Engine sagging on log splitter

[krag]

I've got a 27 ton Champion log splitter where the engine has been sagging on the frame. The looseness seems to be where the bolts go through to hold it; any ideas on how to remedy this? A friend thinks it may need to be welded. Trailering it around and the stress apparently led to this. Two hydraulic hoses that were somehow hitting the ground without my seeing that failed through the wear.

 

[Squareground3691]

I've got a 27 ton Champion log splitter where the engine has been sagging on the frame. The looseness seems to be where the bolts go through to hold it; any ideas on how to remedy this? A friend thinks it may need to be welded. Trailering it around and the stress apparently led to this. Two hydraulic hoses that were somehow hitting the ground without my seeing that failed through the wear.

Get some steel plate to reinforce area possibly,

 

[Al Smith]

Champion might be centered in Califonia but the equipment is made in China .Most are not robustly built and the Chinese don't know how to weld nor can a four inch cylnder produce 27 tons of pressure on 3,000 pound hydraulics set at 2,750 .More like 17-18 ton truth be known. Saying that the fix is simple .Just reinforce the weak link done by somebody who does know how to weld .

 

[Al Smith]

Let me talk on these things .Champion and others use the same design,some with modifications on many items .Log splitters are only one of many ."Dirty Hand" is nearly the same machine to name one .The use of side mounted control valves is the dead give away plus the type of hydraulic pump used which has the transfer relief valve inside the pump rather than the control valve .Most use 4 inch cylinders but some do have 5 inch cylinders .They usually work okay for what they are but they are not like a Timber Wolf brand .More like a Chevy compared to Cadillac .Surplus City Hydraulics had around a thousand NOS pumps recently bought on a job lot deal from one of the companys that went out of business cheaper than a rebuild kit for that pump .Plus about the same for the control valves .

 

[Al Smith]

I think it was late last summer early fall I did some repairs on a dirty hand 5 inch machine .Some ham handed know nothing really had it screwed up .I saved the pump but replaced the control valve ,really screwed up .It had not been used very much but the welds were starting to fail before the paint had worn off the splitting wedge .About an hour or two with a grinder and some 7018 welding rod it will never fail again .
The Chinese built the wedge from welded up 1/8" plate steel and I doubt the welds penetrated the plate much more than 1/16 inch .Should have been at least 3/4" plate with spreader wings of heavy plate IMO .If it fails after my fix I'll build one up battle ship tough .

 

[Gord]

Built my own that rides on a large I beam and runs a 2 stage pump with an 8 hp industial briggs - 24 inch ram with heavey duty hoses- rated 29 ton and overkill as far as structure is concernd- imo no such thing as overkill- copy from one that was built 40 years ago I used to use - learned my lesson years ago never stand near splitting wood, got me once, that was the only lesson I needed

 

[nbbt]

I think it was late last summer early fall I did some repairs on a dirty hand 5 inch machine .Some ham handed know nothing really had it screwed up .I saved the pump but replaced the control valve ,really screwed up .It had not been used very much but the welds were starting to fail before the paint had worn off the splitting wedge .About an hour or two with a grinder and some 7018 welding rod it will never fail again .
The Chinese built the wedge from welded up 1/8" plate steel and I doubt the welds penetrated the plate much more than 1/16 inch .Should have been at least 3/4" plate with spreader wings of heavy plate IMO .If it fails after my fix I'll build one up battle ship tough .

Is this the place?
Surplus city hydraulics

I'm needing to replace the valve on the splitter I have, as the auto reverse and return to neutral (when lever is released) no longer function. One must manually move/control all functions. Is there one of their offerings that would be recommended, along a budget line?

 

[Al Smith]

That's the place .The valve it's self might have an o-ring broken or a spring .It should be then manually held on extension then be pushed into return and return to neutral at fully retracted .In other words return is basically automatic . You can buy a valve that has automatic on both extension and retraction but IMO they are not safe to use .You're only born with a certain amount of fingers . Picture is the "dirty hand" type I mentioned which I have no idea who actually made it. For that matter Surplus City might have a drawing and adjustment method .For that matter they have other better quality valves .I prefer to use Prince brand .

 

[Al Smith]

BTW that "Dirty Hand" valve is a "speeco" brand 20 GPM on sale as I type for $59 .It's the exact valve I used to repair the 5 inch splitter last year .

 

[krag]

Thanks for the feedback on this. There's a local welding outfit that may be able to weld it without having to pay over $125; I thought that it might be possible to address the sag by cinching down on the bolts holding it into the frame.

I like the smaller units for doing splitting for hire because you can get them around on properties without a second person or heavy equipment. The larger beefier splitters that rental places have such as "United" and the ones "Home Depot" rents out are just too heavy to move around with very large rams. Overkill. Unless you are splitting really knotty wood, elm, etc. they are unnecessary. I've used a Supersplit for hire jobs and their "tonnage" pressure is claimed to be around 12. Enough to split most wood, or large logs after quartering.

 

[Al Smith]

As I've said many times tonnage ratings for the most part are much over rated .Cycle time is another .Even a slower cycle will out run the operator .I only run my home build at about half throttle because of that fact .I might add that machine weighes over 1400 pounds and it would take four people to move it by hand .A zero turn handles that task .

 

[krag]

I'm able to get it anywhere on a property. https://www.championpowerequipment.com/product/100424-27-ton-log-splitter/

434.3 lb.

 

[davidwyby]

Pics?