What do you look for in a gas splitter?

[woodhog73]

I bought a dirty hands tools 22 ton from lowes in August, the build quality when it was out together was terrible. I had leaks out of the hydrologic fittings at 4 different places within 2 hours of steady work. I repaired them, but when it started a new leak at a different connection on the next use, I returned it for a full refund, and went across the street to HD to pickup a Ariens 27 ton that was on sale.

Interesting

I looked at the DHT and Speeco splitters. They get very good reviews and have a great reputation. Almost bought one.

However when I looked at the Gravely splitters ( identical to Ariens) I could see the fit and finish, general quality from just looking and touching it, etc appeared to my eyes anyways a step up. Plus you get the subaru engine which is every match to a honda small engine in quality and ease of starting. My subaru engine on my Gravely starts in 2 pulls max even when it's 15 degrees out. But they cost a couple hundred more so hard to say what's a better value.

Some people say the mid mount of the hydraulic unit on a 1/2 beam splitter is less desirable than a full beam. However it's so solidly mounted on the Gravely / aeriens units I can't see where it would be a negative it's a solid machine with solid mounts. But on other splitters with a 1/2 beam this might be something to look at.

 

[billjustbill]

Through a lot of "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" sale discounts, plus "free" shipping, I ordered the Titan 37 ton "Push Through" splitter.... $2,180.00. It's still on backorder until Jan. 17.... but I've funded more than half that cost with profits from several flea market/garage sale finds that I've sold on Craigslist and with garage sale found brass and copper scrap metal selling events... LOL.

(broken link removed to http://www.palletforks.com/titan-outdoors/log-splitters/3-point-hydraulic-log-wood-splitter-37-ton-tractor-mount-w-log-lift-catch.html)

Almost identical version of the same splitter, but no discounts, $360 paid for shipping, and $250 higher.

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This splitter takes 12 gallons of AW32 hydraulic oil and it's been an adventure getting it. When Amazon sent three cartons, each with four 1-gallon jugs of "Mag 1" in original large print factory shipping cartons with a label slapped on them, anyone could tell what's inside. Apparently somebody at the Ft. Worth UPS center liked the oil.
Two cartons arrived...sort of.... You know something is wrong when carton quietly "sloshes" and the second carton rattles and bumps as it is picked up. One of three cartons was delivered in great shape. The second one was tampered with, by removing 2 of the one gallon jugs and putting back 2 small bottles of Pead-a-Sure formula for children, three bags of green flat glass marbles, and a fizzing soap egg with a Stegosaurus inside..... then clear taped over the opening. Of the two cartons delivered in the 6:00 pm December darkness, the UPS driver put the opened carton with the clear opening turned upside down on the porch and took off like a "Bat-Out-Of-Heaven".....I was expecting the order and within 60 seconds of the "knock on the door", I opened the front door and only saw his tail lights..... The third carton was traced to the same 1:00 a.m. UPS distribution center and then it completely disappeared..... to this day, the tracking number still shows it never left the the UPS facility. When I called the Ft. Worth, Texas UPS complaint number, the employee listened, checked the tracking numbers that took "forever" to call out, then said there was nothing they could do. It was up to the "Shipper to initiate the investigation." Amazon has been great in making things right. They let me keep the two extra gallons of hydraulic oil....and the other stuff.... and sent me two new cartons, each with four one gallon jugs.

As I'm awaiting the backorder, I continue to learn it must be registered for highway pullling..... Here in Texas I've learned that if it has a trailer hitch and is pulled down the road, even as little as once or twice a year, it has to be register. A "Temp Tag", good for 30 days cost $25.00, or a yearly plate cost is $56.00.....the splitter weighs about 1,000 lbs. Still, that costs as much as a small 5'x8' trailer with a 3,000 lb. axle/weight load cost to register..... A slow moving vehicle like a farm tractor pulled or self powered piece of farm machinery is the only way a slow moving orange triangle sign is used....

It seems every department of state or local government wants in your pocket to get their share out of your money....

I'll update the posting when I get the splitter if some of you will let me know. Thanks to all who shared in answering my original questions.

Bill

Gentlemen,

I want to post a correction to my purchase..... When the Titan splitter was shipped, this company tried to send LAST YEAR'S MODEL..... LAST YEAR'S MODEL HAS AN 8 GALLON HYDRAULIC OIL TANK....THEIR AD SAID AT FIRST THAT THEY CHANGED TO A "12 GALLON" TANK.... FINAL CHANGE TO ALL THEIR ADS ON AMAZON.COM, EBAY, AND TITAN'S OWN WEBSITE SAID IT WAS "ELEVEN GALLONS".
A salesman NAMED SCOTT said he didn't know why their website described the larger tank...

When I found out they tried the "BAIT AND SWITCH", I CALLED AND SPOKE TO ANOTHER SALESMAN NAMED "ZACH". HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS SENT WITH A LARGER TANK OR NOT..... THEN, HE SAID I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE DELIVERY TO CHECK AND SEE.... (IN other words, get me to accept delivery). I told Zach that I would consider accepting delivery IF HE COULD PUT HIS HANDS ON A LARGER TANK AND SEND ME THE TRACKING NUMBER FOR IT AND AT NO CHARGE.... HE SAID HE COULD NOT KNOW IF THEY HAD A LARGER TANK SINCE THEY HAVE TWO WAREHOUSES IN TWO DIFFERENT STATES...

When the freight company called for a delivery appointment, I refused delivery and told the Freight Company that the TITAN sent the wrong model. Meanwhile my money has been tied up since Black Friday in November and now it was January... Then ZACH SAID HE COULD NOT REFUND MY MONEY UNTIL THE CRATE WAS RETURNED TO THEIR WAREHOUSE, THEN ADD ANOTHER 3 TO 5 DAYS..... BECAUSE THAT WAS TITAN'S POLICY....

I NEVER EVEN SAW THE TITAN PALLETFORKS' WOOD SPLITTER AS IT SAT IN THE FEDEX RECEIVING CENTER IN FT. WORTH ANOTHER WEEK AFTER EVERYBODY KNEW IT WAS BEING RETURNED. TITAN SHIPS FEDEX ECONOMY FREIGHT.....

I WILL NEVER BUY ANYTHING FROM TITAN....EVER. TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND MY FRUSTRATION WITH THIS COMPANY, TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR SALES RECORD OF NEGATIVES ON EBAY. IT FOREWARNS ANY BUYER OF THE CALIBER OF THIS COMPANY.
http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=titanattachments&&_trksid=p2047675.l2560&rt=nc&iid=291787919332&sspagename=VIP:feedback&ftab=FeedbackAsSeller

On the good side, with dollars made from selling garage/estate sale finds, I did buy a splitter from Rugged Made. The company has pages of support parts for the same style AND 37 TON splitter. With the smoothness of it's delivery, and many steps already completed to cut down assembly time, and an even larger oil tank!!, their whole "family" of products and support staff make owning their product worth so much more!! Although more expensive, in the end, if the company could be a single person, Rugged Made is the type of person you'd want your son or daughter to marry.... ;>)

(broken link removed to https://www.ruggedmade.com/log-splitters/37-ton-log-splitter-push-through-log-lift-lifan-electric-start-48-563-737-lf15ec-22-ll-ct.html)

I don't have it assembled, yet. Heck, I've been at another estate sale and bought a small trailer with leaf spring suspension... and a tilting frame to haul my new wood splitter a bit faster down the highway. The owner said, "If you'll buy a new ball coupler hitch for the trailer to get it to your house, I'll sell this trailer to you for $15.00."

Happy Bill

 

[billjustbill]

BUMP: I wanted to keep this thread being seen as Spring storms and fallen wood will cause more splitter sales.... A lot of good fellows took time to share their experiences, the type splitter they purchased and use, and what works for them.

Followup: Titan Pallet-Forklift Company's Upper Management has never responded to a much more direct version of the above review as of 2/14/17....

Bill

 

[billjustbill]

Titan Reply: March 2, 2017

Hello Mr. *********,

I hope this message fins you in the best of spirits! It was my great pleasure speaking with you. We are deeply apologetic for your experience and want to assure you that this message has reached your intended audience. I appreciate your candid feed back. Our management team is using this feedback to implement fixes in communication, quality and consistency. Thanks again Mr. *********.


Best regards,

Jacelyn Burley

Titan Distributors
Customer Service Supervisor

 

[ksks]

I got a 35T Dirty Hand on sale for the same as the 27.
Solid machine.
I like having vertical and horizontal.
Its heavy to hoist it up to vertical!
At first I was concerned with quick return times. As I've used it, I've found most of the time it is faster than I am in repositioning.
Get a tray for the cut to fall onto so you don't have to pick it off the ground to re-split.
The 35 is overkill for most things. All things considered, I like to over buy.

Buy them pre-assembled.

ksks

 

[rowerwet]

I went for speed over many of the other things people mentioned. My splitter doesn't go vertical, and the motor is a HF predator.
I bought the predator 20 ton from Harbor freight.
It has no real cycle time because it splits in both directions, instead of waiting for it to return, the splitter waits for me to drop the next piece in.
the only way to keep the splitter moving non stop is to have a second personsetting up the rounds within reach and then clearing the splits. Working solo I can split a cord in a few hours.
it comes with an excellent work table standard also.
I use one of my trailer ramps to roll the big stuff up off the ground, no lifting.
So far it has handled everything I've thrown at it.
I'm on my third season with it, and I burn 6 cords a year.

 

[rowerwet]

The box catches the little bits that fall off, they go into a 230 gallon tote with a hole cut in the side and become part of my kindling supply

 

[MrWhoopee]

I look for an electric motor.

 

[VirginiaIron]

Enough power so when its running the engine doesn't sound like its going to spload. A wedge that travels on a slide so Im not going back and forth retrieving the splits. A lift since Im encountering larger rounds, and a low splitting attachment to handle the BIG BOYS where I can roll them right on the beam and so there is no risk of torquing my back or danger of being crushed if the split falls from the platform- as I believe there is in the video below.
Using video under fair use. Notice how such a large round must be balanced on the beam. The gentleman designed a sliding lift but the rounds still travel away and must be returned and reset. There are other videos with several large men manhandling a round back into the splitting area of different splitters.

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I think the sliding block is best with a 5 or 6 way box wedge processor and return arm. There are othe videos with this model/design and it is almost totally a hands off process.
This is my next project

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This was the project, below, I was building when I was introduced to the box splitting concept above, which I decided I wanted. Oh well, I guess I better get started building one.

 

[jetsam]

What can split any sized round without hurting your back?

A teenager with a sledge and wedges!

They're not very reliable, though, and need constant maintenance even when they do work.

 

[Jazzberry]

A splitter that will go vertical is at least a 100 times easier than the splitter in the above video. Much safer and easier on your back also.

 

[VirginiaIron]

A splitter that will go vertical is at least a 100 times easier than the splitter in the above video. Much safer and easier on your back also.

I would agree with the safety that's for sure. For me personally and strength wise, I would prefer to balance a round at the torso level than to manipulate it at my ankles but for safety sake I must agree with you. But that's why I've added the splitter boom and the table above so that the larger rounds are more manageable at the torso height. We'll see.

 

[Jazzberry]

When the round is on the ground I manipulate it mostly with my knees while sitting in a chair. I almost never do any real lifting just kinda wobble it around with the help of my knees. With the exception of very large rounds on the first couple splits.

 

[DodgyNomad]

Good info in this thread. At first glance, it appears that both the Titan and the Rugged Made are pretty identical Chinese made splitters. I haven't looked into either, but they sure do look the same.

Curios to hear how they hold up over time. Priced well for the features, but wondering how trouble free they'll be after 50, 100 and 200 cords.