Splitter question: which is more useful

[FlyingDutchman]

I did search, many of the threads no longer had pictures.

I have a home built splitter, it does not tilt, have a lot of big pieces I'd like to split without killing myself or noodling.

Splitter has a 2 place old tractor valve on it with a second section I could use for a log lift or a boom with a small winch.

Which is more useful, a boom type lift with a small cable winch, or, a single cylinder log lift?

In a jury rigged situation, how well (or not well) does a hydraulic gear pump or work as a motor? My current awful idea is to use a junky hydraulic pump that I have laying around and use it as a motor to drive a winch drum/cable from a 2000lb winch. I'd just release the winch drive to get the cable out to the next log. The outlet (high pressure) would be would be the inlet for the drive pressure. The suction side would be the outlet for the spent pressure. However, with a suspended load it could run back on itself and pressurize that side, possibly damaging the seals? And, for sure, its not going to suspend a load without leaking past without a brake or a stop of some kind.

A log lift is simple and can act as a staging table, but I have qualms about moving the splitter with all that extra weight hanging out there. A boom will let me keep the weight over the axle.

Always appreciate any input I get on my weird ideas here!

 

[ajelinek20]

I had a winch and boom and it sucked. I took it off and made a log lift table. Much happier. The lift is strong,faster and don't struggle. Plus you can use it as a table as stated. When we made out table we made it so we can change it from side to side depending on what side we want to work on. Next for me is a PTO winch with a hydraulics motor so I can drag larger logs to my splitter.

You need a hydraulic motor to power the winch. A pump is used to power to motor.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[dave_dj1]

While I have not used a boom and winch, I have a lift and couldn't imagine running my splitter without it. As stated above, just to stage a bunch of wood is so nice. I get some big stuff so it's nice for that too.

 

[Tiewire]

I have not used a splitter with a lift table, buy would not want to split without a table. I really like my boom, works great for me.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Yeah, just a TABLE alone would be nice. Its just the top of the I-beam for the log to set on now... And picking up off the ground or catching the pieces mid split. Not too fun. Mine has a fixed wedge and dumps the pieces on the trailer jack.

Original idea was a light winch and a fixed boom for some light skidding of the rounds from the pile to the splitter, AND putting them on.

So far, the lift table vote has it, though.

 

[VirginiaIron]

I installed a lift table on mine and it has been a night and day difference. I can process so much more wood and still have energy to do fun (ner) thingage afterwards.

I am going to incorporate a winch for moving rounds uphill.

 

[rancher2]

I have had both the boom came first it was a old boom off a tire service truck it worked good then the next splitter I built it with a log lift. I would never go back to a boom style lift.

 

[blades]

If I were to build another splitter, I would go with both, because trying to roll some of those big rounds around ( which weigh more than myself ) even with manual tools is a chore. But I get bye because i have a tractor with bucket , fork lift and an engine hoist, 12 volt winch, a come-a-long and a bunch of chains which about covers most scenarios for me. I have even used the long arm jack ( 34" lift) to lift the biguns up to beam height. Oops forgot I have a fixed table on the wedge end of the beam.

 

[VirginiaIron]

@Tiewire- thanks for posting a larger pic. I couldn't see it before

 

[muddstopper]

I like my boom with electric winch. My control cord is 20ft long so I can drag big rounds up to the splitter then just lift them on for splitting. Of course it will always come down to personal preference, but I dont like rolling large rounds around on the ground just to get them close enough to the splitter to put them on a lift. With the boom and winch, I just carry the tongs over to the round and walk back to the splitter as the winch does all the work.

 

[captjack]

I have a 70hp loader tractor so moving the big rounds is not really an issue. I will say I try not to deal with the 4ft or bigger rounds anymore - I'm a firewood snob - 2FT IS IDEAL lol - I feel in my experience that the log lift and table aft wedge are both really useful on a splitter. The lift. as mentioned before, not only picks up logs but is used as a staging area for splits. If/when you get one of those monster rounds and it passes past the wedge you just slide the one split back off the table onto the log lift that is level with the table. As the you continue to run the slits through the slitter to get them to the size you want you can keep staging them on the lift. I have a tw5 and if you have a person bringing rounds and stacking on the log lift and one person running the splitter you can crank out some wood in no time at all. This video kinda shows what I'm talking about -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-3WiEaQc9c&t=85s

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Split for 9 hours yesterday with up to 4 people. Only about 1/3 done with the rounds we had laying around. I'm just physically wrecked.

I was trying to picture how a boom/
winch would have helped. We were team lifting the bigger rounds which went pretty fast but became physically difficult pretty quickly. By 3pm my forearms were locked up pretty bad.

My original idea was exactly what mudstopper has, possibly it even came from one of his threads. Except that it would be a hydraulic winch to reduce the strain on the electric system. Generally we'd be using it a ton and doing long pulls, I really doubt the lawn mower engine charging system would keep up at all. I do have a full sized car battery on this thing, but still.

One thing about my splitter is it has a stationary wedge like a SuperSplit. Not only does it need a lift/staging table, it needs a production table off the end to catch split stuff for re staging. I think manually picking up or holding up the stuff that needs resplit was a huge pain.

So if I had a combination of the boom and electric winch and a hydraulic lift table and production table like blades proposed... Best of all worlds...

 

[muddstopper]

Heres the thing about electric winchs and batteries. While a small 2000-2500lb atv winch will pick up about anysize round you will come across, going with a bigger winch will reduce the amp draw on the battery. It all comes down to load. The closer the winch gets to max capacity the more amps it will pull from a battery and the quicker your battery will become dead. Also the closer the winch to max capacity, the slower the line speed. My splitter has a 25hp kholer with its standard charging system. I do have a marine grade full size battery on the machine. I have ran all day, draging 3-4ft dia rounds and have never had to wait on the battery. A 8000lb winch would certainy be overkill for firewood rounds, but a small stepup to a 4500lb winch will use less electricity than the 2500lb atv winch.

My boom/winch is a mechanic crane off a work truck. I dont know the actuall capacity, but it is strong enough it will pick up a 12in dia log 14ft long. I have used the boom and winch to hold a log off the ground while I buck it with the saw. I have also used the boom to winch logs from below the road, up into the road for bucking. It saves a bunch of toteing rounds up a steep hill and I can winch the whole log right up to the splitter in the time it would take me to carry one round up the bank.

Now the disadvantge of doing log winching with the boom is you have to choose your battles carefully. You have to keep the splitter hitched to the truck or it will be the splitter going to the log instead of the log to the splitter. Also if your splitter has a narrow wheel base, Mine is 6ft wide, the splitter can flip over. Also make sure the boom is well mounted to the splitter frame, I broke one boom off at the base and almost wiped out my engine when the boom crashed down across it. Do not be afraid to over build the boom mount and when you think its good enough, add a little more bracing.

Another tip for spltting big wood. When you lay the round on the beam, hook your log dogs to the side opposite that you stand on. This way, when the big round is split in half, you can let the half away from you just hang on your boom and your hands are free to catch the piece next to you. If you have help, it isnt that big of a deal, but working by yourself, using the boom to hang the half splits keeps you from having to walk around the machine to pick up the big half that fell off the other side.

 

[blades]

a lot of times with the biguns i will stage the tractor bucket on the off side so i do not have wrestle that half around again.

 

[VirginiaIron]

a lot of times with the biguns i will stage the tractor bucket on the off side so i do not have wrestle that half around again.

That is how I progressed. Then I used a low splitter to split the large ones then used the horizontal unit. Staging took about an hour each for setup and completion. Now, I think I have the best of both worlds. A low splitter to roll supers on and a lift/table for rounds that aren't too big.

 

[blades]

nice rig, i am thinking that the low beam folds up fot transport

 

[VirginiaIron]

nice rig, i am thinking that the low beam folds up fot transport

Yes

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Man, that's a great idea. Really nice rig! A friend was telling me his dad has an old Farm and Fleet splitter that sits really low. They just pile up splits and roll the rounds up the splits. Saves a lot of work. Backbreaking on the small stuff though.

Another "best of both worlds" scenario!

Mudstopper, thanks for the tip on the electric winches. Really good to know. Figured it would toast a battery in no time.

 

[VirginiaIron]

I think the lift is a must for any horizontal splitter. I lifted larger rounds for years and used the loader for those too big. The lift has changed the whole process for me and has left me with tons of time and energy to do other things. I have used the wing a few times for large multi- trunk rounds where a push-through wedge design was easier for the split.
Edit: I'm going to use a winch because sometimes it takes a lot of energy to get the round to the lift.

 

[Wood Doctor]

A few of you might find this device interesting. I made it in my shop using a pair of 30" gas springs that normally lift hatchback trunks, about $30 a pair. Although I originally designed it for the truck's tailgate, I lately have been using it for the log splitter. I have a resting table next to the log splitter's I-beam that's about the same height as my truck's tailgate. The idea is to let the gas springs do most of the work:

Note the wedges in the box that are needed for a counterweight.

There is also a lip in front of the log that it rolls over once up to height. A couple of carriage bolts serve as pins to secure it while the log is loaded onto the lifter. When you remove these two pins, the springs take over and lift it right up. A pair of door hinges are at the bottom. The log in the second Pic is about twice the weight of the log in the first Pic. I figure it's good for about 160 lb of assist and my aching back appreciates it.

Thanks for looking.