There are a bunch of these made in the 22-25 ton range, the Huskee by TSC (Speeco Product) is often found in nice shape 2nd hand around here, 22 ton models I see often. Along with MTD and other popular homeowner brands, you should look at the features, some things do vary, say tires and wheels, fenders light kits, as well as 11 gpm or 16 gpm 2 stage pumps. 2 things I like about my '08 or '07 vintage 28 ton Huskee, (Speeco) is the log cradle, (regardless of brand) you need something off the beam to hold the wood. To me a splitter is useless if its straight up beam with nothing on it, just useless as its easier to drop pieces, most have something or offer an accessory. The other is the 4 way wedge, which is nice in certain diameter wood, and species of trees with straighter grains. I don't use the vertical position much, nice it does that if you run into real large diameter wood, for the most part with how I set up to split wood, I work in the horizontal, use wheel barrows that I put 4 small wood posts on, to catch split wood, I hate piles, hate working off the ground. To elevate the "blocks" for splitting, I sometimes use the tractor loader bucket, or my gardenway cart, 2 tools that I will not be without are the Lockhart log gripper, 15"-18" and the genuine Log Peavey, or log jack its the one made in Maine. The latter lifts the log off the ground for cutting, rigging or what have you. I have 3 wheel barrows, so from the loader bucket or gardenway cart, I draw blocks, then load the wheel barrows, then the cart if need be, with split wood, then wheel to my stacks and its done. Everyone has their own or ideal way, but I have the same darned shoulder problem and though I can stretch to touch the ground and my toes, I hate working bent over it just kills me, so that log gripper is just enough to make the height difference, + its so much easier to handle a block that way, matter of a fact I have gotten got at using it to toss them with it too, but it has to be done right or you could hurt yourself. A pulp hook is also a nice tool to have for firewood. Around the splitter I am real careful, one block or split piece on top of the foot is a real bad thing, I've had surgery through the top of one foot, cannot take a hit, its something you have to be careful of.
I don't mind the wedge on the cylinder at all, something higher end like a processor it would be different.
The split fire below looks interesting I watched the video, interesting design and function, looks very useful and productive, the larger model.
The typical homeowner splitter may not be the quickest, but I'm never in any hurry or have to produce wood for sale, so it does not matter, and its safer the way I see it, you can check cycle times, they can and do vary. If you do have to produce a lot, get someone to help, this does speed things up a lot, so even a homeowner model can produce quite a bit if things are set up right.
Most homeowner models may have horizontal shaft engines with a coupler to the pump. On my 28 ton there is a Honda GC 190 engine, 5.5-6hp, and its fine, starts easily, sips fuel, and I change the oil, clean the air filter 2x a year, depending on how much wood I split. It runs at one speed, plenty of power for the 11gpm pump/6 gallon hydraulic system, it has not run in months, pull the choke, pull it slow for one compression stroke, then give it a good tug, it will fire right up, no problem down into the teens as far as cold temps go. I think most of the homeowner models will suffice, I do like Honda engines, the rest you can look at the features and decide, also consider tooling to make the job easier, Bailey's has the tools I mentioned, I found old school Jackson folded pan wheel barrows, they don't make them like that anymore, of course thats just me, also breaks up the monotony, split awhile them stack, then load blocks, I can go all day. I had to give up doing it by hand, I think I did 30 cord in the last 5 years by hand, in '12 I had to find a hydraulic splitter, eventually see what can be done on the shoulder, cannot even pound a t-post in with hammer anymore, foolish anyway, they make a tool for that. It sure is a lot easier with this splitter now, I don't mind splitting wood at all, and like to share ideas and or methods.
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Today's Featured Article - Madison's County - by Anthony West. Philip Madison has been a good friend of mine for quite some time. He has patiently suffered my incessant chit chat on the subject of tractors for longer than I care to remember, and on many occasions he has put himself out, dropped what ever it was he was doing, to come and lend a hand cranking handles, or loading a find onto a trailer. Although he himself has never actually owned or restored a tractor, he was always enthusiastic and always around helping with other peoples projects.
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