How hot should hydraulic fluid get in a splitter?

[sb47]

Still going strong dan. I'm reading it all now as I have a 25t County line splitter and am worried about heat. It says 11 sec cycle time and I can run it as fast as it can go.

I have 2 Countyline 40 ton splitters and they both run about 140 degrees even when the air temp is in the 90's. The hottest point is the cylinder. The oil tank runs about 110 degrees. Thats splitting some live oak witch is very hard to split.
Most hydraulic systems can handle up 200 degrees with no issues. If your getting temps over 200 degrees I would look into adding a oil cooler.

 

[Brufab]

Thanks @sb47 were splitting dry maple and popple, barely any knots, splitter splits with ease, 11 sec cycle time it says. We're goin to take some temp readings tomorrow and see where we're at. This is our first splitter, we bought it awhile back on sale for 699 or 799 now same splitter going for 1699 so we don't want to break it . Thanks again for the knowledge!

 

[Sportfury70]

Industrial hyd tech here. A properly running system shouldn’t get that hot, even with regular cyclic use all day. It’s not so much the high pressure that causes heat, but the pressure differential when going from high to low pressure (without doing useful work) that causes heat to build. There should be a relief valve on the system that is used to protect the pump and/or cylinder against spikes and if it’s improperly set or faulty can cause heat. Internal bypassing of the pump can cause excess heat too. As long as your not running in the direct sunshine on a hot summer day, heat shouldn’t be an issue.

Make sure you pause in neutral on your spool valve when going from extend to retract too. Shifting too quick can cause pressure intensification that will blow seals and pumps quick, and can also cause heat.

Yes a larger reservoir helps, as will a conditioning loop or heat exchanger, but heat shouldn’t really be a problem if it’s set up correctly. When I build an hpu, I try to make sure the reservoir is at least 66% larger than the capacity of the rest of the system. Also, avoid streamlining the fluid in the reservoir, where the pickup and tank line are close together or pointed at each other.

There’s a lot of good info and knowledge from the previous posters. If your splitter is a commercial unit, it should be designed correctly (I have yet to see one that isn’t). The home made ones though, they are often very incorrect in their design.

If anyone needs help troubleshooting or dialing in your system, shoot me a pm and I can give you some pointers.

 

[sb47]

Still going strong dan. I'm reading it all now as I have a 25t County line splitter and am worried about heat. It says 11 sec cycle time and I can run it as fast as it can go.

Those laser thermometers are great for taking surface temps of just about anything. If you look at any car or truck's running temps, they all run about 200+ degrees. Same with any automatic transmission. They are all hydraulic systems running ATF or any type of hydraulic oil. Engine oil and automatic transmission runs around 200 degrees once they get up to operating temps. Once you get over 200 degrees most any oil will start to cook.
Mine runs about 140 and will burn the crap out of you if you touch the cylinder for more then a few seconds.
Any of the log splitters that you buy at most hardware stores should run all day every day with no heat issues. I stop splitting when temps get over 100 degrees. Not because it will hurt the splitter but because it's just to hot for me at that point.
I will take some more readings tomorrow when I get mine up to running temperature. Air temps here are about in the upper 80's right now.

 

[sb47]

Today was a good day to get good working temps on my splitter. I ran it for about 4 hours so it was as hot as was going to get.
The air temp was 95*
The I beam was 111.8*
The oil pump was137.6*
The oil tank was129.2*
the cylinder was143.6*
The crank case on the motor was 176.1*
My steel trailer just sitting in the sun was 105.2

 

[Sportfury70]

Today was a good day to get good working temps on my splitter. I ran it for about 4 hours so it was as hot as was going to get.
The air temp was 95*
The I beam was 111.8*
The oil pump was137.6*
The oil tank was129.2*
the cylinder was143.6*
The crank case on the motor was 176.1*
My steel trailer just sitting in the sun was

Those are great temps, looks healthy

 

[Brufab]

We did get our cylinder up to 160 the other day, the wood splits easily but I am short cycling it. The wood splits easily usually only 6" of stroke necessary to split. Most of the time it would get 140-145° the tank would stay around 110-120° the shaft of cylinder never got above 100° it was probly 37-50° outside temp when splitting. The splitter says fast 11 sec cycle time on the side, county line 25t. That day we probly ran 2 tanks of gas thru it. Normally a full tank we get between 3-4hrs of splitting on. There's 2 of us I'm splitting and my dad is taking the splits away, I'm next to the rounds so there isn't any downtime. We did put the box fan blowing on the tank pump and engine, that decreased the tank temps around 10° and the cylinder about 5°. The day we got the cylinder up to 160 the tank was in the mid 120's and no fan, it was the longest/most we ran it in one day. Usually we run 1 tank and that's it for the day.

 

[Brufab]

@sb47 What kind of splitter do you have? Yours runs the same temps as ours does when it's 45° out and your splitting in the 90's

 

[sb47]

@sb47 What kind of splitter do you have? Yours runs the same temps as ours does when it's 45° out and your splitting in the 90's

I have 2 of the Countline 40 ton units. I bought the first one about 5 years ago when the first came out with the 40 ton. My old splitter was a Husky 25 ton unit and it would split ok but it struggled and wouldn't split live oak at all. Live oak would make it just stop and it never split a single round.
When Tractor supply came out with the 40 ton unit I looked it over and I liked every thing about it.
My 40 ton splits live oak like it not even there.
I also liked the 10'' wedge and the 9.5 cycle times. Every thing on the 40 is bigger and more heavy duty.
I put a hour meter on it the day I bought it, and it has 1264.6 hours and my newer one has 186.3 hours.
I was so impress with the first one I bought another one as a back up and so I can have two splitting stations. It splits forks and knots like butter. It doesn't mater how you orient the forked round it just bust it open with ease. I paid 1, for around seventeen hundred. The new one I paid eighteen hundred.
I had to search for the second one and I finally found one about 80 miles away. It was a long drive but I got exactly what I wanted.

Here is a link to TS log splitters
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/countyline-40-ton-log-splitter

 

[sean donato]

Just out of curiosity, have you ever had a pressure Guage on it, and what brand and model of pump it on it? Tsc doesn't list any real details about the hydraulics other then 5 ¹/⁸" cylinder and a max operating pressure of 3800psi. No pump details.

 

[sb47]

@sb47 What kind of splitter do you have? Yours runs the same temps as ours does when it's 45° out and your splitting in the 90's

I did have to make a small modification to it. The back stop where the wood rest against. Wood would slip off the back stop and come flying with a lot of force. So I welded a piece of flat bar and now the wood never slips off.

Just out of curiosity, have you ever had a pressure Guage on it, and what brand and model of pump it on it? Tsc doesn't list any real details about the hydraulics other then 5 ¹/⁸" cylinder and a max operating pressure of 3800psi. No pump details.

Go to the link I will put in for you and look up along the top right under the first heading and you will see some boxes. (Revues. questions and answers), (Product details), (Specifications,) (documents.) Click on those boxes and you will fins all the details you need.
Try this link then click on the boxes.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/countyline-40-ton-log-splitter

 

[sb47]

Just out of curiosity, have you ever had a pressure Guage on it, and what brand and model of pump it on it? Tsc doesn't list any real details about the hydraulics other then 5 ¹/⁸" cylinder and a max operating pressure of 3800psi. No pump details.

No I have never put a gauge on it, but its pretty tuff and splits every thing I have thrown at it. Forks, knots, it doesn't mater. It splits everything I have put on it.

 

[sean donato]

I did have to make a small modification to it. The back stop where the wood rest against. Wood would slip off the back stop and come flying with a lot of force. So I welded a piece of flat bar and now the wood never slips off.

Go to the link I will put in for you and look up along the top right under the first heading and you will see some boxes. Revues. questions and answers, Product details, Specifications, documents. Click on those boxes and you will fins all the details you need.
Try this link then click on the boxes.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/countyline-40-ton-log-splitter

I did, downloaded the manuals as well. Less then helpful. There was an email address for parts. Sent then a question about the brand of pump and pressure ratings. Thanks!

 

[sean donato]

No I have never put a gauge on it, but its pretty tuff and splits every thing I have thrown at it. Forks, knots, it doesn't mater. It splits everything I have put on it.

Yeah I understand that, I have the same sized cylinder on my splitter. I'm just running lower pressure. Just wanted to know who makes a aluminum cased hydraulic pump thats good for 3800 psi max. Hence why I asked specifics since it isn't listed. I sent an email to see what they say.

 

[sb47]

Just out of curiosity, have you ever had a pressure Guage on it, and what brand and model of pump it on it? Tsc doesn't list any real details about the hydraulics other then 5 ¹/⁸" cylinder and a max operating pressure of 3800psi. No pump details.

All It said is it has a 25GPM pump but no brand name.

 

[sean donato]

All It said is it has a 25GPM pump but no brand name.

Roger that. I found a part number in the manual. Tried a Google search and kept coming up with a generic pump max rated at 3000 psi. Hence the email to them.

 

[sb47]

Yeah I understand that, I have the same sized cylinder on my splitter. I'm just running lower pressure. Just wanted to know who makes a aluminum cased hydraulic pump thats good for 3800 psi max. Hence why I asked specifics since it isn't listed. I sent an email to see what they say.

Always be very careful with power equipment. I cut the end of my finger off at the first knuckle right off. I wasn't paying attention and it took my finger off like it was never there. It happen so fast I pulled my hand out thinking I just pinched it, but when I looked at my hand my finger was gone.
It's weird feeling when you look at nasty stub with blood squirting out of it and your finger is gone.
My first thought was "oh ****, a band aid aint gonna fix this one. My next thought is I will never get to plat the guitar anymore. It sucks but it is what it is. Just adapt and over come.

 

[sb47]

Roger that. I found a part number in the manual. Tried a Google search and kept coming up with a generic pump max rated at 3000 psi. Hence the email to them.

Like all these type of splitters most all of them are imported.
I have had mine for 5 years and it has never failed to split anything I can put on it.
I even has a electric lift on it to pick the big heavy rounds without breaking my back.

 

[sean donato]

Always be very caerful with power equipment. I cut the end of my finger at the first knuckle right off. I wasn't paying attention and it took my finger off like it was never there. It happend so fast I pulled my hand out thing I just pinched it, but when I looked at my hand my finger was gone.

Thats the reason my wedding ring is a tattoo. Ring almost ripped my finger off. Been working heavy duty diesel most my life, now work on roller coasters. I know my way around hydraulics pretty well. Thats why I was interested to know what pump they are running that's rated for 3800psi. That's 800 psi higher then 99% of 2 stage pumps, and also higher psi then most cylinders are rated to continuously handle. Also explains the 40 ton rating. That extra 800 psi bumps it up to nearly 40tons. (78k psi actually, 39 tons of force.) Over winter I'll be building my next log splitter, I was planning on going with a 6 inch cylinder to get my splitting force up, but if I can match a pump and cylinder and have that same rating then I wouldn't need to go with the larger cylinder.
So this information has been very valuable to me. Thanks a bunch!

 

[sb47]

Thats the reason my wedding ring is a tattoo. Ring almost ripped my finger off. Been working heavy duty diesel most my life, now work on roller coasters. I know my way around hydraulics pretty well. Thats why I was interested to know what pump they are running that's rated for 3800psi. That's 800 psi higher then 99% of 2 stage pumps, and also higher psi then most cylinders are rated to continuously handle. Also explains the 40 ton rating. That extra 800 psi bumps it up to nearly 40tons. (78k psi actually, 39 tons of force.) Over winter I'll be building my next log splitter, I was planning on going with a 6 inch cylinder to get my splitting force up, but if I can match a pump and cylinder and have that same rating then I wouldn't need to go with the larger cylinder.
So this information has been very valuable to me. Thanks a bunch!

I don't run my splitter wide open, just for speed. I run it just above idle. I think it is safer going a little slower. It makes everything last longer as well.