Anyone add a log lift?

[husky455rancher]

As I age I’ve been trying to do things smarter and beat up my body less. I have a 16-30 ton (I forget) Ram splitter I bought many years ago for maybe a grand brand new. I’ve done a lot of modifications to it over the years to make I better. I’ve been wondering if I could/should add a log lift or not. I’ve already welded a table on the side of the splitter so I would have to cut that off as well.

One thing I do like it’s light enough I can move it around by hand and put it in my shed. If I got a big one I’m not quite sure how I would move it into the shed. I really wouldn’t wanna leave it outside. But a 4-way might be nice too.

What do you say fellow firewooders?

 

[VW Splitter]

if you are running a horizontal splitter a log lift is a must. I enjoy standing upright while splitting. The more metal you weld to it the heaver it's gonna be. May need a lawn tractor to move it around. I would defiantly go for it.

 

[Woodchuck71]

I used the return stroke on mine to lift the logs.
Now mine is a 3 point tractor mount,be careful,a stand alone unit MAY tip.

 

[husky455rancher]

I was concerned hat it could flip over too. I see rugged made had a log lift kit but I think it’s like 300 bucks I think. I like the idea of the lift being a table while I split what’s loved into the beam. What do I need to but for a valve to make it independent of the rams movement?

 

[Woodchuck71]

Mechanical with no extra valves or cylinders.
Basically the rod that lifts the worktable is attached to the ram.
Then you can pin the table and the rod still moves but independently of the table.
I'll see if I can add pictures tomorrow

 

[Woodchuck71]

Google a 3 point log splitter with mechanical lift on YouTube.
Basically the same thing I built.

 

[NSMaple1]

I'm not sure I would want a log lift, on a splitter that can be moved around by hand easy. Mine is like that, which I really like. Have a feeling adding a lift to that would make for one really tippy rig when using the lift, and also would add enough (maybe unbalanced) weight so it couldn't be moved around by hand any more. If it was hooked to something all the time (like an ATV), maybe?

 

[sean donato]

Just need to put a out rigger on it. Not too terrible to do. You can also make it all detachable so it doesnt impede you being able to move it by hand.

 

[HadleyPA]

I bought a pickup lift from harbor freight which is basically a small cherry picker. I welded the tube that it sits on near the axle and over the cylinder of my splitter. This gives it stability when swung out to the side and added almost no tongue weight for moving around. I roll the big rounds beside the splitter and use a pair of log tongs then lift em up and swing them over to the beam and split em. Had less than a hundred in the whole setup being that I had the steel on hand that I used to attach it to the splitter. Not as fast as a lift but simple and cheaper and works like a charm and saves my back and a lot of noodling time.

 

[rancher2]

I myself wouldn't want to be without my log lift on my splitter. With that being said you aren't moving my splitter by hand but when were splitting I always have the skid loader right there to move trailers we are loading in and to push the pile of blocks closer to the splitter so moving the heavy splitter around is no problem. Since you want to keep your splitter light and move able by hand I would look into putting a small cherry picker on it that is remove able to keep your splitter light.

 

[vtfireman85]

Tuning in here i have a couple splitters I would love to add a lift to, when handling 4’ wood it gets heavy quickly.

 

[husky455rancher]

Just need to put a out rigger on it. Not too terrible to do. You can also make it all detachable so it doesnt impede you being able to move it by hand.

That’s what I was thinking so it dosent flip on me.

 

[husky455rancher]

I bought a pickup lift from harbor freight which is basically a small cherry picker. I welded the tube that it sits on near the axle and over the cylinder of my splitter. This gives it stability when swung out to the side and added almost no tongue weight for moving around. I roll the big rounds beside the splitter and use a pair of log tongs then lift em up and swing them over to the beam and split em. Had less than a hundred in the whole setup being that I had the steel on hand that I used to attach it to the splitter. Not as fast as a lift but simple and cheaper and works like a charm and saves my back and a lot of noodling time.

I thought about something like this too. I’m not sure if I would be patient enough to actually use it though.

 

[husky455rancher]

Mechanical with no extra valves or cylinders.
Basically the rod that lifts the worktable is attached to the ram.
Then you can pin the table and the rod still moves but independently of the table.
I'll see if I can add pictures tomorrow

Is this what your talking about? I think this would work great and I might be able to leave my table I welded on there. I just keep the pivot point just after the table. I’ll just have to runs up some wire and pulleys. Not really sure what I’ll use to build it. Maybe black pipe? It’s cheap enough.

 

[Woodchuck71]

Pulley and cable are a pain.
I built something similar with pulleys and kept bending.
Google what I typed in above and should come up with the similar one I built.
Not sure if I'm allowed to attach YouTube videos?
3 point wood splitter with mechanical lift.

 

[moresnow]

Just my opinion. If you need to manufacture a lift. If you need to move/roll/jockey a round onto a log lift. If you need to take time to hoist the round up on said lift. Take time to position it on the beam etc. Finally split the round.

Have you considered tipping the round under a vertical splitter? No engineering/manufacturing. Keep your ability to move the splitter by hand and retain easy storage.
Not trying to stir the soup or start a argument... But?
A thought.

 

[sean donato]

I use a very small horizontal splitter that strode about 6binches off the ground, hated it. Bent over all the time. Borrowed a friends horizontal/vertical splitter. Liked it in horizontal mode, but didnt like picking up the rounds all the time. Used it in vertical mode...... spent most my time hunched over again. No go for me, kills my back. Far easier to roll a log onto a life pull the lever and deal with it in the table. Imo hydraulic life would be far superior to the cable lift. More expensive, yes. Worth every penny when you can work standing straight up 90% of the time, amd not have to man handle the big splits so much.

 

[husky455rancher]

I don’t have a splitter that will do horizontal or vertical: I’ll have to go look at it and see if any ideas come to mind. I’ve never used a vertical splitter but it just looks like I’m gonna hurt my back hunching over like crazy.

 

[tla100]

I split probably 75% of time vertical. Back is ok yet. Big rounds roll in place better than trying to noodle or split in to manageable size then lift. Splitting out of flatbed or pickup box is the only time i split horizontal.

Throwing splits in totes is what gets my shoulders sore. But my 3.5 year old helped this year with that! He stood on a big round next to tote and I would hand him splits. Kept up pretty good!

I sit a lot on my knees for work, so this is not a problem splitting wood.

 

[NSMaple1]

Just my opinion. If you need to manufacture a lift. If you need to move/roll/jockey a round onto a log lift. If you need to take time to hoist the round up on said lift. Take time to position it on the beam etc. Finally split the round.

Have you considered tipping the round under a vertical splitter? No engineering/manufacturing. Keep your ability to move the splitter by hand and retain easy storage.
Not trying to stir the soup or start a argument... But?
A thought.

Agree 100%. If I get stuff that is too heavy to lift onto the beam, I just go vertical & halve or quarter a bunch then back horizontal to finish. Easy to roll a round to the foot then flop it over onto it. You can sit on another one too while splitting so you're not bending over. I do all my spltting right next to the tree where it fell, taking the splitter to the rounds. If I was doing a whole bunch in a yard where the rounds come to the splitter, then maybe a bigger heavier splitter with a lift would be something I'd be into.