After a rough start because the motor was torqued too tight, but after some confusion about what the problem was I got it working and am very impressed with it overall. I had some cottonwood that I was having to drive 2 and 3 wedges in to split it and this splitter handled them all. Sometimes they would get stuck and I had to use a crowbar to get them off the wedge. It spit one that was 14" in diameter and very knarly.

Shame you had no real hardwood like maple, red oak or hackberry to try in it. The one thing I do NOT like about it is the narrowness of the front portion of the stand. That seems to me to make it a bit tippy or unstable. I know your entire stand is wobbly on the uneven ground, but I don't like the tippy front end. Even drilling and putting 1 bolt in the front somewhere would stop that and make it where it would not come off the stand so easily. I bet it would handle fair sized pieces of the woods I mentioned tho. Too bad you did not mention its cost. These types of small splitters are really great for homeowners who just need a couple of cords of firewood to burn over the winter, like me! I have the HFf 5 ton electric that I have been using over the past 15 years and it is still going strong. I have it mounted and do not move it around.

i think their all made in china and importers put their ow names on them, but their all good.