Countyline Log Splitter? Best Budget Splitter?

[beenthere]

Not in any measurable way... 

[jb616]

I've worked on small equipment since middle school and it is my experience (no formal training) that you just run them up against the governor and let it do it's job. Sometimes it's not good to run them at part throttle with a load, just like lugging a stick shift car up a hill to the point where its chugging. When the governor is working correctly and there is no load, the throttle is barely open to keep it at 3200-3600 rpm. It's not like a car where you are flat footing it and the 4bbls are kicking in

[Hilltop366]

Theory goes that depending on how the oil is distributed in the engine and the efficiency of the system at lower rpm there is a chance that some engines will not distribute the oil adequately for proper lubrication.

I think this is/was more of a problem with the horizontal crank engines with splash lube system that had a piece of metal on the end of the connecting rod big end that would sling some oil every rotation as the piece of metal would dip in the oil and splash some around.

Perhaps @sawguy21 could add to this or disprove it.

[sawguy21]

The splash lube system works very well at the speeds these engines normally operate at. However regular maintenance is very important, many engines suffer an early death from lack of oil changes and keeping the cooling fins clear. To answer @TroyC question, the engine will overheat if run too slow because it is now  working too hard and the cooling fan is not supplying enough air. Besides, the lawn won't look good.

[upnut]

There is a throttle stop screw(for lack of a better term) that you can adjust on the Kohlers that will limit the WOT to wherever you want it. That way someone unfamiliar with your preference won't run way higher rpm's than you wish, and you can push the throttle to the same rpm's every time.

Scott B.

[stavebuyer]

I run my mower at governed speed; same as I used to run the 38hp Kohler on the firewood processor. The Honda's on my elevator and Supersplit ran just over a fast idle. I wouldn't hesitate to run at any speed as long as you aren't lugging and stalling but I don't think the countyline splitter has enough pump to drag the motor down that much. 

[Old saw fixer]

     Don't forget the cooling fan on an air cooled engine is the flywheel.  Run the engine too slow and it might not cool itself, just sayin'

[rusticretreater]

I just got back from a trip to my local co-op and the tractor supply store that was right across the road from there.  I looked at the new DR 22T log splitter at the co-op $1700 and the County Line log splitter at $1500.  I am definitely going with the DR log splitter.  There was no comparison in quality and workmanship and the DR comes with splinter baskets on both sides.  County Line says theirs is more powerful and faster, but I know a good machine when I see one.

The YardMax Log splitter is one of the most popular out there.  But it is also sold at the big box stores so I am already kinda put off.  Maybe unfair, but I think you understand my reasoning there.

A lot of folks like the Champion splitter, but it doesn't go vertical.

[upnut]

When your old splitter looks like this(note the TLC)...



 

The new County Line splitter @$999.99 becomes quite appealing. The old one, bought for $150.00 at a local flea market, with continuous tinkering, served two families quite well. I've been satisfied with the new one over 7 years.....



 

Scott B.

[woodroe]

I've been renting splitters for a few years, a good way to try them out I guess.
They had DR splitters 24" that I liked and worked well, vertical option was a plus for me. Have plenty of pasture pine culls
some 2' dia.
They went to County line 24" last year with the vertical option as well. Somehow the hyd lever
became hard to operate, lots of resistance, not smooth.
Did what I needed and returned it. The beauty of renting .
I would like to own one so there isn't the pressure of having to split 2 cords in a day but
like a lot of purchases these days it can be a crap shoot with the quality of the products .
However, reading the online reviews on some of todays splitters makes me want to continue renting.

[Spike60]

My 2 1/2 cents on the engine speed discussion is that all of this stuff should be run at full governed engine speed. The guys who have mentioned oil flow and air cooling are correct. I think much of the "half throttle" argument is based on the impression that it sounds like you are "going easy" on the engine, but if fact the opposite is taking place. The engine is well out of it's power curve when run at part throttle.

Plus, everything the engine is running is also running at half speed, which is not good for those components either. The splitter pump, hydro transmissions, belts and such are all more stressed when not driven at design speeds.

[ricksca]

The stock hydraulic filter on a Countyline 22 ton splitter says "25 Micron". Wix makes a 20 and a 30 micron. Would it be better to go 5 microns too big or 5 M's too small?

[sawguy21]

You probably be better off with the 30 micron, 20 may restrict flow too much 

[doc henderson]

mine on the return is 10.  for what it is worth.

[hedgerow]

The stock hydraulic filter on a Countyline 22 ton splitter says "25 Micron". Wix makes a 20 and a 30 micron. Would it be better to go 5 microns too big or 5 M's too small?

I always run 10 Micron on my splitters and on the splitters I service and or repair and resell. Surplus Center in Lincoln Nebraska is normally were I buy my filters from. 

[woodroe]

My 2 1/2 cents on the engine speed discussion is that all of this stuff should be run at full governed engine speed.

My Troy-Bilt with the GX160 Honda engine has only one speed, full throttle.
So there must be something to it.
Makes you wonder why some of the other engine mfgs. have variable speed engines on splitters.

[doc henderson]

splitting wood is a social event sometimes and we like running the 18 hp at idle to 1/3rd throttle.  moves slower and we can easily talk over it.  has plenty of power.  Spike is the concerns cooling and oil distribution?  It has a filter and a low oil (pressure?) shutoff.  It has a remote exhaust so it is not bad a full throttle but with a 28 gpm pump, it goes fine at lower speed.  

edit:  I was farther behind than I realized and I see the explanation below.

[doc henderson]

I have a tach and hour meter.  I have the low oil shut off (ground) or can be wired to light a light.  It comes off the oil filter housing.  If I wanted to add a temp gage, where would I put the thermistor and what would be a temp above which I should be concerned.  would it go in the block below the oil level?  aluminum block, It has two drain plugs and I could tap into one of them,

[beenthere]

Have had the same splitter since Jan. 1985. Always have run 8hp Briggs on low throttle (not idle, just low rpm, maybe 1/3 throttle as Doc suggested).

Just feels better than running WOT. Also less tired working around it, maybe feeling more relaxed. 874 hours on the Briggs.

[hedgerow]

The only small engine I have that I don't run WOT is the one on my my water tender trailer that fills sprayers and other tanks. Normally run it half throttle to have time to get the chemicals in the inductor before the sprayer is full.