Need some help with old hay elevator converting for wood.

[93green12v]

I picked up an old new holland hay elevator and I'm having issues with the wood getting stuck and the chain breaking or engine stalling. This one has wooden sliders the chain slides on that the wood get caught on. Looking for help to make this thing work.
Thanks.

 

[fubar2]

If its on an incline and not level probably feeding it too hard. What its used to would most likely average around 40-45 pounds a bale or so and skip every second or third maybe fourth rung. Don't know what to tell ya about the sliders.

 

[93green12v]

The elevator is definitely not on level ground so I'll start with that. What's your opinion on a 3 hp Briggs running it? Would I be better off to run a big pulley on the engine or a small one? I set it up like I bought it motor has a small one that drives a larger one on the elevator.

 

[fubar2]

I didn't mean so much on level ground although I suppose it would contribute. I meant how much is the elevator inclined. How high are you taking them from ground level. I got no idea if you are loading fifty foot silos, pickups or high wall dumps. Damn now I bumped a key and writing funny. It is easy to imagine how you could overload it with wood which is far heavier than hay or straw in the first place.
Don't ask me about pulley ratios. I keep all the old ones I can find and find something that feels right. I'm sure they have charts online. Bales don't travel all that fast. Slow walking pace maybe. 3hp is pretty meager. I'd guess at least 5hp and up. Less incline less power it takes.

 

[fubar2]

If you don't find your answer on drive pulley and driven I'll go down and look at my drillpress later. Can't pull the answer out of my head right now. I'm thinking small on driver so maybe your elevator is telling you something.

 

[jr27236]

That motor is definitely too small. If you have one laying around that is bigger I'd go swap it out first and give her another go, but if your chain is binding on something you need to resolve that first or you'll just be stalling out a larger motor and definitely snapping more links. As for the pulleys the smaller on the motor allows the engine to run at full rpms without lugging and the larger up top provides the pull torque for the load, I'd leave them alone...... Fix the binding, change to more dependable motor.

 

[93green12v]

Fubar 2 I'm just going about 12 foot or so the elevator is as low as it can go.

jr27236 the 3hp is what I had kicking around and was free. I'll be on the look out now for something bigger.

Any recommendations on a centrifugal clutch pulley? Maybe this is a sign as to the 3hp being to small. The belt needs to be disengaged before I can start the motor.

 

[cmsmoke]

I have a Harbor Freight Predator 6 HP on mine that runs just a hair above idle. Leave the drive belt loose enough to slip in the event of a snag. I have only had to stop and clear it once or twice in the 4 years I have used it processing about 4-1/2 cords/year. Mine travels about 18"/second. It has a 2-1/2" pulley on the engine to a 14" pulley on a jack shaft connecting to a 12 tooth sprocket driving a 60 tooth sprocket, which drives the conveyor sprockets and chains. My conveyour is 24' long and 18" wide with steel paddles. It was 36' long originally, but it was bent up prety good, so I shortened it. When I split it may get at most, 4 or 5 pieces of wood running up it at a time.I'll bet that 3 HP will be more than enough with a little steeper gearing than mine, so that it runs about half throttle.
Edit: Mine is geared low enough to start with the belt on. I did incorporate an idler pulley to tighten the belt and engage the power, but found I didn't need it, so a light spring keeps the belt tension just right.

 

[fubar2]

Predator is a good engine for the bucks. I'm still thinking about it but don't remember ever seeing one that had a clutch. Neighbor had one sitting near the road the other day, if its still there the next time I'll stop and check. I haven't worked around one for years and always on hay or straw plus a level barn floor or near to it. I know my bil had one he rigged up for firewood but I've never seen it and don't see him often. Hey go to offtopic thread and start yelling for Marco he'd prob know.

 

[fubar2]

Or farm and garden somebody would know.

 

[93green12v]

I thought of making a hand clutch to engage it. Just a simple lever with a pulley to tension the belt.

 

[cantoo]

I run a 1/2 hp electric on mine. Sounds like cmsmoke has the same drive as mine, belt to chain final drive. I use a speeco splitter and I might have 2 rounds worth of splits on it at a time. So 3 rounds that are 18" split into 8 pieces of ash. I also keep my belt loose so it slips when it gets caught. A gas motor would be way to fast unless it's pullied down. I would bet the 3 will be fine as long as you jack shaft it and slow that baby down. I think that mine is too fast and would like to slow it down someday.

 

[cantoo]

I set a long 2x10 onto the motor bracket and the ground on mine and put a heavy round on the board to provide tension. I set the board up the 2x10 until it just stops slipping then start splitting.

 

[sam-tip]

I had a gas motor on my 45 ft Kewanee elevator but it was to much power with clutch and chain drive. Kept breaking things. Switched to electric with belt. Now if it jambs I blow a fuse or squeal the belt. Run it off a Honda generator.

I changed to smaller pulley on motor to slow it down even more. Large pulley is 14 inch. Small pulley is 3/4.

Thinking of removing every other paddle hoping it will not jamb so much. If the piece are just the right lenght to run up sideways it will get stuck.

Don't use it much but when we do it is fed with at least 4 splitters.

 

[BIG JAKE]

If you go with a clutch on that motor I'd recommend the Hilliard extreme duty. They engage around 1800 RPM on the engine shaft if I remember right. Electric motors are pricey. The clutch is around 120 bucks too. Might have to play with your driven pulley to get your conveyor speed right, dunno. A lot of the go cart people run this and I have one on my bandsaw mill. Keep all your bearings and things lubed good to free up horse power. Good luck

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

I had a gas motor on my 45 ft Kewanee elevator but it was to much power with clutch and chain drive. Kept breaking things. Switched to electric with belt. Now if it jambs I blow a fuse or squeal the belt. Run it off a Honda generator.

I changed to smaller pulley on motor to slow it down even more. Large pulley is 14 inch. Small pulley is 3/4.

Thinking of removing every other paddle hoping it will not jamb so much. If the piece are just the right lenght to run up sideways it will get stuck.

Don't use it much but when we do it is fed with at least 4 splitters.

Woah that thing is hauling butt! The 2 conveyors we use off the processors are easily 1/2 that speed and still plenty quick.

 

[sam-tip]

This video is after I changed the motor pulley. It was to fast.

The big one is 70 ft. Made a big pile with both conveyors running.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Nice setup!

They sure are expensive. I have a 20ft off my processor and it was close to $10,000.

Last year a guy kept bugging me to buy his Timberwolf? Splitter and a 25ish ft conveyor for $30k. I don't doubt he had that into it.
The year before that though he was going around saying he was going to put all the firewood guys out of business with his setup.

 

[93green12v]

I think speed was some of the problem with bad bearings and a loose chain. I was just looking to break stuff. Thanks everyone for all the help so far. When I get out to my wood pile I'll take some pics or video of it running.

 

[Streblerm]

We us a couple of unmodified elevators strictly for firewood. Both have electric motors on them. They are both set up with a belt drive on the motor running a chain drive for a double gear reduction. We rarely have a problem with jams. I think the trick is keeping the belt loose so if it does get bound up it will slip before breaking something.