If you use them hard and get them hot, I mean really hot, the cycle-time can easily drop 3-4sec from damaging the seals. At 180F, the hydraulic fluid begins to greak down if left at that temp too long, causing damage to the seals in the hydraulic system. I had such a box store splitter and used it hard in the summer. Timed it, it wasn't anywhere near the original 11sec cycle-time. Also, I'd bet a full tank of gas that those splitters are bot putting out their rated tonnage, unless they are operating at 3300-3500psi. The 4.5in cylinder on my 28-ton splitter is operating at 2800psi. When running my splitter hard, it will hit 180F in 3hrs in air temps around 80F with a 25gal oil tank. With the oil cooler on, it never gets above 120F. System capacity and an oil cooler makes all the difference in making a log splitter perform as designed for many many years.

I appreciate your review. I have been researching splitters until I’m just about cross eyed. Any issues with motor and hydraulic systems being exposed to wayward logs coming off the splitter?

Can you please tell me where to get the four way? My Trac supply can't look it up

I just bought a 25ton one of these, on sale $1250.. my initial thoughts after using a Huskee 22ton for 20yrs were that this Countyline is a whole lot nicer and faster than it was. Interesting to note is that there was never a piece of wood in all the years of splitting big branched Oak and Hickory, Sugar, Locust etc that the Huskee wouldnt split, it spent a lot of time in low range but it always went through. Its cycle time was around 16sec and that was without load. The countyline 25 ton however splits a lot more pieces without going into low range so it does it far faster. I personally also factor in initial cost and upkeep, the 25 ton is just cheaper than that 40 ton, less fuel burning, less hydraulic fluid to change, less oil and less expensive parts.. also far lighter to move around if you need to wheel it without a trailer, that is the one area the Huskee 22ton wins, it's about 350lb, the CL25ton is about 500lb and that 40 ton is probably something like 750lb. I do really like that 40 ton one you're showing there but most of that faster cycle-time is in the withdrawal stroke, most of the time you wont be able to put another piece on fast enough to actually make that difference matter.

Looking at the 25ton myself, but wouldn’t mind the extra power

I just today found out that my 25ton Countyline splitter is junk.. was trying to split this wood (people on fourm say pignut hickory) thats a very hard to split wood and the splitter would stall out the engine and after I was done trying i put em on my 22ton Huskee and it would power right through them in low gear! It also twisted the I-beam of the splitter and now its leaking from the front cylinder seal! I honestly can't believe this from a 6day old splitter in wood that was only 16-18" at the most wide.. I dont honestly know the wood type we always called it stringy poplar but its a low-quality hard to split wood

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Where is the guy who said that the 25 ton was faster?

With those cylinder diameters, and assumably 2500psi/178bar of pressure, the "25 ton" splitter is more like a 14 ton splitter, and the "40 ton" splitter is more like a 22 ton splitter. Do the math.