Splitter problems

[Al Smith]

Tom the tree guy who was kind enough to help me on the cotton wood had bought a splitter that looked nearly new .Yard Max ,never heard of it .It looked fine but would not split wood with a 5 inch cylinder and a 10 HP Briggs engine .
The normal set up on say a Prince brand control valve the pump pressure setting plus the detent release is in the valve so I ordered a new one .Ran better but not good .Come to find out this design of pump the transfer from volume to pressure plus the main high pressure not adjustable is contained in the pump and the detent in the valve . After fiddling with it for several hours it finally dawned on me .I'm slow on the up take some times but I'm persistent .Pot licker will split wood now . Evidently who ever owned it wasn't ,shall we say were not the best mechanics because they had all the relief valves all screwed up .Never too old to learn so I did today

 

[Al Smith]

To add to that evidently several brands used that same design of components .The valve and pump are "Dirty Hand " which might be under a new name because this type of equipment changes ownership on a regular bassis .Where I get most of hydraulic stuff is Surplus Center in Nebraska .They have something like a couple hundred pumps and valves they bought in a job lot deal and are selling them cheap .That valve with the shipping was about $75-$80 bucks and I got it in two days . A Prince valve would have been twice as much plus I'd have to adapt it to the plumbing .

 

[Junk Meister]

To add to that evidently several brands used that same design of components .The valve and pump are "Dirty Hand " which might be under a new name because this type of equipment changes ownership on a regular bassis .Where I get most of hydraulic stuff is Surplus Center in Nebraska .They have something like a couple hundred pumps and valves they bought in a job lot deal and are selling them cheap .That valve with the shipping was about $75-$80 bucks and I got it in two days . A Prince valve would have been twice as much plus I'd have to adapt it to the plumbing .

They USED to have 2 or 3 guys behind the parts counter in a show room, and they really knew their stuff but since Covid things went to will call and you waited outside or did the internet thing. Now that they opened the front doors again they shrank the area to just a counter in a claustrophobic space and one counter person. I consider it less service but time will tell. The Surplus Center is about 78 miles from me and they have really good prices.

 

[Al Smith]

The problem as I see it on what I bought there was no break down of what adjustments if any could be used .I had to annalize both the valve and the pump to figure it out . Like I said though it works well in spite of the fact I had to fumble with it for a couple of hours .After I got it dialed in it walked through a knotty piece of oak like hot knife through butter .Because it's 5 inch cylinder it certainly should have .My home built is also a 5 inch but it's an industrial tie rod cylinder rated at 4400 PSI .This splitter is a welded cylinder .Cheaper to make but for all intents not repairable .

 

[Junk Meister]

This splitter is a welded cylinder .Cheaper to make but for all intents not repairable .

Are You Sure ? The gland on some of the cheaper ones ( made for extend pressure not so much for retracting) have a groove machined in the barrel that you don't see Until you shove the gland in abit to reveal it to give you room to remove it. Then it can be disassembled for rebuilding.

 

[Al Smith]

Let me rephrase that .Not easily rebuildable .

 

[Junk Meister]

Let me rephrase that .Not easily rebuildable .

Worst part of rebuilding the cylinder is the OIL!! Can get messy.

 

[Al Smith]

Yes you might just figure any time you deal with hydraulics you're going to get greasy .Just buy a couple bags of oil dry before you even start .This old junk I have I've replaced a lot of hoses after they burst and covered me .I've looked like an oil field worker more than once .
As far as the gland seals on these antiques some used Chesterson stacks which are expensive .I've found packing rope works just as well . I might fumble but I always get it eventually .

 

[Al Smith]

It never ends .Some 10-12 years ago my same bud killed an 8 HP Briggs by bypassing the governor .So called 27 ton unit .I found him a used engine for $50 and it worked just fine .Then after a decade of sitting outside uncovered sure enough it failed ,funky carb .It just so happened ye olde junk yard dawg had another one . BTW you can buy after market carbs cheaper than rebuilding them .So now he's got three splitters,2 so called 30 ton and one 27 .He must have a mountain of firewood to do .The wood is free because he owns tree service ,just has to pay the help .Gets paid twice for the same wood .