Looking Back to 1988 Splitting Wood

John B. · Oct 14, 2014

I've been busy scanning my photo albums. Here's a few pictures of my dad and my two brothers splitting wood in 1988. That's a Farmall H and 560 Diesel. My mom bought that H for her dad years ago. My dad bought the 560 new in 1963. Back in 1984 I bought my first Canon 35mm camera. Then I decided to start taking pictures around home. Wish I would of taken more pics. You can see the young peach orchard in the back ground along with one of the old abandon hog pens by the splitter.
I thought these pictures were appropriate for this time of the year. Hope you enjoy.

Geo-TH,In · Oct 14, 2014

I never had a wood splitter, but had 2 cannons. One an A1 the other AE1. Had boxes of pics, sent to son. Still have cameras which haven't used in decades. Wonder if they are worth anything? Have all kinds of lenses too. They were nice cameras, but you never knew what you had until you developed film.

John B. · Oct 14, 2014

George, I've looked at some used ones at camera stores and they want $125 a piece for the Canon AE1 and AE1 Program models. I would still have mine but it fell in to some water. I just recently bought a Samsung digital camera from walmart for $225. It takes great pictures and very user friendly.

gtractorfan · Oct 14, 2014

Interesting, I see the splitter's running off the 560's hydraulics. How long was that set up used? With the pipe frame looks like the cylinder could get bent from side forces. I also have a Canon camera and extra lenses that hasn't been used for ages. I first thought when digital cameras came out pictures would be "grainy" like tv.

dpendzic · Oct 14, 2014

Cool setup!! Wish I had some pics of the setup i made. Had a WF beam as the bottom-maybe 4-6 inches high, and a stationary splitter plate and movable push plate that I set up on the top track of my Cat R2 using the blade ram cylinder and hydraulic controls. It was rather slow but very powerful.

PJH · Oct 14, 2014

Thanks for the pictures John! That is an interesting splitter. Did it hold up ok? Never saw a tubular beam before - looks like a crooked cut on a block of wood would want to bend the cylinder rod.

Your dad and brothers look like they were having fun. I also have a sit-down splitter, and tell folks that it makes blisters on my butt.

Everybody had abandoned hog pens in 1984. . .

RayP(MI) · Oct 14, 2014

Got startrd with Canon cameras back in the early '70s. Had a buddy ln Japan in the military. We about went broke importing Canons and Nikons. Picked up a bunch of Canon lenses and other stuff on Ebay for pennies on the dollar a few years back for my use and for my 4-H kids to use. Canon T-50s made great starter cameras at $20 to $30. Even if they didn't come home intact, weren't out much. Have several slrs from the early to the latest, before digital took over. Also have a Canon 7 rangefinder with the f 0.9 lens. That is one impressive hunk of glass! Now have one of the nicer digital slrs with a couple lenses. But I think I can still do better with the old film
type. Sigh....

37chief · Oct 14, 2014

Interesting splitter. I wouldn't get much done with a two man splitter. About everything I do is by myself. Stan

gtractorfan · Oct 14, 2014

Your pictures reminded me of these I took long ago of dad making firewood. I had the pictures enlarged, glued them to thin plywood and cut them out and put sealer over them. For the one with the chainsaw, I cut a piece of branch and cut a slot in it to make the cutout stand. I have these next to the woodstove. When dad first built a splitter he ran it with the MM's hydraulic, soon got a separate engine and pump.

Geo-TH,In · Oct 14, 2014

Neat art project. My daughter has a degree in art and graphic design. Some times she get a wild idea in her head and I take the time to help her build it. Most of the time, the idea she starts with changes many times before we get it done. Her projects have to be made from scrap, rust, or junk parts. We almost never buy anything.

I'm sure if she saw your pic it would make her gears turn.

Billy NY · Oct 14, 2014

I also think I have seen this same splitter or one like it, with the pipe/round beam self contained, motor pump, like many of the "low rider" (horizontal/small wheels) splitters so common then and even today, judging by local ads, often times one can be had for a few to five hundred. I either missed or forget the manufacturer if there is one, seem to think these were commercially produced, one that was listed I believe had a data plate or name on it.

Scroll down after clicking on the link, there's one with pipe for beams.
Round or Pipe Beam 3pt Log Splitter

John B. · Oct 14, 2014

The pipe frame worked fine. We only had a u-bolt holding the cylinder on toward the front end of it. Sot the butt end of the cylinder was free to move in case the push plate decided to kick sideways. The old splitter is just sitting in my dad's machine shed since 1991 because he held auction that year and there hasn't been a tractor there with hydraulics to hook the splitter to.

Bret4207 · Oct 14, 2014

Cameras. Sheesh! I was an Olympus man. Bought my OM-10 and every accessory you could get for it when I was on Okinawa. That camera took tens of thousands of great shots. I did weddings and parties and anniversaries. I've still got boxes of photos. The last time I took the camera to an event was for one of my kids graduation, maybe 2004 or 6. I was the only guy there with a film camera. When I went to have it developed they had to send it away and it took the better part of a week. Cost me an arm and a leg too. Gone are the days of "FREE DUPLICATES!" So now I have a Fuiji digital that's built like a 35MM and takes great shots. I never use it. With the end of film, I guess my interest dropped too.

Lowell Gehring · Oct 14, 2014

The first time i spent a day bent over using a friend's splitter I knew mine would be different! I built mine to mount on the 3pt hitch but has its own pump and cast iron 10hp briggs. It has 3 0ld military house jacks for legs that are easily adjusted with a 3/4 socket. It can be adjusted to anyone's height. When on the 3pt, a single pin can be pulled to remove the end leg, pull the pin at the other end , raise 3pt and flip rail and cylinder for woking vertical. Sure saves your back! Lowell

Loantaka · Oct 14, 2014

Nice photos! Interesting splitter. Brings back memories of my early days of splitting wood in the 1970's. We had a homemade splitter running off the hydraulics on a John Deere tractor. My Dad would wrestle huge chunks of elm with relative ease, I ran the lever. Working on firewood was and is a favorite family activity.

Looking Back to 1988 Splitting Wood

John B.

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Geo-TH,In

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John B.

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gtractorfan

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dpendzic

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PJH

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RayP(MI)

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37chief

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gtractorfan

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Geo-TH,In

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Billy NY

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John B.

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Bret4207

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Lowell Gehring

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Loantaka

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