DR Rapid fire Log splitter???

[TractorBob1529]

SS had made enough money, time for the consumer to reap some of the benifits.

[LD1]

SS had made enough money, time for the consumer to reap some of the benifits.

[John_Mc]

Originally Posted by TractorBob1529 View Post
SS had made enough money, time for the consumer to reap some of the benifits.

SuperSplit (SS) originally designed this splitter. Once the patent protection ran out, DR Products cloned it almost exactly, and sold it under their own name, and a bit cheaper than SuperSplit was selling it.

DR's advertising would have you believe they invented the concept (but they are pretty clever in how they lead you to believe this without coming out and saying it. They did the same thing with their "Dual Action" log splitter.

[LD1]

Originally Posted by TractorBob1529 View Post
SS had made enough money, time for the consumer to reap some of the benifits.



SuperSplit (SS) originally designed this splitter. Once the patent protection ran out, DR Products cloned it almost exactly, and sold it under their own name, and a bit cheaper than SuperSplit was selling it.

DR's advertising would have you believe they invented the concept (but they are pretty clever in how they lead you to believe this without coming out and saying it. They did the same thing with their "Dual Action" log splitter.

I guess I never really bought into the whole patent thing and everyone copying them. Inertia type splitters have been around for MUCH longer than SS, so I dont think the "concept" would have been patent-able. Heck, a maul is an inertia splitter.

Why the others waited so long...who knows. But there were a few other companies (smaller companies) that have been making inertia splitters for quite awhile also.

I guess I am just getting sick of hearing about how everyone has copied SS. Sure, they look similar, but dont most hydraulic splitters look similar......or dont most tractors look similar???

[John_Mc]

SuperSplit did, in fact have a patent on their machine. I spoke to the owner about this when the DR RapidFire first came out... it looked so much like a SuperSplit that I thought DR had just re-labeled a SuperSplit. (As they've done with other machines they've sold in the past, and is commonly done by a wide range of companies who want to sell an item under their own name.)

DR Products is a good company, who stands behind what they sell. No where in my post did I say not to buy from them. There is a reason that patents have a time limit - it's to encourage continued innovation, and allow one inventor to build on the success of those who went before him/her.

I would have liked to see DR do something other than make an almost exact clone of the SuperSplit. As it is, there was no innovation here (unless you call their change which required two hands to run the split cycle and innovation). At least it's nice to see they did it right, and didn't cheapen up the components. TSC was selling a Speeco flywheel splitter that came out about the same time. They eventually pulled it off the market due to extensive problems with the rack or pinion gear (I forget which).

[Bluegill2]

Yes, DR copied Super Split about as close as one could. DR bought two splitters from Paul a while back. Not very cool...

The other copy ain't working out very well.

I bought a Super Split two years ago and now I look forward to splittin wood. Very Nice machine that works Extremely well!

[IslandTractor]

Yes, DR copied Super Split about as close as one could. DR bought two splitters from Paul a while back. Not very cool...

I suppose you could say the same thing about Bush Hog and all the copy cat rotary mowers that followed their product. Or, for that matter, just about any implement or tool that has become part of the cloned "Kleenex" of our world due to the initial success of a novel variant product. Super Split was probably not the first to think of either electric or hydraulic splitters etc either.

[LD1]

I suppose you could say the same thing about Bush Hog and all the copy cat rotary mowers that followed their product. Or, for that matter, just about any implement or tool that has become part of the cloned "Kleenex" of our world due to the initial success of a novel variant product. Super Split was probably not the first to think of either electric or hydraulic splitters etc either.

Crescent wrenches????

Dont most tractors look the same except color???

Pick-up trucks????

Splitting mauls???

Chainsaws????

Firestone vs Goodyear vs whoever R1 Ag tires???

The list is endless. The guy that made the Supersplit didnt have a new concept at all. Just a different way of applying a VERY OLD concept.

And like I said before, look at hydraulic splitters??? On something as simple as a logsplitter....there really isnt much one can change is there???

[cqaigy2]

Crescent wrenches????

Dont most tractors look the same except color???

Pick-up trucks????

Splitting mauls???

Chainsaws????

Firestone vs Goodyear vs whoever R1 Ag tires???

The list is endless. The guy that made the Supersplit didnt have a new concept at all. Just a different way of applying a VERY OLD concept.

And like I said before, look at hydraulic splitters??? On something as simple as a logsplitter....there really isnt much one can change is there???

You forgot the minivan.

[Bluegill2]

The way I understand it, DR could not find a way to change it, or make it better, so they stuck with the original SS design. Their lawyers however, had to make it "safer", thus the two handed controls.

Speeco did change it and look where that went. Well the origin of manufacture didn't help either...

I've seen a few of these splitters over 20 years old in commercial firewood operations and still going strong. I'll just stick with the 'original'...