Coming from using old spitter which is a very solid built splitter manufactured 30 years ago the county line dosen't compare. My old spitter however is horizontal only and it is only about knee height Old splitter 20 ton with 8 hp kohler splits everything I want to split. Pump went out needed a splitter pretty fast so I bought the county line 28 ton splitter at tsc I won't get into every detail but hit on a few. I bought mine still in the crate had to assemble myself which I preferred over one sitting in the weather and I Know I tightened everything Assembly was easy just basic tools need a second person takes about a hour One thing I did notice was the spitter come with hydralic oil and engine oil not added but in there respective containers the problem at least with mine is mine come with a Honda engine and the book for the engine states 10w30 oil. Speeco sends straight 30 weight oil with the splitter. Not a big deal went and bought correct oil but doubt any of the assembled splitters at tsc have the correct oil. I would change the oil before use on any assembled splitter Start up procedures easy engine fires up no problems however it's full throttle upon start up no throttle control on this model On to towing and use. Use to my old splitter which is heavier and tows like it's not there. The county line tows fine a bit more bouncy but nothing to really get real concerned with. Splitting with it took a little getting used to too old splitter the ram pushed the wood into the wedge the county line the wedge is attached to the ram. I did notice the bolt that holds the wedge to the ram has exposed threads that do rub the wood when splitting I added another 3/4 nut to protect the threads in case a need to remove wedge ever comes up My only real complaint with splitting is the ram stops about two inches from the base plate if the wedge was a little wider this would not be so much a issue but I did find myself having to either flip the piece over or rip it the rest of apart by hand quite often. So really the wedge could be a little wider and a little taller. With the built in log cradle you lose a little height off the wedge not a real big deal I guess. It seemed to split quite well everything I threw at it only made the engine work on a couple tough pieces but it busted through them. Defiantly get the log cradle that's a given. I think they should come included since a lot of other companies have them standard To sum it up it's a good splitter for the money. A few minor issues but not deal breaking issues I've split two cords with it so far. I stay up on servicing all my stuff very regular so hopefully it will last a long time with proper care only time will tell I guess
The straight thirty oil is for break in purposes. It's supposed to be changed out after eight hours or so.
No throttle control? That's weak. I've got a 27 ton dht and I rarely ever need to use more throttle unless I have some really knotty stuff to get thru.
The Honda engine book stated use 10w30 only. I'll stick with what the manufacturer recommends not what speeco says. They didn't manufacturer the engine.
I've had a County Line 25 ton splitter, purchased from Tractor Supply, for four years, picked it up in Greenland for $800 bucks, which looks like a steal with prices these days well over a grand. It is a beast and has never let me down. Has easily 100 plus hours of operation and the hoses and pump are holding up great. I have towed it over the road, up to 40 mph here in NH for up to 10 miles and no problems with tires and bearings after probably 200 miles of travel. Kohler 6.5 hp engine starts and runs reliably. It has a throttle control. Nothing but oil changes and cleaning air filter so far. Also, it runs for several hours on a tank of gas, which is just short of a gallon.; No problem running 87 octane 10% alcohol gas through it, but I do use stabilizer all the time. Will post pictures of the unit soon.
