We are having a wood burning stove installed in our NC mountain home and we are considering whether to purchase a log splitter or buy wood locally.

Lowes has a 30 ton splitter called the Dirty Hand Tools with a 6.5 HP Kohler engine.

Likewise Northern tool has NorthStar 30 ton splitter with a Honda engine. There is pretty steep price difference between the two and I feel Honda is a good engine.

Any one have direct experience with the Kohler engine ? All input welcome....

I have no experience with either of those, but do have experience with splitters in general.
The motor isn't as important as the hydraulic pump and lines in my experience. A good motor in a poor pump setup will still frustrate you with slow or jerky operation.
Also, ease of controls can be a huge difference. Sitting there holding the lever gets very tedious after a while, and that can lead to distraction.

I suggest getting as much hands on as you can with each to try and get a feel for which one seems more comfortable to use, then weigh in the motor and pump factors.

I have a 30 ton splitter with the Kohler engine but it is a 9.5 hp model. So far so good but it leaks a little oil when in storage. Just a little, not enough to worry about. I bought mine at Tractor Supply last year. I went for the 30 ton over the 25 ton because it had the larger engine.

They both have the same exact engine. The Honda is a 196cc GX200, a VERY good engine. The Kohler is a made in China copy of the same exact Honda engine. Parts are usually interchangeable between them. The clones are almost as good as the real Honda engines. Kohler doesn't make small engines that small, they buy them from overseas and then slap their name on it.

These GX200 and clone engines are the best small engines in the world. And since they are so wide spread in use, parts are dirt cheap. If the carb ever gets clogged up from sitting ( a very real possibility), you can buy a brand new carb for $10 on eBay, slap it on, and its running perfect again. If the coil ever stops making spark, again, a $10 eBay coil, and its running again. That's why I always recommend a GX200 or clone engine on pressure washers and small equipment, because as long as the internals of the engine are not broken, you can very easily keep these engines running for very cheap, for 10, 20, 30 years, no problem.

I have read and found in practice that Honda small engine carbs clog and varnish pretty easily, especially if stored for any amount of time. However, if you cut the fuel supply and let it run the gas out of the carb, this is not a problem. I currently only have one honda small engine (GCV160) on my pressure washer. Before I did that, I would spend 30 minutes or more just trying to get it to start. Now, turn on the gas and choke and it starts on the first pull.

I've been using log splitters for about twenty five years now. They have never exceeded 22 tons and have split anything I've thrown at it. These Missouri oaks can be pretty darn tough and gnarly too. My current one came from Orschelins and ran me just about a grand.

Whenever I have a choice I will choose a Honda engine.