Looking for the resident expert on Timberwolf TW 5

[abdiver]

Hi, I l have lurked on this site for a while finally joined in Aug 2005 and finally purchased a used 2007 TW5. My background is Farmer, licenced California Engineering Contractor, now retired and enjoying my toys ( read backhoe, JD dozer, Kubota Cultivating tractor, Chipper, Chainsaws, etc and now a Timberwolf TW5. I have been around equipt all my life. I am looking for help with the spec's for tolerances as to the Push bar wear strips and shims? Should I replace them now as I don't know, I asked the parts guy at Timberwolf he did not know???? I can not believe the filter is 95 buck of course I can as it is only avaible thru timberwolf. Can't imagine Case or John Deere telling their customers, Oh by the way you can't got to NAPA Parts as WE are the only source for the filter and they are almost a 100 bucks and if you call use to ask a question we can't really answer it. I am not trying to bash TimberWolf as I just bought one due to info from this site, What really bothers me is I can't really get any real info on the maintaince of my new to me tw5. I plan to r&r and replace fluids and the 95 dollar filter, as I don't think the previous owner had a clue as to maintaince. Again I am just looking for someone who knows about Timberwolf splitters. Thank you

 

[luckydozenfarm]

I'm thinking of getting the same model. I like the 6-way wedge and the log grate option. Did yours come with those options? If so how do you like them? How much does a TW-5 run anyway? I have a couple Speeco/Huskys and they're not the fastest in the world, but they are cheap to maintain and run. Anyway, sorry to answer your question with a question, but its good to find someone running one already.

 

[rarefish383]

Is the filter an inline unit that you could replace? I used to run duel filters on my dragster. I was poking around the junk yard a while back and they had a tractor trailer in there with a duel hydro filter. I'd put that on it and have NAPA available filters, Joe.

 

[zogger]

Take the old one off and go to the farm store/truck store whatever and mix and match? Screw on filter? Seems you could find one that might fit, but I don't know either.

95 bucks for a filter is &^$%#%^&&

 

[EXCALIBER]

Maybe I am not seeing it but the only hydro filter I see is a basket strainer in the hydro tank? I don't see any other filters from what I can tell by looking at pics and their website. Is it a spin on type of filter or?

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Filter is tanked

The filter on the TW-5 is the same as the one on my TW-2HD. It screws into the top of the reservoir and as you've discovered is proprietary to T'Wolf. It's design intent is to keep it out of harm's way during the splitting process or being towed through thickets and woods. That's the bad part, the good part is they pretty much last forever in most applications unless there is a major failure in the hydraulics and it fills with metal particles and debris.

Keep an eye on the filter gauge on top of the tank, if it's reading in the green there's no need to shell out the money to replace the filter. Mine has close to 200 cord on it and the needle on the filter gauge hasn't moved since I bought it.

Take Care

 

[arrow]

I'm thinking of getting the same model. I like the 6-way wedge and the log grate option. Did yours come with those options? If so how do you like them? How much does a TW-5 run anyway? I have a couple Speeco/Huskys and they're not the fastest in the world, but they are cheap to maintain and run. Anyway, sorry to answer your question with a question, but its good to find someone running one already.

Lucky we had a 6 way on one of our splitters in the yard that we'd take on sight on "firewood days" as opposed to "mill wood days". I hated the thing. 4 way actually goes faster to me because of less hang ups and more all around splitting ease. They got hung up on larger rounds that may have had a knot or some kind of internal "fork" to it. When they did get caught, getting them off the blade was a giant pain in the neck. 6 ways work better on perfect , easily split wood but of course when producing commercially, you do not have the luxury of choice. It takes a lot of tonnage to run a 6 way. A 4 way got us through all the time producing hundreds of cords per year and back then, a cord of spilt wood brought $75 to $100.
What we really needed was a wood processor but the owner of the operation cut mostly mill logs and couldn't see spending money making firewood. We only did firewood when things were slow.

 

[luckydozenfarm]

Lucky we had a 6 way on one of our splitters in the yard that we'd take on sight on "firewood days" as opposed to "mill wood days". I hated the thing. 4 way actually goes faster to me because of less hang ups and more all around splitting ease. They got hung up on larger rounds that may have had a knot or some kind of internal "fork" to it. When they did get caught, getting them off the blade was a giant pain in the neck. 6 ways work better on perfect , easily split wood but of course when producing commercially, you do not have the luxury of choice. It takes a lot of tonnage to run a 6 way. A 4 way got us through all the time producing hundreds of cords per year and back then, a cord of spilt wood brought $75 to $100.
What we really needed was a wood processor but the owner of the operation cut mostly mill logs and couldn't see spending money making firewood. We only did firewood when things were slow.

That's kinda what I figured and I'm glad you let me know. I was splitting with my single edge 22-ton Speeco the other day and it hangs up occasionally on forks and knots. I thought man, how big of a cylinder would you need to push a log through a six way? I don't have the luxury of splitting mill-type timber on a regular basis. I seem to find the trees that have about 5 feet of straight truck and then fork into a million directions. Most of the hardwoods out here we run into are not forest-straight timber, but rather a single tree in the middle of a pasture or creekline. Those grow mostly in all directions rather than up. Makes for easily falling and recovery, but a pain to split sometimes.

 

[abdiver]

I'm thinking of getting the same model. I like the 6-way wedge and the log grate option. Did yours come with those options? If so how do you like them? How much does a TW-5 run anyway? I have a couple Speeco/Huskys and they're not the fastest in the world, but they are cheap to maintain and run. Anyway, sorry to answer your question with a question, but its good to find someone running one already.

Mine has came with a 6-way wedge and the log hyd lift no Grate though I am collecting pictures and others thoughts on how to best build one, As dealers in California seem to be far and few between if any at all, and frt from east coast is a factor. I have not used mine yet as I have been looking for a chipper and just been to busy. Right now I have ordered a tach/ hr meter for engine 40 bucks, & have removed honda fuel tank to replace the oring at the small strainger discharge fitting to hose as NOW I KNOW WHY THE PREVIOUS OWNER SAID OH LET ME ADD A LITTLE GAS SO WE CAN START IT, (of course he was an honest man, NOT) I believe he was just to dumb to know how to fix it. Wish he had been honest and just told me that way, I would not have filled tank with fuel while 2 days earlier, least now I know why I was smelling gas.

I am waiting for replaceable wear strips 50 bucks for timberwolf. Other than that looks like a good clean unit. I think the 6 way wedge may be best on just straight grain stuff. I will post once up and splitting

 

[abdiver]

Is the filter an inline unit that you could replace? I used to run duel filters on my dragster. I was poking around the junk yard a while back and they had a tractor trailer in there with a duel hydro filter. I'd put that on it and have NAPA available filters, Joe.

Filter is not inline it is in tank, Believe it is proprity of timberwolf hence 95 bucks Thinking about installing an inline but I see filter has a gauge perhaps I will just wait and see, before ordering filter

 

[abdiver]

Filter is tanked

The filter on the TW-5 is the same as the one on my TW-2HD. It screws into the top of the reservoir and as you've discovered is proprietary to T'Wolf. It's design intent is to keep it out of harm's way during the splitting process or being towed through thickets and woods. That's the bad part, the good part is they pretty much last forever in most applications unless there is a major failure in the hydraulics and it fills with metal particles and debris.

Keep an eye on the filter gauge on top of the tank, if it's reading in the green there's no need to shell out the money to replace the filter. Mine has close to 200 cord on it and the needle on the filter gauge hasn't moved since I bought it.

Take Care

Thanks for the reply and GOOD information. I am planning on draining and installing new hyd fluid as I don't know its history except what previous owner said and I don't want to trust that, as I have found a few other things he forgot to tell me. He did say he was the original owner?? Just think he was not much on maintance.

A couple of Questions: You say yours has close to 200 cords How many hours on your engine to do that ? Have you had to replace the wear strips on your PUSH BLOCK yet? Do you gease only at the zerks only or also place (spread, smear) grease on all surfaces that the push block wears against. Thanks Bill

 

[Swamp Yankee]

A couple of Questions: You say yours has close to 200 cords How many hours on your engine to do that ? Have you had to replace the wear strips on your PUSH BLOCK yet? Do you gease only at the zerks only or also place (spread, smear) grease on all surfaces that the push block wears against. Thanks Bill

Hours on the engine, no idea.

I change the oil twice a year, early spring and early fall and use Mobil1. The air filter gets checked and blown clean every few tanks of gas. It's still original and in good shape.

As to the wear strips, they're original and in fine shape, I don't anticipate swapping them out anytime soon. I watch the push block. At the first signs of any chatter I grease the zerks and put a huge dob of grease in front of the push block and extend the cylinder. When full extension is reached I put another dob behind the push block and retract. This procedure usually lasts about 3 or 4 cord and then gets repeated. FWIW I use marine grade grease,

One thing you need to remember, these machines are built for commercial use and are pretty tough to kill. They are designed and built to split thousands and thousands of cords under less than ideal commercial conditions. As much as I agree with and applaud your maintenance program, most of these splitters in use see next to nothing but fuel added to the engine tank.

One last thought, when you drain the hydraulic oil, it's the perfect time to install a gauge in the pressure line in front of the first valve station. Makes setting the pressure relief and checking the AutoCycle settings a breeze.

Take Care

 

[abdiver]

Hours on the engine, no idea.

I change the oil twice a year, early spring and early fall and use Mobil1. The air filter gets checked and blown clean every few tanks of gas. It's still original and in good shape.

As to the wear strips, they're original and in fine shape, I don't anticipate swapping them out anytime soon. I watch the push block. At the first signs of any chatter I grease the zerks and put a huge dob of grease in front of the push block and extend the cylinder. When full extension is reached I put another dob behind the push block and retract. This procedure usually lasts about 3 or 4 cord and then gets repeated. FWIW I use marine grade grease,

One thing you need to remember, these machines are built for commercial use and are pretty tough to kill. They are designed and built to split thousands and thousands of cords under less than ideal commercial conditions. As much as I agree with and applaud your maintenance program, most of these splitters in use see next to nothing but fuel added to the engine tank.

One last thought, when you drain the hydraulic oil, it's the perfect time to install a gauge in the pressure line in front of the first valve station. Makes setting the pressure relief and checking the AutoCycle settings a breeze.

Take Care

Thanks for the Good information, I will measure my wear blocks and I would guess they are about 3/8 inches which would mean 1/8 is worn away. I can only guess at its history as far a use owner claimed 200 hrs seems like to much wear for that Perhaps he never geased it much ??? He said he had only split about 15 chores if that was so why wear bars so warn. Thanks again for the info I know more now about this splitter now

 

[abdiver]

I forgot to ad your tip re:
"One last thought, when you drain the hydraulic oil, it's the perfect time to install a gauge in the pressure line in front of the first valve station. Makes setting the pressure relief and checking the AutoCycle settings a breeze." is Great ........Thanks again

 

[captjack]

Mine is the older style with the screw-on external filter - i like it better - its cheaper and easy to replace. When I bought mine I just replaced all the fluid and put a new filter on it so I had a base line for maintenance schedule.

The wear bar/ shims and grease zerks are real cheap, I would just buy them and put new ones on. We are not dealing with tolerances measured with a micrometer here - its a log splitter. I just replace them when it starts to get sloppy.

adding the psi gauge is a good idea -

Unless you're splitting hundreds of cords a wood a year - that machine will last you a lifetime - (probably in the condition its in right now with no maintenance)


You must have gotten someone new on the phone at timberwolf because when I first bought mine they were really helpful

 

[lon]

When I purchased my TW-5, it came with a very useful manual. If yours did not come with one, maybe you could get one from Timberwolf. It is a great splitter and I think you will enjoy it very much. Last year I got a load of madrone and some pieces had 35" diameters. Splitter had no problems with them but I sure did. Had it not been for the lift, I would still be looking at them on the ground!