In the early days of Skid Steer Direct, we realized that we had a lot of customers asking us about skid steer log splitters, but we were actually selling a surprisingly small amount of log cutters each month. As any company would, we began to wonder why the market was rejecting our current line of miniature log splitters.
Our first step in this research was to actually talk to our current and potential customers. During these discussions we heard all kinds of stories about bent log cutters, leaking cylinders and broken welds. It became a constant complaint that customers felt the log splitter market was too saturated with overpriced log splitters that didn’t offer long-term performance or value.
This story was repeated by both our home users looking to split firewood for boilers, furnaces and fires, as well as commercial users who are splitting large rounds on a daily basis.
It quickly became apparent that we needed to find a better product to offer our customers. But what did “better” mean when it came to miniature log splitters? It meant we had to find the most powerful splitter, made in America at a fair price.
You can read our full article on the best miniature log splitters here.
Trying to find the best miniature log splitter
Our research into the log splitter market took several weeks and we finally narrowed it down to a short list. At the top of that list was TM Manufacturing.
We thought that to get a fair opinion, we should talk to current owners of TM log splitters first. And so we delved into Facebook groups and found a respectable amount of customers who were willing to raise their hand and endorse TM’s splitters.
As impressive as how many great reviews current owners were willing to give us about their TM splitter, we were equally impressed that we couldn’t unearth any complaints.
To be fair, if we had to make one complaint that is sometimes received outside of social media research, it’s that there can be a lead time of several weeks if you try to buy a TM splitter in the middle of fall.
In our opinion, this complaint is a testament to both the demand for TM splitters and the fact that they are not mass-produced overseas, but are manufactured with great attention to detail in America.
With this information, we decided it was time to pay a visit to TM Manufacturing where I could see the splitters for myself.
TM Manufacturing – Seeing it for myself
Excited to finally see these splitters for myself, I hopped in the car and drove 7 hours through a Minnesota snowstorm to meet Matt, the owner of TM Manufacturing, and tour the manufacturing facility.
When I was greeted by Matt, all my expectations were immediately exceeded. This was by far the cleanest, most organized and modern manufacturing facility I had visited in years.
After a few minutes of talking to Matt, this was no surprise. TM Manufacturing is a family business that started from the ground up with Matt cutting and welding spacers in their own garage. Unafraid of hard work and sacrifice, this attitude of perfection manifests itself not only in their finished products, but also in the entire work environment.
Once the initial excitement settled in, Matt quickly got to work showing me the four splitter models he offers. Let’s take a closer look at each.
TM Warrior log splitter
The warrior is the most compact i economic model of miniature log splitter in the TM line. It’s the perfect log splitter for home users as it has a few extra design features that larger models don’t have, despite having a lower purchase price.
When we say the Warrior is more compact than other TM models, we mean that the I-beam that makes up the backbone of the splitter is smaller. However, it’s important to note that the Warrior is still very oversized compared to other brands of log splitters. We can say with confidence that the Warrior can split anything the bigger models can do.
The Warrior comes standard with an interchangeable wedge. This isn’t offered on any other model until you get to the Pro 2 model.
The Warrior’s split wedge is located on the side of the splitter cylinder, rather than the end of the beam. It is held on by 10 screws that make the wedge interchangeable on the fly.
And why do we say the Warrior is the most affordable wood chipper? At the time of this writing, if you wanted another 30-inch race splitter with an interchangeable wedge, you’d pay over $3,000 more for a 30-inch Pro 2 model. This is serious value.
You don’t have the luxury of choosing which arm size you want with the Warrior, it only comes in 30”. This is no coincidence, of course, as 30-inch log splitters are the most popular size. Anything above 30″ in our experience just slows down the splitting process.
The Warrior is built with a sturdy 4-inch hydraulic cylinder that puts out 20-25 tons of pressure depending on your model’s hydraulic PSI. That’s enough to get you through the ugliest rounds.
To make the Warrior even more attractive, it can be ordered with mini universal and mini bobcat mounts for customers looking to split wood with their mini skid steer loaders. TM Manufacturing also offers the Warrior with a mini excavator mount that is welded directly to the top of the beam.
Who do we recommend the Warrior to? This is a great splitter for home use on a budget, skid steer owners and mini excavator owners.
TM Heavy-duty log separator
In terms of pricing, the TM Heavy Duty Log Splitter is the next step up from the Warrior.
When you upgrade to the Heavy Duty Log Splitter, you get a bigger log splitter. When I say a larger log splitter, I mean that the “I-beam” that makes up the backbone of the splitter is larger than the warrior.
There are some trade-offs to consider when upgrading to a Heavy Duty model of the Warrior.
For example, when you move up to the Heavy Duty model, you no longer have an interchangeable spacer wedge. When you buy a Heavy Duty model, you have to decide between a one-way or four-way wedge, it cannot be changed later. The wedge is welded in place during manufacture.
This is a no-brainer for most customers because they are already sure which wedge they want. Also, many customers prefer a fully welded wedge when 30 tons of force is applied to a log, rather than no screws or hardware taking the load.
What the Heavy Duty lacks in options for wedges, it gains in options for stroke size. The Heavy Duty is offered in 30″ and 36″ strokes for those looking for a larger log splitter.
The hydraulic cylinder bore size also increases when you step up to the Heavy Duty model of the Warrior. The heavy duty splitter comes standard with a 4.5″ cylinder and offers a 5″ cylinder option.
Depending on your skid steer hydraulic PSI, the Heavy Duty Splitter can provide up to 35 tons of force.
The TM Pro and TM Pro 2 log splitters
TM Manufacturing’s Pro and Pro 2 log splitters are the two most impressive log splitters on the market.
Similarities Pro and Pro 2 – View window
As the name suggests, both splitters have a very similar design. Actually, the only real difference is the wedge, but we’ll cover that later.
The Pro and Pro 2 are popular in part because of the “view window” they’re built with. This window is built into the back of the I-Beam and is perfectly positioned so that the miniature operator can see the wedge from the operator’s seat.
This is a nice feature for any “inverted” log splitter, such as the Pro and Pro 2. Lifting and splitting logs is much easier when you can see the wedge. It also increases breaking speed by not wasting time pulling the cylinder out after the wood has already split.
Being able to build a sight window while maintaining 100% strength on the splitter requires approximately 70 feet of welds. The quality of engineering and construction required to produce this is a testament to TM Manufacturing.
Pro and Pro 2 Similarities: Specifications
The Pro and Pro 2 models have the same stroke sizes as the Heavy Duty model, but add an additional 24-inch model. Therefore, the Pro and Pro 2 can be ordered with a 24”, 30” or 36” stroke.
The Pro Series also comes standard with a 4.5-inch hydraulic cylinder with an optional 5-inch cylinder available. It is the same as the Heavy Duty model, which allows up to 35 tons of splitting force depending on your skid steer.
Differences Pro and Pro 2 – The Wedge
This is where the true value of the Pro 2 model comes to light. The Pro 2 model comes with an interchangeable wedge, while the Pro wedge is welded in place.
The Pro 2 comes with a single wedge and 4 of four with your purchase. So, unlike the Warrior, you don’t need to buy the four-way wedge separately.
The Pro 2’s interchangeable wedge design is also pretty impressive.
The wedge on the Pro 2 is mounted on the end of the I-Beam and the wood is pushed into it, instead of having the wedge on the side of the cylinder pushing into the wood like on the Warrior model.
With this design, there is no need for multiple screws to hold the wedge in place. Instead, the Pro 2’s wedge slides into a perfectly fitted bracket at the end of the splitter and becomes an integral part of the splitter, sharing the load along the I-Beam.
There is a single screw that prevents the wedge from falling out of the holder, however, there are no forces applied to the screw during splitting. The screw also has a large wing so that it can be operated by hand in the field.
The Pro 2 log splitter is the best of all TM Manufacturings splitters combined.
With three stroke length options, optional 5″ cylinders, easily interchangeable wedges, and a viewing window, we’re totally confident that this is the most impressive log cutter you’ll ever own.
conclusion
Without a doubt he had found what he had come for. TM Manufacturing log splitters perfectly represent the high-quality, American-made construction we’ve been looking for, while selling at a fair price.
If you would like to learn more about TM splitters, please feel free to call us anytime. Our team will be happy to guide you through each splitter model.
If you would like to see our full collection of miniature log splitters, click here
