Woodsplitter Suggestions?

Looking to buy a good quality wood splitter something in 30+ ton range.Any suggestions
on a good one for a decent amount of money?

We have a SpeeCo... No complaints, it is 24 ton I think... Maybe 22, somewhere in there at least!!

I like it because it is much higher off the ground than our old Norther, and for a 6'6 guy, it makes the splitting easier.. Has a Briggs on it, ALWAYS lights right off... Only issue we have had, is that we had to replace the LoveJoy Coupler underneath the engine... But that may have been our fault...

Good spliters, well built as far as I can tell...

Bryce

I bought a new timberwolf,this will be the third winter for it,i recommend the 4 way wedge.if you plan on having it a while the lift is a must have.the shelf is a must have also.i would buy another timberwolf too

Would recommend the Earthquake by Ardisam.com. Well built umit. Have had it for five years without any problems. Has vertical and horizontal capabilities. Just finished splitting for two days straight. Have an annual splitting party where we have three guys working the unit at a steady pace for 6 or seven hours at a time. I bought the unit through Menards.

Find something you're comfortable with. Splitting wood is hard enough work and dangerous enough that you don't need hindrances, distractions, or discomfort. Whenever I've checked out the combination ones that you can tilt vertically, I always find the axle/oil tank hindering my movements when in the horizontal position, which I prefer. Might not bother anyone else as it seems a lot of them are sold.

Some people prefer the wedge to be on the cylinder so the split wood stays on the splitter table, others prefer the wedge to be on the end of the beam so the cylinder pushes the split wood off the end. Figure out your preferences and take it from there. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes.

There are a lot of choices for these out there, and you can spend quite a bit on higher end splitter, compared to a homeowner type. Run through the paces of what you'll be doing and see what works best. For my needs the 28 ton Huskee/Speeco, is just fine, seasonal firewood production averaging a minimum of 5 cords, this year will be a lot more. Wedge on ram is fine for me, prefer it for much of the wood I split, it has the gussets to push off stuck pieces on the return stroke, which is a rarity anyways. 11 GPM 2 stage pump is fine for me on cycle speed, but some in this size have 16GPM, a little faster cycle time. I like the Speeco model line, they did have some shown with Honda GX engines, those are reliable and durable, easy starting. Mine has the GC 190, not a GX, but if it fails I'll go for a GX.

I've found ways to keep my work off the ground for the most part, even bucking/blocking logs, same with split wood to the stack, so I don't use the vertical position much except for real large blocks.

Its one of those things that sits most of the year, so many of the ones like the Huskee/Speeco type, are in the same price range, most if not all will serve ones needs no matter the brand it is.

I looked into these heavily before I bought one, used were not nearly as commonly available as they seem to be now, so I went with a 2-3 year old Huskee 28 ton that came up to save a few hundred.

Read the spec sheets and compare, then look at how its built, see what you like about ones you are interested in, it helped me wade through all the information and make a decision. I added the small log cradle for the opposing side and also got the 4 way wedge and the cover. Being a Huskee and TSC across the road, made sense, also being a re-branded Speeco product just adds to it, lots of these have been built the same way over the years.

I saw a 28 ton like mine on you tube with a log cradle/lift neatly built into the beam on one of these, really looked handy for larger blocks, nicely done with a small cylinder and a 3rd circuit on the valve, not sure how he did that but it was simple. the beam comes drilled and tapped for the the cradle so its possible to build an adapter plate for the cylinder mount without modifying the beam, welding or cobbing something up, I chased the holes out with a tap and coated with anti-seize when I installed the cradle, used grade 8 bolts.

Like was said each to their own on these, lots of them to look at from what I recall.

Keep in mind your back, it it isn't the right height you will be bending over and have a sore back fast. A lot of them seem low to me. I like the moving wedge too so the log stays with me and the pieces fall on the table I made on the side of the "I" beam to catch them, not on the ground.

About 5 years ago I bought a 35 ton from TSC and have had no problems. I bought a cradle that can be removed to catch the piece of wood I can't.

I'll second the making sure the I beam is high enough. The one I have is about knee level and you have to bend over far enough that it does get your back after a while. Keep in mind that the higher the I beam, the higher you have to lift the block of wood, also.

I gotta tell ya, I bought an electric 5 Ton unit, built a bench so you don't have to bend over to split, yes you have to lift the 'chunks' onto the bed. I have had some 36" Fir rounds that I quartered on the ground - et voila ! Happy with it. In 2 yrs. only had 2 chunks that it wouldn't split - wild cheery with knot about every 2 ". Just sayin'.

Log splitters are like swimming pools. Everytime you see one it's not being used. ~$60 per day to rent. You could rent it 15-20 times for what you would pay for one to sit around.

Only problem is you have to go rent it and go home and use it and then take it back!

I split small amounts at a time and like to take it to the woods when I'm cutting up a tree.Was using a fellow's splitter that cut wood here we just traded off my use of the splitter for the wood he cut and he cut me some wood for me etc.He has a full time job now and going out the firewood business and his relative is getting the splitter.I'd just rather own one and have it when I need it.

timber wolfe with a 4 way wedge, push the wood into the wedge, wedge is hyd up and down, second or third piece it starts to push wood onto the elevator. you touch the fire wood one time