New log splitter time, which way to go?

Absolutely. 20 bucks, sure. At 130 you are basically at the price of a new predator engine that will be night and day difference with what you have.

 

I doubt it...unless the BS is just plain whooped and can't maintain 3600 RPM under load...more RPM under load is the only way it'll speed up, because the pump is a PD gear pump and each revolution is a specific volume of oil (save for wear/internal leakage)

 

It's a vertical Tecumseh on the MTD. With the crappy recoil and wonky governor. I'm talking myself into swapping the horizontal predator onto it. The pump mount should be easy to get, and the plate the engine mounts on probably just needs a couple new bolt holes .

 

Yup...as easy as picking it up at Dennys...I have this one new in the box, not gonna use it.
https://ruggedmade.com/log-splitter-pump-mount-bracket-11gpm-13gpm-16gpm-round-aluminum.html
If you are going to a 6.5 hp you'd better just spend another $100 and put a larger pump on it too...a 13 GPM would be bigger, right? (OEM is 11?)
The 6.5 will pull a 16 GPM if you tweak pump/valve settings a bit...and yeah, mounting that motor should be no big deal.

 

So what's the word on these kohler engines anyway? I always preferred Hond and I love the Kawasaki on my commercial zero turn.

 

A lot of the issues with that 6.5 Kohler is caused by the air cleaner cover design...if you overtorque the nut on top it makes the cover concave and it funnels water right into the carb (if left in the rain...or washed often)...simple enough to avoid, just don't go all caveman on the nut holding a plastic dust cover on!

 

A 6.5hp engine will pull a 16GPM pump up to almost 700PSI in high flow/low pressure, then on the low flow/high pressure stage you can pull 3.2 GPM up to 3500 PSI...or more GPM at slightly lower pressure (almost NEVER need 3500 PSI anyways) like 4GPM at 2800 PSI.
You have to pay attention when buying pumps pumps of a given GPM rating, different ones have the total flow split between the low n high stage differently...like the 16 GPM pump that I bought has a 4.1 GPM low flow, 12.4 high flow (you combine the 2 when in high flow mode) but I wish I had got one with something closer to 3 GPM on the low flow side, that way I could have the pressures turned up a bit more when I have the (bit too small) electric motor on it...BUT, so far I have NOT EVEN COME ANYWHERE CLOSE to needing the pressure that it is capable of now! But if I find a deal on the correct electric motor at some point, I will be happier having the 4.1 GPM low flow/high pressure stage then...
And swapping a 11 GPM pump for a 16 on the average splitter with a 4" x 24" stroke cylinder takes full cycle time from a theoretical time of 12.8 seconds, to 8.8! (not accounting for any pump efficiency losses, of which there will always be some)

 

Excellent! Lmk what you want for it.

Bigger pump for it will definitely speed it up.

 

Meh, I dunno...I'll make ya a deal on it brotha...

 

What trailer dolly you using? Looking at one that has 16" tall tires and adjustable ball height.

 

It was so long ago when I bout it I have no idea what brand, I found it on Amazon. It looks similar to this.

https://amzn.to/48rOW4Z

 

I haven't had any issues with the one on the TSC 25 T I bought 7 years ago. It sits outside 24/7 , covered when not in use. 99% of the time it's a 1 pull start. Starting when it's in the low 20's might be 2 maybe 3 pulls to start. The new one I just bought fired up on the 1st pull after sitting for who knows how long outside at TSC.

 

Kohler has historically made really good engines. The courage series was not particularly good though, but was corrected with the courage pro series. This is mostly for bigger than typical splitter engines though.

 

My saw mill has a Kohler on it.
Zero issues.
Other than oil changes , and occasional air filter cleaning ( being on a sawmill it tends to get a little dustier than normal) I have done nothing.
Runs perfect.

 

Mine has also been great so far. This is what mine has.

CH440 | Command PRO | KOHLER

 

I haven't been around their engines much. They pretty solid for the long haul?

 

I asked because I had a cheap riding mower years back with a 16hp Kohler Comand and it was garbage. But this was back around 1999.

 

Interesting. The Kohler Command on our 2003 JD L110 rider has been great for 20+ years.

 

Command series were the replacement to the courage series that was not good. I think they over engineered the command and especially the command pro series to get rid of the stigma from the courage engines.

 

I still use my 1999 craftsman mower with the same engine to cut 5 acres of grass on very rough ground every year. I think the engine will last many more years. I don't own anything with an engine less than 20 years old except an ATV.