Petrol or PTO splitter?

[Charles Hey Arborist]

Looking to buy a decent splitter, mainly for use in the yard but being able to use it on site would be a bonus.

 

Not sure if I should go for something like a 13T petrol Thor, or invest in a tractor and get something more like a 18/20t.

 

The cheaper end of the tractor market looks like a minefield, I don't have much experience with tractors. A loader would be handy though...

 

Any input appreciated

[mendiplogs]

Looking to buy a decent splitter, mainly for use in the yard but being able to use it on site would be a bonus.

 

Not sure if I should go for something like a 13T petrol Thor, or invest in a tractor and get something more like a 18/20t.

 

The cheaper end of the tractor market looks like a minefield, I don't have much experience with tractors. A loader would be handy though...

 

Any input appreciated

 

HI CHARLES pto ones are good runs off tractor so great and cheaper to run to thanks jon

[rowan lee]

I use pto, its the fastest system regarding ram speeds. I use a small massey 35 to move it about, I can move around a field or down the woods with ease taking the splitter to the wood rather then the other way around. Only down side is its not particularly mobile for any far away jobs.

 

With regards the petrol machines, there are road tow verions and also versions with their own little wheels. Apparently the latter are a bugger to move about, think they weight in at over 300kg, and can be unstable in transit, Thus I would steer towards a road tow mobile in this instance.

 

Tractor wise an old international/david brown is a good bet, very common 2wd front loader combo's, power steering, cabs, and cheap.

[Michael C]

 

With regards the petrol machines, there are road tow verions and also versions with their own little wheels. Apparently the latter are a bugger to move about, think they weight in at over 300kg, and can be unstable in transit, Thus I would steer towards a road tow mobile in this instance.

 

.

 

I couldnt agree more, I have one of these in petrol format and it is a horrible thing to move even the smallest of distances.

Other than that, I am glad I went petrol even though I do have a tractor.

If you intend using it on different sites, you are either going to need a good roadworthy tractor, or something like a compact tractor that you can tow behind a 4x4 etc.

In your position a road towable petrol would be my choice, I indend to convert my one to road tow.

[wisecobandit]

I think its debateable on speed in relation to petrol v tractor tbh. that would depend how good the tractor hydraulics are and I would say a decent 13hp petrol engine 16gph pump splitter would be much faster than the likes of a mf35 or older david brown using a similar ram.

That said personally I wouldn't entertain a petrol engine splitter under 6hp. Why strain a small engine and make it cuff its guts out, and live a shorter lifespan and prob find a larger engine wouldn't use much more fuel as wouldn't work so hard.

I think they both serve a purpose tractor and petrol splitters tho its just trying to match it to the environment you work in.

As said if your likely to go a distance petrol wins. If your thinking of buying a tractor just to mainly split logs its a fairly large outlay you have to claw back. If your splitting mega logs tractor hands down.

[New Forest Firewood Co]

i had this dilemma and bought a petrol thor magik 13t. its been great. i thought that if i was gonna buy a small tractor i wouldnt want to tie it up on a splitter. i bought an old traffic light trailer for £100 and load it onto that with a small boat winch and it'll go anywhere begind the truck. it'll also roll off and wheel into my shed for safekeeping. it'll wheel about on site as long as its fairly level as it has quite big wheels.

 

the speed is plently quick enough at 3/4 revs and it'll go all day on £5-8 of petrol. we've got some really really ugly wood thats been dried 4 yrs in a barn and its done a hell of a job busting 80cm diameter billets of a metre long that we've moved up to it with a minidigger.

 

with a table it'll p&^s through rings even with the 4 way head on. It really is a beast and not much difference from the pto version (and not that much more expensive).

 

you wouldnt want to put it up onto a tipper trailer though, even with ramps (we tried and wont do it again), hence the low traffic light trailer.

 

we love it and it splits stuff thats too big for a processor into billets to then process.

 

give m large a call and get a demo if theyre doing a show sometime. well worth the money, esp with the leader system.

[Mortimer Firewood]

Hi we got a 13 ton macick petrol which we sit next to the processor and split the awkward ones. Since upgrading our processor it's not been used a lot as she breaks everything that goes through her.

 

Have been thinking about upgrading her but to be honest don't know of a better machine.

 

Yes it's heavy comes in shy of 400 kg but I can get it on a GD105 if I have to bit of a ball breaker after a long day.

 

In transit you really need four straps on it as if you had two and one went it would be over in seconds .

[New Forest Firewood Co]

we put ours on a tt85 once and nearly tipped it over getting it off... its eaten through a few straps nearly so we always use 4. its pretty heavy really but i'm constantly amazed just what it'll break. we've busted some massive rings with it of very horrible well seasoned beech, ash, oak, holm oak etc. it very rarely stops with anything.

[Commando]

Have a look at the Wallenstein road towable stuff. Well made, powerful and tows well.

[TOMLEAF]

Hi Charles, might have a 18t uni forest titanium for sale soon if your interested.