Troy Bilt 27 Ton Splitter - Bad Weld Alert

[fidiro]

OK, are there anymore forums out there that might have the same topic we are discussing. According to Troy Bilt, says "Based on the model and serial number you have provided, Troy-Bilt is unaware of any reoccurring issues associated with this product, specifically the cylinder or cylinder walls. " They then go on to recommend to take it into an authorized service center. So, I will. I don't know what they are expected to do but it might be worth a chuckle. I also might go and try to snap a picture of a new unit to see if the weld has been beefed up and if it has been I want to know why, if there have been no problems reported with them.

That is actually a good idea to take a pic of the one that looks like it is welded more and ask why they added extra weld. That extra weld is not going to stop this from happening anyway since the cylinder wall is too thin, but why did they add more weld.

I wonder if your service center will do more for you to get yours taken care of.

 

[fidiro]

stytch

Did you have a chance to get the splitter to a service dealer? Any new details on this situation?

 

[stytch64]

I want to give an update about my situation with my log splitter. On Wednesday of last week I took the splitter to the first listed service center and they do not work on any repairs at their location. I then took it to the second location and they do not work on log splitter because of the hydraulics. I was very close to one of the most reputable welding and fabricating shops in our area to see what they thought. They felt that it should never have happened and could not tell me what caused the cylinder to fail but it was not the welds fault. I then went to the third place and they were hesitant to work on the splitter but a service tech came out to look at it. He was surprised and also felt that it should have not happened. He thought that it was a manufactures defect. I asked him if it was ok to tell Troy-Bilt what he said and he said no problem. I e-mailed Troy-Bilt Wednesday night to let them know the little bit xtra I found out for them. Now to wait. Thursday morning at around 10:30 I received a phone call from Troy-Bilt informing me that they talked to the service centers tech that I had spoke with. After talking with me about what happened the Troy-Bilt representative told me that they would be issuing me a RA# and sending a brand new cylinder to the service center to install on my splitter. WOW!! The icing on the cake, no cost out of pocket! I am really impressed with how quickly Troy-Bilt/MTD responded to my concerns and the fact that they accepted full responsibility and even though my warranty is up on my unit, they are fixing the problem.
I do not know what I did right but Troy-Bilt stepped up to the plate for me and in my book did a top notch thing. Thank You Troy-Bilt.

 

[fire_man]

WOW! Great to know. Thanks for the post update!

 

[fidiro]

Glad to hear that your getting yours taken care of. So you took it to three different service depts?

I only took mine to the one closest to me and maybe it would help if I took the next closest one to give it a shot as well just to see if I can get the same service as you did. Did you take the whole splitter or just the cylinder? I would imagine that they will need to just see the cylinder.

I just let these things get to me and it gets frustrating to see this happen.

 

[stytch64]

I just took the cylinder in. The first two places would not even look at the cylinder because they did not work on hydraulic log splitters. Like I said, I don't know what I did right but they hit a home run with me. Good Luck

 

[Gooserider]

Wonder how much the fact that the word on the problem seems to be spreading via these forums - How does it impact their sales??? I suspect that this kind of thing could lead to a major dent in the market, so you may be seeing "damage control" efforts of trying to at least keep the customer happy, so that posts read something like "it shouldn't have happened,but they took care of me" instead of "bleeping piece of crap broke and they won't fix it..."

Gooserider

 

[thinkxingu]

Hey All,
I was at the local HD, so I asked how the Yard Machines splitter was selling--the person I spoke to said people have walked when they found out all they had was Yard Machines and Ariens (former because of issues, latter because of price). I think most people buying splitters do at least some research, either via the 'net or by word-of-mouth, so this has got to be spreading.

S

 

[fidiro]

Wonder how much the fact that the word on the problem seems to be spreading via these forums - How does it impact their sales??? I suspect that this kind of thing could lead to a major dent in the market, so you may be seeing "damage control" efforts of trying to at least keep the customer happy, so that posts read something like "it shouldn't have happened,but they took care of me" instead of "bleeping piece of crap broke and they won't fix it..."

Gooserider

My thoughts exactly. I attempted another try to contact them and they will not cover it period. It is almost 7 years old and it's not covered. I can't wait till the recall and I'll have a grin from ear to ear.

I questioned why there is now more weld around the failing points and they said they use different manufaturers and things change over the years. Why did they change manufactures just recently and add more weld? Not one answer as to why they are now using more weld.

So, I'm one that can continue to say "bleeping piece of crap broke and they won't fix it..."

This splitter is also being sold as a Craftsman model @ Sears. So add that to the list of this design. They could have made the customer happy and carried on with still selling these with a piece of mind that if it happened they will take care of it. At this point I guess it's the short straw for me. I'll keep my sig as is and it says it all about this splitter. Customer service is not for the customer.

Sad part is I bought a MTD snow blower, my brother in law bought the same one with me just last winter. I have a grass edger made by them, an older lawn mower. Why would I ever buy anything with their name on it now.

 

[fire_man]

There is no question Troy-Bilt has made a cylinder change. It's really just a bandaid but it should help. I just looked at a 27 Ton splitter at Lowes, - the trunions had large square weld patches (about 3/4 inch area) on the stressed side of the trunions. It's an obvious attempt to correct a weak design with minimal cost to Troy-Bilt. The patches add additional strength to the stressed cylinder area by welding a large patch attaching more of the cylinder to the trunion. My 2 year old cylinder only had an even circular weld without the additional square welded patch.

 

[bsticks]

Mine had the exact same circular bead pattern. I have split 10 cords since my welding job and I have had zero trouble with the machine. I am waiting for the recall too.

 

[chumby]

I usually have buyer's remorse years after a purchase; I feel better that I got a Huskee instead of a TB. Current prices on the Lowes website reveals the 27 ton TB is about $250 less than the 28 ton Huskee. The product reviews on the Lowes website have only one person specifically identifying this issue. One other had a hydraulic leak. The rest were positive to glowing.

 

[fire_man]

Looks like this problem is showing up more and more. I found the same Weld problem on this recent link:

http://www.livingoffgrid.org/comparing-woodsplitters/


In case the link is broken here was the post:

Philip on Sep 14th, 2010 at 10:13 pm

I loved my Troy Bilt 27 ton splitter w/honda 160, until today. It has the metal fenders, towing chains and towing lights. I was splitting wood and the pin that is welded to the cylinder split apart at the weld. The weld was poorly done as pin was being held together to the cylinder by 1/16″, you can tell by the new clean steel when it tore apart. I don’t know how this metal cylinder could not take the pressure of the pump. The hoses or seals should have failed during high pressure not the tough metal parts that 27 tons should handle. Very disappointed with Troy Bilt right now with the way this was built. I contacted Troy Bilt customer service and am awaiting a response as this is out of warranty but this is a part that should never fail this way in many, many years of service not 5. Anyone want to see pics of damaged cylinder? I also have video to put up on youtube but will wait to see if I get a happy response to my email I sent to Troy Bilt.

 

[fidiro]

There is no question Troy-Bilt has made a cylinder change. It's really just a bandaid but it should help. I just looked at a 27 Ton splitter at Lowes, - the trunions had large square weld patches (about 3/4 inch area) on the stressed side of the trunions. It's an obvious attempt to correct a weak design with minimal cost to Troy-Bilt. The patches add additional strength to the stressed cylinder area by welding a large patch attaching more of the cylinder to the trunion. My 2 year old cylinder only had an even circular weld without the additional square welded patch.

You didn't happen to get a pic of that did you? Did it look like it's a square piece of steel that was welded onto the cylinder or just extra weld covering the cylinder wall? I guess if you say it had square weld patches then it has extra steel welded to cylinder.

At least they are attempting to fix more future problems. Hope this is an even newer design to the cylinder. Now if only the recal on these older cylinders would start so we can start testing this new cylinder design.

 

[fire_man]

There is no question Troy-Bilt has made a cylinder change. It's really just a bandaid but it should help. I just looked at a 27 Ton splitter at Lowes, - the trunions had large square weld patches (about 3/4 inch area) on the stressed side of the trunions. It's an obvious attempt to correct a weak design with minimal cost to Troy-Bilt. The patches add additional strength to the stressed cylinder area by welding a large patch attaching more of the cylinder to the trunion. My 2 year old cylinder only had an even circular weld without the additional square welded patch.

You didn't happen to get a pic of that did you? Did it look like it's a square piece of steel that was welded onto the cylinder or just extra weld covering the cylinder wall? I guess if you say it had square weld patches then it has extra steel welded to cylinder.

At least they are attempting to fix more future problems. Hope this is an even newer design to the cylinder. Now if only the recal on these older cylinders would start so we can start testing this new cylinder design.

I wish I had gotten a picture. It was not a square piece of steel welded on, but rather a raised area of weld (square shaped) over the cylinder directly in front of each trunion, exactly where you would expect the splitting stress. Makes you wonder what led to this additional welded area, how many blown cylinders already happened?

 

[fidiro]

There is no question Troy-Bilt has made a cylinder change. It's really just a bandaid but it should help. I just looked at a 27 Ton splitter at Lowes, - the trunions had large square weld patches (about 3/4 inch area) on the stressed side of the trunions. It's an obvious attempt to correct a weak design with minimal cost to Troy-Bilt. The patches add additional strength to the stressed cylinder area by welding a large patch attaching more of the cylinder to the trunion. My 2 year old cylinder only had an even circular weld without the additional square welded patch.

You didn't happen to get a pic of that did you? Did it look like it's a square piece of steel that was welded onto the cylinder or just extra weld covering the cylinder wall? I guess if you say it had square weld patches then it has extra steel welded to cylinder.

At least they are attempting to fix more future problems. Hope this is an even newer design to the cylinder. Now if only the recal on these older cylinders would start so we can start testing this new cylinder design.

I wish I had gotten a picture. It was not a square piece of steel welded on, but rather a raised area of weld (square shaped) over the cylinder directly in front of each trunion, exactly where you would expect the splitting stress. Makes you wonder what led to this additional welded area, how many blown cylinders already happened?

I am no expert on welding but from reading about what weld may do to the cylinder wall I would think that extra weld is keeping the problem the same. If it was a square piece of steel welded around onto the cylinder with a hole in it so that the pins can fit into and get welded onto the cylinder and that extra piece of steel, this would be an attempt to fix it without using a complete cup over the cylinder. They may be opening up another can of worms but there is extra weld so who knows.

They may just be weakening the cylinder wall farther out because of the weld, they should have just created a cup to fit over the cylinder to control this failure better. And by creating a cup to fit the cylinder they could then use that same cup to recall the ones out there and weld them on these older ones before they explode, it would keep the users of this style splitter safe and at ease and it would save them money over a whole new cylinder making customers happy.

 

[FORCE FAB]

Another thing i didnt like was that when i had the one i had apart to reweld it i noticed that they machine the cylinder BEFORE they weld the trunnion mount on..After its welded the inside is distorted from the heat and the piston runs right into it!

 

[FireAnt]

Here are some photos of mine bought in March 2010.

 

[Ctyflm]

Thank you for all the great information, and you can credit yourself for costing TB another customer. I am trying to decide between the TB 27 & Huskee 22, but I really wanted that Honda engine, and 5 tons extra splitting force. These threads have made up my mind, I will be purchasing a 22 T Huskee from TSC. I would hate to spend well over a grand, only to have problems like you & others have experienced a few years down the road. The internet & forums are great tools, & maybe those who make these products will realize they will be held accountable, and thier reputation can be seriously damaged.

Country Flame 02 / Husqvarna 455

 

[richg]

Interesting that the Huskee I-beam runs the full length of the splitter and supports the cylinder, whereas the beam is truncated on the Troybilt. If/when I do get around to buying a splitter, it will be a Speeco/Husky.

 

[FuzzyOne]

I happened to be at TSC, Home Depot and Lowes yesterday. I looked at all the splitters available from these stores and If I was to have to replace my current splitter, first on my list would be the Speeco 22T and second would be the 35T.

I looked at the TB just to see how the cylinder was welded and I don't think the one on display had any of the changes made to it. I remember last year at this same store, they had a Swisher log splitter that had been special ordered for sale. They had it marked at $750 with a sticker price of $1,500. The employess said the person that ordered it didn't like it when it came in. They took a big loss on it. I called a friend right from the store and it was gone before he got there.

That Speeco 22T is hard to beat price wise with a 10% TSC coupon. And the difference between 22T and 28T isn't enough to justify the difference in price of the two units.

 

[TreePointer]

I happened to be at TSC, Home Depot and Lowes yesterday. I looked at all the splitters available from these stores and If I was to have to replace my current splitter, first on my list would be the Speeco 22T and second would be the 35T.

I looked at the TB just to see how the cylinder was welded and I don't think the one on display had any of the changes made to it. I remember last year at this same store, they had a Swisher log splitter that had been special ordered for sale. They had it marked at $750 with a sticker price of $1,500. The employess said the person that ordered it didn't like it when it came in. They took a big loss on it. I called a friend right from the store and it was gone before he got there.

That Speeco 22T is hard to beat price wise with a 10% TSC coupon. And the difference between 22T and 28T isn't enough to justify the difference in price of the two units.

Same here--I'd' also only consider the 22- and 35-ton units in the Huskee line. I don't like the Huskee 28-ton because it has a much lower cycle time. There are also a couple improvements to the 35-ton since I got mine 18 months ago. The big one is that the engine is on the other side of the beam from where the operator stands to use the control valve. This moves the noise and exhaust of the engine farther away from the operator, and it also keeps the return hose from being routed over the potentially hot cylinder, which it eventually touches. The other is that they added a handle to the top of the tow arm.

In short, I think the Huskee 22-ton is the best value of all splitters available right now.

 

[fidiro]

Finally set my mind on getting this thing back up, so I started with removing the piston from cylinder. Hope I can get it welded up tomorrow. I took a few hours messing with just the cylinder today and this has started as a slow moving project. I cut a ring from a 6" steel tube and came up with two halves to be welded around the trunion.

Also, notice what the weld from factory is doing to the inside of the cylinder wall. It is BLUE from so much heat. What happens when metal turns this color? Here are just a few pics of the progress so far. Hope all this work will pay off in the end and make me a real trunion mount cylinder, otherwise I need to start looking for a different complete splitter.

 

[fidiro]

Here's a couple more of a close up of the blue cylinder inside wall and the opposite side that I had to grind down some because I couldn't get it flush, which was and still is blue from the factory weld. I am going to hone it after I weld this cup and hope for the best.

 

[fidiro]

I'm going to have to do a search to find a seal kit for the piston. One seal completely ripped off from removing piston from cylinder as it came throught the blown area of the cylinder. Hope that honing will save this cylinder in the end.