Yeah, sounds like all the things our factories used to make here in the U.S.A.! Now a product of China!! Whoopee!! If your products are of the quality of some things we have already bought, don't get yer hopes up! We'll soon enough find out how much yer stuff is worth! My mottoe has always been: THOSE WHO SELL FOR LESS, KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH THEIR PRODUCT IS WORTH! By: Rusty Jones

I read all the old posts and the Ryobi seems the way to go. I'm just curious if I can get one without paying $70 shipping from the website and how to return it if it fails. I use the neighbor's 20 ton gas splitter right now. Anything that the Ryobi can't split, I'll just throw into his wood pile or save it until I set up the gas splitter. I'm sure that the Ryobi will do 99% of the alder I need to split. The gas splitter pops the alder in half after it rams it about 2 inches. So the full 20 ton strength of the gas splitter is needed only 1% of the time. I think the electic will be quicker and without the noise, fumes, starter fluid, pulling on the cord, adjusting the throttle, checking the oil, hitching the trailer, hearing protection, filling the gas tank, air filter changes, etc. Mark

Griff 2009, Back in 1999 I bought a PTO Horse with a tiller, chipper shredder, generator and log splitter, all for $675. I immediately noticed that the PTO engagement dogs did not stay meshed properly. That problem was fixed by installing backcut dogs provided by Garden Way as warranty items. Unfortunately, that backcut dog does not fit the log splitter because the splitter pump shaft is smaller than ID of the backcut dogs that fit all the other atachments. If you have a machine shop that can broach a keyway, the updated dog can be used if you use a sleeve to increase the pump shaft diameter. These are light duty splitters. Because they are horizontal, it's necessary to lift the rounds onto the splitting beam. I like mine but lifting the big rounds is very inconvenient. Ray

i just bought a powerhouse electric 7 ton log splitter. used it about 5 hours yesterday. split probably a cord and a half. (this was taking it off the trailer , splitting, then stacking it, so lot of walking) I was impressed with the splitter. I have been using a maul for the past 2 years and this splitter is a real nice piece of equipment. dont get me wrong it wont split 18 inch diameter stuff or anything but it will handle 12 to 14 inch if it has been seasoning for about 2 months. The powerhouse splitter sits close to the ground and is only 100 pounds so the first thing you want to do is build you a little table to get it to the right height. next there are 2 handles you must hold down to make sure you dont have you hand in the splitter. I made a bracket to hold both handles together. then i made a handle so i didnt have to bend over at all to activate the forward motion of the ram. next you need a good heavy duty 12-2 extension cord about 50 feet long. 19.5 amp motor needs 12-2 and must have a 20 amp breaker. I never tripped the breaker once. when i got a big piece it wouldnt split, instead of sitting the log all the way down in the splitter, i would hold the end up on the wedge so it was only biting about an inch or inch and a half of the wood. it would start splitting then back off on the ram arm and put the log all the way doen in the splitter. it would then split the log. this is for home use and for 400 dollars i cant complain.