Follow up on "My 1st Log Splitter"

[magnumtoy]

Just thought I'd post a follow up on my first posting where I was asking advice on buying my first log splitter.

I ended up purchasing a 20 ton horizontal model from Nothern Tool with a 4-way slip on wedge. It's got a 5 hp honda on it, very quiet. They (northern) said the 4 way won't work with the 20 ton model, but I called the manufacturer before I bought and they said it fits and works well. The only thing you have to be careful of is that because the slip on shortens the length of the usable splitting area by a couple inches, you must be careful not to let the ram (which has the flat plate on it) extend all the way and hit the slip on. If using just the permanent blade wedge it stops just short of it, as it should.

It was (as of a few weeks ago) on sale; I think I paid $899 plus $200 in shipping. I was a little worried it would be too wimpy, especially trying to split 4 ways, but it works great. If I have a 20" dia log or larger, or a really gnarly one, I might remove the 4 way and break it up once before I put the 4 way on.

And what's great about the horizontal is you pull the splitter up to a pile and you can just load and split for a while, never having to move the cut pcs or the splitter for quite a while; as all the split pcs fall away from you. No pcs falling at your feet. I don't usually cut HUGE trees, so I figure anything I can load into the pickup I can load again onto the splitter; not really needing a vertical model for big pcs.

All in all, it's an excellent splitter if you're just a poor boy who can't spend too much. Call the manufacturer if you want to speak to someone who really knows about the machines... Northern really just sells them.

Love the forum. You guys rock. Thanks for your advice.

 

[cord arrow]

.....yeah, that's it in a nutshell.

horizontal splitters throw the splits away from ya.

only way to go.

that, and they're close to the ground.

i despise splitters with the wedge on the ram.

what, exactly, were they thinkin'?

perhaps they thought i have no legs and just kinda "hover" around the splitting area.

 

[farmboy9]

Hi, Magnumtoy, congratulations on your splitter. You have got a great price. I don't think you guys in America appreciate how much cheaper machinery is over there than in most of the world. A basic but well built 5hp splitter from a local company here in New Zealand is $7200 NZD, that's somewhere between $4000 and $5000 American. I have imported chainsaws, splitter pumps and control valves from the USA, paid freight and duty to bring them here and they still cost half of what they do in NZ. If they sold splitters here for $899, the salesmen would be killed in the rush. Enjoy.

Hi, Cord Arrow, my splitter has the wedge on the ram and for the big wood I work in (up to 36" across the piece, but it is true of wood bigger than 12/15") it works quicker. I have used the kind with the wedge on the beam, too, and they are good for medium small wood where you want to have it pushed into a pile but I have to say, small wood=small production because you simply have so many more pieces to bring to the splitter. The fixed wedges don't work well on big wood, you have to keep walking to the end and bringing it back to be split again. With the wedge on the ram, I have a big table across the way from me and a log lift beside me and I use the splitter to break the big pieces up into 3, one on the table, one on the lift and one in my hands. The pieces stay where they are when split, of course, that is the beauty. Then I chunk them, tossing the bits past the table. With 13hp, a lift, a smallish cylinder and a seven second full cycle, I can throw pieces one every three to six seconds, sometimes fifteen pieces of firewood in a minute or so without ever bending over or stepping along the machine. If you put those big pieces on the other kind of machine, you would be running to pick up the split bits and bring them back, and the large lumps would be hard to keep stable while they moved down the beam. Also, on those machines you usually have to go the full length of the ram; I can send the ram back as soon as the piece splits.This way is twice as quick in practice. Yup, I have to watch my feet and my hands, but hell, from falling the tree to driving a heavy ute and trailer combo, I think about what I am doing with firewood. But heh, each to his own, but that is what I was thinking about when I put the wedge on the ram; I thought I would make more money in less time and it has. But have a beer on me, it's only one opinion.

 

[turnkey4099]

Hi, Magnumtoy, congratulations on your splitter. You have got a great price. I don't think you guys in America appreciate how much cheaper machinery is over there than in most of the world. A basic but well built 5hp splitter from a local company here in New Zealand is $7200 NZD, that's somewhere between $4000 and $5000 American. I have imported chainsaws, splitter pumps and control valves from the USA, paid freight and duty to bring them here and they still cost half of what they do in NZ. If they sold splitters here for $899, the salesmen would be killed in the rush. Enjoy.

Hi, Cord Arrow, my splitter has the wedge on the ram and for the big wood I work in (up to 36" across the piece, but it is true of wood bigger than 12/15") it works quicker. I have used the kind with the wedge on the beam, too, and they are good for medium small wood where you want to have it pushed into a pile but I have to say, small wood=small production because you simply have so many more pieces to bring to the splitter. The fixed wedges don't work well on big wood, you have to keep walking to the end and bringing it back to be split again. With the wedge on the ram, I have a big table across the way from me and a log lift beside me and I use the splitter to break the big pieces up into 3, one on the table, one on the lift and one in my hands. The pieces stay where they are when split, of course, that is the beauty. Then I chunk them, tossing the bits past the table. With 13hp, a lift, a smallish cylinder and a seven second full cycle, I can throw pieces one every three to six seconds, sometimes fifteen pieces of firewood in a minute or so without ever bending over or stepping along the machine. If you put those big pieces on the other kind of machine, you would be running to pick up the split bits and bring them back, and the large lumps would be hard to keep stable while they moved down the beam. Also, on those machines you usually have to go the full length of the ram; I can send the ram back as soon as the piece splits.This way is twice as quick in practice. Yup, I have to watch my feet and my hands, but hell, from falling the tree to driving a heavy ute and trailer combo, I think about what I am doing with firewood. But heh, each to his own, but that is what I was thinking about when I put the wedge on the ram; I thought I would make more money in less time and it has. But have a beer on me, it's only one opinion.

I find that most of your points don't hold up. The -having to bring pieces back- certainly doesn't. On mine, anything needing further splitting doesn't go anyplace and falls right there, no need to walk down and bring it back. As for the table, those are common on both styles. -need to run ram all the way-, nope. The wood doesn't care which end the wedge is on. If it is going to split before full extension it will with either type.

Wedge position is mostly personal preference except for the vertical styles - there you are stuck with the 'wedge on ram'. My preference is for the wedge on the end as I have had splits fly for up to 6 ft and I don't want them flying at me.

Harry K

 

[farmboy9]

come and have a beer

Hi, Harry K,

if you could come and have a beer and bring your splitter, we'd soon sort it out. But we would have to save for the petrol, I am in New Zealand.

The first two photos attached are of the splitter frame I built. The small box structure on top is to take the beam; offset so that I don't get tangled behind the wheel, adjusted to height so that I don't have to bend, placed so that the engine/ beam/ tank will be balanced. (I tacked them together, filled the tank with water, adjusted everything and got good balance). The next photo is of me. The fourth photo is the completed but unpainted splitter; you can see I have had the frame galvanised, I am going to have the lifter galvanised and will paint the rest. You will see that the lifter is put in the proper place, under my left elbow. You can see the blocks I work with in the foreground. The fifth picture is two hours production.

Now, Harry, lets see your photos. Include one of your left arm because if you can pick 100lb blocks up from beside the wedge on your design without letting go of the control, I want to see it.

 

[turnkey4099]

Hi, Harry K,

if you could come and have a beer and bring your splitter, we'd soon sort it out. But we would have to save for the petrol, I am in New Zealand.

The first two photos attached are of the splitter frame I built. The small box structure on top is to take the beam; offset so that I don't get tangled behind the wheel, adjusted to height so that I don't have to bend, placed so that the engine/ beam/ tank will be balanced. (I tacked them together, filled the tank with water, adjusted everything and got good balance). The next photo is of me. The fourth photo is the completed but unpainted splitter; you can see I have had the frame galvanised, I am going to have the lifter galvanised and will paint the rest. You will see that the lifter is put in the proper place, under my left elbow. You can see the blocks I work with in the foreground. The fifth picture is two hours production.

Now, Harry, lets see your photos. Include one of your left arm because if you can pick 100lb blocks up from beside the wedge on your design without letting go of the control, I want to see it.

I pick up heavy blocks all the time. They fall right there, even the ones that require a full stroke fall withing 1 step of the operator's position. I don't hold on to the valve as I replaced the original centering valve with one that remains in whatever position you place it. That allows getting another block while the ram is cycling but is somewhat dangerous as once started it continues to move until you tell it to stop or it reaches the end. I don't allow anyone else to operate it because of that.

I wish I had built mine with a take-off table and I no longer have access to welding equipment. I doubt if my eyes would be up to welding anymore anyhow. I am dickering with a guy to bring out his welding service truck if I decide to put some money into it.

re: balance. I put my wheels/axle/motor/pump etc. right at the end of the armiture to keep the wheels out of my way. Makes it nice but man is that thing every tongue heavy! I also built it too low, the slide hits about knee level. That is another thing I am considering - have the guy chop the axle off and raise the whole thing 9 or more inches.

I wouldn't stack my splitter up against anyone's as it is anemic (3 1/2" cylinder) and slow (single stage pump). It keeps me humping though.

One advantage of the 'wedge on ram' you didn't mention - you can use the ram to pull a stuck block off, I have to beat them off with a sledge. Only happens with stubborn knots. Most knots shear or tear apart.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a292/turnkey4099/MVC-607F.jp

A poor shot of mine. It is now around the other side of the wood pile working on adding to my approx 30 cord accumulation.

A shot of about 15 cord in one of my 3 bins

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a292/turnkey4099/MVC-609F.jpg

The bin I am currently filling. What you see there was moved over to the one in the previous photo. I am now 5 plus cord and building in this bin. The bin to the right holds about 11 cord of black locust.

Those pics were taken before I began this seasons cutting.

Sorry about the URLs. My pics are mostly in Kodak easy share HAH! I haven't found any way except via e-mail to transfer those photos so I have to send one to myself, then transfer them to photobucket. Someday a digital camera!

As I said. The location of the wedge is mostly personal preference. Except for the "pull a block off" I don't think there is really much advantage of one over the other.

Harry K

 

[farmboy9]

Nice wood stack, Harry

Harry, it is a pleasure to tangle with a polite gentleman and I am sorry if I was short with you.

(little sidenote-there is something wrong in my browser with the link to your first photo. I used the second link and changed the last 9 to 7 to make it work. Other viewers might like to see your splitter. Here is my effort:
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a292/turnkey4099/MVC-607F.jpg ).

But I have to say, I think anyone looking at our two splitters would guess how much careful planning went into each one. Sorry, Harry, that's how it is; the people who researched it put the wedge on the ram unless they are building to put a multiple wedge on with hydraulics which probably can't be done that way. They also put the beam at waist height, put on a table, get the balance right and build a lifter. The point of production is to spit out split wood, not chase it round the splitter or even bend over to pick it up again. (Incidentally, do you have a bad back?).

But I wasn't really aiming at the start to argue with anyone (like you) who said that each was good; I started of by answering the comment from Cord Arrow, something like "I despise splitters with the wedge on the ram.What were people thinking about when they put the wedge on the ram?". So I went to tell him!

But felicitations to Cord Arrow, too, I think he was writing tongue in cheek. And even if he wasn't, hell, I have dropped bits on my foot so he isn't necessarily wrong.

Funnily enough, between writing last time and writing this time, I got agreement to cut 200 cord next year. But the trees are huge. I need an 088/880/084. I would hate to tell you what they cost here.

 

[turnkey4099]

Harry, it is a pleasure to tangle with a polite gentleman and I am sorry if I was short with you.

(little sidenote-there is something wrong in my browser with the link to your first photo. I used the second link and changed the last 9 to 7 to make it work. Other viewers might like to see your splitter. Here is my effort:
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a292/turnkey4099/MVC-607F.jpg ).

But I have to say, I think anyone looking at our two splitters would guess how much careful planning went into each one. Sorry, Harry, that's how it is; the people who researched it put the wedge on the ram unless they are building to put a multiple wedge on with hydraulics which probably can't be done that way. They also put the beam at waist height, put on a table, get the balance right and build a lifter. The point of production is to spit out split wood, not chase it round the splitter or even bend over to pick it up again. (Incidentally, do you have a bad back?).

But I wasn't really aiming at the start to argue with anyone (like you) who said that each was good; I started of by answering the comment from Cord Arrow, something like "I despise splitters with the wedge on the ram.What were people thinking about when they put the wedge on the ram?". So I went to tell him!

But felicitations to Cord Arrow, too, I think he was writing tongue in cheek. And even if he wasn't, hell, I have dropped bits on my foot so he isn't necessarily wrong.

Funnily enough, between writing last time and writing this time, I got agreement to cut 200 cord next year. But the trees are huge. I need an 088/880/084. I would hate to tell you what they cost here.

Thanks for fixing the URL.

Can't say that I have paid all that much attention buit the only 'wedge on ram' designs (commercial) that I recall are all on the vertical types where that is the only way to do it.

Back? Back? Is that the think that hurts every time I use my spitter?
Actually it isn't that bad. Except for the really heavy blocks the part on my side never comes off the armiture, I can hold it up there with my knee. I do wish I had both in and out feed tables on it. That splitter was built back in early 80s before such fancy thingies were common.

Most of my stash is split by hand as I need the exercise. The splitter comes into play for the hard stuff (knots/crotches) or when my 'to be split' pile gets out of hand. I am retired (71) and the 'wooding' is about all the exercise I get. I figure hand splitting beats the cost and boredom of a club membership.

Congratulations on the scoring the wood supply. The land owner where I am cutting salvaging a burn area told me to also take the live stuff so that will give me another 2 years cutting if I am still able. I was out again today and was beginning to look at it as 'work' vice 'recreation'. Might be a clue that I might should slow down some.

Harry K