Log Splitters...

[Gretch]

Serious business requires serious tools

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Aragorn

I'm about 250 miles and four hours outside of Baltimore/DC area. Thanks for the offer.

8 hour round trip and you can keep it. No kidding. It runs.

Originally Posted by Gretch

Serious business requires serious tools

What kind of PTO HP is required? Ever see any used? What model, etc...that rig is sweetness, one less motor to winterize

[VincentVega]

I split a few cords this year with a Fiskars, the long handle version. Thinking about a splitter for next year. Skip the electric.

[EarlyPorsche]

5hp tractor supply splitter for $950 here.

It's not so much about HO but how it's setup and what pump.

I split locust, elm, mulberry, and white oak AT IDLE!

Nice and quiet and the two stage pump shoots the wedge to the log then it slows down for a second to split it.

I've seen 14hp splitters that struggle with red oak at idle and actually try to split locust at high rpm. Mine does it all at super low rpm.

[DanielDudley]

I rent a 40 ton vertical splitter, as some of the logs I split weigh in excess of 200 pounds, and some are very hard to split. When I split exclusively by hand, I used a wedge on difficult logs, and would hammer on it as many times as I needed to. Twenty to 40 whacks would be common for some splits. In wood like that, a single hit with a maul would be a joke. However, I tended to split wood on at least a weekly basis, and would split wood for 20 minutes to a couple of hours per session.

With a 40 ton splitter, I tend to split all my wood for a season in one long marathon session, with or without a helper. I get that 40 ton unit for 80.00, and it is delivered on Friday night, to be picked Monday. It isn't economically practical for me to buy one with that kind of a deal, although I do think about it, for convenience. 40 ton units are hard to find though.

If the OP does not want to split that rock maple, there are no doubt many in his area who would be happy to haul it off for free.

[KFC911]

^^^^...used to rent "good" splitters when needed for years back in the day. Then finding quality, well maintained ones became harder for tackling the tough stuff...even took a couple back after just a few attempts. All splitters are not created equal, that's for sure...purchased a quality built, well designed, 30 ton from Northern Tool 'bout ten years ago...only regret, not doing it sooner. Some of the tough stuff (gum) that a 30 ton struggles with...I guarantee that you don't want to tackle with axes/mauls/wedges unless you're prepared to cuss. I sorta like that newfangled thing they've come up with called spark plugs...wheels don't suck either

[Drisump]

I have a five horse gas affair that I split (no pun intended) with two other guys. My home is heated entirely with wood so the investment has been a good one. The five horse plows through everything you can throw at it, including gnarly maple, cherry, and arbutus. It can be used both vertically and horizontally, the advantages where talked about in earlier posts. It had to be established before purchase that it was only for the use of the three of us. When you live in a rural environment, everybody wants to use it but letting it out will ensure the machine is beat to hell in no time. I've seen machines lent out by friends of the owner to THEIR friends without consent of the owner. People are strange, thinking that's ok. Typically these are robust machines, but no one seems to maintain them at all. One machine I borrowed, I had to add $50 worth of oil to the hydraulics to bring it up to the correct level. These machines don't have a cooling system for the hydraulics, they rely on the sheer volume of the reservoir to cool. Anyway if you do go through a lot of wood, it might be an idea to co-op with some trusted friends....your back will thank you. I had a look at the electric ones, honestly they look like they're for the guy that has everything and has a few fireplace fires a year....not for production. Cheers

[Gretch]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

What kind of PTO HP is required? Ever see any used? What model, etc...that rig is sweetness, one less motor to winterize

That is a 20 ton splitter with a 4 way wedge. Few rounds can defy it. The tractor is a K 3710. The splitter is an American TMS model.

PTO HP is not really relevant with these units. The HYD pump PSI rating is a better correlation to the splitter's capacity. This specific tractor puts out 2500 psi, IIRC.

The two machines with winch / skidder, chipper and splitter help me (IE: do most of the work) put up 20+ cord a year.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Gretch

That is a 20 ton splitter with a 4 way wedge. Few rounds can defy it. The tractor is a K 3710. The splitter is an American TMS model.

PTO HP is not really relevant with these units. The HYD pump PSI rating is a better correlation to the splitter's capacity. This specific tractor puts out 2500 psi, IIRC.

The two machines with winch / skidder, chipper and splitter help me (IE: do most of the work) put up 20+ cord a year.

Thank you very much for the info...I took a much more detailed look at your first pictures and now see the hydraulic hook-ups just to the rear of the seat. That is exactly how my back-hoe and front end loader work. I just wasn't sure if the splitter had it's own hydraulics powered by the PTO. The design makes perfect sense.

Also, is the rig you put on the other tractors 3 point hitch custom? I really like the concept.

Thanks!

[Gretch]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Also, is the rig you put on the other tractors 3 point hitch custom? I really like the concept.
Thanks!

I do not understand your question. Sorry.

All the implements are standard TPH setups. The winch turns off of the PTO as does the flywheel for the chipper. The feed drum for the chipper is hyd motor driven, using hyd flow from the tractor pump, as the splitter is powered.

[VincentVega]

Impressive setup. What do you do for logs, cut from your land? I'm all in heating with wood and usually get wood via craigslist. If I have to pay for wood it's tough to justify not just having it delivered split.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Gretch

I do not understand your question. Sorry.

All the implements are standard TPH setups. The winch turns off of the PTO as does the flywheel for the chipper. The feed drum for the chipper is hyd motor driven, using hyd flow from the tractor pump, as the splitter is powered.

I should have been more clear. The picture below is the implement I am interested in, it looks like you drag logs with it. I really like the protective design.

[Gretch]

That is a Farmi logging winch and skidder.

It is a JL601 IIRC. It has a 16,000# winching capacity. It is designed to winch the logs to the back blade. Then the choker chains drop into the slots at the top of the winch body. When all hooked up, you raise the "lift" and the log butts come off the ground, butting up against the dozer blade. Off you go to the cutting yard.

[Aragorn]

Originally Posted by VincentVega

Impressive setup. What do you do for logs, cut from your land? I'm all in heating with wood and usually get wood via craigslist. If I have to pay for wood it's tough to justify not just having it delivered split.

Don't know about what the others do for logs, but family has access to quite a bit of land and there are always a few trees down. Sandy did a number on a few of the ridges so I think most of that will rot because it is hard to get to.

The going rate around here for split wood is around $75 for half a truckload (I think a full size pickup bed usually equates to a cord) so roughly $150 for a cord.

I have seen quite a few adds on craigslist for wood in the free section. Usually people get charged by the tree trimmers to chip the wood so they ask for it to be stacked and give it away.

[Gretch]

A full size pick up bed can handle about a half a cord. And the going rate for seasoned cord wood in my neck of the woods is $275 to $300. A full cord is 128 cubic feet. Don't get cheated.

I have 60 acres of forest. I won't ever run out of trees that need cutting and any hardwood spars are simply a bonus baby.

[RWebb]

big teenager + maul

[Gretch]

I have worn out several teenagers. they are over rated!