Ruggedmade wood splitter. Beware, poor quality. Not so rugged.

[oosik]

The associated costs, the work involved and the "mess" it brought into the house are the major reason we went from firewood to pellets. However - there is NOTHING nicer than a cheery fire in your wood stove. Pellets became so expensive. I now heat with electricity. It's cheap, it's clean, it's instant. It's also very easy.

 

[ericm979]

I looked at the 40 ton TSC splitter you mentioned and also smaller ones with the same design, but always had a nagging feeling about the sliding head riding inside a channel. It seemed to me that the channel would fill up with bark and chips and would take a lot of oversite to keep clean while working the logs. I would prefer something that is open such as a head riding on an I-Beam where chips just fall away.

After reading the one star comments on the TSC website that is exactly what one seemingly heavy used happens.

Yep. I have the Oregon version of that, which has some detail differences but is the same basic design. You have to clean out the tracks. There are holes in the housing to make it easier. It does not take a lot of time or need to be done often. Maybe 20 seconds every 15 minutes (when splitting madrone or tan oak, other species may differ).

While it's possible to use it in vertical mode for large rounds, it's difficult to slide a big heavy round on it's side up and onto the 'foot'. It really needs a platform with a cutout for the foot. I place a couple pieces of wood next to the 'foot' but that's not that great.

The design of the beam and placement of the engine means that wood debris is pulled back behind the wedge and piles up on the beam then falls off onto the muffler, where it chars or ignites. I've only had it for 3 months. In the summer I'm going to need to watch the material there and brush if off before it piles up. I'll have to do that more than cleaning out the channel.

The splitter really needs a table. I can see how a horizontal splitter with a fixed wedge and a log lift would be more efficient.

 

[Jstpssng]

I didn稚 know that selling firewood was an act controlled by the board of weight and measures. My advice to anyone buying firewood would be first to not because by my calculations gas is cheaper. If you do buy firewood buy it in advanced because buying actually seasoned firewood is impossible and to stack it with the seller onsite to verify volume.

That varies by state. I agree with your comment about buying wood though, if I didn't have it to cut and didnt enjoy doing it I would burn oil. At least you don't have to choose between getting up at night to feed the fire; or waking up to a cold house.

 

[ruffdog]

I bought some seasoned wood last Fall (more than one year, under cover, well ventilated). I measured the stack and figured out how many cord were there. My memory sucks but I do know I ended up with 7 pickup loads (8'box). The wood was heavy oak and stacked to a slight heaping in the truck. I only had to move it about 5 miles and I paid $400. (and the guy helped load it!)

 

[John_Mc]

They sell truck loads and dump trailers around here they call a chord that don't measure 4x4x8. They do get into trouble and they don't sell wood for very long. If you question the load that they drop, you can call a forester and he will come out and look at it after it is stacked.

Not sure what a forester has to do with whether a stacked amount is a cord or not. They generally work on the other end of the operation (overseeing a harvest).

 

[atsah]

Not sure what a forester has to do with whether a stacked amount is a cord or not. They generally work on the other end of the operation (overseeing a harvest).

That's who you call if you question the amount someone drops at you're house, that's what you do here, what you do there may not be the same..

 

[Diggin It]

My Husky 28 is made by SpeeCo. I believe the CountyLine is also made by SpeeCo and may be the same machine under a different name. The track fills up a bit, but the slide usually clears itself out. What remains is easily brushed away through the holes. I see no possible way for this I beam to be bent or warped.

 

[NPurdy1112]

Thank you for the information and long term review 4570Man. I had been looking at the same splitter for the exact reasons you posted. The search continues.

 

[4570Man]

Thank you for the information and long term review 4570Man. I had been looking at the same splitter for the exact reasons you posted. The search continues.

I imagine the construction on the lighter 20 something ton model is the same as my claimed 37 ton model and the lighter one is $1000 cheaper. I imagine if you bought the lighter one and boosted the pressure to accomplish the claimed tonage and beefed it up right out of the crate you would have a pretty good unit. Unfortunately there’s not much in the category of light commercial splitters.

 

[atsah]

Good idea to post your findings. Maybe the company will fall in the ditch were they belong before long.