 Lurch77Premium
join:2001-11-22
Oconto, WI
kudos:4 | A new take on log splitters. Pretty neat machine. I like a lot of the things about it. Watch the videos at this link for more info. The downside for me is the price. The cheapest model is $2400. You can get a quality hydraulic unit for half that, if you don't need or want the speed. It will split a log and retract to the ready position in 3 seconds. »www.drpower.com/standardcontent.···ter_home
»www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpmuZwdlPrc |
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 nunyaWho is John Galt?Premium,MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
kudos:8 | Beats a maul. The only thing I hate more than splitting wood is painting.
I'm getting too old for splitting wood. That's young mans work.
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...because I care. |
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robbinPremium,MVM
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX
kudos:1 | reply to Lurch77
We've bought a number of machines from DR over the years (20 or more) and they build quality machines. |
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JTY
join:2004-05-29
Ellensburg, WA | reply to Lurch77
Pretty neat, and certainly faster than hydraulic. That said, not sure the speed would make much difference. When my dad and I split wood, the splitter was never really a bottleneck. |
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 jkj860The Final Frontier
join:2002-01-10
Valparaiso, IN
 ·Comcast Digital ..
 ·Comcast
| reply to Lurch77
Although the speed would be nice, It would not be worth the difference in price for me. But I would only be using it for personal use and not commercial.
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I know you think you understand what you thought I said, but I am not sure you realize what you heard is not what I meant. Nixon |
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patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
kudos:1 | reply to Lurch77
Why not use a wood chipper? You get plenty of compost. |
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 JuggernautIrreverent or irrelevant?Premium
join:2006-09-05
Kelowna, BC
kudos:2 | said by patcat88:Why not use a wood chipper? You get plenty of compost. Because it's a log-splitter...? 
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Better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it. |
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 PacratOld and CrankyPremium,MVM
join:2001-03-10
Cortland, OH | It's not terribly efficient to burn wood chips in a fireplace!!! |
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Reviews:
·ProLog
 ·Verizon Online DSL
·voip.ms
| reply to Lurch77
HAving split a fair amount of firewood in my day this looks fast. There may be 1 flaw in the design however.
This appears to be a direct drive system and all the logs shown are nice and straight grained, no knots or ingrown branches. What happens if the pusher has to push through a section of wood that requires more than 28T of force?
With a hydraulic system the relief opens and it stalls out; a spinning flywheel solid gear coupled to the pusher, not so much. I hope there is a detent clutch in there somewhere.
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The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits. |
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Lurch77Premium
join:2001-11-22
Oconto, WI
kudos:4 | I imagine the belt drive would be the weak point. |
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| The drive belt would slip eventually however what happens to all the kinetic energy stored in the flywheel when the ram hits the immovable object?
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The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits. |
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| reply to pende_tim
I won't knock Dr. Power (they are in Vermont? I pass by their Vergennes location couple times a year and never realized it was THAT Dr Power) and this might be great for some, but it's not cheap. And not for everyone...
I've a 25Ton, Yardmachines, splitter. It does Vertical and Horizontal positions. The problem with horizontal is you are limited to log size (width) as they get HEAVY to lift up (aka back breaker and I don't care how good a shape you are in; if splitting several cords, its alot of work).
With Vertical splitting, I've rocked into the plane a 40" diameter Willow Oak trunk (no, I didn't fell the 100' tree, but I did split it all and white oak is one of the toughest...) and split it (that splitter cracked the trunk enough to pacman it and split. From there, it was just half then half then half. No way that Dr Power would have done that. Sure its slow, but then it gives me a break to breath 
After 7 years, new filter, fresh hydraulic fluid, and sharpening the wedge, it still splits. And tecumsa motor still starts.
That was a $900 splitter then. Oh, and tip: if you ever buy a splitter from HomeDepot DO NOT allow them to assemble it. Call YardMachines (there is an 800# on the book) and they will assist you. Home Depot has untrained workers assembling these incorrectly (they put the lines under the rail, defeating the vert/hor positioning, never tightened wedge bolts, etc...). And know that those wheels are NOT highway rated so towing it on the road is under 40mph only. I put the unit in the back of the truck (via ramp and help).
Now if Dr Power made this in a vertical...
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Splat |
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 Duramax08Win8 sucksPremium
join:2008-08-03
San Antonio, TX | reply to Lurch77
Now thats some fancy stuff. |
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 Doctor OldsI Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.Premium,VIP
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30
kudos:18 | reply to pende_tim
said by pende_tim:HAving split a fair amount of firewood in my day this looks fast. There may be 1 flaw in the design however.
This appears to be a direct drive system and all the logs shown are nice and straight grained, no knots or ingrown branches. What happens if the pusher has to push through a section of wood that requires more than 28T of force?
The pinion will kick the rack up dramatically and that reaction could break your arm is what my opinion tells me from studying the design as it is direct drive by the down force of your arm. That's a lot of energy to get a full kick-back in the opposite direction when you are not expecting it.
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What’s the point of owning a supercar if you can’t scare yourself stupid from time to time? |
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ke4pymPremium
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC Reviews:
·VOIPo
 ·Verizon Broadban..
·RoadRunner Cable
·Northland Cable ..
| reply to JTY
said by JTY:Pretty neat, and certainly faster than hydraulic. That said, not sure the speed would make much difference. When my dad and I split wood, the splitter was never really a bottleneck.
Agreed. Several years ago my Dad purchased the 27 ton Honda powered splitter from Lowes and it has been awesome. We'll tow it all over the place to split and pickup wood.
The time it takes to retract is never an issue. There's plenty else to do while it is doing its thing if you're doing it right.
Just wish we had one of those things when I was a kid. I HATED splitting wood then. Now, I'm all over it! |
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| reply to Lurch77
Interesting that it has 28HP of *force*.
Last time I checked HP was a measurement unit for *power* (mechanical work per unit of time) |
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wthPremium
join:2002-02-20
Iowa City,IA Reviews:
·Mediacom
| reply to Lurch77
said by Lurch77:I imagine the belt drive would be the weak point.
Or maybe the bar with the teeth bows up off the pinion gear, then you get a real loud noise.  Hard to tell what would happen. »www.drpower.com/standardcontent.···features |
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 Subaru1-3-2-4Premium
join:2001-05-31
Greenwich, CT | reply to Lurch77
Yay they switched to the Subaru engine  |
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| reply to patcat88
said by patcat88:Why not use a wood chipper? You get plenty of compost.
We use wood to heat (EPA certified high efficiency wood stove). I have no use for wood chips. |
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| reply to ke4pym
said by ke4pym:said by JTY:Pretty neat, and certainly faster than hydraulic. That said, not sure the speed would make much difference. When my dad and I split wood, the splitter was never really a bottleneck.
Agreed. Several years ago my Dad purchased the 27 ton Honda powered splitter from Lowes and it has been awesome. We'll tow it all over the place to split and pickup wood. The time it takes to retract is never an issue. There's plenty else to do while it is doing its thing if you're doing it right. Just wish we had one of those things when I was a kid. I HATED splitting wood then. Now, I'm all over it! Yep, how I do it is that I don't really push the splitter down all the way. I push it enough to crack the wood open then retract it. Very fast. I split our 5+ cords of wood last summer this way, easy. |
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