Oh my, considering thy are newlyweds I don't think she wants that to happen yet, unless he keeps making her mad! She's a red head!
If you are sitting on a few years worth I say make the trade. If you are flush with cash, wait a few months and buy a new Splitter like an American or Timberwolf with a lift, tray, 4 way wedge etc. I upgraded a year ago and it hit the wallet hard, but I love splitting now more than ever.
No way I'd make that deal. Splitters are worth a lot and especially if you already have one and know it is a good one. You have no way of knowing what your next one would be like. Sort of like buying a car or truck. You might get good deals but one bad one can sour you for a long time. I'll never forget the day we bought a new car. We had driven a couple and really loved that car but it turned out to be a lemon. Thousands of dollars for a lemon sours you and no, we've never even considered buying another car from that manufacturer. On the splitter, the Husky is very much like the MTD we have. It is now considered old and until this year we had never spent a dime on repairs but only spent for gas, oil and filters. Yes, time takes a toll as does lots of wear and tear from use. We put a new engine on ours this year ($200) but considering the machine has split well over 300 cord of wood I don't think this is too bad. It would not have gone bad had I not loaned it out though. Lesson learned. Not everyone will use a machine like you do...
I would not trade. If a machine reliably does what it's supposed to do, I get attached to it. You know what you have,but you don't know what you'll get. I've loaned my splitter a few times,but I always go with it.
With the number you provided, he is getting a good deal. Go with your gut on this, there is more in play than a financial transaction.
I am still saying to do the coworker a favor. Sweeten the deal if you can to make it more palatable. If you can swing the funds, move up to a higher end splitter. You will have time to hit one of the timber shows to try them out and get a deal. I met with the folks at American last year and setup a trial and deal at the Boonville woodsmen weekend. I am beyond happy. Plus, you can tell your wife what a good deed you did so she want go ape when you buy the new one!!!
Thanks to everyone who has replied, all the replys are exactly what has gone through my head since this dilemma came up. I could buy a new splitter but really hate to spend that much (guessing 2-3.5k) for one with a log lift, cradle and 4 way. It just does not make financial sense which was one of the biggest reasons I put in the wood stove. Especially when I'm still young enough to split by hand. Note the wood splitter was given to me when my grandfather sold the farmhouse, moved to town and quit burning wood; he purchased it new, we have been the exclusive users of it and have split 30-40 cord. So I really don't want to get rid of it but will because I said I will. Its taking up room in my very small shop so getting rid of it would let me work out there without pulling it outside everytime.
I'd offer a different trade, you can share it with him in exchange for some wood. I have a guy that helps me sometimes and we do 1.5 cords and he takes a half cord stacked and split home.
Yeah there's an idea too. Maybe let him keep it at his house and you use it when you need it but ask for 2.5 cords.
I did, Home Depot screwed up their pricing on their website (see signature) and honored their mistake. Very rare. I think it came to a little under $600 with the freight shipping.
He elected to buy a new floor model from Menards so I get to keep my current splitter. All this thinking about having to replace my splitter has me really thinking about a kinetic splitter. Hopefully I can suppress the urge for a while but I may start accumulating parts for one AFTER I finish remodeling the house (blew in R30 last week), put a new roof and siding on the barn, build a new lean to, build a new back deck, replace all the rotten 3 rail fence up front, build the trellis for cold hardy kiwi, grapes, pole beans, squash, vines, put in a few more apple trees, peach trees, pear trees, raspberries. Yep I'm pretty sure that takes all my time and money until 2020. And that's just what's planned none of the ut oh's.
If you buy the DR buy the biggest, I have a DR-28 does the job and very fast but I also break down the larger pieces on my Timberwolf Tw-P1. I made the mistake of not buying the Super Splitter made up in Vermont have seen it work and it is a Beast. Also the learning curve of splitting from the sides and not the center of the wood takes some practice and time but in the end it will make your splitting process so much quicker to the point that you might even be able to sell enough to pay for the splitter if you have the wood in the first year or two. The biggest mistake you can make with one of the kinetic splitters is to try to keep up with it.
