Please post pics of your splitter in action...

[Strattz]

I'm going to recommend that you try putting the tips of the lifting tongs on the ends of the round rather than trying to dig into the bark and most likely tear out at the worse time. I found it works a lot better for us to dig the tips into the solid ends.

The tongs will not open that far. I cut my firewood 40-42 inches long.

 

[mhyme71]

good beer

Pabst is good american beer. Red White and Blue right on the label. No norwegian owned king of american beer bullcrap at my house!!

 

[Suz]

The tongs will not open that far. I cut my firewood 40-42 inches long.

I guess I realized that after I took another look at some of your pictures.
What sized winch are you using on your lift? I've got a 3000# on mine which I bought used and I think it is a little "over rated", or tired, because it struggles with some of those big hunks.

 

[johnha]

Pabst is good american beer.

I honestly don't know how you can put the word GOOD in that sentence.

 

[Strattz]

Pabst is good american beer. Red White and Blue right on the label. No norwegian owned king of american beer bullcrap at my house!!

I Agree 100%.... Good American Beer!!!! Bud sucks...

 

[Marc]

I honestly don't know how you can put the word GOOD in that sentence.

Because it's a family site?

Real beer doesn't have rice in it. S'all I gotta say.

 

[giXXer]

My favorite as well, but was having trouble splitting firewood 3.5 feet long!!

I agree completely. The 16 incher's aren't too bad to bust up. Some of the larger rounds that I run into end up getting cut 5-8 inches thick so I can still move them by hand and end up being pretty easy and fun to split. Unfortunately I end up with small chunks that are impossible to stack neatly.

 

[Deereman76]

Well I am a recent convert to all wood heat. This will be my second year. I don't sell firewood as of yet anyway so all I need is for personal use. My son dose a lot of the work and this is a splitter he got at a farm auction for $300.

All we care about right now is enough for this winter. I do feel lucky we have such a nice area to work in. One of my granddads old tractors is perfect for this job.

Did you convert your Control Valve for Closed Center operation? That tractor looks like a model that would have Closed Center Hydraulic system..... If you switch the valve to closed center, it Will work MUCH better.

What Model Tractor is it? I can tell from that what hydraulic system it has....

 

[beerman6]

The tongs will not open that far. I cut my firewood 40-42 inches long.

Do you have any bearings in the hoists vertical upright or is it just a good fit with a bunch of grease?

I see it swivels.

 

[gandrimp]

1964.. 1020
Please explain closed center. I have mechanical experience but my Hyd knowledge is limited.

Closed center blocks the oil flow when in nuetral position at the valve which inturn nuetralizes the hydraulic pump. The 1020 does appear to be a closed center system. If useing the wrong valve (dont freak out just yet) the closed center hydraulic system cant flow enough oil to keep up with an open center system valve. To check your valve on the splitter, there should be a plug around where your hoses go in or out of the valve, if its a closed center valve it will have CC stamped in it. Hope this helps some.

 

[gandrimp]

Going out to look at it now. Could this be why the lever I activate the hyd with keeps shutting off? brb

Possibly. You may need to bungie the handle to keep it in position.

 

[gandrimp]

In the last picture the one of the splitter. The big 90 degree fitting on the side of the control valve.Right in frontof that fitting theres a plug its shinier that the rest. Look on it for the CC.

 

[unclemoustache]

What I want to know is how the OP managed to get 8 pictures into one post????

 

[Strattz]

Do you have any bearings in the hoists vertical upright or is it just a good fit with a bunch of grease?

I see it swivels.

Just a nice fit with a bunch of grease. It works great, but will freeze up if you get a bunch of rain before the cold. I just bring it in the shop to thaw...

 

[Strattz]

What I want to know is how the OP managed to get 8 pictures into one post????

8 is the max...

 

[Deereman76]

Certainly a Closed Center Tractor.

I want you to look at the tractors Transmission Filter Housing. (Under your right foot, bolts up to the bottom of the trasmission case, 3/4" wrench required) Most of these housings have a threaded port on them. Is there a hydraulic hose running to the port?

If yes, then you should be able to run an open center valve without hurting the tractor. If no, then after running it for a short time, the cylinder can start "Jumping" this is really the main pump running out of oil, and is very hard on the pump.

Anyway, it is aClosed Center tractor, and you should switch the valve over anyway. "Most" Splitter valves, the "outlet" from the splitter valve is 3/4 inch pipe threads. If you take the Hose off, and the Fitting out, you will see either A) a Pipe plug, or B) a threaded hole that might take a 1/2 " pipe plug.
If A, you are already set up for Closed center, rock on. If B, then put a pipe plug in it, then you are set! It is that easy!


Also, Here is some technical Info on the tractor.

http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/000/0/6/65-john-deere-1020.html

 

[Iron Mike]

Because it's a family site?

Real beer doesn't have rice in it. S'all I gotta say.

Real beer is brewed at home. New Glarus brew is good, but I like my red rya ale better!

 

[beerman6]

Just a nice fit with a bunch of greese. It works great, but will freeze up if you get a bunch of rain before the cold. I just bring it in the shop to thaw...

Awesome,thanks.

I have one of those Harbor Freight pick-up bed cranes mounted to the tongue of my trailer and it works great for getting to wood out of the trailer to the splitter,but I need one by the splitting area for wood that dont arrive via my trailer.

 

[gandrimp]

Deereman may be on to somethin, but I know nothing about that style of valve.

 

[Deereman76]

I will get a chance later today to take another look but I think you may be right because I have been having some issues with the cyl jumping. I got it to stop by increasing the RPM a little but I don't want to harm my tractor so I will stick with this until I am sure what is needed to get this right.
Thanks again....looks like you may have saved me a problem.

Good! That Cylinder Jumping is really bad for your pump. Another Cheap & Easy fix would be to Plumb the return from the Splitter into the Hydraulic Filter Cover(assuming you have a port there) This will dump all the return oil into the Charge Circuit, solving the Jumping Problem. You may have to do that anyway if you do Intense Splitting.

Here is What the Filter cover looks like:
http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_tr...raulic+Filter+Cover&_sacat=See-All-Categories

This one has no Port on it, I have no Idea if yours will, or not.

But first things first, get the Valve rigged up for Closed Center, that will do more good than anything.