Those of you with hydraulic splitters.......what is your relief pressure set at?

[JRHAWK9]

Have any of you threw a pressure gauge on your hose between the pump and control valve to see what pressure the relief valve is set at? I've read in numerous forums that most relief valves are set around the 2,500psi area. Assuming this is correct then most splitters are grossly over-rated in tonnage. I have a CountyLine 40 ton and it has a 5 1/8" cylinder. This means I would have to see 3,880psi in order for it to apply 40 tons of force. Manual states max PSI is 3,800 psi which would make 39.2 tons. I thought they were out of their minds.........

Anyway, I am assuming, based on everything I have read, I wouldn't be seeing anywhere near those pressures. It has both an adjustable relief and detent. I already adjusted the detent and I installed a 3,000 psi gauge. I was completely surprised as to what I saw when I went to test what the relief was set to. I still don't know because it maxed out the 3,000 psi gauge before I left off. I remember the ram slowing down as the pump hit the second stage and the engine digging in and next thing I know the pressure went pretty rapidly to burying the 3,000psi gauge before I lifted. It was probably around 3,200psi when I said that's enough.

Anyway, just curious what other's are seeing? I know I don't need it to be set that high and will probably adjust it down to the 2,500 - 2,800psi area. I don't think I will ever even encounter anything I need to split which will even require 2,000 psi (little over 20 ton actual force) seeing I split mostly oak.

 

[Big_Eddy]

My valve came factory set at 2250 psi. According to the manual, it can be adjusted up to 3650 psi. I turned it up to 2500, then thought better of it and turned it down again.
If the splitter won’t split it at 2250, then it’s just as likely something ELSE will give first. A lot less splitting time lost if I stop and rotate a log to reposition a crotch, than if I break something and have to stop to straighten or rebuild


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[JRHAWK9]

My valve came factory set at 2250 psi. According to the manual, it can be adjusted up to 3650 psi. I turned it up to 2500, then thought better of it and turned it down again.
If the splitter won’t split it at 2250, then it’s just as likely something ELSE will give first. Spotless splitting time lost if I stop and rotate a log to reposition a crotch, than if I break something and have to stop to straighten or rebuild


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What brand/tonnage splitter do you have?

 

[Del_]

2,500 psi.

 

[Big_Eddy]

What brand/tonnage splitter do you have?

Big_Eddy Mark II
4” cylinder
At 2250/2300 psi my real output is about 15 tons.

(If someone was selling them I guess they’d put a 30ton sticker on it???)

Splits 98% of blocks 4 way first time. 1.98% two way the second try. For the last 0.02%, I’m okay having to rotate the block a couple of times to find the “right” spot.

We split 15 cord the last 2 weeks. I had to noodle 2 blocks.I can live with that.


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[JRHAWK9]

At 2250/2300 psi my real output is about 15 tons.

(If someone was selling them I guess they’d put a 30ton sticker on it???)

That's the impression I was under too, however mine seems to be closer to the actual rating than I expected.

 

[Ol' Brian]

My Brave Industries splitter is rated at 22 tons, which works out to 3501psi required to make that tonnage with it's 4" cylinder.

I haven't added a guage, and my relief is not adjustable as far as I can tell on the "Energy" brand control valve. But, it does load the engine pretty heavily if you run the cylinder all the way to either end and hold it. I would guess that it is doing pretty close to what it is advertised to do... but, without a guage, that's just guessing obviously.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

My splitter has a 5" cylinder and a single stage pump on my pto. 21gpm I think. Pushes everything through a 4 way wedge. Generally I run this splitter on my little new Holland compact tractor with just under 24hp. That's not enough ponies to run the splitter at the rated 2500psi. I dialed it back to about 1700 to avoid stalling the tractor. Even at only 1700 it rarely balks at pushing a chunk through the 4-way.

 

[JRHAWK9]

The reason why I posted this thread was all I've been hearing/reading is how splitter ratings are BS and how most relieve around the 2,500 psi area. Based on this, I fully expected mine to relieve around that 2,500psi area, even though the manual states the max psi is 3,800. What I discovered after I put the gauge on, mine is actually closer to that 3,800 psi area than it is to the assumed 2,500 psi. Making it closer to a 40ton splitter than I would have ever thought. High side lines are rated at 4,640 psi and low side 1,850 psi.

 

[sb47]

It's the same as with everything. Manufactures always post the max capacity under ideal circumstances and max load. Then for liability reasons they back it off or de tune for reliability.

 

[JRHAWK9]

It's the same as with everything. Manufactures always post the max capacity under ideal circumstances and max load. Then for liability reasons they back it off or de tune for reliability.

Agreed, and it was fully expected. In my (our seeing you have the same splitter) case I'm not sure this is the case though. If it is, it's not by much. I don't have a 4,000 psi gauge, so I can test it for sure, but I know it went to at least 3,200 psi before I let off. It was still climbing pretty quick when I left off too.

 

[Ol' Brian]

If you want some chuckles, look on FB marketplace at some of the claims made on some of these homemade splitters. Right now in my area there is some dude advertising his pile of crap that has been sitting outside in the weeds for the past 10 years with trees growing up around it with a belt driven single stage pump and what looks to be a 3", maybe 3 1/2" cylinder. Works Great!! He's claiming 70 tons, and wants $500 I think, marked down from $1000.

I sent him a message that said "70 tons? Thanks for the chuckle!"

 

[JRHAWK9]

He's claiming 70 tons

You need to ask him to show his math.

 

[rancher2]

I have the valve on my homebuilt splitter with a four inch cylinder set at 2800 that's plenty for my set up. I have my homemade processor with a six and half inch cylinder set at 500 on the first pump and 3000 on the second pump thats plenty.

 

[Del_]

5 inch cylinder w/ 28 gpm two stage pump.

18 hp Briggs IC.

I've set it for 2,500 psi due to hose ratings.

Splits even black gum. Well tears it, anyway, because black gum really doesn't split in the normal sense of the word.

 

[Ol' Brian]

You need to ask him to show his math.

I doubt he has enough fingers...

 

[GM_Grimmy]

5" cylinder, 2300 psi. If it stalls, get the chainsaw out and make a cut. I don't want to tear anything up and have to replace anything. It's all about design.

 

[homemade]

My relief is fixed at 2000 and I only hit it once just seeing what it would split. Most of the time it’s 750-1000 for the initial split and then less then 200. I like keeping my 22gpm Pump in the high side to keep to split faster. And after doing a dozen cords you get to read the wood and can split with very little pressure. I have a 3” cylinder and a spare 5hp Honda laying around. I was thinking of making a light and quick hydro.


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[JRHAWK9]

Found some very informative videos about 2 stage pumps and how to adjust the crossover pressure point between the 1st and 2nd stage. I just got done doing this with my County Line 40ton. I was able to increase the 1st to 2nd stage crossover on my pump quite a bit and adjusted my control valve unloader down from whatever it was to 3,330psi.