Wood Splitter

I was thinking about buying a 3 pt hitch hydraulic wood splitter and would be running it off the remotes on the tractor. I have never owned one and could use advice on how well they worked. Thanks

PM

What tractor, some are better at that than others?

Have had a home-made one better than 40 years; they work great if your tractor has the hydraulic capacity (gpm) to run it.......and you can afford the fuel.

I will be useing a Ford 3930. Just wanted to know how well this type splitter worked conpared to others?

I built one for our JD 4600, 3 1/2 X 24 cylinder,
splits anything we have including elm. Tractor is
2500 psi and about 10 gpm. Not real fast but safe.
Probably burns 1-2 quarts of fuel an hour.

I probably agree with others, you will burn less fuel to get an
engine powered one.

hi, I have a speedco 15 ton. It works extremely well cutting right thru knots powered by it's own little 5 hp motor. My neighbor bought a 3 pt model for his kubota tractor running off his remote hyd. It is very slow by comparison..I would check that out as it can be very annoying. A good point for it is , you can tip it up so you can split straight down which is handy if you have a very wide or too heavy to lift block. Ed Will

Why run your 45hp tractor when an 8hp single cylinder briggs and stratton motor will do the job?

I used to have a tractor splitter and now have one with its own motor, I save a lot of fuel, hours on my tractors, don't have to listen to the tractor sitting there singing all afternoon, etc. I can also hook this one behind the ATV or truck and take it anyplace I need to go. You couldn't pay me enough to go back to a tractor powered splitter.

A neighbor had a diesel International (might have been a 354 or 454) with a 3 point splitter. That thing was an animal! Would split anything! And fast. Never seen a splitter before or since that could run that fast.

The reason why you'd use a tractor instead of an 8 horse Briggs is because it has electric start, is quieter, more portable and easier to store. And that's one less small engine to maintain in your fleet.

I doubt the diesel engine would use much more fuel than the Briggs.

I've got a tractor mounted 3 point hitch splitter and a couple of self-powered splitters. Each have advantages and disadvantages. I use the tractor mounted splitter mostly mainly out of conveniance. It has less splitter power then a self-powered splitter and the 50 horse diesel uses more fuel then a 5 or 8 horse gas engine does. All diesels are pigs on fuel when worked on jobs too small. A 50 horse diesel being worked at 5 horsepower (and less) is much less fuel efficient then a 5 horse gas engine. Since a tractor lacks a two-stage pump, it needs to be 3 times the horsepower as a self-powered splitter to do the same work.

Tractor mounted is great for getting where the tree is. When I have big hardwoods - sometimes 3 foot diameter - I cut up in the woods, back the tractor up to it and split right there. Downside is excess noise and fuel usage if you're using the tractor's hydraulic system. Many tractors need to be run pretty fast to make a splitter with a 4" or 5" cylinder cycle reasonbly fast. A PTO pump makes those tractors work much nicer and run slower. The other slight downside is fuel usage. A 50 horse diesel running at mostly low power demand is going to use more fuel then a small 5 or 8 horse gas engine. One more slight downside is power. Most tractors have hydraulic systems that max out at 1800-2200 PSI. A small self-powered splitter is sometimes set to make 3000 PSI max and will have more splitting power.
A decent self-powered splitter will have a two-stage pump able to make very high pressure. A tractor's hydraulic system won't.

(quoted from post at 05:01:37 05/01/12)The reason why you'd use a tractor instead of an 8 horse Briggs is because it has electric start, is quieter, more portable and easier to store. And that's one less small engine to maintain in your fleet.

I doubt the diesel engine would use much more fuel than the Briggs.

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My splitter starts in 1 easy pull even after sitting all winter, which takes less time then climbing onto the tractor to make sure its not in gear and turn the key. I don't own a single tractor that is quieter than my splitter motor, and I have more tractors than I can count on both hands. I would say a self powered splitter is more portable as it can go anywhere on its own without the need for a tractor, and its easier to store because having its own wheels you can push it wherever you want (my case the back corner of a barn that a tractor wouldn't fit) instead of having to use a tractor to jockey it around. The briggs is so easy to maintain, it holds like 2qt's of oil that I change every season and thats it, been going strong for 12 years now I think. 2qt's is hardly the start to an oil change on the bigger tractors.

As for fuel efficiency I ran my old 3pt splitter on every tractor that had a PTO and none were as efficient as the little briggs motor on my current splitter.

Any engine being worked near it's max torque rating is going to be more efficient that a engine being underworked. Gas or diesel. That's one reason why self-powered log splitters are more efficient then splitters on tractors with big engines.

The other reason is that most self-powered splitters use two-stage hydraulic pumps. No tractor I've ever heard of has one. So a self-powered splitter can do the same work as a big tractor and do it with a smaller engine. When it needs to make high pressure - it just shifts into "low gear."

That all said, I much prefer the tractor mounted splitter when I've got huge trees laying in the woods. I cut on site and split right there. I'd never get a trailer-type splitter into those places.

How come you can get a tractor in the woods with a splitter attached behind it but you can't get a trailer mounted splitter to the same place?

My trailer splitter is about the same width as my ATV and as long as the the frame isn't dragging in the mud (12" or so of clearance) I can pull it anyplace. The ATV and splitter combined weight much less then even a small tractor so they really float on soft ground. I haven't found anyplace that I can't get my splitter.

You're kidding, aren't you? I don't have any paths in most places I cut, Just deep woods and sometimes have to drive over fallen/dead trees. Many places I get into with a tractor would not be accessible with an ATV and certainly not with a trailer-log-splitter with 6" or 8' of ground clearance. Full size tractor has lots of ground clearance AND can get in an out of tight places.

I don't have paths either just make a trail where I need to go. An ATV will go more places than the tractors and crawlers I own (except deep snow and mud with a crawler). Your tractors must be different. My ATV weights next to nothing (less than 500 lbs), has balloon tires (stays on top of things that your boots sink through), plenty of ground clearance, true 4x4 with locked differentials front and rear, plenty of gear options, is only like 3.5 feet wide (squeeze between trees), and will go just about anyplace you point it. Even with the splitter behind I can go just about anywhere, only thing that stops me is if mud gets deep. But I try to stay out of the woods when its wet and muddy as I don't like tearing and rutting up the woods.

I couldn't imagine taking a tractor places that I take my ATV. Just the though of wrecking an expensive tire is enough to make my tractors stay in the field whenever possible.

I think this discussion is getting a bit silly. The original poster was talking about a tractor-mounted splitter. This is a tractor forum. So I assume many here actually own tractors. I also assume many do not own ATVs. I don't. Never have and never will. For my use - an ATV would be a waste of money and just an expensive toy. I don't go "mud-bogging." I do need a small 4WD in the woods at times and for that my Isuzu diesel PUP mini-truck works great and will carry a lot more load then any ATV. I DO have to make a path for it, yeah.

If you think pulling and maneuvering a trailer in the deep woods is somehow easier then driving a tractor - good for you. I don't agree. I find the tractor much easier as long at it has a wide-front end and not a tricycle setup. Having the front loader on it is also nice to have for moving trees/logs when needed. Easier yet is my little crawler but that doesn't have a three-point hitch to hold a log splitter.

Here's my little diesel "woods and field" buggy . .
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And my favorite splitter . .

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i run my splitter off a prince pto driven pump on a farmall b. splitter stays hooked to the tractor pretty much all the time. pump puts out 2250 psi and about 25 gpm. prefer that than tapping the tractor hydraulics. have higher flow for quicker splitting. and the spool valve is mounted right on the splitter.

I have contemplated owning a log splitter for a good long while, my old tractor would just be inefficient for what I need to do. Possibly a late model, compact or similar that has the hydraulic capacity, much better fuel efficiency etc. may perform, as thinking about our small challenger tractor with the Iseki diesel in might be the way to go, but am not sure about the hydraulics and performance, seems like it could work ok.

Personally, I try to minimize handling, I want the logs brought in near the sheds, where they can be bucked, and split, creating piles close to the shed, so it can be stacked from there. I don't want to split in the woods, then load it by hand and unload by hand. I do have a truck with a dump body and I suppose if I could get close to a large tree with both, then dump near the shed, about the same handling. I typically put on these makeshift forks, cut the logs to 6' or 8' and load the truck, or carry them with the tractor. I sometimes skid them out with the tractor.

I recently bought a used 28 ton Huskee, made by Special Products Co. or SPEECO. Save $500 from a new one, added the log catcher and the 4 way wedge, that drops on the existing wedge, which I still await to receive. This splitter is stout enough, cycle time is productive, and the 2 accessories, that 4 way wedge and log catcher, fit right on, I looked at a lot of other mfr's and could not find those. All this thing needs is a log lift, and I'm confident that I could rig something up, use my loader bucket or what have you, my problem is working while bending down, nice that it works vertically, but is hard on ones back. The honda GC 190 is very fuel efficient, and I put some really tough logs through it already, one a piece of willow, soft but so many limbs the grain was incredibly twisted, it hunkered down almost to a halt, but went through it. 2 stage pump is what does it. The other some hard maple, crotch wood, I stopped the ram once, then back into it, seemed like you could have bent something on the first try, 2nd time it powered through, piece popped pretty good too, the forces at work are incredible. I figure the 4 way wedge will help save time on logs that have been bucked and dried and or straight grain wood, I'm sure it will have its limitations, mfr says for softwood only, but I think with discretion it has a purpose for the logs off this land.

Its homeowner grade, not a commercial processor, but made well enough and the price of a new one is reasonable, and is productive enough for someone who needs to split 5-6 cords of hardwood for a season, even one of these, couple days a year will produce a seasons worth of firewood for a small-medium home, shop or what have you, plus TSC sells them, they hold their value and there is not much too them if something breaks or needs replacing, I'm happy with it, enough that I will eventually sell it and go for the 35 ton model from Speeco with the Honda motor.

Thanks for the help. I like the thought of bringing the wood in lenghts to one place to cut and split. I have a front loader with forks on my tractor.
I am leaning toward the engine mounted splitter with two stage pump now since reading pro's and con's. I can see where both have advantages
I started heating with wood two years ago after many years of other heating systems and like wood heat the best. thanks Paul M

I don't like splitting in the woods either. But when cutting up a tree that measures 13 feet around - even when cut into 18" lengths, the stuff isn't fun to move around. And if I drag it out of the woods with my dozer, it makes an awful mess all the way home. That is unless the ground is frozen.

Last year the power company came through town and did some major tree removal. Nobody in town (except me) wanted to mess with any trees that were over 10 feet around and many were 14 feet. So, I cut them up right where they were, drove my tractor/splitter there and split on-site. But in that case - I could of done it just as well with a tow-behind splitter.

First thing you need to do is check the specs on your tractors hydraulic system.

I bought one on an auction, intending to run it off the hydraulic system on my D-19 AC. Problem was, the D-19 has a high pressure, low volume hydraulic system.

The good news was, I never found anything it wouldn't go through. The bad news was, with the low volume system, the 3 1/2" X 24" ram took a full 40 seconds to cycle with no load.

Tried it on my H Farmall, and it cut the cycle time in half, but didn't have enough pressure to go through anything tough.

I wound up mounting a pump and oil tank on the splitter and running the pump off the PTO.

I also use a Prince PTO pump. Works great but there is no way a Farmall B has the power to run 25 GPM at 2250 PSI. A B could just barely flow 10 GPM at that pressure running at full power.

That being said, a 25 GPM pump only flows 12.5 GPM at half rated PTO speed.

GPM is a meaningless figure without RPM anyway. My Prince PTO pump is 7.8 cubic inch per revolution size - model HC-PTO-A. It is rated at 17 GPM at 540 RPM at 2000 PSI. Takes 27 horsepower to run it at that 17 GPM rate, but I only need half that flow to cycle a 4" cylinder well.

really, b wont run the pump? heres my b with the splitter on it. also have a hydraulic crane to lift bigger logs. split oak, hedge apple and black walnut with it all the time. run the tractor at half throttle. splits a lot faster than my neighbors store bought splitter with a 10 hp gas engine. aint pretty, but it does a days work.

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I didn't say the B can't run the pump. I said the B cannot run that pump at 25 gallons-per-minute at 2250 PSI. I made that clear. If your B has a max horsepower of 18, then it can run 10 gallons-per-minute at 2250 PSI and be maxed out doing it.
If you've got a 4" diameter cylinder, 7 GPM probably gives all the cycle speed you need.

You mentioned the 25 GPM. That is not a pump size; it's a flow rate. A pump that makes 5 GPM at 500 RPM is a 10 GPM pump at 1000 RPM and a 20 GPM pump at 2000 RPM, etc.

I went to a yard sale a few days ago where a guy had a smaller log splitter for sale. He wanted $500 for it. I've been looking for an el-cheapo to leave up at my cabin in the Aridondacks, 120 miles from home. I want something cheap so if it gets stolen, I won't lose sleep over it.

This was a factory made splitter - Didier brand with a 5 horse Briggs & Stratton. It was the slowest splitter I've ever come across. Took near 25 seconds to go just one way. I thought for sure the two-stage pump was stuck in "low range." But after looking closely, found it had a tiny little single-stage pump. I didn't know any factory-made splitters ever came that way. What a piece of junk! It takes around 1 1/2 horsepower to flow 1 gallon per minute at 2000 PSI. So I assume this thing had a single-stage 3 gallon pump on it.

If I were building one today, I'd probably go with a small-horsepower gasoline engined one. Not sure how much diesel a 4020 running at 1600 rpm burns, but it's not a tremendous amount. Since it's paid for and I'm too old to do much building, I'll continue to use what I've got. I bring all my wood to the lot beside the house, using either a fel w/forks or the boom pole. I back a trailer up under the splitter enough that the blocks never touch the ground after going thru the splitter. The pictures are of my brother and his at-the-time 8 year old son.

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I remember many of your posts, sounds like you have some great resources with some old trees places hard to access. Getting those out is certainly a challenge.

Power company did the same near here, on a section of land near fields I have worked in for my farmer friend, if I had permission, I still don't know how in heck I'd be able to get them, ravines, creeks and such. I hate seeing the waste too, but what can you do.

When skidding, I'll only do it when the ground is froze, little or no snow, it does/can make a mess, dirt on the logs etc. But clean em off where they are to be cut.

I've got a section of hedge row to clean up near the house here, will have to skid those, but I think I can make up skid plate for that job. Our place has most of the old ag fields overgrown, now wooded, most is smaller diameter, but I have taken logs from fields I have worked up to 3'-0 diameter and hauled them back, was after the '08 ice storm. I get a lot of wood from clean up or older black cherry that need to be taken down, ants or just nature, healthy ones I leave and I try not to disturb other trees, so they have their chance to grow up.

I do have some oak logs that are too big to handle, several at our other place are over 3'-0" dia., will have to buck those on the spot and will either load them onto my truck piece by piece to split near the shed. Power company brought those in off their land, and dropped em in our pasture.

One thing that would be ideal is a tow behind log arch for my D7 Cat, unless marsh, thickly wooded or really soft ground, that would get them in easily.

For now, tractor with forks and that 28 ton splitter ought to handle it, heres some black cherry and apple logs, of diameter a little easier to deal with LOL !

Shame on you!

LJD or jdemaris or whatever he is callin' himself these days is not to be questioned.

After all he has 70 or more trattors on 7 continents and a hunnert chainsaws goin' all the time.

And he still has the humility to drive a craptastic rice-burner Hizusu pickup.

Brad

That log looks like a good veneer log.This log would bring big bucks sold.Its foolish to cut saw logs into fire wood.Looks like clear red oak.I would not saw that log into boards until I checked its value as veneer wood.

(quoted from post at 17:56:09 05/01/12) That log looks like a good veneer log.This log would bring big bucks sold.Its foolish to cut saw logs into fire wood.Looks like clear red oak.I would not saw that log into boards until I checked its value as veneer wood.

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As a buyer of Veneer logs, from the pictures it doesn't look like veneer quality (I see lots of bumps on the log, and possible twigs originating from the bole). Oak is famous for having buds/small twigs on the surface of the bark, when the logs are sliced or peeled for veneer all those twigs open up as holes in the sheet of veneer. This can be very hard on lathe knives and results in lots of cheap "core" veneer that isn't worth much.

Hey - at least Isuzu was honest enough to put it's own name on my truck. Chevy Canyon and Colorado overseas come from the Isuzu D-Max company. So does the Duramax diesel used in the USA. Back when my Isuzu PUP was made - Chevy was sticking their name on the trucks and selling as LUVs. Something I don't think the Chevy name made them run any better.

Paid $500 for around 10 years ago and it's been a little work-horse.

If I DID care about who made what - I'd be driving something from Ford - the only stand-alone, non-foreign -owned USA car company left. Kind of sad to think my 92 Dodge -Cummins truck was made in Mexico and the new Dodge is 100% owned by a company in Italy.

Nice setup. Thanks for reminding me, I need to change hydraulics and a filter when I get home this weekend. That filter above your resevoir just jumped right out at me. Thanks, many thanks.

Mark

What kind of mill do you have? I've owned a circle mill for a LONG time and can recognize veneer quality logs and don't have any trouble deciding what to sell and what to saw and what to split.......

In any case turning sawlogs into fire wood aint too bright.I wont do it.

(quoted from post at 15:42:06 05/03/12) In any case turning sawlogs into fire wood aint too bright.I wont do it.

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If you only have 1 or 2 logs then usually they aren't worth the time to haul them someplace and sell them. I buy around a million BdFt of sawlogs every year and hate when somebody calls me to come buy just a few logs the trucking, paperwork, hassle cost more then they are worth especially if they are lower grade. Heck I often will have a tree dump over on the farm that has one saw log in it and 9 times out of 10 I will buzz it up for firewood.

I have a band mill so a log I bring home gets sawed into lumber.There are plenty of firewood trees on my place.I dont buy logs.I saw for my own needs and saw for a few friends.

I run mine with an 1800 oliver. The tractor has a new hyd pump and it is very slow compaired to a gas powered rental unit.

I don't cut fire wood, did back in the 50's &amp; 60's. If I were doing it today I think I would make some pallets with a back and 2 end walls. and have some forks on a 3 point. Then chunk to size where the tree fell, load it on the pallet, take it to the house, and park it pallet and all near where the wood was needed.

Dusty