Why buy new for $900 when you can get Used Worn out Flat Tires for $1200.

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Dataman

Minister of Fire
Sep 10, 2018
1,243
Newport, Wa

I only paid 900 for my 22 ton New (Dirty Hands) with free shipping. This thing is Frankenstein and worth a laugh
 
My splitter is a Frankenstein spiltter but it gets lots of wood split for me. I have never used a factory built splitter everyone i know who burns wood has a home made one or splits by hand. That thing looks pretty beefy.

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My splitter is a Frankenstein spiltter but it gets lots of wood split for me. I have never used a factory built splitter everyone i know who burns wood has a home made one or splits by hand. That thing looks pretty beefy.

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Have any examples of prices paid for local home mades?
 
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Run the gamut from super cheap as in cant buy new parts to build one to astronomical- this time of year they start showing up at prices at or above box store prices.
 
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Have any examples of prices paid for local home mades?
Not recently but I paid 300 for mine 3 years ago My grandfather had a local welder build his for him probably 50 years ago. The price for the one listed in the ad is too high for around here but maybe elsewhere that price would be more acceptable. I get the feeling it would be pretty slow.

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Not recently but I paid 300 for mine 3 years ago My grandfather had a local welder build his for him probably 50 years ago. The price for the one listed in the ad is too high for around here but maybe elsewhere that price would be more acceptable. I get the feeling it would be pretty slow.

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Definitely slow. He claims 40 tons, without listing cylinder size. But a little quick math indicates it must be a 6” cylinder, as that tonnage would require an unrealistic 4100 psi on a 5” cylinder. So, he’s trying to fill and dump a 6” cylinder on lines that appear to be maybe even less than 1/2”. A full 24” up/down stroke on a 1/2” line with a 6” cylinder will be somewhere around 26 +/- seconds, depending on rod size.

That whole thing is a mis-matched collection of parts, that should never be put together. The foot plate doesn’t look like it will take 80,000 lbf. The lines are too small for the cylinder size. The cylinder is too large for anything useful. The motor is too small to run the pump that cylinder really deserves. It is a classic case of someone who knows how to weld and bolt crap together, without putting any thought into how the components actually work together as a system.

That’s all fine, if it gets the job done for you. Nothing wrong with that, at all. But you look like an idiot when you try to sell the thing for the price of a nicely-engineered manufactured unit.
 
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Definitely slow. He claims 40 tons, without listing cylinder size. But a little quick math indicates it must be a 6” cylinder, as that tonnage would require an unrealistic 4100 psi on a 5” cylinder. So, he’s trying to fill and dump a 6” cylinder on lines that appear to be maybe even less than 1/2”. A full 24” up/down stroke on a 1/2” line with a 6” cylinder will be somewhere around 26 +/- seconds, depending on rod size.

That whole thing is a mis-matched collection of parts, that should never be put together. The foot plate doesn’t look like it will take 80,000 lbf. The lines are too small for the cylinder size. The cylinder is too large for anything useful. The motor is too small to run the pump that cylinder really deserves. It is a classic case of someone who knows how to weld and bolt crap together, without putting any thought into how the components actually work together as a system.

That’s all fine, if it gets the job done for you. Nothing wrong with that, at all. But you look like an idiot when you try to sell the thing for the price of a nicely-engineered manufactured unit.
I can agree with that its way overpriced. Maybe 500 would be a decent price. If everything worked the way it should. My main gripe is that factory built splitters have these small fast turning engines. I just can't stand the sound of an engine all wrapped out just sitting there whining at 3600 rpm between cycles. I use a slow turning Wisconsin engine that makes all the power I need at about 1200 rpms.

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I can agree with that its way overpriced. Maybe 500 would be a decent price. If everything worked the way it should. My main gripe is that factory built splitters have these small fast turning engines. I just can't stand the sound of an engine all wrapped out just sitting there whining at 3600 rpm between cycles. I use a slow turning Wisconsin engine that makes all the power I need at about 1200 rpms.

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We agree on that. But the beauty of a 3000 - 3600 rpm engine is that it can direct-drive a 3000 rpm pump at 100% to 120% rated flow. If you’re running a 1200 rpm engine, you need to either oversize your pump to account for the lower RPM, or belt drive it up to a desirable RPM. The other issue is that it’s usually going to take a larger-displacement engine to build the same HP, required to flow 16 GPM at the back-pressure created by the unloaded system.

It can all be done, but it’s gonna cost you in parts, dollars, and size. Most here gripe about $1k for a manufactured unit, and would not be willing to double that price for the pleasure of listening to a lower-RPM engine.
 
I can agree with that its way overpriced. Maybe 500 would be a decent price. If everything worked the way it should. My main gripe is that factory built splitters have these small fast turning engines. I just can't stand the sound of an engine all wrapped out just sitting there whining at 3600 rpm between cycles. I use a slow turning Wisconsin engine that makes all the power I need at about 1200 rpms.

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It doesn’t bother me in the slightest to have a engine running full blast at full RPM’s- 3600 or whatever it is. But I am getting the Ashful itch and I’m getting fed up with my slow 13 second cycle time on my splitter though. And I only paid $900 for my new 37 ton splitter two years ago and I have a fix coming soon for a little more speed for it.
 
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It doesn’t bother me in the slightest to have a engine running full blast at full RPM’s- 3600 or whatever it is. But I am getting the Ashful itch and I’m getting g fed up with my slow 13 second cycle time on my splitter though. And I only paid $900 for my new 37 ton splitter two years ago and I have a fix coming soon for a little more speed for it.
4way wedge would fit all them rounds you have
 
4way wedge would fit all them rounds you have
I have a 4-way for my skid steer inverted splitter but I only use that on the really big rounds, stuff like Ash has at times. I’m going to downsize the cylinder on my normal splitter for a 3 second boost in speed and I’ll still have a 30 ton split capacity and it won’t cost much either, maybe nothing if I sell my 24x5 cylinder.
 
Craigslist here is full of those things. Not many people burn in this area, so the used splitters around here are something that Darrell and his other brother Darrell slapped together in the lean to with a Lincoln AC welder in 1960. They must have some emotional attachment because they are way overpriced.
 
Craigslist here is full of those things. Not many people burn in this area, so the used splitters around here are something that Darrell and his other brother Darrell slapped together in the lean to with a Lincoln AC welder in 1960. They must have some emotional attachment because they are way overpriced.
Buy low, sell high.
And burn wood for heat.
Quickest way to an early retirement.
 
Buy low, sell high.
And burn wood for heat.
Quickest way to an early retirement.

No, the quickest way to an early retirement is to make enough that you don’t really care about the cost of buying or selling anything on the scale of a $900 log splitter, and to live below your means.

This is another subject, but I’m not sure wood heat has saved me any money. In fact, quite the opposite when I consider the time it takes away from more profitable potential pursuits. But it’s a hobby that costs a heck of a lot less than most other things that entertain me.
 
No, the quickest way to an early retirement is to make enough that you don’t really care about the cost of buying or selling anything on the scale of a $900 log splitter, and to live below your means.

This is another subject, but I’m not sure wood heat has saved me any money. In fact, quite the opposite when I consider the time it takes away from more profitable potential pursuits. But it’s a hobby that costs a heck of a lot less than most other things that entertain me.
I was joking. Listening to the other thread going - why burn with wood - cost accountants would question the saving money part. It feels better to spend time and energy, say, putting together a splitter, with scrap or scarfed parts, spend 25 weekends putting it together, it runs marginally, then sell if for "a bunch of money", which is peanuts compared to money stuck into it plus all the beer it cost to think about it. Burning with wood comes with so many "hidden" costs that are so-so to quantify, like labor or wear on an already owned vehicle, yet if it really came down to it, such as in a business, heating with wood is out just like that. Not cost effective. The splitter above, even though rough and marginal and should sell for close to junk yard value, hits some kind of nerve that makes the cost jump.
 
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Sold my Dirty Hand 22T which was 2 years old for only $500 with Cover for it. Only paid 900 with free shipping. No need for it now that I switched to Pellets. Only tool I ever got that was worth every penny. So many on CL for more than new that are homemade Junk like this one. And the engine on it ran low rpm and did fine job.
 
I just sold my broken, 9 year old MTD splitter for $300. I had something like 30 inquiries. I honestly think I could have asked for more, but life has been good to me and I figured the price was about right as most folks would have to buy a new ram so they would end up with $650 or so for a used splitter which seemed to me to be priced fairly . . . especially when I saw rusty, home-built questionable quality splitters with asking prices of $350, $450 and even higher. Heck, used splitters were selling for $800, $1000 and even $1200 which is new splitter prices.
 
This one is about 2 hours away from me, but it illustrates my point. $1800 is a large amount of cash for most people. This one actually looks pretty decent, it boasts a 2 stage pump, but to me the engine is underpowered for what it is, looks like it has a flat tire, a ratchet strap is holding something together. Something about the tongue jack looks suspect. For this amount of cash this thing should be flawless. https://cedarrapids.craigslist.org/grd/d/central-city-wood-splitter/6994063772.html
 
I've always been impressed with how much used splitters bring on resale, or at least been impressed with how much people ask for them anyway.

I see people often asking 90 percent of what they cost new.
 
I've always been impressed with how much used splitters bring on resale, or at least been impressed with how much people ask for them anyway.

I see people often asking 90 percent of what they cost new.
Me Too. They want more than new stuff here. If to wonder if they ever sell it. I doubt it. Free Firewood is also fun to read. Lots of time it's in Tree Form right beside building. With warning you must take all of it, branches etc. They want free work
 
There’s no feedback loop on Craigslist, all you see is what’s being asked, not the final sale price. That’s one nice thing about eBay, you can research the actual closing price of all listed items.
 
I wouldn’t touch the splitter in the first post with Ashfuls 12 hunnert dollars.>>
Chain driven pump (suggesting single stage) old power plant suggesting it doesn’t have enough HP to run a single stage pump of any sizable GPM. Way oversized tanks,etc.

I fully endorse re-using old parts for new projects when it makes sense, but this thing is a Frankensplitter. I am sure it probably works, but I am just as sure that it doesn’t work very well (efficient).
 
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Me Too. They want more than new stuff here. If to wonder if they ever sell it. I doubt it. Free Firewood is also fun to read. Lots of time it's in Tree Form right beside building. With warning you must take all of it, branches etc. They want free work



There is a whol;e thread about ‘CraigsList Laughs’ on AS.
And of course tyhe ‘Highly Valuable Black Walnut’ thread and video on there too.