Finally! I got my splitter!

[gzecc]

I promise no more new threads on this subject.

After totally giving up on the Craigslist lady ever calling and confirming our appointment, she emailed and said she was on the way to our designated meeting place. I told her I need two hours to get there. Just as we pulled up, she called and said she was running late and would be there in 45 minutes. Since the brides had tagged along with my buddy and me we went inside the nearby Tex-Mex place and had dinner. The lady showed up finally.

The splitter has definitely never been used though it was bought seven years ago. There is not a mark or scuff on the beam and the wedge looks downright virginal. Not a scratch on the cylinder. The oil looks like it came right out of the can and the gas tank is bone dry without a hint that it has ever been filled. Which is a good things as I don't have to worry about a gummed up carb. The tires look brand new. The hoses are all tight and in good shape with no hint of any seepage whatsoever after all those years of sitting.

The lady said her husband brought it new, intending to take it to family property in Arkansas but it went into storage right away and never left the storage facility. It was verydusty, (which means she didn't try to clean it up to hide anything like oil leaks.) and the bottom of the toe plate has some minor surface rust that I can easily paint over. (Where can I find the correct paint?) One of the plastic fenders is a bit warped as if something was pressing against it for several years in the hot storage locker. Not a biggy.

I did not start it up. And haven't done so yet. I'm about to go out of town for the weekend and will play around with it when I get home tomorrow afternoon.

For $1000, I think I did good. A 35 ton may be overkill for my average 1.5 cord burn a year but I have three or four cords or rounds stacked right now and several more waiting that are still in full "tree form." A Huskee 22 would probably have done me just fine but now I have a 35 ton for the same money! What's not to like about that!

Those finders are nice. you dont dent them when you drop wood on them. The only complaint I have about that spliter is that it is SLOW. A friend told me some holes can be drilled out to make it faster but I haven't tried it yet. Also wish they came with a 4 way wedge. That splitter is unstoppable Great deal at 1/3 price of at store.

Can't beat good quality used equipment!

 

[Kenster]

So, with all this money we keep putting into our gear, when do we get to the money-saving part of heating with wood?

In my case, we heat an almost 4000 square foot house with a VC Vigilant. The VC keeps the main part of the house in the low to mid 70s when it's below freezing outside. Our alternative is electric heat as we have 100% electricity. But I have all the 'free' wood I'll ever need and my time is free. It will take longer for the splitter to pay for itself (unless I start selling some). It wouldn't have ever made financial sense to buy a new $2000 splitter for my needs. But getting a $2000 splitter (including tax) for $1000 helps soften the blow somewhat.

 

[velvetfoot]

Nice buy. I've said it before, but I just got splitting a grapple load with the table from the guy on eBay, and it worked great with some pretty big pieces. Comes off/on in 10 seconds too.

 

[Kenster]

So, I got home from my quick trip to Dallas. Changed clothes. Went out and double checked the fluids. Oil is full and looks like it just came out of the can. The Hydro fluid is a clear as water and almost impossible to see on the dip stick. It was just above the bottom fill line. I put in maybe half a gallon of gas. I tightened all the hose clamps but not needed more than maybe half a turn. Didn't see a primer like on our lawn mowers. Set the choke, opened the throttle. Fired up on the third pull. Remember that this splitter has been in storage for seven years since new and has never had a drop of gas in it.

It has also been sitting for almost 48 hours since we pulled it home on a trailer, long enough for all the fluids to settle down.

Okay, running smooth. I engaged the hydraulic lever. The wedge starts moving but sort of stuttering on the down stroke. Retract is very smooth.
I gave it another down stroke, very smooth. A few up and down strokes follow. No more stutters. I shut it down and find that the fluid level has dropped. Not unexpected, of course. I had a gallon of universal so I added it. Still only halfway between the Fill zone marks.

<--------------Fill------------------>

But I figure it is safe for now.

After it warmed up the muffler started putting out a lot of smoke. I figure it was just burning off a film of oil. The smoke disappeared after a while of running.

The only imperfection I see is that the plate on the tongue that the jack attaches to is bent in, rather than being perpendicular to the tongue beam, so the jack foot does not sit flush with the ground/ garage floor. It's toes in quite a bit. I tried to straighten it out with a hand sledge but that didn't make a dent in it. This will prevent a good stable platform. How should I handle this? Take it to a welder and let him heat it up and bend it back into place?

Other than that, it looks good to go! Hopefully, I'll have time to get out to the stacks and give it a try out soon.

 

[woodsmaster]

Does it have the 12 1/2 horse brigs and straton ?

 

[Kenster]

It's a 12.0 I/C. I have no idea what "I/C" means.

I'd also like to find an owners manual for this exact model. The current manuals on the SpeeCo and TSC sites give a different model number for the current 35 ton units. The tag on my splitter gives a model number LS401222. I Googled it with no success.

A few people have commented that the 35 ton is strong but too slow. It's suppose to be a 14 second full cycle. 14 seconds doesn't seem too slow to me.

 

[smokinj]

It's a 12.0 I/C. I have no idea what "I/C" means.

I'd also like to find an owners manual for this exact model. The current manuals on the SpeeCo and TSC sites give a different model number for the current 35 ton units. The tag on my splitter gives a model number LS401222. I Googled it with no success.

A few people have commented that the 35 ton is strong but too slow. It's suppose to be a 14 second full cycle. 14 seconds doesn't seem too slow to me.

14 is fast for any splitter!

 

[TreePointer]

My Huskee 35-ton (2009 build) is rated to have a 15s cycle time. It's usually as fast as I am in a one man operation.

 

[Kenster]

TreePointer, you raise a good point. I'm basing the "14 second Cycle speed" based on the info on the website for the current splitter. I don't really know the actual numbers for this one, which the seller said was bought seven years ago.

 

[BrotherBart]

As I have said here before over the years, something that can take my fingers off moving a little slow doesn't bother me at all.

 

[TreePointer]

TreePointer, you raise a good point. I'm basing the "14 second Cycle speed" based on the info on the website for the current splitter. I don't really know the actual numbers for this one, which the seller said was bought seven years ago.

If the seller said it's 14s, then that probably is the rating. I've been watching Huskee/SpeeCo models over the years, and there have been many variations of what seemingly is the same model. Change a component and the specs might change a little. No biggie.

 

[Danno77]

It's a 12.0 I/C. I have no idea what "I/C" means.

I'd also like to find an owners manual for this exact model. The current manuals on the SpeeCo and TSC sites give a different model number for the current 35 ton units. The tag on my splitter gives a model number LS401222. I Googled it with no success.

A few people have commented that the 35 ton is strong but too slow. It's suppose to be a 14 second full cycle. 14 seconds doesn't seem too slow to me.

Stands for industrial /commercial. Slightly more gooder engine than consumer engine.

 

[Kenster]

Stands for industrial /commercial. Slightly more gooder engine than consumer engine.

Wow! I guess the deal just got a little sweeter!

 

[velvetfoot]

I wouldn't go too crazy with filling with hyd. fluid because it does seem to expand when hot, then it can spill out the breather easier.

 

[firefighterjake]

Very nice . . . and a heckuva deal. Good things do come to those who wait . . .

Toe plate rust/painting: You can paint the toe plate, but chances are the pain will wear away before too long . . . especially if it is in contact with wood.

Fluids: As mentioned I wouldn't worry too much about the fluids . . . just keep it above the minimum level.

Speed: I've never been too concerned about having the fastest splitter either . . . I mean it's not like I'm in a drag race with this thing . . . and truthfully, most of the time by the time I've reached for the next split and come back the splitter is ready to go.

Oil the Beam: One thing I do occasionally is just squirt a bit of oil on the metal beam . . . the manual that came with my splitter recommended this . . . and I grew up doing this as well . . . well actually the home made splitter made by Dad just leaked hydraulic oil on to the beam so it worked as a self lubricating model.

Plastic bent near tire: No worries . . . you'll soon be dropping splits on the plastic fender or resting up against it . . . there really doesn't seem to be a good reason for the fenders in my opinion.

Table: If you're going to spend any money on this near perfect machine I would suggest getting a table or cradle . . . it makes splitting much easier.

 

[yooperdave]

ken-it has come to my attention that, somewhere on this thread, it was pointed out that you only need 1 1/2 cord per year. since i am in a northern locale (and use a damn lot more wood) and you are in a southern locale, it only stands to reason that since we are both members of a forum that constantly offers to help each other out, that you will let me use/have the splitter. i am still unemployed, so i should be home any day you would like to deliver the splitter (since you and your friend are already familiar with the loadup and tie down) and by all means, take the wives along again because we have many fine restaurants in the area. pm me when you are getting close so we can finalize the delivery time.






well, it was worth a try, no? sounds like a great deal! congrats!

 

[muncybob]

I really don't want to put any 'optional' money into it right away but... How much would it cost to put some
Armored hydro lines on it? One of these days I will want a bolt on side table but I might just build a sturdy one out of wood in the meantime.
Of course, I'm leaning toward vertical splitting. I have a bunch of big heavy rounds waiting on me. We'll see...

Ken,

I picked up a heavy-duty 60-inch hydraulic hose and fittings at Tractor Supply for just under $50.00. A place called Blain's Farm & Fleet had the Huskee splitter table for $38.00 which is quite a bit less than Tractor Supply. I don't know if the Huskee table will fit your splitter....check the beam near the base plate. If you see a few holes spaced about a foot apart, it will accept the table as a bolt-on. It took me all of five minutes to put mine on, and it's very useful. So, with all this money we keep putting into our gear, when do we get to the money-saving part of heating with wood? ;-)

Is this cradle better quality than the TSC, which seems flimsy to me?? I searched Blaine's website but could not find it. I'm thinking of having a local welder fab a cradle for me if I can't find a decent one cheaper.

 

[Kenster]

@Muncybob. My splitter beam has no holes at all in which to attach a cradle. I guess I would have to have it drilled out. I sure don't have a drill capable of punching through that beam! Are there cradles with a different type of attachment? In the meantime, I'm going to build a table out of scrap wood. Maybe used clamps to hold it to the beam.

@Yooper Dave. I pass through the UP a couple of times a year, coming down from Mack City to Green Bay. I'll drop it off sometime.

 

[muncybob]

I was renting a splitter up until this year from a guy that had 2 cradles welded directly onto his beam...smaller one on the user side and larger on the opposite. Worked great for horiz splitting but I would guess they would get in the way going vert. I do split both ways and since my beam does have holes I'll be looking to bolt one on. The majority of my splitting is done horiz though, I have a pickaroon with 4.5' handle and just back up the truck to the splitter and pull them off...ez pz!

BTW, great buy on that splitter...maybe you'll be doing firwood sales on a part time basis!

 

[Jutt77]

So, with all this money we keep putting into our gear, when do we get to the money-saving part of heating with wood?

In my case, we heat an almost 4000 square foot house with a VC Vigilant. The VC keeps the main part of the house in the low to mid 70s when it's below freezing outside. Our alternative is electric heat as we have 100% electricity. But I have all the 'free' wood I'll ever need and my time is free. It will take longer for the splitter to pay for itself (unless I start selling some). It wouldn't have ever made financial sense to buy a new $2000 splitter for my needs. But getting a $2000 splitter (including tax) for $1000 helps soften the blow somewhat.

Also, if you ever need to sell it, you could easily get your money back or even make a couple of hundred. Nice work!

 

[Kenster]

I deflowered her today. There has been a big pine trunk down in the front yard of neighbor down the road for several months. I finally asked the widow lady if I could take it. She was happy to be rid of it. I went down and bucked it up today and brought it home. Even in 100 degree heat I was anxious to finally try the splitter out. Now, dry pine is not exactly much of a challenge to this 35 ton Huskee but I got her done. Maybe a 1/4 to 1/3 a cord in about 45 minutes with several water breaks.

I had her swinging from both sides of the plate, too. Mostly vertical because the many 21 inch long bucks were also about 20 inches diameter. I rolled them off the back of the pickup and on to the toe plate. The really fat rounds took several slices to get splits the size I wanted them.

I've never cut or burned pine before. This stuff is already really dry. I figure it will supplement my oak this winter.

 

[Mesquite]

Kenster, what will really make you feel good about the deal is when you get some good dry live oak rounds that are hard as concrete and the splitter doesn't even slow up going through them. Then you know you have a splitter!!

The fun has started, enjoy it.

 

[thinkxingu]

Sweet deal, Kenster. Pine's also great for backyard fire pits--low smoke, good fire, not too long on the burn side if you get tired!

S