I received my splitter, it was packed well and looked great. However, a threaded hole in the splitter was not machined well. As I threaded the bolt in, it snapped. I tried an easy out and that snapped. I contacted Yardmax when they opened after they weekend issue. I had a nice non English speaking woman try to help me. She told me she would have a tech call me. Never happened. Then I tried with a Yardmax website contact. Nothing again for days. I finally kept calling until I got someone who spoke English well. Christina was nice, but passed the buck. I asked for a tech to tell me it was safe to use with one less bolt. They refused. I asked for options. None. I was left without any recourse except a poor review. I like the unit but I am unsure if it is save to use. I am stuck. I feel helpless. (I didn’t cross thread the bolt as I grew up on a farm; Ive assembled machinery as a teen and young adult). Please don’t buy their equipment because if anything goes wrong, there is no recourse. I am disgusted. Shame on you Christina and Yardmax. I wonder if this will be published.

Goal here is a helpful review: Purchased from Wood Splitters Direct in OR. Best price, terms, communication. They all ship from IL. Availability is on-and-off due to supply chain and demand. Excellent shipping crate packaging. Packing hardware is Metric as is log splitter hardware. Got mine in early Dec. 2020. About 3 cords of wood so far.
Get a “Briggs & Stratton 5081k Maintenance Meter” while you are waiting for delivery of your log splitter, cost about 25-30 dollars. Well worth it to properly time the care for your new engine.
Residential delivery is not available in all areas, had to pick mine up at the shipping terminal.
Review the assembly video several times and note the cautions about stability! I changed the assembly order by installing the axle and wheels as early as safely possible (before raising the beam vertical) to enhance stability and maintain solo assembly capability.
Download the owner’s manuals for both the log splitter and engine; and review them in detail.
The Yardmax oil that comes with the unit is made in China and is not graded to any API standards; therefore, it does not meet Briggs & Stratton warranty standards. I DID NOT use it. Use a quality synthetic oil graded by API as SM or SN or newer. Use the Yardmax oil to lube the chain on your chain saw. The Yardmax manual says the engine arrives without oil. Mine did have some oil in it (about a cup) that I drained before filling with high quality synthetic oil (16 – 20 oz.). Engine manufactures often test-run new engines then don’t fully drain them. DO “run-in” the engine for 5 hrs (about an hour at a time) at varying rpm unloaded and then change the oil per the maint. schedule. While doing initial engine run-in, occasionally exercise the unloaded hydraulic system after warmup.

25 ton is plenty for non-commercial use and has a quick cycle time with the 4” cylinder.
Recommend Log Table and cover. Design is strong and clean. All good for a DIY, quality tools, demand reliability kind of guy.

Just recieved my 25 ton half beam log splitter the other day(thanks for the fast shipment). A couple of my co-workers had it put together before I could even tell them what to do(I had viewed the video a couple times to make sure I knew what I was doing). The only thing I wished was that I would have recieved the 4 way splitter as part of the package. Other than that I have already split about half a chord and I could not be more pleased. Two of the main selling points of this unit was the 4 way splitter and the fact the hydrualic control was mounted on the top of the unit. I did not recieve a 4 way splitter and my hydrualic controls are mounted on the side opposite the engine. That being said overall I feel good about the unit it only bogged down a couple of times and then it powered through the log. Great unit for a homeowner like me. My research was rather extensive on which log splitter to buy. I am so glad I found this company and found this unit.

As Advertised!

I ordered the YS2565 25 ton half beam log splitter and it was delivered on time. Ordering it over the phone was a breeze. Kudos to your sales department.It took me approximatelly 4 hours to assemble it. The directions were easy with the accompanying chart that contained the required parts for each step. I used the log splitter the next day and it worked fine on some oak I needed to store for the upcoming winter. A small complaint would be that the Briggs and Stratton Operators Manual was poorly written and their customer service terrible.

Thanks Woodsplittersdirect.com for a pleasant buying experience.

Bob

Received product - was packaged in a wood crate, well constructed. Instructions for assembly were easy to follow. Splitter rus great! fast and reliable! Highly recommend it!

I can't believe the power this machine has. The quality of this log splitter at this price is exceptional. The one person install was not too smooth. The beam tipped over at one point and I had to catch it. The second person really only has to keep the beam upright. I'll be loving this thing for many years. Dealing with Logsplitters Direct was a dream. I ordered it via telephone on 8/26/20 and it arrived on 8/31/20. I would highly recommend Yardmax and Logsplitters Direct.

Great splitter. Ordered on Monday and had it on Friday. Assembly took some time, but the instructions were well written. I just wish they would have told me to assemble only one wheel at the beginning of the wheel assembly, not at the end. It only took 3 pulls to start, and restarts are only taking 1-2 smooth, easy pulls. The only issue I have is the placement of the wheels. They could be 4-6 inches more toward the hitch to give the operator more room to stand next to the log catchers. Other than that, this splitter works great.

I’ve had this unit for a week and have been very impressed with its performance. I had 2 issues on assembly, only one wheel nut was supplied, the other was a regular nut leaving no way to secure a cotter pin. The other was a bolt for the optional table snapped in half when tightening. One call to their customer service, and new parts were sent out immediately. The ergonomics on having room to work with the wheels positioned forward and the operating handle vertically mounted on the top instead of one side makes all the difference. I cut a live tree that was extremely wet and dense but the 4-way wedge had no trouble splitting any of it.

Super happy! I bought the log splitter online Monday, and it arrived on Thursday. The crate was delivered to the end of our drive, as the truck wouldn't fit down our driveway. That said, delivery was quick and unremarkable.

I assembled the log splitter at the end of the driveway. Due to the weight, there was no way I could move it closer to the house without a tow ball hitch. It took approx. 3.5 hrs to assemble. Initially, I couldn't locate the instruction manual, but once I found the Manual Tube in one of the boxes, I was good to go. One person can assemble it; however, an extra set of hands would have made light work. Unfortunately, I didn't watch the YouTube video first. I would recommend doing so, i.e "How to Assemble Your YARDMAX Half Beam Gas Log Splitter - One-Person Assembly" as it gives you clear visual instructions for each step.

There were no missing parts, and everything fit together as required. The only thing I struggled to insert was the Roll Pins on the Support Leg. Once assembled, the fuel and oil added, it started on the second pull. At this stage, I've only tried splitting a few logs, but they split with ease. I'm also happy with the engine noise level and the cycle time.

Shipping was a bit of concern since I do not have a commercial address (even though I have a farm and forklift). Called my friend at the lumberyard a half mile from my house - problem solved. Arrived in a serious looking crate and then the fun began! Let's just say that it is not a simple assembly, but with proper tools and some patience, it goes together nicely with good instruction. Parts and steps are well explained, even though there is a lot to do. I was quite impressed with the engineering that went into just the crating and shipping process. Holes were clean, lined up well, and assembly moved right along.

Fired it up and ran through a bit of nasty twisted maple that I had unsuccessfully tried to split with a maul. I am still trying to get the grin off my face as the nasty wood was quickly reduced to "kitchen wood" for my wood cook stove.