Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[4570Man]

Maybe in wood that size. I think the gap would become a lot less with bigger rounds. Knotty piece would be a real problem. I don’t usually cut logs smaller than 5 inches. Almost everything I cut is hauled in on my dump truck and the little logs just take too long to cut up and load and then the load is more air than wood. I usually look for the most efficient way to do something regardless of the upfront cost but I don’t think this is it. Unfortunately I don’t have a way to demo one without buying first.

 

[Gordon Gould]

A fellow on here, Mike, had one of those set up at his camp about an hour north of us a couple years back. We took a ride up to see. He didn't have a 4 way but he was splitting good sized yellow birch that were sawlog culls off a landing near his camp. Yellow birch is not easy stuff. It tends to have stringy intertwined grain that does not pop apart. You have to push all the way thru to get it to separate. I have to say I was very impressed. That Super Split is a real splitter not a toy.

I think all demos are like that no mater what the product. Conditions are always perfect. Like graders that are working on a road that is already in good shape.

gg

 

[John_Mc]

With the right amount of mass on the flywheels, you can get good results with a kinetic splitter, even on tough, knotty wood. SuperSplit has it right (twin 75# flywheels on their standard model, and they go up in size from there). The problem with the smaller DR RapidFire splitters is they just don't have the mass. Their largest ones do (though I don't think the construction quality is equal to SuperSplit - DR has an outlet just down the road from me, so I've had the opportunity to see it up close.)


Everyone likes to demo their splitters on somehting like White Ash, that splits if you look at it too hard. I used to have links to videos where LogRite had used the SuperSplit as the heart of a small-scale firewood processor. It was a nice set up. I had saved those links, since they made a point of showing it splitting good-sized gnarly rounds, which is what everyone questions on a kinetic splitter. It did a good job on them. They did sometimes need 2 or 3 hits to go through. They won a firewood shootout with it at a competition some years ago. Unfortunately, LogRite has discontinued making that processor, so they too the videos down.

I own an AmericanCIS AM-25HH Highboy splitter which I bought used, with all the options (4-way and 6-way wedge, hydraulic lift, outfeed table, Honda engine). It's a beast of a splitter. (With all of the options, it weighs over 750#.) It's a really nice splitter, but having seen both in action, when I was shopping, I would have gotten a SuperSplit if it weren't for the fact that the speed scared me off: I use my splitter at a lot of community work days, processing firewood for donation to families in need in our area. I also harvest firewood with a number of friends, and we share equipment. I could just see someone not familiar with the machine losing a finger due to the speed. That could still happen with my hydraulic splitter, but there is more time to react.

 

[4570Man]

The shootouts I’ve seen them win are using a snail of a hydraulic splitter that’s cycling in 30 seconds. My hydraulic cycle time is about 10 seconds. And comparing them to the largest hydraulic splitter is another flaw. The smaller hydraulic splitter assuming the same pump will cycle faster.

 

[JPB7745]

Very Happy with my 25hp Kubota. I use it mostly to move logs to and from my sawmill. I find it to be a very useful utility tractor for me .

 

[MossRoad]

The shootouts I’ve seen them win are using a snail of a hydraulic splitter that’s cycling in 30 seconds. My hydraulic cycle time is about 10 seconds. And comparing them to the largest hydraulic splitter is another flaw. The smaller hydraulic splitter assuming the same pump will cycle faster.

Google kinetic splitter and large wood and then videos. There's quite a few videos out there where people are putting large rounds through the kenetic splitters. And testing crotch wood, knots, different species of wood, etc.... against hydraulic splitters of all sizes... you just aren't looking hard enough. Maybe you don't want to see it?

:laughing:

If you're doing firewood for money, and every piece counts, then maybe the hydraulic splitter with a multi-wedge is the machine you need. That, or a real firewood processor. For me, only doing 6 cords a year for my personal use, I'll stick with my current hydraulic splitter with a single wedge, as it was given to me for free and I had to re-power it for $99 harbor freight engine. I've got maybe $200 in it total over the past 10 years. However, if I was purchasing a new splitter, I'd definately have to start pricing the kinetics VS hydraulic. If I could get similar or better results for just a few hundred more, I'd probably go kinetic.

As you said, it would be nice to personally test one with the kinds of wood that we run into... a real world for us experience.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I've been to several firewood competitions and the last one I saw a Super Split at, it was parked next to a TW5 with a 4-way wedge.

Both had the same exact amount/size of rounds, all the rounds were oak and mixed with some knotty and some not so knotty, just the kind of wood the average guy gets! Both had two guys, one feeding and one bringing him rounds, or stacking them close. The splits were just thrown in a pile, not stacked.

The event was timed and had judges to watch what was going on, to see that the splits were really "split" and down to a usable size, no cheating!

When the smoke cleared, the TW5 was done and the SS guys had about 10 pieces to go!

Two times pushing the knotty pieces through he TW's 4-way and off the pieces would go....DONE with that piece! On many bigger knotty pieces,the SS was bam, bam to get through and sometimes bam again and finally, it went through the toughest sections. Not too impressive for the kind of wood "I" split!

I've run a SS, they are good splitters, but they aren't for tough to split wood!

BTW, both of these splitters were sponsored by their own factory and run by their own people...

SR

 

[MossRoad]

Good to hear someone that saw it in person. Thanks. :thumbsup:

Was the pricing comparable on both of those machines?

For my home use, I throw the knots and crotches off to the side and get them last, if at all. I know there's a lot of good wood in there, but I don't need to mess with them if I don't want to.

 

[bruceha2000]

With the right amount of mass on the flywheels, you can get good results with a kinetic splitter, even on tough, knotty wood. SuperSplit has it right (twin 75# flywheels on their standard model, and they go up in size from there). The problem with the smaller DR RapidFire splitters is they just don't have the mass. Their largest ones do (though I don't think the construction quality is equal to SuperSplit - DR has an outlet just down the road from me, so I've had the opportunity to see it up close.)

...

I could just see someone not familiar with the machine losing a finger due to the speed. That could still happen with my hydraulic splitter, but there is more time to react.

That is, I think, the key. The DR 22 ton "equivalent" has a single 55 pound flywheel. The 34 ton "equivalent" has twin 75s. 50% more (claimed) splitting power with 3 times the mass. But the 22 ton is the biggest they make with an electric motor.

I don't know about other flywheel splitters but the DR has 2 handles that have to be moved and held to let the ram fly. Yes, I suppose if you were working with others they might put their hands where they shouldn't but working alone it isn't possible unless you chose to tie up the one handle. And no way I would try to hold a piece of wood in position with the flywheel splitter like I do with the slow 10 ton hydraulic.

I've not seen the super split but I don't think the DR 22 ton RF is as well made as the dual action 10 ton. The frame is quite sturdy but they have it on little tiny wheels and the instructions say not to tow it any faster than 3 MPH and it isn't road rated (the larger ones are at 35 MPH). OK, for my uses I wouldn't move it any faster anyway. But I had to buy the tow arm separate, still paid for the standard leg since that is how they are sold, and moving it without the garden tractor wasn't so easy. The dual action has a support wheel up front with a screw jack to raise and lower. Much easier to maneuver in and out of storage. And the RF (all if them I think) have big plastic shielding around the working parts that require a fair bit of time to remove the bolts and nuts (minimally 6, 10 to get both off using two 9/16 wrenches) that hold the 2 sides together to get inside for greasing which they expect every 5 hours of use. Then of course a similar amount of time to reassemble. I think that is a poor design, they could have held those pieces together with turn buttons.

 

[4570Man]

Google kinetic splitter and large wood and then videos. There's quite a few videos out there where people are putting large rounds through the kenetic splitters. And testing crotch wood, knots, different species of wood, etc.... against hydraulic splitters of all sizes... you just aren't looking hard enough. Maybe you don't want to see it?

:laughing:

If you're doing firewood for money, and every piece counts, then maybe the hydraulic splitter with a multi-wedge is the machine you need. That, or a real firewood processor. For me, only doing 6 cords a year for my personal use, I'll stick with my current hydraulic splitter with a single wedge, as it was given to me for free and I had to re-power it for $99 harbor freight engine. I've got maybe $200 in it total over the past 10 years. However, if I was purchasing a new splitter, I'd definately have to start pricing the kinetics VS hydraulic. If I could get similar or better results for just a few hundred more, I'd probably go kinetic.

As you said, it would be nice to personally test one with the kinds of wood that we run into... a real world for us experience.

I don’t think I’d have much use for a real firewood processor either due to the quality of logs required. The nice logs are worth more at the mill than firewood. A log lift is a mandatory feature for me. And like Rob said I don’t think a kinetic is going to win a real comparison. They would certainly be a handy tool, but a lot of money to be tied up for another splitter. I’ve devised a plan to build a stronger and hopefully better kinetic splitter but I haven’t had time to build it.