Anybody have any experience with the product below?

[bhk61]

I am curious because my old Troy Bilt 27 ton log splitter is worn out, fell over the model below, I make a fence for a security company, and have access to a Bobcat S130, but is a little suspicious, thought the price is too low, to that it can be a good quality even if it is made in China?

Youtube video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84_-7FgNm1M

[jmur1]

I can offer 1 quick comment on a similar splitter.  I bought a 27 ton champion splitter about 10 years ago.  It was a champion similar to below.



 

It had a log stop backing plate different from this one with a thinner wall (3/8" I believe) and with with vertical stiffeners about 3" wide for the full length of the plate.  It worked great for about 1 day until I tried to run a nice knotty piece of cherry through it.  Bent right over!  
When I saw the one in the video you posted I thought it might be better because it looks like a thicker chunk of steel.  I guessed from looking at it the steel is about 1 1/2" thick and about 10 inches high.  I quickly threw it into my simulation to see if it would stand up.  It makes no where near enough resistance to hold 30 ton.  If those dims are right it will bend right over too!  Now I am just guessing about the thickness, but I would definitely take a close look it before the purchase.  I guess the first thing I would do is add another plate to the end (or stiffeners).  



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[uplander]

 If it were my money I would lots rather put the hours on a dedicated traditional splitter with a 5-6.5 horsepower motor on it than run up the time on my skidsteer.

 You may feel different about it and that's ok. We all have different approaches and ideas about things.

[John Mc]

Not really impressed with what I see in the video. It looks as though they are splitting mostly rotten wood - no real strain on anything there.

That's even a step down from the usual trick of splitting a bunch of perfect White Ash that so many manufacturers use in their promotional videos: that stuff splits if you look at it too hard.