Performance Built 13 Ton log splitter review

My first day using this log splitter, first impressions, and review after splitting my first full cord.
Fuel consumption from splitting 1 cord was about 1/2 gallon.

[@nicholasproietto2500]

I just bought one of these at my local Lowes yesterday. I walked past the one they had outside. Price was $433.00. I thought it was maybe a mis tagged item, or maybe a return amd the last one. Out of curiosity, I went inside and asked a clerk if the price was correct. He checked and said it was. I asked if by chance did they have any in the back. The one outside had rust and faded paint so it must've been there for a while. Tje guy came back and said " yes, I have two in tje back room". I said we'll, now you only have one, I'll take one. A lady clerk then chimed in " oh but it's not assembled". My retort was " I have plenty of tools, and a tractor, so not a problem". I left the place $459.and change lighter. For the price, I'm not gonna complain.

[@hstone0808]

I was just running through the videos, watching how to even use the thing and saw your comment and was happy that I wasn't the only one with good luck concerning this item. My wife works at lowes part-time and just tonight, right before closing, I got a photo from here, the tag said was 999.99, now 249.99..... so, I jetted up there and the manager gave it to me for 99.99, I almost shat! There was a birds nest in the crate, and too, was unassembled, no biggie.... thank God it wasn't assembled, because I had to fit the entire rin my the ba k of my Civic hatchback.... yes sir, I made it work.

[@JforGames3516]

Any chance you could send me a pdf of the owners manual I'm trying to adjust the pressure but can't find a valve on this unit.

[@joejohn658]

I just got this unit a couple of days back and though I love the power and portability, my cycle time is nowhere near the 13 Seconds that is listed in the spec. In fact it takes over 20 seconds in the forward stroke while the return stroke is much faster. I drained the oil completely and filled it 2/3 in the reservoir as recommended but it's still super slow. It's a brand-new unit, so can't figure out why it's running slow. Any advise?

[@ArtByStrongWolf]

Check your hydraulic fluid. Mine was very slow the first time I used it, but after letting it cool, I was able to add quite a bit of fluid to the tank, and it sped up considerably other next time I ran it.

[@joejohn658]

@@ArtByStrongWolf Thanks for your reply. The manual says to fill the unit with about 1.43 gallons which is 183 oz. After I ran the unit for an hour, I cleaned the filter as recommended. I also completely drained the unit and was only able to put roughly 5.25 quarts (168 oz) till it came to 2/3 on the dipstick as suggested which is about 1/2 quart shy of the manual recommended capacity. So, does that mean that there is some air trapped in the system that is not being displaced by the fluid? It's a brand-new unit fresh out of the box. The retraction time is fast and that has to do with the patented spring design. If there's air in the cylinder, I'm wondering why it hasn't already been displaced by multiple cycles of the ram. There's a hex set screw on the top in the front of the cylinder and I am wondering if that's to bleed air. There's also a couple of hex caps one in the back (I think that's the pressure relief setting) and one in the front (don't know what's that for). Have you timed your unit to see how long the ram takes to go all the way forward? I'd be curious to know. There's not a whole lot on Google on this model so I appreciate your feedback.

[@ArtByStrongWolf]

@@joejohn658 It definitely could have trapped air. I haven't timed mine, but it's definitely slower to run forward than back. I'm planning to use it this week, so I'll time it when I do, and get back with you. As for bleed valves, I really couldn't say.

[@joejohn658]

@@ArtByStrongWolf I know the forward stroke is generally slower than the retraction but 20+ seconds seems long especially when the total cycle time is supposed to be 13 seconds. I'd be curious to know how fast your machine moves forward. Thanks.

[@joejohn658]

@@ArtByStrongWolf I called YTL support, and they told me that there's a speed adjustment for the ram. It's on the front right side looking at the unit from the front. You'll see an 8mm Hex cap and underneath the cap is the speed adjustment. Take the cap off and turn the hex adjustment screw clockwise to increase and counter-clockwise to slow the ram forward stroke. It may not have been adjusted at the factory in my unit.

[@jerrywagers6789]

How to set the pressure on it

[@ChrisLascari]

Do you still recommend it ?

[@ArtByStrongWolf]

Absolutely. We have split probably 20 cords with it so far, between last winter and this one, and it still works perfectly. Starts on the first pull, still hasn't met a log it couldn't split, including some Oak I have. I had to clean the carburetor this past fall, as I'd forgotten to put sta-bil in the fuel at the end of the season, but other than that, it hasn't given any trouble at all. The fuel efficiency has gotten better the longer I've used it; now it uses about a quart of gas for a cord of wood, running at half-throttle. The only problem I've run into was that the hydraulic tank cap got broken off, and I had a little trouble finding a replacement, but that was my fault, not the machine's.

[@ChrisLascari]

@@ArtByStrongWolf thanks for responding

[@nicholasproietto2500]

If this thing lasts as long as my little 4 ton electric Ryobi splitter, I'll be more than pleased. I've probably split 10 or 15 cords of wood with that little splitter

[@ArtByStrongWolf]

@@nicholasproietto2500 I've used mine 2 winters and split 15-20 cords with it. It still works beautifully, and I couldn't be happier.

[@smoothlarryhughes]

Is this easy to wheel around by hand?

[@ArtByStrongWolf]

Yes, it's not bad at all on level ground. Uphill is a bit difficult. It also has a pintle hitch, for towing with a lawnmower.

[@nicholasproietto2500]

I was able to move mine around my garage easily. However when the time comes to use it outside, I'm going to attach it yo my tractor.