Thread: log spliter

Good moring everyone I need some help please . my spliter runs slow strokes 17 sec and will not split knotty peice soft maple I ajusted vavle and it help but will do no more then what it does.I have a 5.5 hp briggs and 11 gpm pump and on the vavle ? why I have said all this is my brother has a harbor freight log splter and it goes right thur these peices his has 6.5 hp ? on pump no label and ? on the vavle. what is a good setup to have pump verse vavle any help please thank you very much.

With hydraulics horsepower has little to do with force applied. Your 5.5 hp. engine if in decent shape is all that is needed to operate a 11 gpm 2-stage pump. The 2-stage splitter pumps rarely wear out but they can break and fail completely.
If your engine does not stall when splitting but the cylinder stops moving,then it could mean the relief needs to be adjusted in the control valve. If a relief valve doesn't help then there is a spring in the relief valve that could be broken or the cylinder may have worn seals. To check the cylinder seals extend the cylinder all the way, remove the front hose, start the engine, push the valve handle in the extend position again, if the seals are good no fluid will come out of the cylinder.
Be careful to protect your self from fluid spray if the seals are bad and do not attempt to retract while hose is disconnected.

If you can provide pics of pump and valve we might be able to identify them.

I will get some later today thank you I am on my way to work .

You didn't say what one your brother got at harbor freight but they do have one with a 5in cylinder so its a 30ton unit if its that one.Also you didn't say what size the cylinder is on yours so you might be comparing a 30ton to a 16ton.

here some picks of my splitter it has 5 in cyclinder and 24 in ram and my brother spliter is 22 ton 5 in cyc

The cylinder will determine the possible tonnage output.Most pumps have a max of 3000psi but a lot of valves are rated at 2750psi rating.So if you calculate a 5in cylinder at 3000psi it works out to 30tons of pressure.The cylinders also have a max working pressure rating also.My old one was 2500psi while my new one is 3000psi.Your best bet would be to get a pressure gauge so you can start to find out whats going on.

Thank you

Originally Posted by triptester

With hydraulics horsepower has little to do with force applied. Your 5.5 hp. engine if in decent shape is all that is needed to operate a 11 gpm 2-stage pump. The 2-stage splitter pumps rarely wear out but they can break and fail completely.
If your engine does not stall when splitting but the cylinder stops moving,then it could mean the relief needs to be adjusted in the control valve. If a relief valve doesn't help then there is a spring in the relief valve that could be broken or the cylinder may have worn seals. To check the cylinder seals extend the cylinder all the way, remove the front hose, start the engine, push the valve handle in the extend position again, if the seals are good no fluid will come out of the cylinder.
Be careful to protect your self from fluid spray if the seals are bad and do not attempt to retract while hose is disconnected.

If you can provide pics of pump and valve we might be able to identify them.

So s to not start a new thread here is my question. What if the engine is stalling until it warms up (maybe 10 mins.) What then?

My best set up is the 8hp, 16gpm 2 stage pump and a 4inch cylinder. This will produce a very fast and powerful cycle of under 10seconds and around 25tons.