Want to Build a SIMPLE Logsplitter. Any Ideas?

[sawinredneck]

New parts!! No wonder!! Ouch! I am confident that I can get by with used parts nicely, that does not worry me in the least.

Since when did going to the junk yard and using old parts constitute being cheap? You just have to be confident in your abilities.

I take it none of you can give me any usable input on building a simple logsplitter other than buy all new parts?

I split a 350 in half and made it a four cylinder and put it in a midget for my senior project. I AM competent, I am not just another yuppy redneck doing things the exact way the directions say. Will not be spending 2 thousand on a splitter...ever.

I might just put together the cheapest splitter I can find to show you yuppies it can actually be done, and work. I am going to say $250, but I might not be able to find a piece of I beam cheap enough.

I sell a cord of oak for $250...maybe I can make it pay for itself in one cord, hahaha.

Man! I'm really not trying to be mean! Just realistic!
A buddy wanted to buy a fancy wazoo Timberwolf, I liked to died when he told me $8k for the machine! "Hell, I can build something better for less!" (words I still wish I could eat to this day!)
$60 for the I-beam and rest of the steel needed, $500 for the engine, 27hp water cooled twin Kawi. $380 for the 28GPM pump!
I burnt up two chop saws, three grinders and went through two tanks of oxy/Acetylene. We got the cylinder free, off of a trash truck, $250 to rebuild it, 30" stroke, 6 1/2" bore.
3/4 ton truck axle and springs for free.
HUGE ass control valve, free.
Reservoir, huge, free.
I was quoted $400 to plumb it. Went for the hoses and had them made, $750! A lot of complaining, $450.
Minus the engine, it was well over $2k, not including time.
YES, this thing was ignorant and I'd never try to build anything like it again! BUT, think about it, the main parts were free, steel was all but free.
Just part of my story!

 

[Johndirt82]

I wouldn't use a cutting torch , I'm pretty good with one ,but plasma beats it hands down. I rented a lincoln pro cut 60 plasma cutter and it took no time at all to cut all the heavy steel plates , nice crisp and clean , that saved alot of grinder work the cost of renting a plasma cutter was less than all the consumables I would have use other wise.
Like others have said , hoses ain't cheap, especially with stainless fittings like I did. Ouch.! that was over 600 alone.But worth it as they will outlast everthing else and I have the correct lengths instead of a tangled mess.

 

[Rio_Grande]

Hoses are way expensive, It is actually cheaper to buy pre made lengths and 90's which makes no sense you are buying 4 ends insted of 2 and paying less. I think the custom hose deal is a scam. I am mounting a valve on my 3 point splitter right now and the biggest hold up has been sorting through the hoses I have hanging on the wall to get the lengths right so it dont look like crap. I did have to buy one new one so I could route the way I wanted.

I second the plasma cutter thread, I bought one for our business last year and it is a dream when it comes to cutting anything. Consumables are expensive but if you run it just hot enough to get the job done it isint near as rough on them as it is when you crank it up.

 

[sawinredneck]

Wish I could have used a plasma but with 7/8" to 1 1/2" plate (we'd already torn 1/2" to shreds) it was beyond a "reasonably rentable" machine! We seriously shopped machine shops for a water jet to cut parts! That was even out of reach)

 

[Johndirt82]

I had no problem with that pro cut 60 it did 7/8 plate clean. It was 122 for a week. Water jet would be nice but thats way pricey to get done.

 

[Steve2910]

$250? no way, not for something decent.
I recently built one and am glad i did but, there are costs you are not looking at. Little things like hoses $100+, fittings $100, hydraulic fluid
$75 . Plus all the real things you need. Steel, engine, pump, cylinder, valve, axle, hitch, wheels tires. Some parts are not worth buying from a junk yard.
I went with a trailer house axle my dad had laying around, the wheels and tires were $15 a piece. I already had all of the steel used in my splitter build.
Some people don't add shop costs but they are there. Wire, rod, oxyacetylene, grinder wheels, etc. I am all for building your own anything, i have trailers, bbq's, furniture, artwork, fencing, lots of homemade projects. But if i am going to spend the time and ANY money its going to be a quality job that i will not have to do again next year.

Not trying to discourage you here but don't build a piece of **** just cause it was cheap. Thats exactly what you will have. Chances are you will be replacing many of the used parts in no time. :bang:

I am curious to see what you come up with.

My $0.02

I have about $250 invested in mine. Started w/ a non-running MTD (tonnage unknown, GPM unknown, guessing 4.5" cyl) which was a freebee. Added a GX 240 (used) for $200, changed fluid, new filter.

Also fabbed a slip-on 4 way, but since that wasn't part of the OP's build, we can leave that out of the equation.

A friend of mine rescued one from a scrap heap last year for $100. I rebuilt it for his brother w/ a NEW GX 200. It's nowhere near the splitter mine is, but including my labor bill, he has under $500 invested in a functional machine w/ a new honda GX engine.

My point is: if you're patient, you can often find something to rebuild/mod cheaper than starting from scratch & having to scavenge all the parts one at a time.

Also, look on CL, I've seen several "failed projects" on there for cheap. Somebody had done a lot of leg-work rounding up components, then lost interest.

Just my 2C

 

[triptester]

With patience in locating the right parts a relatively inexpensive splitter can be built.
Because you have a 5.5 hp. engine a 11gpm 2-stage pump would be best. A 4"bore cylinder with 2" rod will give reasonable cycle times and produce enough tonnage for most wood if the wedge is kept narrow, one inch, and sharp.
A used boat trailer can make a good base with suspension for mounting the beam, engine, and reservoir.
Hoses and fittings can be found at farm supply stores at very reasonable prices.

Good luck

Jerry

 

[blades]

just a note as stated prior, to get real strengh out of the I beam you will need to box the flanges, I chose a slightly different route just because of that ( bending and twisting the xyz out of the original beam) so I used 2 4x6, .25" walled x 6ft rectangular tubes welded together and then welded a 3/8" plateon top of that including plug welds through the 3/8 plate to the beam, wedge on end of beam welded to the tubes and the plate, put 1" angle iron on the sides for the push plate to follow. There is a lot of force on the top area of the push plate( splitting big rounds) so make it longer than it is high.

 

[Bootjack Chris]

I say go for it! I'm glad to see someone who is willing to scavange some parts and do some late nights in the shop.
post pics and keep a log to keep track of costs.

Personaly I don't include costs of electricity, welding gas, wire or grinding wheels for that matter.....lol (i figure i already have them in the shop) Plus for me it's very satisfying to say "I built this" Another thing I have found it's easier for me to spend a little at a time then to drop retail on something. (I don't finance my toys)

Thanks, Spent yesterday gathering parts and pieces.

So far the list is

1 H beam 7 40 pound? (I think, it is heavy) H beam $125
1 small piece of 3/4" thick plate about one foot square $12 for wedge center
1 4 foot piece of 1/2" x 4" angle for wedge sides
1 5 foot piece of 1/2' x 4 steel attaching ram to beam and to use as pusher $30 with the angle
1 4x8 piece expanded metal ??? It was free don't know what I will do with it
1 Motor I think I paid $50 for it at a garage sale. It is an 8 hp unit. I started to use the 5.5 I have and think it is too small for the job
1 hydraulic ram from old garbage truck 5 inch $20
1 hydraulic pump from old garbage truck ?? GPM $30
2 old hoses and 1 new thrown in with the pump
1 old hydraulic lever $5
2 spindles and axle from old cotton trailer and two fifteen inch rims with old tires picked for FREE
1 5 gallon hydro tank that used to be gas tank from a shaker FREE
I have a trailer tongue, chains, and I think some grade 8 bolts...
Still need a few more odds and ends

Got the axle welded to the beam today and have made the wedge. I sharpened the wedge with a cutting torch . Hopefully this will be splitting wood Saturday. If pics aren't hard to post I'll post some. My camera died two weeks ago and have been hemming and hawwing about getting another one. This is the year for things breaking let me tell ya!

I think I will have around $350 in it all said and done. I guess even Mr. Cheap could not get it done as cheap as I want.

 

[moose5180]

Good deal, i am curious to see it.
I enjoy seeing the different takes on home made splitters.
For the money you saved you can buy that camera and show us some pics.

 

[DIESELBOB]

building a splitter

Well I built a splitter about 12 years ago. I had a 18 hp briggs opposed twin with a horizontal crank. I used a 16gpm pump from
Northern tool. Also got a good valve from there also. I thought this would be really fast. Picked up a used 41/2 inch cylinder with
a 23/4 rod from a railroad salvage co. I used two up rights from a fork lift carriage welded together to form a box with 3/4 thick
edges sticking out like a beam. Used a pair of Mustang front spindles I had welded them to a tube for a axle. Bought a pair of
leaf springs from a trailer dealer that came with the shackles. Built small frame with used square tubing. I thought this setup
would be the cats as#. Well it was allright but the pump never shifted. Tank was a 40 #
propane tank with a strainer on top and in take hose fitting on the bottom. Worked so so for 6 months but never felt it shift.
One really cold morning I went out started the rig up and split 2 rounds and the thing locked up. I thought it was the engine
but there was a little slack in the lovely joint. Pulled the pump apart and it was junk. Was it a machining sliver or a weld bb?
Well I do not know it was a mess in there. I even put a magnet in the bottom of the the so this would not happen. Took engine
off put on a 5 hp briggs flathead. Used a 98 dollar pump from Fleet Farm and that will split any thing I can give it. If it does
not split it will cut right trough it. I will have to take some pics.

 

[Rio_Grande]

Only concern I have is your hydraulic pump. A 2 stage (doubt it is a 2 stage) would require a 60hp motor to run it direct. To match your 8 hp you might look for a 16 gpm 2 stage or get a bigger motor.

I am looking forward to seeing it too.

 

[Iron man]

Don't know how long your H beam is but 740lbs is heavy.The cylinder sounds like a good deal and if its trouble free your way ahead of the game.The pump I would bet is a high flow unit because they need to move from one spot to another quickly to get the job done.If it has a tag with some #s you could try and google it to find out the specs on it.If the valve is an open center you should be ok with that if the flow is adequate for what the pump puts out.

 

[DIESELBOB]

home made splitter

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[Johndirt82]

I think he meant 7ft @40lbs per foot. Thats exaxtly what I have. I can make it flex n twist a little even with the ends boxed, nothin serious though. Its a good choice for a splitter.

 

[kyle1!]

bump

Lets see some updates :msp_thumbsup:

Brian