Splitter Log Lift

[woodfirst]

Has anyone had experience making a log lift for their splitter? I would like to make my own but don't know where to start. Any help with materials, design, hydraulics etc would be much appreciated. I have a very heavy duty splitter and can compensate for the weight balance.

 

[mdlmjohnson]

I'm just starting a log splitter building project and am planning to put a log lifter on it. Will be happy to share ideas with you. My plan is to hinge mount the lift arm (on operator's side) just below the upper flange of the beam. (Has to be a bit below, because can't interfere with the ram's travel.)

The lift arm will be dimensioned so that, when the splitter is at the operating height I like (it's a 3ph mounted splitter), the arm extends diagonally down to ground level and then out for about 18" so that you can roll the log onto it.

An hydraulic cylinder will be mounted from the lower flange to the inboard portion of the lift arm at a point to minimize the required force and length of travel. Length of stroke will be determined by the amount of extension necessary to raise the lift arm enough to roll the log onto the inboard portion of the arm and thence to the splitter beam cradle.

I don't think that that is going to require a very large bore cylinder. Even a 2" cylinder, operating at 2750psi, will generate over 8600# force, which ought to be more than sufficient to raise the lift arm and even the largest log I could put on it. I haven't calculated the force vectors because it is obvious that that is orders of magnitude more than is needed. Moreover, you only need sufficient force to start the arm moving up since, as the arm raises, the vertical componant increases and thus the required force decreases. I'm no engineer, but I THINK that that's right.

BTW, the splitter I am building is also going to be pretty heavy duty; 8x8 58#/ft H beam, 28gpm 2 stage barnes pump driven by my tractors 22pto hp running through rpm increasing gearbox and pulleys to get pump rotation up to 3500rpm and 30 gal hydraulic reservoir, 5x20x2.5 cylinder, full automatic cycle ram valve with power beyond to operate additional cylinders to adjust interchangeable 4-way and 6-way splitters and the log lift.

If you have "power beyond" on your ram valve, that is probably the best, and safest way to go to run the log lift hydraulics. I'm assuming that you have an open center system. I have a thread started with more detail in the "build it yourself" forum on www.tractorbynet.com. I go by the same moniker there.

I also assume that you have cutting and welding capability or access to same. I think you'd want to be able to weld and cut 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 1/4" angle iron and medium weight expanded steel to form the bed.

Hope some of this helps. Feel free to PM or post further if I can be of help.

 

[chaikwa]

I've attached a few pics of my log lift. Maybe they'll help you get ideas for what you want to do. Granted, mine is a little on tha large side, but you could scale it down for whatever size you might need.

If I can give you measurements or anything, just lemme know.

Hope this helps!

chaikwa.

 

[woodchop]

Pictures of lift

If you need more detailed pictures, just let me know. Cylinder was a reel lift cylinder on a John Deere combine. Valve is the same one as the splitting cylinder. I do have a flow control in the line to reduce lift speed. Lift will also raise the splitter tongue for easy hook-up to the truck.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Woodchop, did you make that dolly or buy it??

 

[woodchop]

Dolly

Woodchop, did you make that dolly or buy it??

Made it so I can pull the logsplitter in the woods with my fourwheeler. Need pictures?

 

[CaseyForrest]

Well, I have a good idea of what I need..Pictures would be cool too!

A couple questions.....Are you using a trailer coupler and ball as your hook up? And if so....how are you keeping the dolly from rolling over on itself? I want to make one because I am a one man operation and it would be alot easier to pull the splitter around like a wagon, rather than carrying the weight of the tounge will trying to walk backwards. Alot easier to winch it up in the trailer too...

 

[woodchop]

Dolly

Are you using a trailer coupler and ball as your hook up? Yes, 2" receiver.
How are you keeping the dolly from rolling over on itself? Center the ball on axle or a little bit before the axle(pivotpoint)

 

[CaseyForrest]

Thanks for the Pics.....Im not planning on using the dolly to hook to anything except my hand. It will merely be a way for me to pull it around without having to hold the weight of the splitter at the same time. I see what you meant about setting the ball slightly ahead of the axle.

 

[keaton64]

What size cylinder for the log lift?

I was wondering what size cylinder most are using for their log lifts.
I have some 3"x8"x1.5" and was wondering if they would work.

 

[Billhook]

I built this from scrap in the yard. Just be careful matching the cylinder with the pump! I had to put a restrictor in the line as I was using the teleporter hydraulics which are powerful!


After restrictor valve steady lift but lifting enough logs to raise over a box or trailer with the teleporter and operate with the remote control


Several changes from the prototype where I intended to use the bucket crowd mechanism to lift a whole log for easy sawing but now I realise that we have very few absolutely straight trees here so I need to deal with big rounds.
We had an old truck crane with a manual pump and one ton lift, so I fitted that and it can also lift a heavy log without the table


This is the original Lockdown Splitter where the idea was to take a wind blown Ash tree from the woods to the stove without me having to do any lifting, just a little not too difficult rolling! I had to build it during our rather severe first covid lockdown in 2021, so everywhere was shut and I had to use what I had in the farmyard and workshop

 

[sirbuildalot]

Bill,
This thread is from 16 years ago

 

[Billhook]

It would help if I bothered to read the date of posting! Sorry about that obviously becoming senile!