28 ton vs. 35 ton

[bhostasa]

Hey guys. I am ready to buy a new log splitter and am looking for some advice.

I split about 12-15 cords per year and currently use an older Brave splitter. It's rated at 20 ton and has done a good job but is finally wearing out.

There's a used Huskee (TSC) 35 ton splitter close to me for about the same price as a new 28 ton. I had been pretty set on getting something with a Honda engine (which the 28 ton has) but the 35 ton has a Briggs & Stratton. Other than that, the cycle time is about 3 seconds faster on the 35 ton.

Is there a big difference between the two engines? Anybody gone from a 28 ton to a 35? Should I be looking at another brand?

I've split a lot with the 20 ton Brave and haven't seen too much that it won't go through. I'm just not sure I need the extra hp.

Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Tdog]

I am by NO means an expert & I use a lot less firewood than you. I have a 27 ton Yard Machine with a Honda engine. I've split some pretty large oak & it has never balked. I've had to replace a shear pin or two on the wedge, but no problems with power. The Honda starts 1st or 2nd pull each time.

Jack

 

[schmism]

the only way i would justify the larger tonage is to move to a 4/6/10 way splitting wedge.

If you have no intention of do so, then i wouldnt spend the money on the larger version.

btw what is 'wearing out" the pump has gotten slow? the engine is hard to start?

Id seriously consider rebuilding the current one i have into a better one for half the cost of a new one....

 

[LD1]

the only way i would justify the larger tonage is to move to a 4/6/10 way splitting wedge.

If you have no intention of do so, then i wouldnt spend the money on the larger version.

QUOTE]

I agree

 

[Wacky]

I bought a Huskee 22 ton from TSC, was looking at the 35 ton. Couldn't justify the price difference. The 22 ton split 35" oak rounds no problem. Happy I saved the money!:thumbsup:

 

[bhostasa]

the only way i would justify the larger tonage is to move to a 4/6/10 way splitting wedge.

If you have no intention of do so, then i wouldnt spend the money on the larger version.

btw what is 'wearing out" the pump has gotten slow? the engine is hard to start?

Id seriously consider rebuilding the current one i have into a better one for half the cost of a new one....

Good idea on the wedge...something to consider.

This splitter has been used by my grandpa, my dad and now me. I replaced the pump two years ago and had the cylinder repacked last year. It's getting to the point where the steel is moving or bending during use.

I'd prefer to have the option of splitting vertically (I can't right now) and I'm splitting a lot more than I used to so I'd like to have something a little faster.

Engine (5 hp) is still fine though. It would still be a great splitter for someone who doesn't split quite as much as we do.

 

[ToadHill]

After my last experience with the management at B&S I won't buy anything equipped with anything they make.

Had a mower and when I started it one spring it ran for about 2 minutes and froze up. Dealer said that since it was a engine issue the B&S rep would have to look at it. Still had almost 2 years left on the guarantee. B&S said a mouse had built a nest under the cover and engine had overheated. IN TWO Minutes???

I don't know why but I had marked some of the screws on the engine, and when I went back to the dealer not a single one of them had changed position. They never even took anything off the engine. When I did I found no nest, their answer "Well we removed it when we looked at the engine."

 

[DennisArrow]

Between my friends and myself, who use the dead fall, storm damaged, and drought killed old growth hickory and oak here on my land, we do perhaps 15 TRUE cords per year. We are talking about 30" to 48" trees.

Anyway, I use one of the Huskee 35T from TSC. It is going on 3 years now with perhaps 150 to 200 hours on the engine. NO oil usage and starts on the first pull every time. Yes, it has a B&S engine and with maintenance I find no problems with ANY of the modern engine types. ALWAYS empty the carb bowl when putting it away even for an hour. All of my engines have a fuel shut off between the tank and the engine. I just turn it off and run the engine till it dies from lack of fuel.........Ethanol is so very LOUSY..............

This a 22 ton will split oak slabs easily; but the problem is when you get to the forks. Just NOT enough ooommmmph........The 35ton just grunts through even the toughest intertwined grain hickory. One of my splitting buddies had borrowed a 22 ton and had to bring over a load of forks that he had in order to get it split..........

I guess it boils down to the type of wood that you typically go through........For me, with machinery I tend to choose the heaviest duty that I can afford.........God bless....Dennis

 

[dmccarty]

I have a 3PH hydraulic wood splitter from TSC that I hook up to the tractor. It is 22 tons if I remember right. I split oak and hickory. It even splits the forks.

I built a wood bench to hold the splitter. This keeps the splitter at just the right height for me so I am not bent over the log splitter. There is also a large area that I can hold the wood that is being split which minimizes bending over. The bench also allows me to park the tractor near the splitter without having to attach the splitter to the tractor 3PH. I just have to hook up the hydraulic lines.

This is good. This is bad.

Its is that the bench allows me to run the splitter without hooking it up to the 3PH.

It is bad because to build the bench I had to prevent the splitter from being used vertically. So to get big pieces of wood on the bench I lean two T Posts against the bench and roll/slide the wood to the top. Works ok. Better than lifting. Well some of the wood could not be lifted.

The splitter has handled at least 30-32 inch wood with 22 tons pretty easily.

Later,
Dan