Finally, a splitter

After over a year of cutting wood and mostly splitting by hand, I came up with enough cash to buy a splitter. I rented one once but it was summertime and the heat killed me. I figure I'm good for 1-2 hours of physical work like this before I get tired, and renting a splitter for that long makes no sense.

I opted for a used model and paid within $300 of the new sticker price because it was barely broken in. So it's a new splitter with no warranty of course. My original budget was around $1k but this 28T DHT splitter has such good features and reviews I figured I would work better with it and enjoy the better resale. I can store it indoors so I hope to keep it about this clean.

I still have several cords of burly oak, maple, and spongy poplar rounds to get split and stacked. And a huge oak tree that's coming down in a year or two. A powered splitter will make all the difference there.

 

Congrats and good luck with it !!!

 

Good for you. Looks good. You will save them tons of time and save on your body as well. Let's us know how you like it after you break it in...

 

For the average guy you can not beat the bang for the buck

 

Very nice. I know you will appreciate using it. Some wood will split real nice by hand but for that tough stuff you cannot beat a hydraulic splitter and 28 ton, shoot you can split just about anything.

 

Congratulations you will never regret going to hydraulics for splitting

 

Very nice, Congrats!!!!!!

 

I wonder if you can get a 4-way splitting wedge for it in order to cut your time down a bit??

 

Yes, Logsplittersdirect has one for $130 but I don't see myself taking advantage of that. Reviews of it are mixed. The DHT 28T has an 11 sec cycle time so it should keep up just fine.

Don't I know it. I see a lot of other guys firewood that's made from 12" to 18" rounds that are mostly free of knots. Those do split well. A lot of what I've still got left is all but impossible with a splitting axe.

 

You won't be disappointed. I have the same splitter and love it. Fyi, Wix makes a hydraulic filter for it, so you don't have to go through the manufacturer.

 

Wix and so does fram.

I have the box out in my shop for the fram with the number if you want it.

 

Fine piece of machinery. You'll enjoy using hydraulics to make more BTU's.

 

as does NAPA.. Napa and Wix are the same filter and much better than a Fram IMO

 

Elder, unfortunately, is correct. A friend of mine has rebuilt /replaced several engines with religious Walmart oil changes. The paper in the Fram filters is clogging up the oil ports. Walmart knows there's a problem, and has been paying, but they have a supplier contract with fram.

 

If you guys could post up the Wix / Napa filter part number that would be helpful. I think it's due for its 5h oil change.

It splits like a champ, but I must admit I was disappointed to see the engine oil fill location faces the hydraulic reservoir. So does the drain plug, which empties right onto the motor mounting plate. .

 

Wonder if the 4 way from Log Splitters Direct would work on my BlackDiamond splitter.
They are essentially the same splitters..


If you would like to wait, i can order one, if it doesnt work for me i can sell it to you?

 

I appreciate the thought but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't use it. It seems the wood has to be about the right size to make a good 4 way split. Plus with any knots in the wood I think it would struggle. The wood pile I have is a mess of strange shapes - partly owing to the source and partly owing to my lack of consistency in cutting.

It is fast though. I popped that heap of splits (in front of the rounds pile) by myself in less than an hour. Not bad considering I was slowed by some knotty oak. That slowed me but not the splitter.

David

 

I have the same 28-ton DHT splitter. There is a oil fill & oil drain on the front of the engine, that does not face the reservoir. I saved your picture and put a red square around the drain & fill on the front of the engine. Those Kohlers have a drain & fill port on both the front and back.