I have an older 34-ton Huskee made by Speedco, 2009, that is big slow and heavy, but will split anything. Had to put a new motor on it last year due to someone running it out of oil. Also had a CountryLine, TSC, 25-ton made by Speedco that was great until it got destroyed in a fire on New Year's Day 2022. Replaced it with a 30-ton CL as that is all Tractor Supply had. Works well, but being China built for TSC I can sure tell the difference. Not bad, just not as comfortable to use or move around. Save yourself some money and look for a 22 - 25-ton unit.
My friends 27 ton I use (purchased at BBS three years ago) never fails to split anything i put in there. I avoid hoarding gnarly wood for the most part but don't shy away from leaning on the lever when its "straining". Be sure to be religious about changing the oil in whatever you get. Right buzz-saw?
You guys talking about being religious about changing the engine oil or hydraulic oil? What's the scoop? I have a Countyline 25-ton. It splits pretty much anything I put on it. I don't recall anything it just could not split. I had to replace a hydraulic line once and a main valve once. I think I bought it in 2016. Not top of the line but I think I paid $699 for this baby in 2016, from TS. It's way over double that now.
Yup...no engine will last long with no oil in it, especially one with splash lube...and if you change oil every 50 hrs or so (or once/yr) and keep it full, it'll last a long time!
Engine oil. My lack of maintenance killed the engine. Wouldn't start and had no compression. Replaced engine on it.
Thanks for all replies. Seems brand doesn’t really matter and I could find a smaller one that is 25-27 and save a bit of back and money. Basically just look for a good deal?? The Oregon one for 1700 probably isn’t worth it I am thinking now.
Yup, pretty much just find one that is laid out the way you like, is priced right, and has the options that you prefer (engine brand, log rack/not, etc)
Two features I haven't seen addressed here is the convenience of a hydraulic lift and a pass-thru wedge. I tend to split some larger pieces of elm and oak. Having the lift saves your back and ensures you are splitting at a comfortable height. A bonus of the lift is having the extra work table across from you. When splitting smaller rounds, I load up my lift with them. (3-400 lbs. capacity with no issues.) You will appreciate a good pass-thru feature when you get the gnarly ones. No fighting to clear the wedge, just push it through with the next round. A nice output catch rack is always helpful. My wife enjoys splitting with me, but it would never happen without the lift. We used to switch off operating the controls, but she'd now insists on loading the lift and not the operation part. She claims it's good exercise rolling rounds on the lift. Who am I to argue. LOL! We split directly to the catch rack with the trailer or skid steer bucket at the end of the rack. A little more money for these features, but you'll thank yourself when you get a little older. A removeable 4-way wedge is a good accessory too.
Now, see I personally don't care for wedge on beam setup so much...I mean they work fine, but I hate chasing the wood on every pass. And while I did build a lift on my last splitter build, the ability to go vertical on a H/V splitter kinda supersedes the need for a lift so much for the bigguns...but potato/potahto...always good to bring up/discuss the options. Probably the best combination of options IMO is the Split-Fire splitter my brother just got...its a moving dual edge wedge with a lift...his has the Honda engine option too...he put a lift kit on it to make it a nice working height too since the whole family is tall...these machines are a lil more money, but not as much as a full blown commercial hydraulic splitter...similar price to a Supersplit. Dang thing uses almost no fuel either, its amazing! Oh, these are made by our friends to the north too...not overseas. Log Splitter - 2265 North American Made 2-Way Wood Splitters
Sorry, no good pics right now, but I will by Monday or Sunday evening. I have the RuggedMade/RuggedSplit 37 ton, but with a few slight modifications. I added a tow hitch to the opposite side so I can leave it attached to my UTV when splitting. Also for towing away from piles of splits. I attached the catch rack permanently and moved the axle a bit forward to better balance the weight. It makes it easier to move around the shop by hand. Also, by moving the axle forward, it narrows my workspace so re-splits are right beside me and doesn't require moving after them. No bending, standing up or sitting down. I save all that extra movement for loading rounds when required.
How do you like the rugged made ? I was thinking of getting rid of my champion splitter and buying a rugged made I know I would enjoy the log lift They are also very well priced
I like it. I bought it new in 2019 and made a few low budget modifications on it after consulting another FHC member. I researched it a fair amount, talked with the manufacturer and figured I'd give it a try. As it was foreign made, I had my doubts. I have now put 75+ cord through it (lots of huge elm) and can say it functions great. Their customer service pre-covid was great, but I haven't had a need to talk to them since. You should know too, money was not a concern and I looked at higher priced options. RuggedMade appeared to be a good value for the money. Things I don't like about the splitter are the following. The tow tongue is on the wrong end. I bought another tongue and added it to the opposite end. I can explain this later. Don't waste your money on the six way wedge. The machine can't handle it and get's jammed. As mentioned previously, I moved the axle/tank assembly to better balance the load. This is a very heavy unit and it has a lot of weight forward on it. The stroke limiter is garbage. I've been through two of them and they just bend. Warranty - they will absolutely not stand behind the axle. Right out of the box, the axle was bent. I sent photos and after some discussion, no warranty was to be used or allowed. I never tow it on the road and only behind my UTV on pasture trails. It has held up fine in that application. There are a few other minor items such as rerouting hoses to prevent wear that I can suggest. Overall, it's been a good machine for the price. If you end up getting one and have more questions, feel free to pm me.
Same splitter here as Holland Dell. Been a great machine and also a few mods as well. No complaints what so ever.
As promised, I got a few pictures this morning as we finished splitting the last of my elm rounds....until next week. My splitter, modified with a tow tongue on the opposite end, hard mounted catch rack (RuggedSplit uses a removeable rack) and the axle moved closer to the middle of the beam for better balance and easier access to split and unload from one spot. We load from the lift ramp, split and toss it in the bucket of the skid steer for stacking a short distance away. I love having the flexibility to move the splitter around as needed and never unhitch from the UTV. Always spitting in the shade.
If you're processing a lot of elm, a push plate splitter really is the best type of splitter. The dual split / split fire would probably work really well too.
