I think I need a splitter.....opinions please!

I only burn about 1 to 2 cords a year but as I get older, swinging a maul is a lot less desirable way of processing firewood. I pass up a lot of wood because of the ability to split by hand.
Currently looking at 2 options :
Departments - LOG SPLITTER 25 TON YARDMAX
This one is currently on sale for $799.99
25 ton B&S engine
CountyLine 25-Ton Log Splitter - For Life Out Here
This one is $999.99
25 ton Kohler engine

I think either one will work for my needs, just looking for opinions on both.willing to look at other options too but want to stay under $1000.00 if possible.

 

Same here. I like my 22ton huskee.

They might have a black Friday price...
I've seen them at $850

 

I agree you need hydraulics, if you can hook yourself up with a splitter you will never regret it.
I don't know anything about the yard Max, looks like it has some good options, standard, 2 log cradles and a 4-way wedge included.
Many people here have the Huskee 22 Ton and are very happy with them me included, these along with the 25 ton County Line are made by Speeco, SpeeCo Products time-tested good splitters

The 25 ton from Tractor Supply has a Kohler engine instead of a B&S, log cradle is separate you have to purchase.
The yard Max Cycle Time 9.7 seconds is impressive.
Either one of those splitters would probably do you just fine for many years

 

I can't testify to either splitter, but at 1-2 cord a year either one should last a long time, and YES, you want a splitter, it's only a matter of time. If your feeling it now (the splitting maul) it does not get any easier. And if your passing up wood because it's big………. go for it.
If you don't already use it in your small engines, (mowers, etc) get yourself a bottle of Sta-Bil and add the recommended dose to every gas can when you fill it up. With light or infrequent use, it's a big help to keep seasonal equipment running.

 

If I was looking for a splitter I would probably go with that sale price and save 200 bucks, the yardmax are 999 everywhere else

 

If I was you I would buy firewood before I bought a splitter. At $800 for a splitter you could get 4 cords of wood (atleast here), not to mention you would not have to mess with cutting it either.

I had a Harbor freight splitter and I liked it. It was fast for the money. Here is a thread I had on it. I finally got a Wood splitter | Firewood Hoarders Club

Link to harbor freight. Search results for: 'wood splitter'

Video of it in action



Out of the 2 splitters you list I would go with the county line because of the Kohler engine. I don't like briggs engines. I'm pretty sure the county line is made by dirty hand tools. The only thing bad I have heard about them is they can be hard to start in below freezing temps. Also if you get one check all of the fittings to be sure they are tight. I have heard of people getting them and having loose leaking fitting because the store did not do a good job assembling it.

Shop Dirty Hand Tools 22-Ton Hydraulic Gas Log Splitter at Lowes.com

 

You might be right about that, I see they don't really look like the Speeco, the Huskee's were made by speeco

 

Yes get a splitter. My dad who is 74 has no issues splitting 5-7 cords a year with his hydraulic splitter. He would play hell trying to split 2 cords a year with an axe/maul.

 

That 25 ton County Line is a new model they started carrying,, 22 tons are now on clearance.
In my opinion you need some log cradles on a splitter, unless you plan on making your own I would call and find out if they have them available for that 25 ton,, I did a little searching I did not find any

 

Yes, get a hydro splitter. For your needs, a 20 ton will be PLENTY. Shop around for the best price from a big retailer, like TSC, Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Ignore the little details like B&S, Kohler, other engine and/or Speeco vs. DHT built. Most of them are imported from China, maybe even the same factory. It is very likely that any of them will provide super reliable service for your minimal needs for 10 or more years. If, in the unlikely circumstance that something goes wrong, any of them will replace/repair with no questions asked.

Wow! I actually feel dirty posting that last paragraph. I always try to support local, small, OPE shops and am willing to spend more money to get better quality products, like (non-China-made) Subaru/Honda/Kohler engines. However, for your circumstance where you will be doing a very modest amount of splitting each year, any of the Chinese, "price point" models should work great for you. In the end, a splitter is an ultrasimple machine.

 

His time/ not having to mess with wood is worth something. Another option would be to rent a splitter for a weekend. He could also pay someone to split his wood.

 

Briggs are good motors. The newer lower cost Briggs are LCT, which are Chinese. That said, the new Briggs start great in cold. Old Briggs were tough to start in very cold weather, but, that's relative. It's not like it's a big block v8.

I think if given the choice, I'd go Kohler over Briggs, especially in a lower cost splitter motor. The us made Briggs on my ariens snowblower starts great in really cold weather.

Fun fact, Briggs bought out Tecumseh in part because Tecumseh owned the snowblower motor supply chain because they started easier than Briggs did at the time.

Robin/ Subaru are good too.

Now, look for layout of the splitter. Make sure it's ergonomically designed. You don't want to be dealing with a tire in your way. Echo/ bearcat and Ariens splitters are very well designed.

That said, you'd have to go through a ton of wood to see faults in splitters that you can't work around.

 

I suggest scouring craigslist, and setting up an RSS feed in your area so it emails you when a new splitter is posted. Some will be junk, but there are some nice units posted on there at times that are in great shape. I call them mid life crisis types, that feel they need to man up and buy a saw and a splitter, use them twice and park it all in a garage till his wife forces him to sell it. Rare but it does happen, and the RSS feed will give you the edge on timing. Even if you go and buy new tomorrow, it does not hurt right up until you walk into the store.

I suggest finding something with a Honda engine on it for what its worth. I realize you do not want to spend a lot, but you want something reliable as your volumes will mean it will be sitting a lot. Stabilizer will be your friend!!! Good luck.

 

I think 94Bullitt has the best idea, the upfront costs and maintenance of hydraulic splitter isn't worth it for 1-2 cords a year. I burn 3 cords a year, and the only reason I bought a splitter is because I split the cost with my dad, brother, and brother in law; each of us put in $250. Before that I did everything by hand and they all rented a splitter for a day because none of us could justify the $1000 for our individual needs.

So I vote renting, around here prices vary between $50-90 per day. Purchasing puts you at a 10-16 year return on investment, not accounting for maintenance and repairs!!

Another option if you don't want to rent is an electric splitter. It'll be a cheaper investment and will require very little maintenance.

 

I have a dirty hand tools 22 ton and it split about 10 cords in the last year, some nasty stuff slowed it down but never stopped it. We've only had it a couple years so it's hard to say what the real long term reliability will be but it has been rock solid so far. You can pick them up at lowes and grab a 10% off coupon from ebay or something to save some more. When we got ours I think it was marked down to $850 and with the 10% off it made it quite a deal IMO. I think looking to see what black friday deals are out there is a good idea too. All that being said I do think evaluating if buying vs renting or another option makes sense. I know on more than one occasion I've spent $2 to save $1.

 

I'd like to see pictures of your splitter. Mostly of the control. I fixed the leaks on my buddies, but he says there leaking again. I couldn't seem to get them very tight. Didn't use Teflon tape, but wonder if I should have. I used the dope.