I think that is one of the places I was reading at the time I bought mine. They were a site sponsor there and had a rep posting all the time. I remember a few members feeling DHT was being pushed a little too hard... So, my purchase is down to 2. Swisher and I&O. I was inches away from pulling the trigger on the Swisher but two things stopped me in my tracks. One is the lack of log scrapers which is a big oversight on their part. I'm sure something could be fabbed up but this shouldn't have to be done on a new premium machine. I was almost over that irritant when I noticed the dealer I was going to buy from raised their price $200. At that point we are getting dangerously close to Iron and Oak 37 ton money. Part of me says just wait for TSC to have a sale on the CL 40 ton but I really want to go American made. So, the analysis paralysis continues...
I have an Iron snd Oak commercial model that was a former rental unit. Simple, clean design with quality materials make these things worth the money. They’re built to last and mine is proof of that. Their vertical/horizontal units are designed well as a whole. The log strippers you mentioned are better quality than the Chinese splitters. Cycle times and tonnage = often overrated in my opinion. American made, easy swap of engines (Honda), quality non-channel beam, Prince valves?, large hydraulic tanks, engine guards available, etc. No splitter is perfect as you know. You can always modify the machine and adjust technique to find the right splitter for your needs.
Good review Buckthorn... I'm getting closer to making a move. It appears that the I&O is the same price (within $100) no matter where I look. I did find a cheaper place to source the Swisher last night so I'm giving that some hard consideration today. I want to make a move soon with a painful hole in my barn where a splitter should be keeping me awake at night...
I made a comment to the DHT rep on AS years ago about the crappy welds and got reprimanded. I was a parapro in the welding dept at a local college at the time, so I have a clue what a weld should look like. I am pretty sure those were machine welded and whoever set up the robot was clueless as to what they were doing, every weld had a crater at the end and the speed was too fast.
Bud, I agree on the welds. They were some of the ugliest I've seen. It's a shame that AS was more concerned with a site sponsor than one of it's members. Must be why I like it so much here... Good folks and invisible moderation...
Final update to this thread. I've pulled the trigger on the replacement. The Swisher won me over on a few fronts. American made, huge hydro tank to keep things cool, fast cycle time at around 10 seconds, electric start Kawi motor and middle of the road price between my 3 choices. Before ordering I had a couple of calls with Swisher and found them to be a very down to earth and honest company to talk to / deal with. Iron and Oak was more big business and generic in their answers. Part of me wanted to go cheap and grab the County Line when it went on sale. Another part of me wanted to get the Iron and Oak since it has such a reputation for quality and longevity even with the abuse that the rental community puts it through. In the end, they all had their pluses and minuses. Swisher just won me over on the balance sheet with the most positives. Anyways, I'll start a new thread once the new unit is delivered and assembled to give my thoughts and write an early review. I have ordered my fluid and a battery so I'll be ready to go with the pallet comes off the truck...
Lot of DHT bashing going on. I have had a 35T DHT for going on 5 years (maybe 60 cords) and have had zero issues. I know they had weld problems on a few production runs, but that was corrected. I was a state certified welder for 30 years and the welds on my machine are OK, not perfect but sound. For a medium cost consumer unit (I paid about $1350) I feel they are a great little machine. True, they share many of the glitches that all machines of this configuration have but, again, they all have them. I was a little distressed that DHT went out of business but, as I understand it, that was due to some skullduggery on the part of their Chinese suppliers, not mismanagement or quality issues. Mine is out of warranty but all parts but the frame can be easily sourced from the internet. I'm glad that the OP got a nice new unit and wish him the best. As for me and my needs and quantities of firewood, My DHT fills the bill just fine! Sorry for the rant!
No need to be sorry I will continue to use my DHT and repair as need, just saying that I would not buy again.
I agree fellas. Mine didn't fail me. I just wasn't happy with the overall quality and the design. I figured if I could move it for a minimum loss, it would be worth it... and I did. Paid $1300. Sold for $1050 with 60 hours.
I also have a DHT 35? 37? Not sure without looking. Going on 6 years I think. One of the stripper ears is bent out a bit ( not even sure when it happened & who did it) and it was a real beech to start the first time, finally took the rope off and started it with a cordless drill. Kept it with the drill start for probably 3 years. I finally put the rope starter back on and have had zero issues since. It’s probably got 60 towed highway miles on it also. I’m satisfied with it
The Kohler 395 is known to be a tough starter. Mine was no different and a bear when cold. I'm looking forward to the electric start on the new Kawi.
Well, the new Swisher splitter is finally on the way. Ordered on the 6th and just shipped today so a full 2 weeks. The good part about that is I don't really need it quick. The bad news is, I've got the patience of a 2 year old. Anyways, next week should bring a new toy to assemble.
Wow, I'm sorry to just respond now Mike. I saw this when you posted and got distracted and forgot to reply. The Swisher is getting delivered in about 30 minutes and that reminded me! Anyways, here is the story of my purchase.... I had trouble finding a deal at first to be honest. Swisher used to be all over the place. You could order at Lowes, TSC, HD, Log Splitters Direct, etc. They changed their business model a couple years back and this is no longer the case. The only reasonable place I could find online when I started shopping was Wood Splitters Direct (where I ordered my DHT splitter) or buying direct from Swisher. Swisher won't discount much directly as they can't compete with their distributor(s) or they would loose them. So, I was about to pull the trigger from Wood Splitters Direct when I noticed they had a 1st of the year price increase of a few hundred dollars. So, I doubled down searching and found a place called Global Industrial who carried the splitter I wanted and had not yet applied the 1st of the year increase. They sell commercial supplies mostly and have a rough rep when you look at their reviews. However, since the splitter would be getting drop shipped right from Swisher, I took the chance and ordered. I also found a 15% off coupon online before ordering so I beat the price increase and got another $435 off with the coupon! Final priced delivered was $2854 which I think is fair for the unit I purchased. I'm going to assemble and take some pics when I get her back in the garage in a bit. I'll have to fire up the heat because it's COLD in MA today. 18 out with the wind gusting over 30mph. Anyways, I'll likely start a new thread about it since this one has run it's course...
