Log splitter questions

[Thumbcocker]

At 61 I have realized that I am not 25 anymore. I have split a lot of wood in my life. Every single stick by hand. Much with a 12 pound monster mall less with an 8 pound maul. Now my shoulders are crying uncle.

I am seeking opinions on wood splitters. I am leaning towards a 3 point unit to run off my Ford 3000 diesel. The tractor is here and paid for and I would have one less small engine to store. The pump on the 3000 puts out around 5 gallons per minute so that may be an issue. I am also looking at pto mounted screw type splitters but they are hard to find.

I would not totally shut the door on a self powered unit but it is not my first choice.

Any comments or experiences would be appreciated.

[wildwilly501]

Having used both prefer the self powered.I have a Ford 3000 never ran the three point splitter off it always used a bigger tractor don’t remember if we ever tried it.Those older Fords and a lot of older tractors don’t have the best hydraulics. I did a little searching amazed what the 3-pt cost they used to be a lot less than one with a motor

[white eagle]

I don't know a darn thing about tractor operated splitters
but I can tell you that I have had a gas operated log splitter
for many years
I used to sell firewood to the community for a number of years as a
side job from my normal mason job
a gas operated log splitter will enable you to use your tractor for other
thing like hauling a trailer for the split wood
your set up may be different than mine but being able to move split
wood to where it needs to be is a must for me

[dverna]

Most, it not all, tractor mounted splitters are going to be slow...check cycle times. They will have your tractor running at almost full throttle, so lots of noise. Like already posted, it ties up your tractor.

I heat with wood and bought my splitter about 8 years ago when I turned 62. Last year I sold it. I rented a firewood processor. $450 for two days and we split 12 cords of wood (two year supply) in 15 hours. I buy my logs so it works out the best. We only handle wood twice, once to stack it in IBC totes and then the totes are moved into the garage and wood is carried from the totes to the insert. The tractor is used to load logs onto the processor...we use a grapple but pallet forks or tongs can be made to work too.

If you are not using logs, a good splitter makes sense but beware of cycle times. Also, IMO, you are better off with a fast 16-20T unit than a slow 27-34T unit. In the years of burning wood there were two large rounds from a huge maple I decided not to split and I had a 16T unit. I used them as backstops on my only 100 yard range. Unless you deal with a lot of large hard to split rounds, those large units are a poor investment. Better of with 50-75% higher speed on 99.9% of what you need to split and junk the .1% of the tough stuff.

One last suggestion. Get a splitter with a stationary wedge with the ram is pushing the log into the wedge. If you place an outfeed table after the wedge you will avoid having to pick up every split. You can back up a trailer or use your FEL to capture the splits off the splitter. Work smarter....

Sorry about the upside down picture, but that is what we split in 15 hours with my fiancé on the processor and me on the tractor. The picture of the totes is half of what we split but shows how the totes were modified to increase storage and provide weather protection. They are heavy but my tractor is rated for 2700 lbs lift and handles them easily.

281084

281086

[rancher1913]

the tractor version may require at least 2 people depending on how the hydraulics work, one to run controls and one to load the wood. the self contained version you could move around with a loader and could be operated by a single person.

[Petrol & Powder]

I think it's all been said but I'll toss in.

I've used both types and the stand alone units are often faster and they don't tie up the tractor.

You really want one that can be set up vertically, that save a LOT of work. (less lifting of the heavy un-split log, less picking up of the large spilt pieces before they become a manageable size, generally less bending over and lifting)

Cycle times are important but you pay for things like two stage pumps and higher GMP pumps. So find the middle ground between speed and cost that you can live with.

I also agree that trading a little force for a little faster cycle time is probably worth it in the long run.

I understand the desire to use the existing tractor as a power source and avoiding yet another small engine to maintain, but in this situation it may be worth it to have a stand alone unit.

One of the advantages of the stand-alone unit is you can set it up near the pile of logs or near where you want the pile of split wood to end up, and still use the tractor for other tasks.

A log splitter does sit around for long periods of time but they don't require a lot of maintenance. With non-ethanol gasoline in the tank and running it dry when you're done; they don't give you much trouble. Keep the fluid clean, change the filter every once in a blue moon, and your back will thank you when you're sitting by a warm fire in January !

[Markopolo]

if you do get self powered, get one with a nice honda on it... you get what you pay for and when you are using the splitter, its usually running off and on for quite a while... also be sure to get one with decent sized fuel and hydraulic tank.

[DCB]

I have a 28 ton splitter from Tractor supply. It has a 160's series Honda motor. starts on the first pull even after setting for weeks. I use the highest octane gas that I can find up to 91. I have split oak up to two foot thick with out a problem. as far as cycle time it is a little slower

[jim147]

I got mine several years younger than you. But two back surgeries and a torn rotator kind of sped that along. I heat with hedge and split that though crap for years. Once I got the splitter I don't know how I lived without it. I looked at a three point but got a stand alone with the horizontal and vertical options.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

How much fuel does a Ford 3000 diesel use while idling for an hour?

I've had a few different hydraulic wood splitters. One I built one with a Honda 13hp gas engine. The engine has more power than needed, so it pretty much is set at Idle. The fuel tank is about 1 qt and that will run the splitter for an hour. I had another hydraulic splitter that someone else built, they put a 4 cyl Continental gas engine on it (from a pull behind combine). That engine would operate the splitter at idle, and would burn about 1.5 gallons of gas in a hour.

Because of that, and other reasons, I suggest a stand alone unit.

[WebMonkey]

if i were buying, it'd be a screw type.
no doubt about it.

i'd be cutting on my own land so i could be choosy about what i was trying to split.

it'd be a screw type all day long.
(it'd be mounted on an old 3pt finish mower deck driven by a shaft rather than directly on the pto output shaft)

good luck!

[Mk42gunner]

I got roped into helping some friends of my Dad split wood when I was home on leave for a couple of different years. The first year, they had a three point mounted unit on a 5000 series Ford. A stick was rigged to work the controls, but it was still slow. Easier than doing it by hand but still slow.

The next year they had a gas powered one that went vertical. Much faster and like was said, less lifting of the big pieces.

I'm not all that wild about having a big screw rotating at 540 RPM out where it can get me.

Robert

[panhed65]

I am 72, and have heated with firewood for around 50 years. finally went to a 28 ton splitter a few years ago. mine is a gas engine, but for some years my friends and I cut and split together, using their tractor 3pt one. they have since sold the 3pt one and gotten a gas one like mine. if that tells you anything. I still use my tractor when splitting, it takes the wood to the stack. maybe a personal thing, but I would look for a splitter with I beam platform, rather than the new type with a channel iron looking thing, as they clog up often. after splitting most of my life with a maul, they splitter makes easy work of the mostly white oak I cut.
Barry

[trails4u]

I have a 22T Huskee and wouldn't trade it for the world. As for the tractor....splits get thrown directly into the bucket and then moved to their home. I've had it for 11 years.... A couple of oil changes, a couple of hyd. filters, and replaced the ram once. Would have repacked but the new replacement was cheaper. It was less than $1K and quite likely some of the best $ I ever spent. We burn between 3-5 full cords/yr, and that little devil has split pretty much every piece of it!

[Alstep]

I have a 28 ton splitter that I bought used many years ago that has served me well. The wedge is on the ram and has a tray on either side of the I beam. That worked out well for me as the chunks are right there to make smaller ones. If I have really big chunks to split, I roll them into my tractor bucket, and bring the bucket up level with the splitter. No heavy lifting. I usually have the splitter hitched up to my IH low boy tractor to move it around the pile so as to keep everything as close as possible. Took 8-10 cords to keep us warm.

About 13 years ago I switched to an automatic stoker coal stove that burns rice coal and gave up on wood. So much easier. Tired of being a slave to the wood pile. I still keep some wood around for emergencies, but coal sure made life a lot easier, and I have so much more time to do other things, such as casting & shooting.

[Geezer in NH]

Get one you can set up vertical so you do not have to lift the big 2-3 foot diameter sections just line them up to the splitter.

Lifting is the killer of it all.

[wgr]

Get one you can set up vertical so you do not have to lift the big 2-3 foot diameter sections just line them up to the splitter.

Lifting is the killer of it all. Here you there messed up my back doing that

[jonp]

One last suggestion. Get a splitter with a stationary wedge with the ram is pushing the log into the wedge. If you place an outfeed table after the wedge you will avoid having to pick up every split. You can back up a trailer or use your FEL to capture the splits off the splitter. Work smarter....

Get one you can set up vertical so you do not have to lift the big 2-3 foot diameter sections just line them up to the splitter.


Both good advice. I've tried both and like the stand alone better. For the price you can buy them for I'd go that route.

One like this https://www.homedepot.com/p/Champion-Power-Equipment-27-Ton-224-cc-Gas-Powered-Hydraulic-Wood-Log-Splitter-with-Vertical-Horizontal-Operation-and-Auto-Return-100424/302367049
that can be used either horizontal or vertical and can be towed with a truck would be something I'd strongly consider if doing more than a couple of cords a year. I used to not care about lifting 3ft Maple or Yellow Birch butts into the back of a pick up. Now I'd never try it.

[curdog]

I have a 28 ton swisher stand alone that i bought at the local farm supply store in Salem. I have been using it for 10 years and no problems yet. I have split a bunch of wood with it and i hook it to my kawasaki mule and pull it where i need it. I always run it out of gas as it has a fuel shutoff and keep a fuel stabilizer in fuel tank, starz is the stabilizer. I have done nothing to it but a couple of spark plugs and change the oil...................................Curdog

[ascast]

I have used all three. Can't really add to the PTO comments, except be careful driving and backing. they stick out a long way. I have a small screw type bought at auction. It likes wood that is knot-less and longer than I like, about 18-20 minimum. 3rd piece I split it got stuck in a knot and the wood started to rotate around in the air, paddlewheeling the splitter around in a big circle; ripping the bottom brace off:the brace that prevents that from happening. Also, general safety, a moving auger sticking out where you could fall on it or catch a trouser leg,kids etc. I recommend you stay away from them-FAR AWAY. So that leaves the stand alone jobs. I have an Agway brand. It dates back to the early '70's. The B&S 3 hp got replaced with a HF 6hp for about $100. It was a dead on match and went in as easy as the one I took out. Mine is a low profile so rolling a big boy up is easy with a couple blocks as a ramp. Only about 9 inch off the ground. A "fast back" or fast return valve is nice, especially when working alone. They run about 80$. Watch ram length also. If your burning 16" stove wood, you don't need a 3 foot ram, fast valve or not. Verticle is nice, BUT to make that work, the horizontal position is way up in the air and you have to lift the wood- silly - lots more back ache. I bust those by hand or saw to get them sized down a bit to handle. I like the back stop idea though. It nice to have some distance between the ball hitch and the fixed wedge. I have to monkey around with hitches to get so I can split wood and toss into truck while still hooked to truck, that's with tail gate off. My splitters (3) are all low proflie, non verticle so I spend a lot of my splitting time on my knees. A plastic garbage bag and several old worn out hunting coats or HF padded blankets are in the tool kit. The Husky and other I see at TS and elsewhere all have the hydrualic pump/plumbing coming out the bottom under the engine. I have seen 1 of those get torn off in the woods on a buddies machine. Not sure what happened but it is very exposed. I would build a steel boot/cage-plate to prevent that. good luck, buy beer

[Ed K]

First of all there is no single solution to fit all needs. For example: my property has been logged over the years such that most all of the hardwood is under 14-15 inches in diameter so there are no big heavies that demand a vertical splitter. Some folks might have a lot of big stuff on their land.

Secondly I have a 68HP 4wd tractor that not only is a great material handling machine for moving logs, catching the outfeed splits in bucket, etc. but I'll be darned if I'm going to stack the hours on it to power a splitter when a Honda engine costing 2.5% of the investment will do the job.

Lastly, a good friend of mine had his dad killed by a screw-type splitter. The worst that can reasonably happen in a hydraulic is get your hand caught. There is plenty of danger felling, bucking, etc. - no need to add to the danger inherent in the process.

I've observed that everyone doing this for a while develops a process to suit them and they all vary a bit. I used to palletize everything but found that too time/labor intensive. I now have a 1/2 cord bin that I can load from a remote stack when needed, fork lift to the house and into my walkout basement, then pallet jack over to the stove.

Oh the splitter!
I am in a partnership with one other individual on mine so it's available to me 6 months out of the year which is plenty. It was fabbed 2-3 decades ago by a local welding shop a little before I had bought my 1/2 share. It is based off a really big I-beam sitting on a truck axle with leaf-sprung 15" 8-lug wheels. The cylinder is from an excavator so it is heavy-duty but not so large it is slow with proper choice of hydraulic pump. We wear out engines so the current craigslist special is a Kohler off a riding lawnmower. Maybe the best part is that my share was $150

[redneck1]

I believe I've mentioned this before but I have two splitters . one with a gas engine and one with an electric motor .

I use the gas one to tote along for wood that's bigger then I want to handle .
The one with the electric motor does 90% of my splitting . its quiet , starts with the push of a button and doesn't need gas or oil changes .

I think I have about $300 invested in it , if you split your wood close to electricity and don't mind looking for a used splitter with a bad motor its a pretty simple thing to do .
I drilled four holes bought a lovejoy coupler and bolted on a 7.5 electric motor in about 20 minutes

Oh yea , I used a 1750 rpm motor , both splitters are 20 something ton huskee . its just as fast as the gas motor even though its rpm is slower . a person could use a 3400 rpm motor easy enough .
I don't think you'd need a 7.5 HP motor either . it was what I happened to have . 3-5 hp electric will outwork a 6.5 hp gas engine all day long

[Petrol & Powder]

Lots of good input on this thread.
It appears the consensus is a stand alone unit.
Somewhere between 20-28 tons seems to be the norm. Cycle times are more important over the course of a day than that maximum force only needed on rare occasions. I think my old splitter was in the low 20 ton range and I never needed more.

I hadn't thought about electric but that makes a lot of sense if electrical power is available. Less maintenance, less noise - does the same work.

[lksmith]

I have the harbor freight model, bought it about 5years ago when I couldn't split the wood as fast as I was burning it with all the other things i have going on. You do have to lift the logs, but it has a table so you only have to lift once. It has a double sided wedge mounted to the cylinder. So far it works great, it does have a small design flaw in that the chips tend to fall and go into the gland but no leaks yet. Certainly makes it easier to unstick logs. Gas powered, and has enough power to bend it's own frame. The engines on the HF tools are honda clones, so most parts interchange

[Thumbcocker]

Thanks for all the input. We went with a northern tool with a Honda engine.

[Petrol & Powder]

I think you'll be happy with that rig. Those Honda engines are outstanding and give yeoman like service.

[lightman]

Its been my experience that a smaller tractor is going to be slow when working a splitter. A friend has one that he connects to a 180-200HP John Deere thats not slow. I'll 2nd the Honda engine and the vertical style. Its just less lifting.

[Mal Paso]

A neighbor bought an electric splitter. It's mechanical not hydraulic.

You'll be happier with a stand alone splitter.

The best improvement I made to my splitter was adding an 8 foot exhaust to get the fumes away from the operator. I used 1 inch stainless gas flex with the plastic jacket cut off brazed to an adapter plate. Couldn't find flexible exhaust, "They" probably disappeared it.

[brass410]

I burn about 30 cord of wood heating a workshop (6600 sq ft) for the last 10yrs. I have flipped back and forth between a stand alone wood splitter that split bi -directionaly and a 3 pth splitter on my 40hp Kubota, both worked well but still tedious back breaking work for 2 of us. Yesterday i purchased a small wood processor I realize this is more than most budgets could do, but when it takes my wife and I 2 weeks straight ahead sawing and splitting, time becomes a factor. The only problem with 3 pth splitters is most tractors don't have enough pump flow to cycle the ram effiecently, 7-8 seconds is a good cycle time, any less is like watching paint dry, any faster you need to need a couple of 17 yr old ranch hands to keep up.

[lksmith]

stand alone is the way to go for sure

[Three44s]

We use a DIY stand alone.

It will run vertical or horizontal. We run it vertical but anyway you go at it you get a lot of handling.

I can see fabricating to a different tune more like a processor as my wife and I age.

We use a 70 horse Kubota for chores and have the skid steer quick change on the front loader with a 3rd valve on it. For wood and lots of other chores we run a grapple and those are great!

We get the logs loaded with the grapple and unloaded at home. We saw the rounds off the grapple, bring the rounds to the splitter which is under the roof where the wood is stored, again with the grapple. That saves moving the split pieces again. Just stack them. Here is where you get it in the back as they are on the ground, but you are handling the small pieces just once.

I replaced the mast of the splitter with an I beam that’s 11’ long so I can move the cylinder to reposition it to for doing 4’ shop wood or even split fence posts. It raises hydraulically with an auxiliary valve for vertical work.

I have thought of building a HD table, raise the splitting cylinder to a mid height position and split waist high on that table. I would raise the un split blocks up with a side arm or have a HD table set up to store the blocks there to be rolled off from prior to the split.

The grapple could set the blocks onto that larger table.

I have access to a LOT of hydraulic cylinders and just the plumbing would have to be bought. Much of the steel is here surplus as well to build a sort of “live table” to manage the transition from grapple to splitter transition. For the splitter to stack, it would come off waist high right into the stack.

I think you guys have just inspired me onto a mission!

Best regards

Three44s