The Official Log Splitter thread

[ajschainsaws]

This is the stuff it was posted on the efco Olympic thread

 

[ajschainsaws]

These trees are sold at a nursery only a few miles from me I will go look at some
Osage orange and the different locusts

 

[darkimpulse]

The folks wood splitter. It's a Mighty Mac that was fabricated locally. 20 ton with around 13 second cycle time. Has run for 7 years and only issue was a small oil leak on the cx9 160 valve cover.

 

[ajschainsaws]

Found this on YouTube hilarious

 

[RD35]

Red Oak....Very Heavy Red Oak!!! This little Swisher 22-ton has been a sweet little machine for my wife and I to split our winters wood since we bought it new in 2008. I would say we have split near 400 ricks of wood with it. We cut and split about 50 ricks each year for our home and my parents home. Both we and my parents have outdoor wood furnaces and my Dad also heats his shop with wood. In the photo that's me working the ground and my Dad is running the tractor. This was about a 36" solid red oak that had blown down (uprooted). Once we got each block on the splitter and busted it in half, then I could wrestle each half by hand.



For reference my Dad (blue shirt) and I (green shirt) are both 6'-0" tall. I'm guessing the largest blocks weighed near 400 lbs each. After splitting them in half it was all I could do to scoot each half back up onto the splitter shoe for the next hit. The quarters were much easier to man handle. Nice thing is that the grain was straight enough for the 22-ton splitter to handle with no problem.

 

[Duce]

View attachment 97871

Red Oak....Very Heavy Red Oak!!! This little Swisher 22-ton has been a sweet little machine for my wife and I to split our winters wood since we bought it new in 2008. I would say we have split near 400 ricks of wood with it. We cut and split about 50 ricks each year for our home and my parents home. Both we and my parents have outdoor wood furnaces and my Dad also heats his shop with wood. In the photo that's me working the ground and my Dad is running the tractor. This was about a 36" solid red oak that had blown down (uprooted). Once we got each block on the splitter and busted it in half, then I could wrestle each half by hand.

View attachment 97872 View attachment 97873

For reference my Dad (blue shirt) and I (green shirt) are both 6'-0" tall. I'm guessing the largest blocks weighed near 400 lbs each. After splitting them in half it was all I could do to scoot each half back up onto the splitter shoe for the next hit. The quarters were much easier to man handle. Nice thing is that the grain was straight enough for the 22-ton splitter to handle with no problem.

Put a couple 2x6's flat on ground up against vertical splitter base and makes moving those rounds or half rounds much easier. Also makes it so you do not need to tilt the round into splitter. Just a suggestion.

 

[Al Smith]

I did a little improvement on my splitter .This thing is so massively heavy it has became a real problem tipping it up and a bigger problem laying it back down .I had to use a cable come along to tip it back over .So a cheap boat winch,a couple of eye bolts ,3 feet of cable and a cast iron idler pulley saved the day .Works like a charm

 

[RD35]

Very Nice!!!!

 

[Fifelaker]

Before I built my log lift I would take a three 1 1/2" iron pipes about 2' long to roll those big rounds onto the splitter foot.

 

[USMC615]

I did a little improvement on my splitter .This thing is so massively heavy it has became a real problem tipping it up and a bigger problem laying it back down .I had to use a cable come along to tip it back over .So a cheap boat winch,a couple of eye bolts ,3 feet of cable and a cast iron idler pulley saved the day .Works like a charm

Good idea...nice Al!

 

[Homemade]

Anyone use an auto cycle valve? Is it worth $300ish? I find myself splitting wood by my self more and more and can see an auto cycle valve more profitable then a 4 way.


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[mels]

Auto-cycle in both directions?

Honestly, I don't think you can beat a 4 or 6 way wedge for reducing your time even if you had the auto cycle valve.

This TW-3 of ours auto-cycles in the return stroke only which is where I think it counts anyway because in the extension stroke I'm married to the split and need to be on the lever.

Spend the coin for a 4-way wedge then if you're still wanting more go for the 2 way auto cycle I'd say.

If I'm not clear in my answer, let me know and I'll give it another shot

 

[chaded]

Just picked this up yesterday. Countyline 30 ton, vertical/horizontal. It’s seems pretty quick.

 

[Homemade]

auto cycle, as in automatically returns after the extension stroke.

I think if I got the 4 way, I would want hydraulically adjustable height on the wings so I keep the splits a little more consistently centered on the round.


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[mels]

Right on. The one on this TW-3 returns and stops automatically with just a bump of the lever after I've finished with the split..

Hydraulic wedge lifter is nice from what I've seen, though the 4-way wedge I have is offset so for a different center all I do is flip the 4-way over. Yeah it ain't as nice as a hydraulically adjustable job, but it gets it done.

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

 

[Homemade]

Mels, no offense. But I think your still not on the same idea of what an auto cycle does. Your thinking of detent return. Where you holt the lever the entire extension stroke. But the lever will stay in the return stroke untill it bottom out s s the lever returned to nuteral.

This is an auto cycle valve

You move two levers at the same time and it will extend and retract without any operator input.



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[Ryan Browne]

Mels, no offense. But I think your still not on the same idea of what an auto cycle does. Your thinking of detent return. Where you holt the lever the entire extension stroke. But the lever will stay in the return stroke untill it bottom out s s the lever returned to nuteral.

This is an auto cycle valve

You move two levers at the same time and it will extend and retract without any operator input.



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I have both a 4-way and an auto cycle on my Wolfe Ridge MFG three point splitter. I wouldn't want it any other way. I don't have a hydraulically adjustment on the 4-way. I leave it low enough that whatever goes below it is a split, and if anything needs resplit, it's on top. Yeah, it'd be nice to adjust it with a lever, but I prioritized the other features.

The auto cycle is really nice, BUT, it might not be as much of an improvement with a shorter cylinder. I have a 36" stroke, so having the auto cycle means more to me than if I had a 24". Also, it does require adjustment. The two relief settings need to be correct in relation to each other, otherwise, when it hits enough pressure to kick out of the first detent, it kicks them both out. It's not a deal breaker for me, but it does take some getting used to, and pretty much takes letting a friend operate or borrow it off the table (probably a good thing).

If I had to choose one or the other for a 24" machine, it'd be a good 4-way wedge, even if you couldn't raise and lower it without a wrench. Both features together is extra nice though.

 

[mels]

Mels, no offense. But I think your still not on the same idea of what an auto cycle does. Your thinking of detent return...

You, Sir, are absolutely right about that! Lol

Thanks for the explanation, and the video. Pretty freakin cool.

 

[Homemade]

Ryan, they do sell slip on collars for hydraulic cylinders that limit the return stroke length.

I used them on our hay rake that would always settle out as I went across the field.

You put them on the rod shaft and it essentially turns your 36in long travel to as short as you want. Then your not auto cycling 12” that you never use anyways.

http://www.catford.com.au/images/prod_images/PHRAMS.pdf

They might even have them on the shelf of your local farm implement dealer/tractor supply.


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[Ryan Browne]

Ryan, they do sell slip on collars for hydraulic cylinders that limit the return stroke length.

I used them on our hay rake that would always settle out as I went across the field.

You put them on the rod shaft and it essentially turns your 36in long travel to as short as you want. Then your not auto cycling 12” that you never use anyways.

http://www.catford.com.au/images/prod_images/PHRAMS.pdf

They might even have them on the shelf of your local farm implement dealer/tractor supply.


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Thanks for the reminder. I've been meaning to buy a set. I keep hoping I'll see some cheaper ones, but I haven't yet. I even had a set in my hand today at fleet farm, but they only fit 1.5" rods. Mine's got a 2". By volume, I probably split mostly 32" rounds, hence the reason for the long cylinder, but it would be really nice to get it down to 20" or 22" for stove lengths. What I meant in my earlier post was that since I'm splitting such long rounds, it it's especially nice to toss one on the beam, whack the leaves and start looking for the next one. Sometimes I'm not using the whole length of travel, but often I am.