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Let's see it do that with real-world wood. Crotches, Knots, Elm. And how fast is it once the rounds get over 12"?
Notice the rack 'n pinion splitters never show Smokin' size rounds in their promo videos. And that second vid is the reason why. Not everybody has a grapple to hoist those big rounds and keep them on the splitter while it pounds the thing 5 times.
All that said, damn that thing made a pile of splits in a hurry! I salute the operator's desire to seek better performance from an already fast machine.
I like the SS. They have their place, that is for sure, but the big rounds...probably not their best "shining" moment. I tell ya that if all I dealt with was 18" and under stuff a SS would be on the short list of splitters. For the big mongo stuff that I seem to always get, I'll stick to hydraulics with a lift and work table.
If I am in the woods I am looking for a larger tree to make it worth my time with bucking and splitting, that is why I discounted getting one of these machines.
I picked up a SS off of craigslist last fall, and I have to say, it works really well on the knots, splits, and crotches. If you can cut a square end on the log, it will make it through most things. I had some gnarly stuff to split, along with a bunch of free pine and some elm, and it really didnt have a problem with any of it. You have to hit the same piece a few times in a row if its really knotty, but the only thing that stopped it was when I couldnt get it to stay square on the push plate.
For most knots it slices right through them. Mine is the older model with the 3 HP Briggs, and it really sips the gas. All in all, a pretty slick machine.