trolling for a log splitter

[boostnut]

Good decision. I bought a used splitter a handful of years ago and used the majority of its components to build one to my liking. After a few years of use I've already had to replace the engine & control valve. Sure seemed like one heck of a deal when I bought it, I was wrong.

Btw, I sure wish I had a dollar for every time Tomtrees posted a pic of his $50 or $60 splitter. I think he's pretty proud of that purchase.

 

[crashagn]

So, I got up way too early to go look at a piece of equipment that I do not have permission to buy, yet, and I ended up splitting wood for half an hour. The splitter needs to have the carb adjusted, no big deal, and there is a very slight leak on the ram itself, but it still functions just fine. The leak is so slight there was no dripping, to get a better idea the area would need to be wiped down and checked over time with use. It does have the idle down function and its' own version of auto cycle. The idle down function was not working because the cable needed to be cleaned and a set screw installed, no big deal. The auto cycle is quite cool, you move the lever toward the wedge and let go, the ram will travel its' full cycle and automatically return. The linkage on this also needs to be adjusted, not a problem. The return is operated by 2 springs in the beam and by the looks of it the cylinder only has hyd oil on one side? So from what I saw is the pump feeds the control valve which either feeds the cylinder or dumps back to the tank. Hyd pressure released - springs pull the ram back for a quick cycle.... I like it. The steel is straight, no visible cracks and every thing seem to be there. 8 HP engine not 11 HP. He dropped his price to 800 without much effort on my part... What do you guys think? It split 30" long 24" DIA notty pine pretty easily and went through the crotch of an 18" DIA maple, I thought that was OK. Better than a maul! Give me some thoughts.

Out of them couple of things that need to be fixed or adjusted and on 1 used splittor...Looking at it that low to the groung makes my back sore. I have a feeling that you will be doing more things to that splittor after you start using it. Seals on the cylinder.. o rings for the pump.. Walk away. Save your $$.. just my 2c worth. I would go $300-400 tops but of course i like the 1 I have now

 

[tomtrees58]

Btw, I sure wish I had a dollar for every time Tomtrees posted a pic of his $50 or $60 splitter. I think he's pretty proud of that purchase.[/QUOTE]

no but i like my new one tom trees:jawdrop:

 

[rancher2]

Looks like a six hundred dollar splitter to me. I would go over their with six one hundred dollar bills and see what he will do. If he wants more I would pass. Good luck.

 

[fixin40]

patience and wording are the key

Well,
I told the guy last Monday "my sources (you guys) said it would have to be alot less for the splitter based on its' age etc..." Last night the seller called me out of the blue. I called him back this morning and he asked if I was still interested. I asked if there was a new price, to which he replied what were you thinking? I said how about 400, the splitter has a lot of unknowns. Needless to say I was splitting wood out side my house this afternoon for 400. I'll post more pictures once I clean it up. How did I do?

 

[isaaccarlson]

not too bad if it splits wood the way it sits. I got mine from my dad for FREE and still had to stick $500 into it. You are already ahead.....

 

[knockbill]

if that splitter is from teh 70's,, the engine appears to be newer...

 

[freemind]

Well,
I told the guy last Monday "my sources (you guys) said it would have to be alot less for the splitter based on its' age etc..." Last night the seller called me out of the blue. I called him back this morning and he asked if I was still interested. I asked if there was a new price, to which he replied what were you thinking? I said how about 400, the splitter has a lot of unknowns. Needless to say I was splitting wood out side my house this afternoon for 400. I'll post more pictures once I clean it up. How did I do?

MUCH better price. I think though, you ought to find a way to raise the working surface to a normal height. Your back is gonna get tired of working on a low surface.

 

[fixin40]

splitter height

The splitter is a little low, but I was planning on robbing some springs and larger tires from a utility trailer I have sitting a round. This should raise the height up a bit. I am 5' 7", so a little low does not bother me as much as it would some folks. I am also interested in an outfeed table and possibly a 4 way wedge. I did notice something different about this machine. It likes to be pretty much level. The hydraulic tank is part of the base, so if you have the splitter tilted the pick up for the pump and the breather cap are not happy. I had the splitter on an incline at first and the breather cap was over flowing hyd oil. I leveled the machine and it was a lot happier. I never had that problem with the tanks that were mounted higher up. Maybe I'll put in a separate tank mounted higher. Anyway, still pleased with the buy.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

I'd have taken that deal for $400!

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Btw, I sure wish I had a dollar for every time Tomtrees posted a pic of his $50 or $60 splitter. I think he's pretty proud of that purchase.

I would be, too! That's braggin' rights!

 

[pyro2]

What's the model number of your Lickity Splitter? I have a EK308 outside, that's running decent (posting a new thread for the few issues I do have). Any idea if your model has someway to make the hydraulic so it doesn't retract all the way? The brochure I have from it seems to indicate its available on some models.

 

[Bob95065]

Call Lowell Webb at Webb Chain Saw in Soquel, CA. When Piqua Engineering went out of business Lowell bought up all the parts they had and he made many replacement parts. Webbs is the only place I know of to get parts for Lickety Log Splitters.

Here is the web site for Webb Chain Saw: http://webbs-farmsupplies.com/. The phone number is 831-475-1020.

I have a Lickety Log Splitter model EK308 that was given to me. The PO had run the engine out of oil and then lost most of the parts for the engine after disassembling it. They asked me to haul it to the dump for them. Instead I hauled it home.

I found another Kohler 8hp (K181 model) on the internet that I rebuilt. This 30 year old log splitter outpaces most new splitters friends own. You have a very good machine and with a little TLC you will have it running perfectly.

Lowell is a rare breed. He will spend a lot of time helping perfect strangers. Webbs is a 3rd generation owned business and they treat customers right.

The leak in your cylinder is normal if it leaves a film on the beam. If not there are two large o-rings in the cylinder that need to be replaced. They are indeed around $5. Call Lowell and get a owner's manual. At the end of the manual is a parts manual. Webb's has everything you need.

I hope this helps. In my opinion you did well. These splitters are build well, are fast and will operate for many years of maintained.

Bob

 

[BIG JAKE]

The splitter is a little low, but I was planning on robbing some springs and larger tires from a utility trailer I have sitting a round. This should raise the height up a bit. QUOTE]

My splitter was a little too low too. I had a pair of car ramps I rarely use so I rolled the splitter up on those, then cut a cookie for the tongue. Now I stand up straight while splitting, and I didn't have to weld. Congrats on your purchase sounds like you did okay!

 

[SomeotherGuy]

Check out this web site. I bought one of these a couple of years ago.
It is FAST. 2 second cycle time with throtle at full.

http://www.supersplit.com/index.htm

Jason

 

[prentice110]

Car ramps work real nice with that one. The cylinder is made to leak a little oil every outstroke so the brass wear plate lasts longer. Thats the dog slow economy model. Price wise you didnt do to bad. I paid 450 for one once but it was in real good shape and I needed parts for the other one. The notched bar to keep the cyl. from retracting all the way was not available on this model.

 

[tomtrees58]

updated

 

[Bucko]

Tomstrees, you still like that Harbor Freight engine?

 

[tomtrees58]

Tomstrees, you still like that Harbor Freight engine?

Thar great had one on a other splitter for 4 years before selling it never a problem with it

 

[Whitespider]

If you like the auto-return and idle-down features you really should look at the Log Boss splitters... that's what I have.

You throw the lever towards the wedge, engine speeds up and ram comes out. When the ram reaches full extension excess hydraulic pressure automatically throws the lever into retract. When the ram is fully retracted the lever automatically returns to neutral and the engine returns to idle. Of course, at any time during the cycle the operator can manually move the lever to any position desired... reversing the direction of the ram or putting it in neutral (hold) position... engine always idles down with lever in neutral position, regardless of ram position.

They're made just down the road from me in Marble Rock, IA.
Check out the link below.

Logboss Mfg

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. You can quickly set how far the ram returns into the cylinder. So, if your splitting 12-inch long logs you set the ram to only return about 14-inches into the cylinder before it goes into neutral (hold). No waiting on the ram to travel any wasted distance and the engine returns to idle that much sooner. A gallon of gas lasts a long time.

The Log Boss has a special hydraulic system designed specifically for splitting wood. The severe abuse and shock loads encountered while splitting wood can quickly destroy ordinary, off the shelf, hycraulic systems. Numerous advanced engineering breakthroughs such as the hydraulic booster and special aluminum ally all metal ram seals, made possible the use of very high 8000 p.s.i. operating pressures, a full 5000 ps.i. higher than standard off the shelf components common to other log splitters. The advantages of the high pressure system include longer life, greater performance, weight reduction and lower cost. All of the extensively tested time and labor saving features incorporated into the Log Boss provide the consumer with an economical means of coping with todays rising energy costs.


SPECIFICATIONS 515 718

ENGINE (TECUMSEH) 5 H.P. 7 H.P.
RAM FORCE 15 TON 18 TON
RAM CYCLE TIME 15 SEC. 10 SEC.
RAM STROKE 25 INCHES
OVERAL LENGTH 70 INCHES
WIDTH 27 INCHES
HEIGHT 28 INCHES
HEIGHT OF WEDGE 6 INCHES
TIRES 4:00 X 8 16"
WARRANTY 1 YEAR


Contact the factory for current prices and availability of these machines.
(888) 531-5045

# Wear resitant guide shoes made of a space age aluminum alloy align the ram on its forward and return stroke eliminating any harmful bind in the ram. This positively directs the full 15 tons of energy in a direct line with the cutting wedge.

# The addition of the large pneumatic tires is a feature that everyonbe can understand. By locating the exact center point of the weight load and applying large tires with high ground clearance, this machine can be easily taken right to the source of the wood to be split.

# The stroke adjustment collar on the Log Boss 515 is a simple device that allows you to adjust the stroke length depending on the average length of the logs.

# The automotive type suction line filter provides an excellent filtration system to protect your machine against dirt and grit. Keeping the oil clean is an important factor in any hydraulic system.

# The tubular frame of the Log Boss 515 is actually the oil reservoir. This not only cuts the total weight to below 200 pounds, but allows the oil to be spread in a long thin layer, for maximum cooling efficiency.

# The high pressure hydraulic system is unique in log splitters.

Mine is the model 718 - 7 HP, 18 ton - I can remember only a handful of huge, nasty, gnarly Elm crotches that it wouldn't split. It's getting close to 20-years old now.