Maneuvring big diameter on the splitter with ease

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I get so much sawdust (and sometimes noodles from the business so I try to do less cutting. I have people come and take away my sawdust/ noodles but I still try to reduce the amount I produce so I don't waste time on cleanup, I like the floor clean. Plus it reduces my cost if I have to take it to the dump. I have some spots in my wood yard that flood so I've been using some for fill. I spread ashes, coffee grinds (and pee!) to break it down into dirt.
 
Ontario man rolls his big rounds to the splitter the same way I do. If you run saws for a living, every bit of noodling we don't need to do is fuel, fumes, and cutting time that can be avoided. Let the splitter reduce those monsters in one quick shot. If you like to noodle, go ahead. But it's unnecessary most of the time.
 
Ontario, here's a thread with some mods I made to my speeco 25. The extra tables are really handy for those big rounds, saves lifting them back up several times. Post #2 on this thread. My newest orange splitter is also on this one. https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/splitter-modifications.312350/#post-6323719
Here is some pics of splitting big maple rounds. Post #18. You might want to take a look at the video on post #35 too. https://www.arboristsite.com/commun...plitter-turn-them-things.348343/#post-7436263
 
Ontario man rolls his big rounds to the splitter the same way I do. If you run saws for a living, every bit of noodling we don't need to do is fuel, fumes, and cutting time that can be avoided. Let the splitter reduce those monsters in one quick shot. If you like to noodle, go ahead. But it's unnecessary most of the time.
This technique is good for wood species that splits easily, like this red oak. Noodling is good for those rounds that aren't gonna split right through or get finished off with the axe by your side as a helper
 
Ontario, here's a thread with some mods I made to my speeco 25. The extra tables are really handy for those big rounds, saves lifting them back up several times. Post #2 on this thread. My newest orange splitter is also on this one. https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/splitter-modifications.312350/#post-6323719
Here is some pics of splitting big maple rounds. Post #18. You might want to take a look at the video on post #35 too. https://www.arboristsite.com/commun...plitter-turn-them-things.348343/#post-7436263
Nice! I do have two of these machines, maybe I could modify one, but I get significant big diameter as my entire supply is city wood, trees that grow big because of lack of competition with other trees. Also, I rent out my splitters so adding extra metal will give me a problem loading the machine into my truck. They're still awkward and heavy even with the hydraulic tailgate and I've had them fall off and turn over twice on the way up. Broke the low pressure feed line once, but it was a good opportunity to change the fluid. I do it this way because these machines are not made to tow on the highway, no suspension. Note: They dont put much grease in the bearings so top em up.
 
Here's a simple way to maneuvre those big rounds on the splitter.


Way to time consuming to me. MS 660 and an 8lb fiskars I believe i could of cut it into length, noodled into halves through the center of the knot and finished split into many pieces in near the time it took for the little saw to cut the log in half. I have plenty uses for noodles, make great animal bedding in place of store bought shavings, some for starting fires, my dad used it for mulch. I don't like wrestling logs or a splitter but there are times it works better such as poor ground conditions or mostly stringy wood.
 
I have seen a lot of ways to deal with big rounds. I still haven't seen anything that works better than a boom mounted winch and a set of log dogs. Winch the round up on the splitter with dogs hooked in the ends, not the sides. Stop the trying to split the rounds in halves or quarters, just causes extra work. Set the whole round on the splitter beam and roll to the edge, just slabbing chunks off the sides. This way you dont have to unhook the dogs and the big pieces dont drop on the ground just to be picked up again for resplitting. Using a 4way wedge you get 4 decent splits and if you work it just right you dont have to respilt any of them. Did I mention you aint bending over and lifting those heavy rounds and you aint trying to roll them across the ground to get them to the machine. Also if the slabs have to be resplit, they stack nicely on the beam and depending on how tall your wedge is, you can stack 3 or 4 high and get 6 or 8 splits with every cycle.
 
Looks interesting.

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Looks a bit slow, but maybe good for a patient guy who does not have other options (tractor, skid steer, etc.). Having that large round up high does cause me some concern, if it, or the split off piece, drops unexpectedly. I assume that there is some care, and a learning curve, to break off pieces of the right size. But, again, could be the right thing for the right person.

Philbert
 
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