An electric splitter showed up on CL this afternoon, and I grabbed it. There are no identifying labels, not even an ID plate on the motor, but it seems to be decently built and it busted up some smallish but very hard and stringy rounds of apple and pear that I brought to the seller's house for a test. Does this model look familiar to anyone?
It's the basic unit sold by most box stores including Lowes and HD. It sells under about 10 different brand names, and there are 3 or 4 different "versions" of it. Some have rounded pipes on the side for a frame, some look exactly like yours. They come in Blue, Red, Green and orange depending on which "brand" you buy. I'm sure they are ALL made in China or the like... I had one for a few years, and I loved it. It split just about everything, including 36" Red Oak without any problem. The unit could hardly take the weight of the full round sitting on it, but it split it without hesitation. The only thing i9t couldn't split was some of the crotches... My only complaint with them was you basically have to work on your knee's most of the time since it's so low to the ground. But you could solve that by putting it up on a work bench or something I guess. I never did but should have. It's also an electric hog, so use a good thick extension cord with it and plug into a good strong circuit. It dimmed the light in my entire house when in use.
Oh, I forgot to mention, since your from Pittsburgh! BIG BEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Weeeeeeeeeeee haaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwww!!!!! I'm tryin to get me some Tickets for this weekends game in NY! Will be more Steeler fans than jets fan there!
Looks like my red one purchased at Tractor Supply on sale for $199. I've snapped the handle off when it rolled on its side transporting on the slightest of an incline and broken the on/off switch. +1 on using a heavy duty extension cord as the motor supposedly does not like a voltage drop at all. I use mine in the garage to make pine kindling.
