter, to much time involved just handleing the wood before splitting. When I decided to build my horizonal splitter, I decided I didnt want the log lift, but I did need something to load the heavy wood on the splitter. I got lucky and got a small mechanics boom lift gave to me. It has a small winch mounted on it. It will pick up anything I care to split, having split 48in dia rounds on my splitter. It would probably lift even bigger wood, but 48in is the height I mounted the small crane, but I dont see any reason to rebuild it to lift higher. I made a 20ft long cord for the control cable so for that big wood, I just walk over to the round, hook up the log dogs and push a button and the winch does all the dragging and lifting. The crane just swivels over the splitter beam with a little push. no back breaking shoulder tearing work goes on around my splitter. I have also used the winch to drag small logs up to the splitter and lifted them up for bucking before splitting. Saves bucking below road banks and carrying rounds up to the splitters. Not strong enough to drag a whole tree, but does well for the smaller stuff.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

I agree with the above opinions. I can hand split or noodle just as fast as I can split in vertical mode, and my back hurts a whole lot less. If it's too big to pick up onto my horiziontal splitter, I either tip it up and split it, or just noodle it.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

There are other options... this was on eBay for $10,000.
.

 

[NSMaple1]

Nuts would be trading the TW for a Fiskars.

I have a h/v splitter, and I like it for doing the big stuff. I only go vertical to split the big ones into manageable pieces (usually quartered - sometimes halves or thirds is OK - depends how it splits), then once I get all of that done I want, I go back to horizontal to finish them. It's easy to get them on there - just roll in front of the beam, and tip them over onto the foot. Sometimes helps to have a small round laying in front of the foot to roll/cantilever them over - but I find it pretty easy. Also helps to have the splitter downhill from the rounds, if there's any hill involved. Overall, the h/v thing makes a compact splitter very capable - I tow mine into pretty tight spaces in the trees with the ATV, don't think I want a bigger one than what I have for that.

Different strokes....

 

[mybowtie]

I rented the Oregon 22 ton today.
I staged several large rounds at a time near the splitter, and sat on one of the rounds.
I found it much easier than my TW. When I got to the smaller stuff I could easily lift, I used the splitter
horizontally. I like the hight of the Oregon over the TW also. The log cradle was handy, but could be larger.
One of the things I've always hated about the TW, is the hitch is on the wedge side. As the pile of splits grows, the next splits hit against the pile, pushing the splitter backwards. If you need to move the splitter closer to the pile, you first need to move the pile that's blocking/covering the hitch.

I stopped by a local welder fabricator to get a idea on what it would cost to make my manual lift hydraulic. Showed him pics of the TW. Said he would get back to me in a couple days.

Still undecided, but liked the Oregon's versatility.

 

[Sam.coots]

I have a DHT that was vertical/horizontal. After one year of messing with big stuff in vertical mode, all the pulling, pushing, tugging and such as described my opinion was this is no good. I tried rolling big rounds into tractor bucket and lifting up to splitter in horizontal but then the way splitter is designed to pivot to vertical mode, too much of beam overhangs axel so it flipped splitter backwards, that's no good. So I spun beam on frame and added hydraulic lift.
So now kick log round onto lift, pull lever to lift and start splitting.

As was mentioned earlier everyone will find what works best for them.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[mybowtie]

So I ended up buying the Oregon 28 ton splitter. I split the 2 cord of large rounds today in 4 hrs. Yes I took my time, but I'm very pleased I didn't have to noodle or attempt to lift them onto a horizontal unit.

The TW. Will be up for sale if my buddy doesn't grab it.