22 Ton Log Splitter ?? Is it enough?

[TVHunts]

Thinking about buying a new Gravely 22 ton Splitter.  They use a 4.5 HP Subaru motor on them.  I don't have any experience with a 22 ton model and wondering if it is powerful enough?  Right now I have some fairly nasty and knotty fir.  Would this 22 ton be challenged?   Any input would be appreciated if you have a 22 ton splitter.

Thanks

[NRA4LIFE]

I believe mine is 24 tons but it is old, but still runs good.  Honda 6 or 6.5 HP engine on it.  It will split anything.  I have never had a piece of wood it couldn't split.  A newer 22 should be plenty.

[Rainier10]

I have a 10 year old Honda powered 20 or 22 ton splitter and I have never met a log it couldn't split.

[TVHunts]

Thanks guys, the ones I have rented in the past are usually 27 or 34 ton is why I was asking.  I have had some big maple rounds challenge them but they did get thru, just took a little time.

 I can get one for $1,309.00 out the door. I am having a hard time justifying spending any more than that on something that gets used once a year for a couple of days.  Not much out there on CL for used.  The ones that are for sale seem to almost be as much as new.
 

[Rainier10]

Maple and madrona trees are sometimes tough to get through, notty for won't be an issue. I ended buying mine and lone it out quite a bit. If you are only using it once a year renting May be better. You don't have to store it or maintain it and you always have a relatively new piece of equipment to work with.

[Buckmark]

Maple and madrona trees are sometimes tough to get through, notty for won't be an issue. I ended buying mine and lone it out quite a bit. If you are only using it once a year renting May be better. You don't have to store it or maintain it and you always have a relatively new piece of equipment to work with.

I split about 4-5 cord a year, 4 with a log splitter for sure and i rent only, my rental place has 34ton splitters for 75 bucks a day, if i pick it up on friday night after work and get it back saturday before they close they only charge me for 1 days rental but i get almost 1.5 days of use, i can get thru 2 cords of pretty big stuff in a fair amount of time.
At 75 bucks a shot 2x a year i can rent for 8.7years before spending more than buying, and i dont have to store it etc, if i live at my place east i would buy one though..

[BigD]

22 ton is plenty. That's what I bought this year, one of the best investments I've ever made.

[TVHunts]

Thanks for everyone's input.  It is a tough call on buying or renting one.  Thought I had I my mind made up to buy one but you got me thinking Buckmark.  Problem is trying to get through all of it in a days rental isn't going to happen.  It would be nice to be able to do it when I have time vs trying to bust it all out at the same time.

Thanks again

[Romulus1297]

Once it is dry. Fir even with 8 inch knots can be split around the knots with a maul or small ax never needed a log splitter. A few knots wont fit in the fireplace so they are thrown aside for a fire pit.

[Stickerbush]

Yes! Can pay it off by splitting peoples wood for them and then some

[Romulus1297]

I have 4 ft rounds setting right outside now. Some with big knots but don't need a log splitter for these. Once they dry out its 2 wacks per half one wack from there on  A lot faster then wrestling them onto a log splitter. I think I have a splitter that connects to a tractor but only used it once. Why wrestle rounds.

[MountainWalk]

*censored* cuts, my man! Why split in half? Take chucks around the sides till you get a square log. Then its all over but the crying. Best thing to do when you come home from work.   I sell/cut/split firewood for a living when im not part time logging.  I handsplit 50-70cords of fir butts in a yrs time, for the past five years.  Doggone splitter wears me out wrassling rounds. green is eziest for me and hemlock, once it gets to three an four ft thru, seems a lil tuff...but unless im certain itll take one or two whacks, I avoid the whole top bottom middle thing.  Do your heart a favor and swing some steel.

[HntnFsh]

I'm with you guys. Once you learn the tricks, to me its way easier and faster to split by hand than to wrestle rounds onto a splitter. I never use a maul either. Collins axe has been the best splitter Ive found.I dont do as much firewood as I used to. But back in the day 30 -40 cords a year was nothing.

[Romulus1297]

*censored* cuts, my man! Why split in half? Take chucks around the sides till you get a square log. Then its all over but the crying. Best thing to do when you come home from work.   I sell/cut/split firewood for a living when im not part time logging.  I handsplit 50-70cords of fir butts in a yrs time, for the past five years.  Doggone splitter wears me out wrassling rounds. green is eziest for me and hemlock, once it gets to three an four ft thru, seems a lil tuff...but unless im certain itll take one or two whacks, I avoid the whole top bottom middle thing.  Do your heart a favor and swing some steel.

  I can break  4 ft Fir rounds in half and then chop each half into pieces without moving them. I cant make a square log out of a 48 inch round with an 8 inch knot in it. When it is 5 degrees those big knots might break. I will let my rounds just check next week when it is 95. I don't care for the butt cut

[Ghost Hunter]

  A lot faster then wrestling them onto a log splitter.  Why wrestle rounds.

I'm still using the same splitting maul I bought 40 years ago, with a few new handles over the years.  This year it is being used by my son-in-law, who is an apprentice fire fighter trying to stay in shape.  Showed him the tricks and he stops by and works out   Wish he was here for the concrete pour I'm doing today.