DR Rapid fire Log splitter???

[LD1]

For those of you who are serious firewood cutters, you've probabally heard of the Supersplit Logsplitters.

Totally different than a typical hydraulic unit and MUCH faster.

I would LOVE to have one, allthough I cannot justify the $2500 or so price tag.

So I just though I would share that DR has started making a SS copy. Looks like a nice machine as well. Allthough the price is still up there, I am hoping they become more popular and common and maybe the price will come down.

For my next project I undertake, I would actually like to build one. I was looking into this last year, and I honestly dont see why they are 2x's the cost of a hydraulic unit. I was pricing some of the main components, and I honestly think it would be cheaper to make a flywheel splitter than a hydraulic.

Some of the common components that would be a wash no matter the style:
Steel, beam, tires, axle, wedge, 6HP motor. These you could need either way.

But then you price a cylinder, valve, tank, filter, pump, hoses and that is close to $500 right there. VS...

A rack and pinion and a set of flywheels. I certainly think I could pick them up for under $500:confused2:

Again, the point of this thread is just to let some of you know that DR is making a inertia splitter. So maybe they will become more widespread and more affordable. But I honestly cannot see spending more than $1200 or so for one. Since you can buy a good speeco/huskee for that, or build one for $800-$900

 

[fabsroman]

If they ever make that into a vertical splitter, then it might be an option for me. Picking up logs and putting them on the table isn't really my cup of tea. Hard enough to lift them into the truck in the first place.

 

[PapaPerk]

Very interesting.

Can these inertia based machines splitting forked logs and the really tough stuff like hydros can? :confused3:

I love the fact that it's purely mechanism based and not fluid powered. The engagement of the rack to the pinion looks like a high wear point. Looks like they just drop the rack right onto the pinion! :confused2:

 

[LD1]

Very interesting.

Can these inertia based machines splitting forked logs and the really tough stuff like hydros can? :confused3:



I love the fact that it's purely mechanism based and not fluid powered. The engagement of the rack to the pinion looks like a high wear point. Looks like they just drop the rack right onto the pinion! :confused2:

They claim they can split some tough stuff. And speaking of the Supersplit, there seem to be MANY happy owners and NOT many unhappy ones.

And they claim that the rack and pinion are good for several HUNDRED cords as well.

This is part of my hesitation on building one, because the ones DR and SS use are heat treated. And just basic stuff like McmasterCarr sells is not.

 

[tnttreeman]

Happenned upon this site by way of a search for inertia splitters. Just found a much better deal on the flywheel type splitter today. Speeco now manufactures the inertia splitters and they are sold at some of the Tractor Supply stores. Our store just got one in today and I am picking it up on Saturday for the bargain price of $1700.00, almost exactly the same price as their top of the line hydraulic splitters. Just a little FYI if someone is looking for one.
Yes, they will split knotty wood, just takes a couple whacks some time to get through.
Also, the design of inertia splitters is so basic that very few parts can wear out or break. Bushings on the bottom of the splitting mechanism need replaced occasionally. Several friends of mine in the firewood business have the Super Split machines and nothing major has ever broken down. One of my buddies has had his for nearly twenty years and it still processes hundreds of cords per year.

 

[arrow]

These cycle in what? 2 or 3 seconds. You'll wrestle with say a 10" round for the 3 set ups to split the round 4 ways. I doubt you'll split the wood any faster than with a 4 way wedge on a traditional splitter that will acquire those 4 chunks in one cycle. The inertia splitters will split faster if only to halve the wood but I think things start to even out when having to quarter rounds. I'd need to see a comparison race with typical size rounds to be convinced they are faster than traditional splitters. I guess it depends on the size stem one likes to get to make firewood.

 

[tnttreeman]

I have a 35 ton with a 4 way wedge. The 4 way is only good on certain size and types of logs. Try splitting elm or twisted anything with the 4 way. The flywheel splitter works well on anything but monster logs. I process roughly 300 - 400 cord a year as it stands with the hydraulic splitter, splitting a full cord in approximately an hour's time. The claim of the inertia splitter and what I've witnessed firsthand is that they process two full cord an hour. How is there a comparison?
Go to the DR website and watch the video of the two machines side by side, hydraulic vs inertia, with same size rounds and see for yourself.

 

[LD1]

These cycle in what? 2 or 3 seconds. You'll wrestle with say a 10" round for the 3 set ups to split the round 4 ways. I doubt you'll split the wood any faster than with a 4 way wedge on a traditional splitter that will acquire those 4 chunks in one cycle. The inertia splitters will split faster if only to halve the wood but I think things start to even out when having to quarter rounds. I'd need to see a comparison race with typical size rounds to be convinced they are faster than traditional splitters. I guess it depends on the size stem one likes to get to make firewood.

IT's not even close to evening out. The inertia type splitter is still faster.

The only thing that is faster is a full blown processor.

 

[arrow]

I have a 35 ton with a 4 way wedge. The 4 way is only good on certain size and types of logs. Try splitting elm or twisted anything with the 4 way. The flywheel splitter works well on anything but monster logs. I process roughly 300 - 400 cord a year as it stands with the hydraulic splitter, splitting a full cord in approximately an hour's time. The claim of the inertia splitter and what I've witnessed firsthand is that they process two full cord an hour. How is there a comparison?
Go to the DR website and watch the video of the two machines side by side, hydraulic vs inertia, with same size rounds and see for yourself.

There's always a comparison. Comparisons are what denote truth from fiction. Comparison does not always mean equal to but how one thing compares to another. I have witnessed the DR type splitter but not in comparison to a hydraulic so from what I've seen is raising the question for me. Also, one cannot factor in "wood types" as there will always be hang ups and splitter interuptions no matter what type of splitter one uses. We used to process 5 cords in about 7 hours give or take a half here and there. This was with cutting up stems on the landing, (mostly oak) pushing the rounds to the splitter (hydraulic) which had a 4 way on it, keeping the splitter non elevated or close to the ground and then conveyor belting these to a stake body that held 2.5 cords. We would do 2 truckloads per day when we were making firewood. Considering all the other things involved with splitting, I'm having a tough time believing that if we had a DR type splitter we would make even 12 cords for the days work as I know how hard it was to make 5 cords day in and day out while on the deck. In the meantime, I'll look for the "comparison video" you refer to.

 

[DAY]

I watched the video the other day, and it looks like the cycle time is faster, so it can make more splits per hour. But you still have to manually move the wood around, so one's physical condition is the weakest link of the chain.

 

[arrow]

I watched the DR video and I do not think this a fair comparison at all. First the 34 ton had a 5 inch cylinder with more than likely a 16 gal pump. This would slow the splitter down to about 18 sec. cycles. If this were a 4 inch cylinder with a 16 gal pump, cycles would be almost half the time. Secondly and the biggest reason, is that they were using a splitter incapabable of carrying an easily removable 4 way wedge which more than doubles the efficiency of any hydro splitter. If I saw this video with the DR going up against a splitter with a 4 way, I'd be be better convinced. I now believe the 4 way that is able to be easily lifted off for those knarly pieces is an essential tool in traditional hydro wood splitting. In my mind and if they compared theirs to a horizontal hydro with a 4 way on the wedge, those piles would be more even. One of the biggest advantages the DR has over the hydro is the fuel consumed. That can mean alot if splitting much wood say in a commercial setting or even that guy who is making 20 or 30 cord per year. For the average Joe making 4 to 6 cord, even that becomes inconsequential.

 

[John_Mc]

Happenned upon this site by way of a search for inertia splitters. Just found a much better deal on the flywheel type splitter today. Speeco now manufactures the inertia splitters and they are sold at some of the Tractor Supply stores. Our store just got one in today and I am picking it up on Saturday for the bargain price of $1700.00

I'll be interested to see how that Speeco unit works out for you. It's certainly a lot less expensive than the SuperSplit or DR splitters. Speeco uses a 6 HP Kohler Courage engine, as compared to the Subaru Robin engine on the SuperSplit and DR Power splitters.

I didn't like the work table set up on the Speeco as well as that of the SuperSplit or DR's RapidFire... SS & DR work tables are a continuous, flat surface from the log cradle area to the exit table, making it easy to slide pieces back for re-splitting. Speeco has a separate log cradle to hold the logwhile splitting, then an exit table as a separate piece. Because of the mismatch, logs must be picked up rather than just slid back to get them positioned for re-splitting.

 

[tnttreeman]

The table isn't that much of an issue, though it would be nicer to just slide the log. For the $1000+ price difference to the super split, I'll lift the logs!

The splitter is working out great for me. WAY FASTER!! We did a side by side comparison yesterday with my hydraulic splitter using the four way wedge. We were splitting pin oak and had roughly the same size logs for both machines. Three guys working, we split and stacked a half cord of wood in 28 minutes flat with the hydraulic splitter. The inertia splitter on the same pile of wood took us 17 minutes and 36 seconds. We did a second half cord in almost exactly the same time with the inertia splitter, just to see if we were consistent. Within a few seconds, we were.

There are some down sides to this splitter, but not many and I love it.

 

[LD1]

The table isn't that much of an issue, though it would be nicer to just slide the log. For the $1000+ price difference to the super split, I'll lift the logs!

The splitter is working out great for me. WAY FASTER!! We did a side by side comparison yesterday with my hydraulic splitter using the four way wedge. We were splitting pin oak and had roughly the same size logs for both machines. Three guys working, we split and stacked a half cord of wood in 28 minutes flat with the hydraulic splitter. The inertia splitter on the same pile of wood took us 17 minutes and 36 seconds. We did a second half cord in almost exactly the same time with the inertia splitter, just to see if we were consistent. Within a few seconds, we were.

There are some down sides to this splitter, but not many and I love it.

Thats great to here.:thumbsup: Almost twice as fast as a hydraulic w/4-way:thumbsup: And at $1700, it looks like a lot more bang-fo-buck than the 2700-3000 DR's and SS's:thumbsup:

Do you have any up close pics of the speeco unit? Is it nearly identical to the SS and DR??? My only complaint about them two is the lack of highway axle/tires:confused2:

 

[LD1]

I just watched the video of the speeco on tsc's website.

Still not exactally what I would want in a splitter.

I really like that they used the DOT tires making it legal to tow.

However, that is the only thing I like better than the SS design.

I do NOT like the control. The two handed thing. I also do not like the log-cradle and table. The table needs to come all the way back like the SS design. To be able to just slide the peices back around for a re-split, instead of having to lift them back up and onto the lig cradle.

 

[IslandTractor]

I watched the DR video too. Nice looking unit but the marketing guys did stack the deck against the hyraulic splitter. If they had just used DR's own PTO powered dual action hydraulic splitter they would have had a much closer match and the advantage would be in the 20-30% range not 2.6x. That and the DR PTO splitter at $800 costs one third as much as the inertia model.

The inertia machines might make sense for commercial operations but for anyone doing less than commercial quanties of wood splitting a year it seems a dual action hydraulic splitter would be fine.

 

[tnttreeman]

LD1, I thought that I wasn't going to like the two handed control either, but figured I'd just modify it to one handed if it was a pain, but it isn't. In fact, it doesn't make any difference time wise and it actually forces you to stand in a safer place when splitting. What they don't show you on any of the videos is what can happen sometimes when you split knotty pieces. The majority of the time it will bust the wood like it's nothing, but there are times when it actually flips the log vertically and makes it spin right back into the cradle area. This happens faster than you can get out of the way of. With the positioning of the controls, you are out of the way and aren't getting hit with that flying piece.
As for the table, what ends up happening for me is that when I quarter the log, the bigger chunks are just in the way. The idea of sliding the piece back to you is great, but with the speed that the logs are going through, you don't want anything that is going to get in the way. When they are sitting on the table, half the time they get knocked off the end by the smaller pieces that are being split out of the quarters. Then you're picking them up off the ground at the end of the machine. Or, in our case, we have a hay elevator that the split pieces go onto and the quarters wind up on there and into the truck or on top of the pile they go. I normally have something sitting behind me and to my left that I can put the quarters on and easily bring them back to the machine when ready for them.
IslandTractor, you are right about the inertia splitter not being much of an advantage unless you are splitting commercial quantities of wood. But with the introduction of the Speeco splitter, it is the same or less money than some of the hydraulic splitters. My 35 ton Huskee splitter runs $1700 - 1800 new and can't keep up with my mecahanical one. The only advantage to it now is that it splits vertically and we can break up the big round pieces that we can't pick up to put on the inertia splitter.

 

[LD1]

LD1, I thought that I wasn't going to like the two handed control either, but figured I'd just modify it to one handed if it was a pain, but it isn't. In fact, it doesn't make any difference time wise and it actually forces you to stand in a safer place when splitting. What they don't show you on any of the videos is what can happen sometimes when you split knotty pieces. The majority of the time it will bust the wood like it's nothing, but there are times when it actually flips the log vertically and makes it spin right back into the cradle area. This happens faster than you can get out of the way of. With the positioning of the controls, you are out of the way and aren't getting hit with that flying piece.
As for the table, what ends up happening for me is that when I quarter the log, the bigger chunks are just in the way. The idea of sliding the piece back to you is great, but with the speed that the logs are going through, you don't want anything that is going to get in the way. When they are sitting on the table, half the time they get knocked off the end by the smaller pieces that are being split out of the quarters. Then you're picking them up off the ground at the end of the machine. Or, in our case, we have a hay elevator that the split pieces go onto and the quarters wind up on there and into the truck or on top of the pile they go. I normally have something sitting behind me and to my left that I can put the quarters on and easily bring them back to the machine when ready for them.
IslandTractor, you are right about the inertia splitter not being much of an advantage unless you are splitting commercial quantities of wood. But with the introduction of the Speeco splitter, it is the same or less money than some of the hydraulic splitters. My 35 ton Huskee splitter runs $1700 - 1800 new and can't keep up with my mecahanical one. The only advantage to it now is that it splits vertically and we can break up the big round pieces that we can't pick up to put on the inertia splitter.

Thanks for the feedback.

Is there any chance you can take the covers off and get a few up-close pics of the flywheels, rack and pinion, and the control???

 

[DAY]

My "Beer Powered" splitter is getting tired And I have been looking at videos of both the inertia machines and the hydraulics. The latter seem so slow I could take a nap between splits. On the flywheel machines, is there some sort of over-ride or slip clutch if that "unstoppable force" meets an "immovable object"? Replacing the rack and/or pinion looks expensive.

 

[LD1]

My "Beer Powered" splitter is getting tired And I have been looking at videos of both the inertia machines and the hydraulics. The latter seem so slow I could take a nap between splits. On the flywheel machines, is there some sort of over-ride or slip clutch if that "unstoppable force" meets an "immovable object"? Replacing the rack and/or pinion looks expensive.

Not sure on the DR and Speeco, but I assume they are the same as the Supersplit which uses a centrifigual clutch to drive the flywheels.

So if you ram stops, that means it has used up all the stored energy in the flywheels and they stop too. And the flywheels are belt driven off the centrifigual clutch. So the motor will not stall.

I have see other videos where some knotty peices take a couple of whacks with the ram. The ram stalls, and the operator simply lifts the handle up, the ram retracts, and it takes like 2 seconds for the flywheels to spool back up, and then whack it again:thumbsup: