Vertical/Horizontal with some speed, suggestions?

[NC Firewood]

I'm sure to catch some flak from this post but I'm curious which unit that can be placed in the vertical position has the fastest cycle time. Currently I own two homemade splitters with power to spare. I would like to leave them for the larger diameter pieces and have a vert. splitter to grab a chair with the pile of whole pieces near me and split. If you look at my pics. i've got a make-shift conveyor I use to stack the wood with. My idea would be to sit down and split placing the wood on the conveyor. I don't have paddles on it, so the wood needs to be in a somewhat uniform fashion running down the belt or it will snowball back down. Since i've got tonnage in my homemade units, I don't need to spend a lot of cash on something. I've looked at northern tool 37 ton model and TSC 35 ton but then each have about 15 sec. Is there anything better? I'll be using this one alone so I won't need any help with the big chunks. Might sound like a sell out going the cheap route, but I'm trying to keep my head above water till winter comes.

 

[ericjeeper]

Personally.

Splitting wood vertically is more work than working it up on top of the beam.
My splitters are both Horizontal only. But My buddy brings his out and we tried his vertical ONCE on some big stuff.. I felt like a monkey trying to hump a football. Now I just halve or quarter with the saw to a more manageable size.

 

[aandabooks]

I use mine vertically from time to time. Just the big rounds that I can't lift onto the splitter when horizontal. Even then I only split them in half or quarters before returning to horizontal. I usually roll them to the splitter, stand them up and then hold them in place with my knee while I reach for the lever.

I have the same cycle time in either horizontal or vertical-about 15 seconds. My splitter is a Yard Machines 21 ton. Don't laugh, it is 8 years old and still has its original B&S engine. Has never failed to split a piece of wood and only cost my FIL $750 at Wal-Mart on discount.

 

[triptester]

The only way to get a faster cycle time out of most of the vertical splitters on the market would be to change the pump with an engine to match. The only verticals on the market that you could sit and split with fast cycle times are PowerSplit and TimberDevil.
I made a version of these for a physically chalanged relative so he could sit and spilt.

http://www.powersplit.com/
http://www.timberdevil.com/products.html

 

[rx7145]

I'm sure that American would build one for you.

 

[2FatGuys]

My 394XP handles the big rounds faster than you could move them to a vertical splitter.

 

[Zodiac45]

I use mine vertically from time to time. Just the big rounds that I can't lift onto the splitter when horizontal. Even then I only split them in half or quarters before returning to horizontal. I usually roll them to the splitter, stand them up and then hold them in place with my knee while I reach for the lever.

I have the same cycle time in either horizontal or vertical-about 15 seconds. My splitter is a Yard Machines 21 ton. Don't laugh, it is 8 years old and still has its original B&S engine. Has never failed to split a piece of wood and only cost my FIL $750 at Wal-Mart on discount.

1+ Same here. Mine is 5 years old and the tecumseh starts first time everytime. I've only ever changed the engine oil (every 25hrs or so) and the hydraulic fluid and filter once. I only use the verticle for quartering large rounds but it's quite handy for that. I've never come across a round that stopped it. Also something to think about regarding cycle time is how often do you really use the whole cycle? Depending on what type wood I'm splitting, I might use 6-10" forward and only back far enough to fit the next piece.

 

[eric_271]

Splitting wood vertically is more work than working it up on top of the beam.
My splitters are both Horizontal only. But My buddy brings his out and we tried his vertical ONCE on some big stuff.. I felt like a monkey trying to hump a football. Now I just halve or quarter with the saw to a more manageable size.

I see it just the opposite. The 2 horizontal only I used seemed like double the work. Like my H/V a lot more.

 

[eric_271]

My 394XP handles the big rounds faster than you could move them to a vertical splitter.

My backhoe can move a whole pile of big rounds to a verticle splitter faster than your 394XP can saw ''Split'' one big round.

 

[2FatGuys]

My backhoe can move a whole pile of big rounds to a verticle splitter faster than your 394XP can saw ''Split'' one big round.

I'd love to race you.... LOL.

16"-18" wide, 32" diamter round... into pieces no bigger than 4"x4"... using identical splitters... me using it locked horizontal... and you, your choice.... both starting out standing at the splitter and the round 10 feet away....

 

[eric_271]

I'd love to race you.... LOL.

16"-18" wide, 32" diamter round... into pieces no bigger than 4"x4"... using identical splitters... me using it locked horizontal... and you, your choice.... both starting out standing at the splitter and the round 10 feet away....

Huh huh huh, ain't gonna happen, I get winded just standing up.

 

[2FatGuys]

Woohoo!!!! I won without even putting on the PPE!!!

Seriously... Eric... a properly set up decent sized saw makes VERY quick work of the big rounds so that you can split in a comfortable, non-overreaching position and also not have to manuver heavy wood by hand. A saw like my 394XP, MS460, or even the MS310, slows down very little and powers through rounds when ripping with the grain. Just be sure to keep the cooling fins clean of noodles or you can overheat a saw quickly.

 

[wkpoor]

Seriously... Eric... a properly set up decent sized saw makes VERY quick work of the big rounds so that you can split in a comfortable, non-overreaching position and also not have to maneuver heavy wood by hand. A saw like my 394XP, MS460, or even the MS310, slows down very little and powers through rounds when ripping with the grain. Just be sure to keep the cooling fins clean of noodles or you can overheat a saw quickly.

Amen! I don't even use my vertical mode anymore. I use my 395XP to cut large round into 6 pieces that are easy to handle and surprisingly it can be done rather fast. I use a 32" bar full comp square chisel chain and 8pin rim.

 

[hornett224]

amen!

Splitting wood vertically is more work than working it up on top of the beam.
My splitters are both Horizontal only. But My buddy brings his out and we tried his vertical ONCE on some big stuff.. I felt like a monkey trying to hump a football. Now I just halve or quarter with the saw to a more manageable size.

i'd rather work off the top of the beam as well.

 

[eric_271]

Woohoo!!!! I won without even putting on the PPE!!!

Seriously... Eric... a properly set up decent sized saw makes VERY quick work of the big rounds so that you can split in a comfortable, non-overreaching position and also not have to manuver heavy wood by hand. A saw like my 394XP, MS460, or even the MS310, slows down very little and powers through rounds when ripping with the grain. Just be sure to keep the cooling fins clean of noodles or you can overheat a saw quickly.

I don't always have time to cut to length the log's I bring home. They lay for years most of the time. I run a jonsered 670 champ with full chisel only, plenty of saw to cut cross grain or with the grain. The only wood I cut is osage orange. After It is seasoned it will dull a full chisel chain quickly. I am talking about a wood that is a lot harder than oak. I have split rounds while green and what you say holds true here but seasoned changes that all together. It does not matter which saw or chain combo you run, you will heat your saw up and dull the chain in a hurry using your method. The wear and tear on the saw and chain makes splitting with the splitter much more appealing and productive in my case.

 

[eric_271]

Amen! I don't even use my vertical mode anymore. I use my 395XP to cut large round into 6 pieces that are easy to handle and surprisingly it can be done rather fast. I use a 32" bar full comp square chisel chain and 8pin rim.

Same chain I run on my 670 Champ and it will do it fast also a few times then the seasoned osage orange takes the edge right off the chain. I have run about all brands of chain with the same results. I have no reason to question what you say as being true if you are talking about ash, oak, pine but seasoned osage orange will put the hurt on your saw and chain in a hurry. I have ripped walnut and oak with no problems but again the osage is a whole different animal.

 

[Zodiac45]

Same chain I run on my 670 Champ and it will do it fast also a few times then the seasoned osage orange takes the edge right off the chain. I have run about all brands of chain with the same results. I have no reason to question what you say as being true if you are talking about ash, oak, pine but seasoned osage orange will put the hurt on your saw and chain in a hurry. I have ripped walnut and oak with no problems but again the osage is a whole different animal.

I have to agree with you Eric,

While I've never done osage orange (none around these parts) I was up in a yard where we had a venier operation a few years ago. There was allot of Rock Maple that for whatever reason, didn't make the grade and was left to "grey" in the sun. Some of these logs were good sized (25" and up) and were "well seasoned". Just regular bucking of these "wood dulled" a chain after maybe 3-4 rounds cut off. Was great wood but allot of wear and tear. Best to do the cutting green.

 

[wkpoor]

I was just talking about sizing up big rounds. Didn't realize Osage was on the menu there. I've only cut and split it green and it seemed fairly easy then. I've been told seasoned it was a whole other story.

 

[2FatGuys]

Here's a question for you then: Why would you want your wood to season in log form when it obviously (by your admission) takes much more effort to process it later?

My approach is to process as soon as possible after dropping it and then stacking (or even piling) it to season. It seasons faster, is easier to process, and is available for sale immediately after processing!

I would agree that if you prefer to work harder by seasoning it in log form and then trying to process it, you will have to use other methods and equipment. In my case, I would rather put my investment $$$ and my money into working smarter, rather than working harder.

 

[eric_271]

I have to agree with you Eric,

Just regular bucking of these "wood dulled" a chain after maybe 3-4 rounds cut off. Was great wood but allot of wear and tear. Best to do the cutting green.

Sounds a lot like osage orange.