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Whitlands Engineering is the industry leading supplier to the hire and rental industry. We have an unrivalled reputation for providing safe, productive machinery that generates the highest ROI possible. Our Superaxe range is reliable, reputable, easy to use, safe, easy to maintain and built to last – with every machine backed by a two year warranty. Best of all, every Superaxe is made in Australia by a family owned company. Download the brochure by clicking the link in the menu bar above.
There are two specific models optioned for the hire industry: the more compact WS150 Superaxe and the larger WS3150 Superaxe. Both models feature the patented sliding blade, ergonomic bench height, the highest quality 9hp power packs, log lifter, top quality parts and heavy-duty construction – all covered by two year warranty. Additionally, the ‘ready-for-hire’ kit includes heavy duty mudguards, a heavy duty swing up jockey wheel, permanent LED lights, reflectors, base plug mounted at the front of the draw bar and VIN plate. Fleet colours are also available by request.
Including these reliable, safe and hard working wood splitters in your range is the best thing you can do for your hire business.
ROI is not just cost per hire, it must take into account durability, manufacturer support, customer demand, potential injury liability and resale value. Superaxe ticks all the boxes here in addition to providing a safe machine, not to mention an unrivalled brand reputation.
Most hire companies advertise a day hire rate for wood splitters around $250 – $400.
With the WS150-9hp costing $9250 (inc. GST) and the WS3150-9hp costing $11,250 (inc. GST), the initial cost is recouped quickly – making Superaxe the ideal addition to your hire inventory
The ergonomic design is part of what has made Superaxe the only choice for hire companies across Australia and New Zealand. The machines are incredibly easy to use and each machine has a user guide / safety manual stored on the machine. The operator can split wood in a comfortable standing position and heavy lifting is eliminated by the log lifter. Our two handed control system ensures safety by keeping hands away from the cycling blade.
The original Australian WorkCover guidelines were set up in 2009 to encourage machinery designers to work within a set of standards which are aimed at guaranteeing safety of the operator. These guidelines were due for renewal in 2019 however WorkCover decided not to update them, leaving the industry with no clear safety standard other than the Australian Industry Standards, which are very general in their scope and don’t account for the specifics of wood splitters. Despite this, Whitlands Engineering have invested heavily into R&D regarding operator safety and have continually upgraded each machine to decrease risk. In the Superaxe models, the two handed control system means that the blade cannot be activated unless both hands are pushing the controls at the same time, guaranteeing that hands are kept well away from the cycling blade.
The key issue for the hire industry is that if a person hires an poorly designed machine and injures themselves, it is the hire company that is most likely liable, not the manufacturer. The same applies for machines which have been tampered with. In which case the hire company can be fined for owning a tampered machine even if there is no actual injury.
If a person hires a machine that is deemed to be ‘safe’ and injures themselves, it is rare that they could claim any damages. Most cases in the last decade that have been brought against manufactures of well designed machines have been judged in favour of the manufacturer – with the user being liable for their own misuse.
Although expired, the 2009 safety standard gives an overview of these topics: Wood Splitter Industry Safety Standard
Superaxe has been on the market since 1993 – it is known by name across Australia and New Zealand as the industry leader in wood splitting design & efficiency. Whitlands Engineering is a family owned business and all machines are designed and built from scratch in our NE Victorian workshop. The Superaxe range is covered by 2 year frame warranty, with Honda Vanguard & powerpacks covered by a 3 year manufacturers warranty. All of our machinery is built using off-the-shelf parts ensuring quick replacement times. Our staff all have genuine expertise and experience in the industry and our pre & after sales service is unrivalled. We work with industry to design solutions to common issues and continually refine our machines in the pursuit of efficiency, safety and ergonomic comfort.
