Vertical or Horizontal build ?

[rancher2]

I never have to wait for my splitter. 5" cylinder and 16gpm pump. 10gpm more would mean -12 pressure lines and 3/4"ports ports minimum.

Back when my splitter was built we built two with 28 GPM pumps and four inch cylinders. We used 3/4 port valves on both but only on one cylinder I disassembled it and drilled it out and added 3/4 ports to the cylinder. The other one we just bushed the valve down and used 1/2 hose and fitting on that one. Timing the cycle time you couldn't see the difference between the two. I have built and repaired a lot of splitters and I wouldn't want a 16 GPM pump on my splitter. I normally split with two people and sometimes three as we conveyor into a trailer and then stack in trailer. I have added a fair amount of 16 GPM pumps to splitters that had 11 GPM pumps and it made a nice splitter for most folks. I used to pickup splitters and snow blowers in the summer and repair them or rebuilt them and peddle them in the winter. Use to make some good money doing it.

 

[cantoo]

Auction just closed. Guess I might start my vertical build sooner than later. Same combo as on my orange splitter. That's Canadian money but another 25% added to it for buyers premium and taxes. I bought two of those 9' wide push blades 2 years ago for $1150 each. Prices are crazy anymore.

 

[esshup]

Vertical or horizontal I think is a question that is also answered by the size of the rounds you are going to be dealing with. If large rounds, make sure that there is a large enough table so the first half that's split doesn't flop back on the ground. As for a log lift, if the rounds are going to be over 50#, then it's a requirement, not a luxury. At least in my book. We were given a brain, why burn out your body?

I'd love to have a faster return time on the splitter, I seem to be waiting for it to return. I use spacers on my ram to limit the return stroke, so the ram isn't traveling 26" every time when I'm only splitting wood that is 16"-18" max length.

 

[sean donato]

Back when my splitter was built we built two with 28 GPM pumps and four inch cylinders. We used 3/4 port valves on both but only on one cylinder I disassembled it and drilled it out and added 3/4 ports to the cylinder. The other one we just bushed the valve down and used 1/2 hose and fitting on that one. Timing the cycle time you couldn't see the difference between the two. I have built and repaired a lot of splitters and I wouldn't want a 16 GPM pump on my splitter. I normally split with two people and sometimes three as we conveyor into a trailer and then stack in trailer. I have added a fair amount of 16 GPM pumps to splitters that had 11 GPM pumps and it made a nice splitter for most folks. I used to pickup splitters and snow blowers in the summer and repair them or rebuilt them and peddle them in the winter. Use to make some good money doing it.

You do you buddy.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

Glad we're all intitled to opinions, I wouldn't do without my log lift. Which I have yet to find dangerous or impractical and doubles as a work table when it's up.

I was quite certain that just my opinion mattered, now that is cleared up we can address the most important issues.

On log lifts I would suppose there are pros and cons. I was hoping many folks would share how they can not live with out their log lift. Here in my area there is no space to speak of so accessibility is more than just a little important. A log lift for me has really got in the way. A hoist style lift has not proven to be any thing but a hazard. My newer splitter has a winch which can drag logs or rounds to the splitter which is a very real time saver. Then with out changing a choker another line can roll the round right up on the splitter to be halved. I often set a few rounds or a couple of small logs next to the splitter to act as a work table. I can not but notice how in most other areas folks have literally acres to work in. I often have to work in an area no bigger than 1/8 of an acre.

I see many people using splitters with a horizontal and vertical setup which are fine if a 11 GPM or a 16 GPM is Ok to work with. 22 HP motors are available in horizontal or vertical so it really does not matter what power plant is used. I would not ever allow any vertical splitting device to be used because I would not want to bend over. Thanks

 

[Operator]

Great info from everyone. Much of the trees that I get seem to be very large, 20"-30" is probably the range, so the log lift would be very useful.
The splitter platform will be waist high, so there will be no bending over. The splitter will probably be over built and large because I over-do everything. I only require 5-5.5 cords per season for the house so I'm not looking for lightening fast return speeds just faster than the old Brave can handle. The conveyor will need to be around 20' and able to lay horizontal because my wood shed is 36' and I want to feed the wood near center so its easier to stack.

 

[sean donato]

I was quite certain that just my opinion mattered, now that is cleared up we can address the most important issues.

On log lifts I would suppose there are pros and cons. I was hoping many folks would share how they can not live with out their log lift. Here in my area there is no space to speak of so accessibility is more than just a little important. A log lift for me has really got in the way. A hoist style lift has not proven to be any thing but a hazard. My newer splitter has a winch which can drag logs or rounds to the splitter which is a very real time saver. Then with out changing a choker another line can roll the round right up on the splitter to be halved. I often set a few rounds or a couple of small logs next to the splitter to act as a work table. I can not but notice how in most other areas folks have literally acres to work in. I often have to work in an area no bigger than 1/8 of an acre.

I see many people using splitters with a horizontal and vertical setup which are fine if a 11 GPM or a 16 GPM is Ok to work with. 22 HP motors are available in horizontal or vertical so it really does not matter what power plant is used. I would not ever allow any vertical splitting device to be used because I would not want to bend over. Thanks

I own a little under an acre. space is always an issue. The splitter is actually behind the house next to the wood shed which has about a 25foot wide are to the property line. It's cramped to say the least. I built the splitter, so it suits my needs. Thought I had a picture of it in position, I don't. It's cramped back there to say the least.

 

[James Sawyer]

Hi built this one for my dad years ago. Primary re-purposed scrap iron from metal recycler. So, you can build reasonable affordable splitter. The fender and tongue I bought new steel. I got the axles from a wrecking yard. I chopped the axles off with a chop saw and build good heavy axle. The tank I made also... designed it to disburse the oil inside the tank with a spray pattern on the return to help with the cooling. The thing to remember with high-capacity pump is the heat! The bigger the tank the better, and I use automatic trans fluid. 2 stage pumps are the way to go if you're down on horsepower, but flow and horsepower aren't going to make up for cylinder size that's what limits what the slitter will do. Also, remember wood has grain and the ram is going have side load so remember to brace the slide, so it doesn't bend the guides. With a really fast splitter you may not have time to back off on gnarly piece before it wrecks something. I'd size the pump to the horsepower of the motor you have. Another thought... is buy a used rider lawn mower with a rusted-out deck and reuse the motor. If size of the splitter is the issue, I would use the vertical shaft plus they are usually cheaper more available. If money not object and you're buying a motor i would go with the horizonal shaft, it just makes it easier to work on the coupler & plumbing. I would suggest buying sprockets and use a double chain for the coupler instead of love-joy and there's is a different between a love joy for an electric motor vs a gas motor. The electric coupler wears out faster. So, the pump pressure and cylinder size rates what the splitter will do... so it all about surface area and pressure. Most splitter use a smaller pressure pump but there are higher pressure pumps available and rating on the cylinder is a factor as well. This one work well for us, but I wish I'd made it with Mutiple splitter, we never use it vertically. The splitter hangs off the end so just pull ahead when the pile gets too big. Lots of designs out there ...better than this one but at the time I thought this design would do the job. Dads on the fourth motor so it processed a lot of wood. Also, I wished I built in a table that folds up so to keep those piece that need multiple splitting up on the splitter. Picking a big piece wood up again is never fun as you get older. I'm sure whatever you build will be fine but build it as heavy as you can afford. Nothing more disappointing than to go thru all that trouble and have it break or bend. Most importantly design some safety with bypass on pressure... if it ever over pressure and exceeds the rating on the component... it could kill you. I know someone that bypassed the safety on a punch press... it over pressure, the hose broke and when thru his chest into his heart and killed him. You want your system to bypass that pressure and keep it in safety limit to the rating it was designed for... faster and higher splitting pressure are always the best. You're the designer... make sure you understand the limits. Oh... good long tongue is nice when you have to back up...my 2 cents... horizonal motor.

 

[Operator]

Mr. Sawyer that is a great looking splitter. I like the lawn mower idea. I will definitely install a pressure by-pass. I work in heavy machinery construction industry, I have seen and experienced blown hoses.