Design Flaw - Troybilt splitter

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turnkey4099

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I wondered about the design of the log cradle when I first unloaded it. I was right.

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Those brackets are a perfect place for knots, etc. to catch on. I have bent and restraightened them, sheered the bolts off of one side, and now did it again.

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They are mounted with self-tapping lag type bolts. Fortunately enough is left sticking out that I can unscrew the remainder with vice grips.

Planning to put a 1/8" sheet metal sheild on so nothing can catch on anything. Will have to leave the lower end 'floating as there is nothing to fasten to witout a lot of tinkering.

Harry K
 
Well with a little thought and a little BEER anything is possible. I agree , a friend of mine has the same issue , He got sick of them getting bent up to so he put on some longer slides and watched which way he loaded his wood on the splitter. Seemed to help but they still get bent on rare ocasisons.

Beefie
 
Id add some metal, that way the knots cant get in between their.
 
I've tweaked one of mine too. Since i removed the factory log holder and installed my own shelf, I haven't had a problem.
 
Ductape said:
I've tweaked one of mine too. Since i removed the factory log holder and installed my own shelf, I haven't had a problem.
Click to expand...

How are they mounted? Bolted or welded? Have any pictures of the mounting. I want to put one on my splitter.
 
I used the original curved pieces and just ditched the top piece. Just a piece of plate, with two pieces of flat stock welded to the bottom. No reason you couldn't bolt it together using angle though. Just drilled the flat stock to bolt to the curved pieces. The table is much closer, and the bottom of it is about even (height wise) with the beam. Nothing seems to get caught in there to bend it anymore.

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Doesn't interfere using the verticle position at all.
 
Mine caught knots several times and both sides have been bent badly.
I should just remove and throw away them, since I use my splitter mainly in vertical position.

Noko
 
Beefie said:
Well with a little thought and a little BEER anything is possible. I agree , a friend of mine has the same issue , He got sick of them getting bent up to so he put on some longer slides and watched which way he loaded his wood on the splitter. Seemed to help but they still get bent on rare ocasisons.

Beefie
Click to expand...

Watching how it is placed didn't help. I had just told myself that and the next block did it :)

Harry K
 
I wonder what they made those brackets out of. Hard to drill...I finally had to make a run to town tobuy a titanium 5/16" drill bit to rat the holes out. That is still 1/64" under what I want. I might have to file the holes a bit bigger to clear a 5/16 bolt.

Harry K
 
Same splitter

I use what appears to be the identical splitter and haven't had the problems you've been having with the exception of having bent one of the adjustment bolts. I cut my wood pretty clean so there are few or no protrusions such as branch ends and knots. Plus, my main firewood species, pinon and cedar, is fairly soft.
 
I have a 27 ton Yard Machines by Cub Cadet that has the same set up the for the log holder. I have been using it since the early 90's and never ever caught anything on the log holder. Not even sure how you would snag something on it to bend the crap out of it? Do you split stuff with snags sticking out of it like a porcupine??
 
R Walter said:
I use what appears to be the identical splitter and haven't had the problems you've been having with the exception of having bent one of the adjustment bolts. I cut my wood pretty clean so there are few or no protrusions such as branch ends and knots. Plus, my main firewood species, pinon and cedar, is fairly soft.
Click to expand...

same here. same splitter and no problems. i also cut knots off even with the trunk but i split a lot of knotty hardwood. i split in the vertical position 100% also - dont know if that has anything to do with it.
 
Bushman_269 said:
I have a 27 ton Yard Machines by Cub Cadet that has the same set up the for the log holder. I have been using it since the early 90's and never ever caught anything on the log holder. Not even sure how you would snag something on it to bend the crap out of it? Do you split stuff with snags sticking out of it like a porcupine??
Click to expand...

Running Black Locust through. That stuff comes out gnarly, twisty, lumpy, especially the butt rounds and any crotches. I trim all branches, etc flush. Still leaves parts of the rounds that stick out and can get caught. No, they can't be trimmed without throwing away good firewood.

Harry K
 
Never had a problem with mine either but I like that table. I'll have to do some fabricating to mine this winter it would be nice to have the extra surface space.
 
Fixed...redneck style:

004-8.jpg



I may replace the plywood slides with iron. Depends on how long the plywood lasts. The plywood is held on with 2 5/16" carriage bolts through the punched holes in the cross member of the factory slide, they don't show in the pic for some reason. Most of my time went into getting the stubs of the broken bolts out. Vicegrips on the protruding ends worked but very slowly. could only get about 1/8" turn per bite. One bolt I had to drill as the last 1 turn just would not come.

Then the fun of trying to drill the holes out to take 5/16" bolts. Regular bits didn't get it. Finally bought that titanium bit and got it. Still had to do a bit of filign as the drill bit was 5/16 not 21/64.

It will get baptized perhaps tomorrow or the next day.

I may extend the off-side slide into a table like Ducttape's. That fender keeps getting bent down and the motor could stand a bit of protection.

Harry K.
 
Last edited:
Not fixed. Stuff still catches on it. Even a locust bark ridge tries to push it sideways. It will have to fixed so there is no 'slot' for stuff to get into. I'll replace with iron plate (?3/16"?) with a bend down to get under the wedge slide.

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Some things to do on it:

1. Move the valve so the handle points up - more natural operation IMO, and allows moving the 'needs more splitting' chunks back there.

2. Get those stroke limiters. Made special trip to town for them today forgetting that every place likely to have them would be closed (they were).

3. Have good talk with the non-brain surgeon of an engineer on why he used a motor with a miniscule fuel tank. What does that hold? About a pint?. I wonder if it would be possible to add an axulliary tank feeding into the current one.

Harry K
 
turnkey4099 said:
I wondered about the design of the log cradle when I first unloaded it. I was right.

009-1.jpg


Those brackets are a perfect place for knots, etc. to catch on. I have bent and restraightened them, sheered the bolts off of one side, and now did it again.

005-5.jpg


They are mounted with self-tapping lag type bolts. Fortunately enough is left sticking out that I can unscrew the remainder with vice grips.

Planning to put a 1/8" sheet metal sheild on so nothing can catch on anything. Will have to leave the lower end 'floating as there is nothing to fasten to witout a lot of tinkering.

Harry K
Click to expand...

I bent mine up to ,i recut one with my plasma out of 1/4 plate,then made the table as you did,but i used angle and expanded metal so it would be a little lighter. i am happy with mine ,how about you?
 

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