Hud-Son Forest Equipment Log Splitters Preview
This article is a preview of some of the professional-grade log splitters offered by Hud-Son Forest Equipment. Hud-Son is a family-owned business based out of Barneveld, New York, and has been manufacturing equipment for the forestry industry since 1946. The company was started by Daniel J. Hudon, who was a logger in the foothills of the Adirondack mountains.
Today, Hud-Son manufactures a large variety of sawmills, firewood processors, log splitters, and other equipment to serve demanding pros and homeowners alike. Their products are rugged and proudly manufactured here in the United States. I had the opportunity to learn more about Hud-Son from my friend Marc Deslauries of Halcyon Hill Wood Products located in Oxford, Connecticut. Furthermore, Marc is a dealer for Hud-Son and had equipment available at his property to demo.
Hud-Son Log Splitters
While Hud-Son is best known for sawmills, I was excited to learn more about the capabilities of some of their professional-grade log splitters. Firewood for home heating is a large industry in the Northeastern United States as well as other parts of the country. Like many homeowners, I process firewood to reduce my heating costs. However, I only have experience with traditional box-beam construction splitters. Box-beam machines are the types of splitters commonly found at home centers and outdoor power equipment shops.
Luckily, we were able to demo two of Hud-Son’s top-of-the-line professional grade log splitters. The Model HDH-5 and Model HDH-6. The HDH in both names stands for “Heavy Duty Hud-Son”.
Hud-Son HDH-5
Specifications
- Hydraulic Pump Size: 22 GPM
- Cycle Time: 8 Seconds
- Max Log Diameter: 20″
- Fuel Tank Size: 15 Gallon
- Wedge: 2 & 4 Way Manual Adjustable (6 Way Available)
- Cylinder Size: 24″ x 4″
- Engine: 14 HP Electric Start Briggs & Stratton
- Log Lift: Hydraulic (Standard Feature)
The HDH-5 features a welded square tubing frame and a V-Trough style splitting area. The body of the trough is built from 1/4″ bent sheet steel. The trough centers the log naturally as it moves forward with the push-block. In addition to this, the HDH-5 features a manually adjustable log lift with options for 4 and 6-way wedges. A hydraulic log lift is a standard feature of this model. The HDH-5 is the core of the Badger Firewood Processor design.
The Badger is one of Hud-Son’s best-selling firewood processors. The splitter portion of the machine is a Hud-Son HDH-5 splitter.
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- The V-Trough design on Hud-Son splitters allows firewood rounds to center themselves while being pushed through the splitting wedge. The trough also keeps the pieces from falling out.
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- The HDH-5 is a very productive machine. A single operator with a good stockpile of rounds can produce a full cord of firewood in under an hour.
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- Hud-Son uses heavy-duty and easy-to-reach hydraulic controls.
Hud-Son HDH-6
Specifications
- Hydraulic Pump Size: 22 GPM
- Cycle Time: 12 Seconds
- Capacity: Open Design for Large Blocks
- Fuel Tank Size: 15 Gallon
- Wedge: 2 & 4 Way Hydraulic Adjustable (6 Way Available)
- Cylinder Size: 24″ x 5″
- Engine: 23 HP Electric Start Briggs & Stratton
- Log Lift: Hydraulic (Standard Feature)
The HDH-6 is Hud-Son’s largest machine and is outfitted with a 5″ hydraulic cylinder for increased tonnage output. Additionally, the open station design allows for a much larger round of wood to be split. A larger feed table is included for sorting pieces and re-splits. Unlike its little brother, the HDH-6 is built from 3/8″ thick sheet steel. This machine is large and in charge!
The HDH-6 features a fully hydraulic adjustable 6-way wedge. This allows the wedge to be centered on the firewood round for more uniform splits. The 6-way wedge pictured here allows one round of wood to be cut into six pieces in one pass. Also, get a load of the size of that red push-block!
Hud-Son Quality
Hud-Son by and large is a proud American manufacturing company. With that pride in manufacturing comes quality components. The hydraulic system components, frame and body construction, and all other aspects are selected with durability and user serviceability in mind. Conversely, consumer-built log splitters will not stand up to heavy use as well as machines like the HDH-5 and HDH-6. On the contrary, an overbuilt machine like the Hud-Sons mentioned here will withstand daily use and high production work. Moreover, they can be rebuilt and serviced over time to provide generations of service.
Hud-Son Log Splitters Overall Impression
Ultimately this product preview is an overview of two of the professional-grade wood splitter options from Hud-Son Forest Equipment. In the future, Tool Box Buzz will perform an in-depth review of these machines. As well as feature some of the other forestry products that Hud-Son is known for. Overall I was thoroughly impressed with both machines. The HDH-5 represents a feature-rich machine for demanding homeowners or small firewood producers. Whereas the HDH-6 is best suited for full-time commercial production of firewood.
I discussed the quality of both machines throughout the article. With that in mind, quality, capability, and durability do come at a price. An HDH-5 splitter as of March 2024 retails for approximately $11,295.00. While an HDH-6 retails for $19,995.00. Ultimately this is a large sum of money, but is comparable with similarly capable machines from other manufacturers. However, Hud-Son offers other machines for lower price points. If you are interested in a Hud-Son based on the quality discussed here, the Model HDH-4 and Model HW3:16 offer the same quality in smaller and more affordable designs. In contrast, the HW3:16 is a box-beam design that is more comparable to most residential or homeowner machines.
All things considered, Hud-Son offers outstanding options for wood splitters and other forestry products. As a result, if you are interested in purchasing a Hud-Son product visit the Find a Dealer section on their website. Furthermore, if you are in Connecticut or Northeastern United States my friend Marc would be happy to help you find the right Hud-Son for you.
