I wanna do it, am I crazy?

I've been looking all over for a splitter to buy. For one reason or another, including price, functionality, cycle times, etc, I can't seem to find a splitter that is affordable and loaded with the essential traits I want my splitter to possess.
It's not a matter of money, if it costs as much as buying a good splitter, I want to build one and incorporate ALL or nearly all of the right characteristics.

Many splitters are s-l-o-w....Some have teeny tires and pull poorly on roads. Some have wedges that are too short. Some have pumps that guarantee slow cycle times. Some have cheapo engines.

Can any of you comment on what you deem essential in this splitter. I know you have many ideas I probably never thought about. Some of these ideas may be small improvements, some may be major advances.

Hope to hear from you folks on this. I am gonna build myself a splitter and make 'er right the first time.

thanks, folks

Mike

Yep, another crazy loon.

Think this one out. Write it all down. Draw some pix.
What are the requirements? Tonnage? Cycle time? Style of wedge? Horizontal or vertical? Think about the mechanical versions vs. tried and true hydraulics.

If going hydraulic, then decide the stroke and bore of cylinder. Then choose your pump accordingly. HP of engine will be determined by the size of pump.

Oh, figure on spending lots more $$$ building one vs. buying one. But, to make it your way is the name of the game. Very rewarding, IMHO.

-Pat

When buying or building a splitter consider the size of wood you are going to split it may factor into what will be best. Work height is important. Some machines have a very fast cycle time but they require the operator to also be fast, are you a sprinter or long distance runner,::hmm3grin2orange:.

Log lifts are nice but on most machines they are located opposite the operator, so if working alone you have to walk around the machine to load. The hydraulics involved makes them expensive.

Catch tables are nice but again requires the operator to do a lot of reaching.

Splitters that go vertical are nice for big wood but require a lot of bending.

Only when you get into the $5,000 bracket a truly road worthy splitter.

If you build your own most of the poor points can be overcome. I have found that you can't build a simple splitter with new parts for what you can buy in a store, but you can use ideas from the top of the line splitters and make them for less.
I built mine based on the PowerSplit/TimberDevil and SuperAxe concepts.

Here is a list I have compiled of many different brands,

A good maul 35.00 two good wedges 30.00 double bit axe 25.00
Firewood processing plant priceless! If I were serious about firewood
and I am not, I would be looking toward a processor.

I say this again and again, it's not cost effective!!!!
You get half the stuff for free, the other for half price, it will still cost you more than a decent factory unit.

Please,.....

sawinredneck said:

I say this again and again, it's not cost effective!!!!
You get half the stuff for free, the other for half price, it will still cost you more than a decent factory unit.

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SRN, PLEASE,.. Dont discorage people from building there own splitter, Especially,.. with your sorry ASS example of your trial and ERROR,..Maybe u should post your Splitter project again to show everyone what (not) to do,....Eric

cabinman said:

SRN, PLEASE,.. Dont discorage people from building there own splitter, Especially,.. with your sorry ASS example of your trial and ERROR,..Maybe u should post your Splitter project again to show everyone what (not) to do,....Eric

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Sorry ass or not, do a little math and it doens't add up.

Jerk

Sorry ?

sawinredneck said:

Sorry ass or not, do a little math and it doens't add up.

Jerk

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SORRY,. Is right, What adds up in your mind, will never add up in mine,..Especially after lookin at your pics,..And listining to you bragin about your bad ass welder,..

splitter

MS, go for it, do alot of scronging for parts, it's rewarding to work with somthing you built to your specs. just my .02

First off, if you add up the costs of purchasing the materials needed to build one, it costs more to than buying one. That was my point in this thread.

Now the derail since someone wants to go there.
I never claimed to be a mater welder, but I do have a badass welder.
I bilt something from scratch that is a lot more powerful than what you can normaly buy. I had enough balls to try. I have run into several problems in the proccess, which I have had the balls to post in a public form, and ADMIT where I screwed up. How many prototypes do you think Timberwolf had to make? You really think they got it all right the first time? I doubt it.
I've never claimed to be more than an igrnoant redneck with a mechanical apptitude. So yes, there will be a learning curve. But again, I had the balls to try, and the balls to admit where I went wrong. What have you got? A bad attitude and the ability to trash talk someone for trying?
Impresive attributes.

Balls

sawinredneck said:

First off, if you add up the costs of purchasing the materials needed to build one, it costs more to than buying one. That was my point in this thread.

Now the derail since someone wants to go there.
I never claimed to be a mater welder, but I do have a badass welder.
I bilt something from scratch that is a lot more powerful than what you can normaly buy. I had enough balls to try. I have run into several problems in the proccess, which I have had the balls to post in a public form, and ADMIT where I screwed up. How many prototypes do you think Timberwolf had to make? You really think they got it all right the first time? I doubt it.
I've never claimed to be more than an igrnoant redneck with a mechanical apptitude. So yes, there will be a learning curve. But again, I had the balls to try, and the balls to admit where I went wrong. What have you got? A bad attitude and the ability to trash talk someone for trying?
Impresive attributes.

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Congrats, on trying it,..But failing at it dosent mean you should discorage everyone else from (trying) it, Having a BAD ass welder dosent make the glue hold now does it?, WE have seen some real (REAL) nice splitters built here on AS since you (tried) to build one,..So let it be, and learn by your own mistakes and especially by what others have to teach you,..and sell that welder to some one that can use it, Effectively,...

cabinman said:

Congrats, on trying it,..But failing at it dosent mean you should discorage everyone else from (trying) it, Having a BAD ass welder dosent make the glue hold now does it?, WE have seen some real (REAL) nice splitters built here on AS since you (tried) to build one,..So let it be, and learn by your own mistakes and especially by what others have to teach you,..and sell that welder to some one that can use it, Effectively,...

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My welds held just fine thank you, it was my choice of material thickness that was my "failure". But seeing how you are so smart, you already knew that.
I'll keep my welder as i works fine for me and I don't seem to have many complaints from the work I do with it. Other than youres, but I don't think I can ever compare to you're work. OH, wait, I've yet to that.
Yes, there have been some very nice ones built, and I have commended all the builders of the ones I have seen
I am no discouraging anyone from trying. But again, if they think it is cost effective to buy the components and do it, it's not. AGAIN, that is all I wanted to say, but you wanted the flame war.
I doubt I will ever meet you're inflated expectations, but since you're a douche, I'm not going to worry about it, oh yeah, where is youres?

To the O/P:
Sorry for the derail, if you want to build one, go for it and have a good time. But I would encourage you to price what you can't scrounge and put a pencil to it first vs. what you can buy ready made.

I'm out.

Negitivity

sawinredneck said:

My welds held just fine thank you, it was my choice of material thickness that was my "failure". But seeing how you are so smart, you already knew that.
I'll keep my welder as i works fine for me and I don't seem to have many complaints from the work I do with it. Other than youres, but I don't think I can ever compare to you're work. OH, wait, I've yet to that.
Yes, there have been some very nice ones built, and I have commended all the builders of the ones I have seen
I am no discouraging anyone from trying. But again, if they think it is cost effective to buy the components and do it, it's not. AGAIN, that is all I wanted to say, but you wanted the flame war.
I doubt I will ever meet you're inflated expectations, but since you're a douche, I'm not going to worry about it, oh yeah, where is youres?

To the O/P:
Sorry for the derail, if you want to build one, go for it and have a good time. But I would encourage you to price what you can't scrounge and put a pencil to it first vs. what you can buy ready made.

I'm out.

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Ive got company, But I will get back as soon as possable,. Your negitivaty, needs to be addressed, with the can do ideal,...

Triptester's post was a good one.
Any good well built splitter will last a lifetime so I wouldn't worry any about cost as you will forget about that soon after its done. What is important is your outcome is a unit the suits what you are trying to accomplish. Me.. I got tired of bending way over as most units are too close to the ground for a comfortable working height and speed was an issue for me. You might have other concerns you can address in your design.
Something that helps if possible is to use other types and see first hand what you like or dislike. Then modify accordantly.

sawinredneck said:

I say this again and again, it's not cost effective!!!!
You get half the stuff for free, the other for half price, it will still cost you more than a decent factory unit.

Click to expand...

You make a real good point there whether you know how to build one or not. With parts and labor it could easily be more 'cost effective' to buy one.
As far as they go, I think 1200.00 bucks won't buy what this guy is looking for but I don't know for sure. If I was going to buy one- standard tow-behind unit- with good stuff on it and not from a place not like Northern or Home Depot( they suck) I would get an Iron and Oak or Oak and Iron, I forget which is first in the name. I don't know who else make a decent splitter but they go for 2 grand
I think you should post a print out of what the parts would cost. I guessing it around 1200.00. Don't forget to account for every nickle.

TreeCo said:

For us to help you best we need to know how much wood you plan on splitting per year? We have members here with splitters who split just for themselves....and I'm sure some who split a 100 cords or more. I split about 25 per year.

Splitters last a long time. Mine is now twenty years old and going strong.

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20 years? Really? Tell that to some guys I know who trash them is 5. They are the ones from the home centers though.

If you want to build one, I say do it. You will probably enjoy useing it more knowing that you put the time and effort in to building it and watching it do the job you built it for. I bought a factory unit because i am not talented enough to build one.:greenchainsaw:

Congrats on taking on this project. One thing I like in the splitter I have is how balanced it is to move around by hand. The splitter I used to rent needed almost two guys to roll it around to get it hooked up to a truck or four wheeler. It was way too front heavy, (which is a plus in towing). But there must be a magic weight displacement, which you may want to consider. Also I like the height of the I-beam and controls, high enough to be able to stand strait up, and not bent over. A large enough hydraulic tank to hold plenty of fluid so overheating isn't an issue. Plus a hydro, filter. As far as cycle time is considered, to me it is somewhat over-rated. Most pieces of wood split before a full stroke. Many times, only a few inches of stroke is used before the wood actually splits. My unit is rated at 13 seconds for a 25" stroke. I never timed it, but to me its about right. Because even if a full stroke is used to split a piece of wood, putting the control lever in detent, gives you time to grab another chunk of wood while the ram is retracting. Hope this helps out.

If your dream splitter is a Timberwolf TW-5 or Iron & Oak professional model at ~5K plus, then as mentioned you CAN save some money by rolling your own even with new parts.

If your ideal is closer to the general Hor/vert sold at the farm store then shop around and buy one as they are the best deal in that class. If you have a decent engine, valve, cylinder, W-beam and some hoses laying around you might come close on the lower end ones.

Another hybrid option is on some of the splitters they oversize the motor enough to pull a 22 gpm pump with the motor IE 12hp. You may need to upgrade the hoses to 3/4" and maybe the valve also but you could seriously speed up a commercial unit if there is one close.

One of the splitter designs that I have seen here that is real neat is the ones with the table at waste height and a vertical splitting unit. I have seen ones that have the conveyor build in right next to the table so you just shove the split wood over when it is small enough. Some of them even had a seat to sit on I sure it required a go getter to feed unsplit wood to the operator.

Don

sawinredneck said:

First off, if you add up the costs of purchasing the materials needed to build one, it costs more to than buying one. That was my point in this thread.

Now the derail since someone wants to go there.
I never claimed to be a mater welder, but I do have a badass welder.
I bilt something from scratch that is a lot more powerful than what you can normaly buy. I had enough balls to try. I have run into several problems in the proccess, which I have had the balls to post in a public form, and ADMIT where I screwed up. How many prototypes do you think Timberwolf had to make? You really think they got it all right the first time? I doubt it.
I've never claimed to be more than an igrnoant redneck with a mechanical apptitude. So yes, there will be a learning curve. But again, I had the balls to try, and the balls to admit where I went wrong. What have you got? A bad attitude and the ability to trash talk someone for trying?
Impresive attributes.

Click to expand...

And in this corner of tonights heavy weight bout, we have the one the only Sawinredneck! Its gonna be a tough bout tonight folks as his opponent is the cabinman and seems to be a tough cookie. That said I have to put my dough on the man with saw in his name