First Splitter?

[magnumtoy]

Hey all, newbie here, first day posting on the forum. Glad there is a forum for those who fell, split and burn their own.

I'm going to bite the bullet and pay for a splitter to replace my soon to be sore shoulders. I split about 4-5 cords a year for home burning - anything I can get my hands on... oak, locust, maple, cherry seems to be most prevalent here abouts. I've worked with a cousin's splitter, a Timberwolf 4-way that would go through anything, not sure what the tonnage was. Can't afford those, though.

I've been looking at the Huskees, Troybilts, Swisher, Northstar (Northern tool). Is 20 or 22 tons too small to really consider? I don't mind splitting the little stuff w/ the maul, but I'd surely like a splitter to be able to do the big stuff 18" and bigger, plus the stringy. notty stuff. Should I really go bigger, 27 tons and higher? Can anybody recommend other makes? I really can't afford a monster.

I'd love the idea of having a 4-way wedge, but the only ones I see that take it are larger models which I can't really afford. Which leads me to another question; if I get a 20 ton model, can I make my own slip-on wedge to go 4 ways or am I asking a "boy to be a man"?

Also, what opinions do you guys have on horizontal vs vertical splitting? It seems to me the horiz/vert interchangable models have the wheels right friggin' in the way of where you'd be loading the wood while splitting in the horizontal mode. Vertical mode seems like you'd constantly be moving the split pieces away from the splitter, whereas in horiz mode they can at least fall and accumulate on the ground for a while. Opinions?

Some nice homemade splitter pics out there! Is it worth building your own? I have some tech experience and a buddy with a welder. Might that be a way to go?

Thanks guys, sorry for the elementary splitter questions.

 

[DDM]

I used to have a splitter from northern used it for about 3 yrs and never had a problem.Wish i hadnt sold it but i thought i was out of the wood business. I like a horizontal splitter because i use a conveyor at the end of the splitter and a machine with the wedge on the ram drops the wood out the wrong end.I purchased a 4 way slip on from northern for some reason they have a bead of weld inside the V which in turn pressed flat spots on the wedge on my splitter. That Really irritated me to say the least. I'll have to remachine it.
Unless you want a high speed splitter you would probably be better of buying a 1000.00 dollar machine from northern because by the time you purchase all you components you will have close to that in it any way. Ebay is a good place to purchase components very reasonably.
Magnum Welcome to the forum !!!!!!

 

[SmokinDodge]

Welcome to the site!

My opinion on the splitter is buy one capable of doing what you need. it sounds like the Northern might fit the bill. Use the summer you would have spent fabricating a homemade splitter having fun and splittin' wood.

I built a splitter I'm proud of but there are always changes and revisions being made. It can be a rewarding experince to build one but it takes plenty of time and it still cost plenty. I used as many recylced materials as possible and it still ended up costing me around $700 including a new pump and valve. All the steel was free from a dismantled bridge, the cylinder cost me $50, and all the hoses were free I just had to cut them to length and add one end. It is not cheap either way.

Here's a pic for ya

 

[snowfreak]

I'm running a 27 ton Troy-built I bought from Lowes. I'm sure on some of the straight grain wood it could handle a 4 way but certainly not the stringy stuff. I have yet to find a piece of wood that it would not split but there has been numerous times when the piston would stall out and I would have to move the round until I found a weak spot.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Heres mine. Built like a tank, and cost about as much as one too. Im sure though it will be the only one I ever own. The tractor frame is my recent modification, makes it easy to get around now.

 

[turnkey4099]

I agree with many things in this thread:

Build your own? You won't save any money especially if you have to buy much of the parts. Bennie of DIY is you can customize it.

Verticle splitters - not for me. Every one I have seen, actual or picture, does put the wheels, etc. right in the way of the operator. Truth be told that is true of many commercial horizontal only ones also. Even the thought of having to bend that far over to position each piece turns me off - it is bad enough on a horizontal. At least on a horizontal you can toss the split pieces out of the way without bending over to pick em up.

Wedge on ram: NO! I have had chunks fly 4 to 6 ft when they suddenly 'pop'. wedge on ram throws them right at the operator.

Harry K

 

[Butch(OH)]

Building your own is the way to go IF you have the means and a few parts laying around. My splitter fits my needs perfectly but probaly would be next to worthless for many. Notice no lawn mower motor to maintain and listen to. Runs off of one of my many small tractors PTOs, just the hum of the pump to listen to. Tractor is operated just above idle and chain drive speeds up the pump shaft RPMs Also notice horizonal only, vertical beams are for young strong backs, I cant work bent over any more. Also notice the wedge travels not the block. Large peices that need re split dont have to be pulled back into position as they do when the wedge is staionary. Two log lifters added. Reason being I could not figure out which side would be best. Lifter cylinder floats between the lifters, pin one side and the other lifts. Total outlay was about $300, scrounging can be profitable. My 4 way wedge slips over the two way and is not perfected. Bad side of PTO power is splitter is of no use to anyone without a tractor to run it,, did i say that was bad?? LOL.

<IMG SRC=http://www.tractorshed.com/gallery/iphotos/i2938.jpg>

 

[magnumtoy]

Thanks for your replies. Some nice splitters you guys got there. I guess I should get some hands on time on a vertical model to see how the wood reacts in it. It sounds from the comments that they are harder/backbreaking to load, but when having to split a pc numerous times the driving wedge "hangs on" to the pc and pulls it back and thus easier to re-load for 2nd try? I can also see how the driving wedge is a bit more dangerous. Plus, no chance for a 4 way on the driving wedge.

The Ramsplitter horizontal 25 ton, $1550 delivered, seems to give me what I might want. Does anyone have one that can comment? Looks like it might take some mods for a 4 way and more tonnage than the Norther 20 tons but not as expensive as a 30 ton. I like the layout; no tires right in the way of the operator area, but no log holder tho, (easily fixed I guess with a little scrap & welding). All the other horiz/vert models have that damn tire in the way.

Any other comments? Thanks. If I had some of the components around, I'd build exactly what I want, but I've priced them and it's not much savings. I think the ram comes close.

Help!! I'm in "analysis paralysis".

 

[ironhead]

Building your own is the way to go IF you have the means and a few parts laying around. My splitter fits my needs perfectly but probaly would be next to worthless for many. Notice no lawn mower motor to maintain and listen to. Runs off of one of my many small tractors PTOs, just the hum of the pump to listen to. Tractor is operated just above idle and chain drive speeds up the pump shaft RPMs Also notice horizonal only, vertical beams are for young strong backs, I cant work bent over any more. Also notice the wedge travels not the block. Large peices that need re split dont have to be pulled back into position as they do when the wedge is staionary. Two log lifters added. Reason being I could not figure out which side would be best. Lifter cylinder floats between the lifters, pin one side and the other lifts. Total outlay was about $300, scrounging can be profitable. My 4 way wedge slips over the two way and is not perfected. Bad side of PTO power is splitter is of no use to anyone without a tractor to run it,, did i say that was bad?? LOL. How about a couple close up pictures of your splitter? I'd like to see how your PTO is set up. Gary

 

[Butch(OH)]

The speed up drive is simply a large sprocket for #50 (I think) chain driving a smaller sprocket on the pump shaft. May take a day or two but I will take and post a picture of the drive. Butch

 

[danrclem]

If you have a Tractor Supply near you they sell Huskees. I have one and it's not a bad splitter (22 ton I think). You wouldn't want to put a 4-way wedge on it though. In the big knotted nasty wood I have to go slow with it.

Danny

 

[turnkey4099]

Butch: That is one neat splitter!! As for the bending over bit, I will be calling what I hope is still a local welder (he closed his shop but I hear he still does welding) to cut my splitter apart and raise it at least 9". The armiture is just below knee level and at 71 all that bending over really gets my back.

Harry K

 

[Butch(OH)]

Butch: That is one neat splitter!! As for the bending over bit, I will be calling what I hope is still a local welder (he closed his shop but I hear he still does welding) to cut my splitter apart and raise it at least 9". The armiture is just below knee level and at 71 all that bending over really gets my back.

Harry K

71 and still fooling with wood is impressive, my hat is off .

When I built mine the first thing I did was hoist the main beam to my comfortable working height. I then had the boys tack some angle irons to hold it here and built the splitter, might be off a 1/2" or so due to squish in the tires, LOL.

 

[tree pusher]

I bought my splitter on a farm auction for 400 (canadian).
I don't know what tons but it's horizontal,10 inch I beam and tractor powered(not pto).
It could be a little faster but type of tractor makes a big difference,But it's splitting oak 20 inch long x 24 inch thick so it will do.
I now know how to improve for the one I make.

 

[turnkey4099]

71 and still fooling with wood is impressive, my hat is off .

.

71 doesn't automatically make you decrepit but it has come close in my case. The major effect so far is slowing down and not doing as much each session. It is rare now to come home with a full load and I usually don't last more than about 4 or 5 hours out there cutting/loading/brushing. I am now trying to build up a reserve of wood for the time I can see coming where the saws will be retired. Have around 30 cord out there now.

Since 'wooding' is the only exercise I get, I try to do all my splitting with wedge/sledge/maul. Last week with the temps in the high 80s/low 90s it was just too much so I fired up the splitter again. Plan to go back to manual when it cools down some.

Harry K