Reviews for Wood Splitters Direct

Based on 2872 reviews
84%
(2426)
13%
(382)
2%
(55)
0%
(5)
0%
(4)
K
Dosko Stump Grinder (691SP-20HE)
Kaleb K. (Cleveland, US)
Build Quality Issues

Upon receiving the unit, I had several minor issues including small metal balls in the gas tank, extra weld material preventing clevis pin insertion for handle installation, and several nuts missing washers.

The most concerning was a metal piece falling off of the clutch assembly before 10 hours of use. The metal piece extended through a hole in the belt cover facing the operator, and developed a vibration against the cover due to improper alignment. This vibration was short lived until it broke the metal piece off of the assembly.

The balance of the machine is great, drive wheels work well, and engine runs great. The build quality is not in line with the purchase price, though. Some of the controls, including the pull switch to allow the engine to run, are made of cheap and thin plastic and seem fragile.

B
JRCO Blower Buggy (601.JRC)
Bill h. (Columbus, US)
Satisfied

I was floored at the price. Thought that I would make my own
Instructions written by someone in China
Am I happy with it
You bet that I am
Get over the initial shock and use it for a while you, ll love it
Two things added. one, there were sharp spiral pieces of metal in the tubing from the drilling process, poor QA on that one. Very sharp
two, my front strap keeps coming loose too. Some else made the comment. I'll find a way to fix it.

Hi Bill, thanks for the review. Glad to hear you like your buggy. Its sad how much inflation our country has experienced in the last few years for sure.

Thanks, WSD

excellent value - splits even the toughest crotches

excellent value - splits even the toughest crotches - I have been using it for three years to split 6-10 cords of pine, white oak, red oak, sweetgum, and whatever else I can fit on the machine. I added trays on each side, a rolling swivel jack, and a drop down leg in the back. Reason being is if the log splitter is disconnected from the truck, and you roll a 300# log up there, you can flip the log splitter backwards onto the plate.

Note, like all vert-hort log splitters, if you are splitting vertical, you should disconnect from the tow vehicle.

A hose was damaged during transit, it was quickly replaced by the OEM with two phone calls, one to WSD and one to PB.

If you tow it to any real distance at any real speed (over 20 MPH) it probably would not hurt to swap the wheels out for a 4x4 hub and use wider tires. You really should not tow any log splitter like this over 35 MPH and go SLOW around corners so you do not flip them.

Only drawback to this machine is it has to be completely level or have the vent on the tank uphill or it will puke the hydraulic fluid $$ out of the tank. I just take along some 2x10 boards or slip a paver under the wheel to level it. I keep a short 8" magnetic level handy to make sure it is level or the vent-fill hole is slightly uphill

I had some doubts about a fabricated beam vs. a solid W beam, but, this has held up well to 22+" red oak rounds and gnarly crotches.

Great value for the money and I would buy again.

Hi John,

Great to hear you love your splitter! If the hydraulics are too full then they will vent and push fluid out the vent holes as it heats up etc. I think you will find if you lower the fluid level a bit you will not have that problem as much. Thanks for leaving the review.

WSD

Good so far but heavy…

Due to other attachments that must mount to the front of my mower I chose not to order the Jrco mount and fabricated my own mount.

I have used it to dethatch our 1-1/2 acre yard. Work was done over two weekends.

In between weekends I added a small ATV winch to lift the rake. (60” is right at 100lbs not sure how much weight is felt at the handle bar)

The addition of the winch was a must have for our landscaping layout but I I left the factory lift/latch mechanism operational in the event of a winch failure.

The unit itself is well made but still allows some flex to follow the terrain.

Customer support from Wood Splitters Direct was awesome and the unit arrived in 3 business days.

Glad to hear you are happy with your purchase! That is an awesome set up you did there, looks great. JRCO makes great products and will last you for years to come. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review and the kind words about our service. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do for you.

WSD

Made the right choice.

I did a lot of research on gas powered residential splitters. I ultimately landed on Brave/GNE because of their reputation - and the fact that they were one of the few American manufacturers I could find still selling residential line units with the Honda engines. Woodsplittersdirect processed my order quickly and got the unit to me in right at a week.

Assembly was pretty painless but definitely a 2-person job unless you have a pulley system set up for the lifting parts. All in all, it took two of us about 4 hours to assemble. Had one issue with a minor hydraulic fuel leak from one of the valves. I contacted GNE (manufacturer) support who was outstanding to deal with - Overnighted me a replacement fitting/o-ring, and I'm off to the races. Being able to talk with someone to troubleshoot and then receiving the parts so quickly makes a world of difference in my book.

This unit runs like a dream and has not faltered on the cord of wood I've run through it so far.

As others have said: Brave has this business figured out.

Hi Race,

Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. Brave and Iron & Oak are defiantly a top notch manufacture. Happy to see you love your log splitter and hope it brings many years of trouble free splitting for you. Please let us know if you need anything!

WSD

3 point post auger construction

Awesome thanks

Only wish the auger bit had better teeth

Strong Splitter

I went all in and bought the 20 ton horizontal/vertical 3 point model with the 4 way wedge, log cradles, and PTO kit. Arrived in good condition but some assembly required for the PTO kit. Cycle time and splitting force is awesome. It doesn't slow down like my old gas splitter. Using with a small 23HP tractor. I added a 2in ball hitch so I can connect my utility trailer. Great product.

Hi Mike,

Glad to hear you like your new splitter. The PTO kit is perfect for smaller tractors that don't have the hydraulic output. Thank you for your business!

WSD

Great chipper for price and size

This chipper was the perfect combination of size and power at this price point. I don't need the ability to chip 5 inch branches but wanted the power to be able to shove bundles in without bogging down. The 6 inch dk2 seems to be more popular but the overall size was too big to store. The 5 inch is sized like the 4 inch but with a bigger motor. It's nice the front and rear loader/outlet come right off with two latches which reduces it to a third of it's length. So far I haven't been able to stall it; basically anything that fits will get chipped. Very impressed.

Hi Bradley,

Thank you for your purchase. We realize you have choices on who you can shop with and we appreciate your business! These chippers seems to have proven them selves over and over again. Glad you're happy with your purchase.

Thanks, WSD

J
Dosko Stump Grinder (337-13HC)
Jose S. (Bakersfield, US)
Great Service

Profesional Service, fast response with quote and easy process, delivered as promised, overall great service and great product!!

Hi Jose,

Glad to hear your enjoying your Dosko! Please let us know if you need anything else.

WSD

Great try but a little short

The splitter arrived in good shape & the assembly was reasonably straightforward. The splitter works as advertised and is adequate for my splitting needs. The shortcomings of the order involves receiving a loose packed 3/4"pivot bolt that was 3.5" long but should have been 4.5" long since, when the 3.5" bolt is installed there are so few threads extending out of the splitter the nut can not be screwed on to a depth where the locking nylon ring ever reaches the bolt threads leaving the nut vulnerable to falling off. Secondly, no manual was included in my shipment. When I pointed out these order deficiencies to Ram Splitter they e-mailed me a PDF version of the manual within a day of my request and promised their manufacturer would ship a paper copy & the longer replacement bolt shortly. That was 3 weeks ago and I have received neither. To get my splitter running I replaced the bolt at my own expense after waiting 2 weeks for the replacement to arrive. The Oregon office seems to be firing on all cylinders but the manufactuer/shipper in Ohio, is a C-level performer,

Hi Dana,

I do apologize for this issue and inconvenience. I have forwarded this feedback to the manufacture for them to take a look at. I appreciate you letting us know.

WSD

Mixed review

I have been able to get the unit to work briefly as the 3039 JD tractor is plumbed partially correct, however, the two connections at the rear of the tractor are "active" only when a thumb button on the "joystick" is depressed. This hydraulic connection is electronically activated by that thumb button and must be held in order to send hydraulic fluid to the log splitter. John Deere is working on a "work around" in order to have those rear connections "live" full time.

That said, I was very disappointed when I received the unit as it was painted an Oliver (obsolete tractor brand) forest green and not John Deere green. Not a "show stopper" but this should be addressed with the manufacturer. Looking forward to using it in the future!

The Swisher Rough Cut Mower is a Work Horse

I recently purchased a new Swisher 44" Rough Cut Mower with the 14.5 Kawasaki motor (that starts & runs great). Be sure to pay the extra money for the electric start Kawasaki!!) Last week using my Honda Foreman 450 ES ATV I cut all of my land and trails on and around my hunting land (several hours, 4 tanks of fuel in the Swisher). Tall grass, weeds, rocks, small trees, etc are no problem for the Swisher, it cuts and goes through these areas with ease. The only thing I would recommend is that Swisher add (4) wheels, (2) on the front & (2) on the back of the deck for easier trailer loading & unloading and whenever you have to back up if you hit a stump or get pinched in a turn or a steeper uneven ditch. Several times when I wanted to back up or even go forward on a tighter angle or ditch the deck would hang up and dig into the ground. A few times I had to unhook the unit from my ATV, muscle the mower sideways by hand and re-attach it to my ATV (kind of a pain). I also had to use my ATV winch one time to pull myself and the deck forward out of an uneven area where the deck dug in bad. So I'm going to drill four holes in the corners of my mower deck and bolt on (4) 4" or 6" diameter wheels that I think will really help me maneuver better over my land. Over all I am very happy with the Swisher and rate it 4 1/2 STARS, you wont be disappointed on how well it cuts and goes through tall grass and saplings.

Thank you for the in-depth review of your new mower. Swisher make a great product and they are proudly made in the USA. We appreciate your business!

WSD

Excellent Purchase!!

I couldn’t be happier with my new Brave 37 ton splitter!!! I put it together by my self in a couple of hours, the directions were great!! I recommend using a chain hoist suspended from a beam, I used two 4x4’s on top of two eight foot ladders. This enabled me to pick up the ram safely by self and get it ready for installation. I also found using a floor jack help in raising the tank and axle section up to the pin hole on the ram assembly.

As for operation I have been splitting oak logs over 36” in diameter with ease!! I love it!! And when I had a question about the operation of the machine I called Brave and got the right answer in five minutes.

When you compare this splitter to the common Chinese imports you’ll be very happy when you buy a made in America Brave splitter!!

Well Built

Very well built, shipped fast and went together fairly easily. Definitely will need help putting it together, but durable and the bearings are smooth for effortless drag, as with the smaller, cheaper styles.

Update-Works Great!

Updating my review, I've had a chance to use it some. Once again, Honda engine runs great-smooth & quiet! The Honda engine is very fuel efficient too! Effortlessly, this splitter is bustin' through whatever I put on it. Dry stuff from a couple yrs ago, to freshly cut ash from this past summer. Making firewood is a pleasure, not a chore now. Again, very glad that I went with Wood Splitters Direct & this Iron & Oak 30T splitter!

Great splitter

Well built splitter. Took about two hours to put together. Did 4+ cords over a week. Split logs that needed a two person lift that were 20” long with no hesitation. Would recommend engine guard.

B
ATV Swisher Log Skidder (22020)
Bart B. (Louisville, US)
Moving logs mage easy!

Very happy with this log skidder. It is light enough for single-person use, hooking up to the truck or tractor and moving it around for storage by hand. But also strong enough to haul logs; 20" diameter, 10ft long, no problem. The winch is excellent, not just for lifting the front of the log for transportation, but to pull the log to the skidder, too. The tong is good size, and grips without fail. I use it in combination with a yard glider under the log, hooked to the skidder's chain hooks, to further reduce drag. Highly recommended.

Totally amazing trail cutter

I put the Swisher RC14544CPKA trail cutter to the ultimate test last weekend on a Virginia mountain top. The trail cutter chewed through 7-8 foot tall grass and weeds with no problem at all. It also chewed through 3 inch saplings like butter. The Kawasaki engine has plenty of power and never slowed down once. I cleared about 4 acres of very overgrown brush and saplings in about 5 hours using the highest setting on the mower and going about 5 MPH on my ATV. It should also be noted that the fuel efficiency of the unit is great. I'm very pleased with the purchase, shipping, and price from Wood Splitters Direct. It's an amazing machine and I would definitely purchase again!!

M
Detail K2 MMT5X7G Utility Trailer
Michael H. (Stevensville, US)
Quality Assurance??

After nearly three months, my DK2 trailer finally just arrived. Even the delivery truck driver said he'd never seen a box/carton as destroyed as this one! While it works, it isn't without damage; five rivets in the main bed popped out and are missing likely weakening the overall structure. One corner and a side rail of the main bed are bent and not flush like the other corners/sides. And one of the side rail exterior posts was damaged and had to be bent with a crowbar in order to complete assembly. Finally the manual and assembly instructions had at least 2 distinct errors calling for incorrect bolt sizes. Luckily all the parts were there and we figured it out but quality assurance is lacking to say the least. Will be calling the seller to share feedback and ask about options.

Hi Michael,

Sorry for the delivery issue. This is not a 'Quality' issue. The pictures clearly show a freight damage issue. If the driver of the company it was shipped with said he 'never seen one damaged this bad' is basically admitting they did not handle that shipment with care. In the future if you ever get a package that is this damaged when it shows up you may want to refuse the shipment for damage. Then it can be arranged to ship another one out. For this one we can put you in touch with DK2 as they ship direct to you, or you can contact them via the support number in the manual for anything you may need. Please let us know if you need help contacting them. We will pass along the information to DK2 to look into the incorrect bolt sizes in the manual.

Thank you, WSD

B
Detail K2 MMT5X7G-DUG Utility Trailer
Brian E. (Marcus Hook, US)
Very Happy

Received the Detail K2 MMT5X7G-DUG Utility Trailer and assembled it. It was pretty straight forward and went together relatively easily. Added a jack from Tractor Supply to it for ease of function. It hauls straight and solid behind my Ford Fusion. Looks and works great.

W
Dosko Swivel Stump Grinder (337S-13HC)
William L. (Cleveland, US)
Nice first run with Dosko 337S

I'm pretty happy with my first run with my new Dosko Stump Grinder. The Honda engine starts easily. The teeth were taking out a fair amount of material. The job was removing a massive oak stump 5.5 sneaker lengths across down 12-18 inches ... a very big stump. I did not notice a decline in the sharpness over the job despite some rocks.
The one negative is that the debris guards are a bit small. You have more flying debris than I'm used to from comparable models. I broke a window more than 10 foot away from the stump. This safety negative is offset by the swivel feature which is a really big plus.

J
Woodchuck Timberjack Log Jack (WTJ)
John A. (Rochester, US)
Woodchuck Timberjack Log Jack

Works as advertized! So far, I have cut about 30 Logs of various diameters and lengths. This product is strong, sturdy, light weight, and was able to handle some very large logs. Well worth the investment! Ordered this product late on Thursday and received it by 10 AM on Saturday morning just in time to start working on my log pile.

Maxim Mini MAX First Use

Good price, Easy to order through Wood-splitters Direct, Quickly shipped, Easy to Assemble. (One part for the handle attachment was not threaded correctly. The company quickly replaced the part.) It starts easily, runs smooth, no adjustments were needed.

Good addition

Good addition to the tool set, as I aged, had to give up the maul. Love the machine.