# Champion 22ton Wood Splitter - Champ or Chimp?



## babzog (Nov 23, 2011)

Anyone have any experience or opinions of the Champion 22ton splitters they sell at TSC (well, TSC in Canada, anyway).  They're on sale tomorrow (and Fri, IIRC) for $900, normally $1500.


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## bogydave (Nov 23, 2011)

Found this review:
***
I split a lot of wood and always take notice when I see a wood splitter I have not yet had the pleasure to look at or try out.

Today, for the first time, I encountered the Champion 22 ton log splitter which sells for anywhere between $999 and $1299. I actually got the opportunity to assist in splitting about a cord of wood with it. Here are my findings:

Pro's
1. Fairly compact and light weight. Good size tires that made it easy to relocate by hand during splitting
2. Large capacity fuell tank
3. Fairly quick cycle time and easy to operate hydraulic valve
4. Good wedge design that led to effective splitting of all sorts of wood. The wedge is actually angled such that the top cutting edge of the wedge makes contact with the log first. This seamed to help it splitter tougher logs a bit better.
5. Side wings keep logs from falling to the ground so you can just reposition and split them again.


Con's:
1. Cheaply made with light gauge metal and hardware. Although it comes with the side wings standard, they are very flimsy. Within 15 minutes of use, both of them were already bent and I can not see them holding up to any serious use.
2. Very thin tubing used for tounge, hitch, and frame. Will not take much to bend
3. Most dissapointing- After using it for an hour, we had to stop. 2 of the 4 bolts used to secure the hyraulic cylinder to the frame on one side of the splitter literally sheared their heads off. Now we get to have fun with drills and easy outs after only one hour of use. This looks like an inherent design flaw. 4 1/4-20 bolts on each side dont look like they are beefy enough to counteract 22 tons of splitting force. I would expect this will be a re-occuring problem on this splitter
4. Very stupid placement of the motor and its associated gas tank. If you get a log stuck on the splitting wedge and retract it, if the log has spread far enough apart, you could literally shear the gas tank right off the engine if you retracted the splitting wedge and did not notice that the split piece was headed for the fuel tank. Moving the motor over a few more inches would have definately solved this problem.

Summary:
This does not impress me as a splitter that will stand the test of time, if fact it did not even hold up for and hour worth of fairly moderate use. Much better choice in this price range would be the Speeco 22 ton splitter sold at Tractor Supply. I have helped a friend split several dozen cords of wood with his Speeco 22 ton and it is by far superior to the Champion 22 ton and is built twice as tough. Save your money and leave the Champion 22 ton splitter in the store as a pretty looking display item.
****
Could not find factory, where made or manufacturer  (suspect china,)


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 23, 2011)

Also sounds like it is meant to be used horizontally; very poor design on that point. I've not seen them though so can't comment further.


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## Beer Belly (Nov 24, 2011)

I think I've seen one of these at Lowes, or Home Depot....just looking at it made me feel uneasy about buying it....didn't look like something I would trust....Yellow Cylinder....no name Blue motor


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## babzog (Nov 24, 2011)

I was in TSC this AM picking up a few other things and listening to a girl talking to a customer about the splitter.  She said it shouldn't be towed on the highway, best to put it in a truck.  Last splitter I rented, I went barreling down the highway with it behind the van and no problems.  That's what I want from a splitter.  If this thing can't even be trusted to be towed, I wonder (given the unfavourable review above) how it would stand up to a bit of gnarly elm or a maple knot?  Thanks guys, they can keep it.  Apparently, TSC Canada used to sell the speeco splitters - guy at work bought one 2 - 3 years ago, but they seem long since replaced by lower priced chinese garbage.


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## bogydave (Nov 24, 2011)

I've learned if you are going to go cheap, buy real cheap so you can spend money fixing, R&R the cheaper parts,  & re-enforcing the frame & other weak points.
It not that cheap don't work, just they normally don't last. More maintenance.
Most home owners can go "middle of the road" in quality & with good maintenance they will last many years.
But any mechanical system can break any time, top dollar or cheap. Cheap just seems to almost guarantee  it will break.
What bothered me about this one, was what the  guy reviewing it said in his  "cons " : " looks cheaply made" ;"Already bent wings & sheared ram mount bolts"; "stupid placement of the motor and its associated gas tank"
My 2Â¢ anyway.  
I looked at several before I got mine, the HD & Lowes ones here were "cheap looking" china made compared to the one I got. I paid a little more, got a re-furbished 22T Speeco. 
Happy with it so far. But it has components on it made in china.


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## mo381 (Nov 25, 2011)

I have had one for a few months now and have only had one piece it wouldn't split mostly sugar, silver maple and oak. The side racks are a little flimsey and bend but are easily bent back. The tabs to clear jammed logs from the wedge are also a weak point and I will likely replace them with more substantial metal. 
It does start easily and runs well and long on a tank of gas. 
This is the first splitter I have owned or used so my frame of reference is small. I have split 4-5 cords with it and some of them were pretty large (see photos).
The wedge and base seem very sturdy and splits horizontal and vertical. 
It does not recommend towing over 45mph.
Over all I like it but its all I have used and was free for mowing my FIL lawn for 2 summers. 
I did see it on sale at  local Rural King store tomorrow for $699.00.


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## bogydave (Nov 25, 2011)

Welcome mo381
Good review
Just what the OP asked for.
Wasn't free, you did some work for it   but a good deal for you.
Thanks for posting


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## Huskyforlife (Nov 25, 2011)

babzog said:
			
		

> I was in TSC this AM picking up a few other things and listening to a girl talking to a customer about the splitter.  She said it shouldn't be towed on the highway, best to put it in a truck.  Last splitter I rented, I went barreling down the highway with it behind the van and no problems.  That's what I want from a splitter.  If this thing can't even be trusted to be towed, I wonder (given the unfavourable review above) how it would stand up to a bit of gnarly elm or a maple knot?  Thanks guys, they can keep it.  Apparently, TSC Canada used to sell the speeco splitters - guy at work bought one 2 - 3 years ago, but they seem long since replaced by lower priced chinese garbage.



In all fairness I really don't know any wood splitters that are designed to be towed on-road, they all lack the suspension to do so.  TSC said the same thing about my Huskee (Speeco).


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## babzog (Nov 25, 2011)

Huskyforlife said:
			
		

> babzog said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I rented a Wallenstein last April and towed it at 110 down the highway for nearly half an hour (asked rental shop if I could take it on the highway first).  No problems... it tracked pretty nicely behind the van.  Only started keeping an eye on it once I got off the highway and took the secondary roads to my buddy's place.

The Speeco-type splitter that the fellow at work bought was given the same advice - don;t tow at highway speeds (tires too small).  I suppose you could R&R the tires and have it tow better.


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 25, 2011)

I'll never forget the day someone passed me on a county road pulling a splitter behind a pickup. Scared me to no end as he was flying....and so was the splitter.


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## babzog (Nov 25, 2011)

Backwoods Savage said:
			
		

> I'll never forget the day someone passed me on a county road pulling a splitter behind a pickup. Scared me to no end as he was flying....and so was the splitter.



I was concerned as well, but they told me it would be fine, which it was,  Maybe that's the difference a $2400 splitter makes over a $1000 one.


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 25, 2011)

I don't doubt that. They mostly are made for pulling around the farm but not on the highway. I had a fellow borrow ours a couple times and he lived almost 20 miles from us. We loaded it onto his pickup rather than haul it down the road.


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