New log splitter time, which way to go?

yeah, I've seen that. I've seen the notched out ones that the wedge will sit into. I don't want to decrease my available splitting lengths though, as then I will only be able to split 22" stuff at max.

 

good point!

 

Here's a couple, but he said he didn't want to loose the length
It sure helped with the stringy hickory, elm and pecan we split

 

Yeah sounds like there is no extra length to lose!
Thanks for the pics TJ...

 

Andyshine77 . TSC has some splitters on sale. I just picked up a new 25T for $300 off.

 

The CL?

 

If buying new, I would wait for holiday sales or a clearance. I saved substantial monies buying one on black friday. This of course more applies to your box store splitters. I can't justify thousands for a splitter so those are what I am limited to.

 

The current price on the 25T CL at our local TSC is quite a bit less now than it was on BF...$899 (now)

 

Just looked at TSC here and no deals to be had in my area.

 

The 25T is on sale. But I'm looking for a faster cycle time and a larger ram. My little 22t went through all but two rounds sense I had it. The issue is it would kick down to the second stage often, slowing things down. With stright grain Ash it wasn't a problem, as soon as you touched the log it popped open. Sadly I doubt I'll ever burn Ash again.

One thing I'm worried about is weight. I do plan on getting a compact tractor on day but for now I use a had trailer dolly. The 40T CL splitter is nearly 800-lbs. The 30T may be the better option? How much of a pain is the 40T to move around. My old 22T I could throw around like nothing.

 

When splitting, I leave it attached to my ATV. It gets put back in the garage after use, so I just leave it attached for the timeframe I'm splitting. So, in my case, it's a piece of cake to move around. LOL It is a heavy beast though. Between the large beam, large cylinder and large motor, it all adds up. It's one of the tallest splitters I have seen, which is what I prefer.

 

I get it now,you guys just want me to spend more money. I need a compact tractor!

 

Or maybe a skid steer….

 

Sounds like the pump might have needed adjusted...shifting to low for more than a quick second should be rare unless you commonly split VERY gnarly wood. Just from what i've seen from my new splitter that has the pressure gauge on it, most wood splits before any real pressure even shows on the gauge (so the pump should be staying in high volume, low pressure mode)

 

It isn't fun trying to pull around my 34T Huskee. I hook it on my Wheelhorse when I can but the few times I do move by hand, I wish I had the 22T!

 

Knowing what I know now.....I think my Speeco's pump also needed adjusting. It would shift to low more frequently than it probably should have being rated at 28ton.

yep, same here.

 

I think too many people overthink the hydro oil temperature issue on a small tank. The tank on the old Didier is tiny, a gallon maybe. Total capacity is probably under 2 gallons. It gets warm, especially after the predator upgrade that sped up cycle time considerably. It never got over 140, even in warm outside temperature, although I'm not into making firewood when it's hot AF out there, but I've done it when necessary

 

I'm gonna say that if you learned to split wood by hand and learned to read the grain, splitting with a hydro splitter gets the results you're seeing.

Meaning if you just throw a round up there and pull the lever hoping for the best..... well you'll probably work the splitter more than necessary and make lots of trash and irregular split shapes. Lining up the wedge with the crack that's already in the round goes a long ways. Also hand splitting around knots and thru crotches can really show you how they like to come apart. It goes a long ways when using the hydro.

 

Yeah big and twisted stuff, in stright wood it would stay in high flow, it was a slow splitter, 11gpm pump.