Small Engines, Oil Flow & Hillsides

It would be more gooder if I could split on the hill where I fell trees. There are a couple of places that are less steep than the rest that may work. Question is; how steep of a grade can you safely operate a 6.5 hp. engine and should the orientation of the machine be east west or north south? Thanks!

 

small engines do not generally like hills. There are many a rider that have seized running back and forth on hill sides. JD had a warning on some of their models, I know mine if I went left side down hill it would suck oil into the combustion chamber.

 

If I’m working with my splitter on a hillside, I will make my splitter level either digging in or placing blocks under a wheel. You talking about operating a splitter or driving a machine? Unclear.

 

Operating a splitter, anything I drive up there has an oil pump so I'm not so concerned about it.

 

In the instruction manual for the engine it should give you the maximum operating angle for the specific engine.

 

I recommend finding a way to make the splitter level on the hill. Set it up across the slope so it won’t roll downhill and find a way to secure it in place with chains or stakes if the slope is extreme. For me, having the hydraulic tank on a slope, I risk losing hydraulic oil through the vented reservoir dipstick pretty quickly while the hydraulic pump is running.

 

Also, if you can leave the splitter attached to the tow vehicle, that might help with stability if you put one wheel up on blocks...

 

I don't have much level ground to set up my splitter so I put on a wheeled tongue jack and took off the wheel and pounded the 'wings' as flat as i could. I use a level to set up my splitter. Sometimes the tongue is only a few inches off the ground and other times I have to put it on a block to get it high enough.

 

That's the solution I've been thinking about. Tractor Supply has a tongue jack with a skid rather than a wheel. Combined with a couple of R.V tire wedges that should take care of matters.

 

I don't have any welding skills so I had to use a bolt on tongue jack. I needed one that would allow me to lower the tongue practically to the ground.

 

Seems like just walking around and working wood be a hassle if it is that steep. I guess we all have different challenges to overcome in our hoarding.

 

It is all hills here; I was pitching wood down the hill recently and letting it roll as far as it could. I am planning to stand the larger rounds on the sides and give them a good push to get them as far down the hill as possible.

 

Let it be known he lives on the side of a cliff! Pictures wouldn’t do it justice. I wouldn’t run a billy goat on that hill. He walks it every day. I would die if I walked to his mailbox and back. Incredible view up there.

 

I wanna see pictures now.

 

My driveway hits 21% grade, does that give you a clue?I carry a backpack with a qt. of bar oil, extra chain, 8lb. short handled sledge, mingo marker and paint, along with other junk, a 461 and 1 gallon of fuel all while wearing chaps and safety helmet up there to cut. I'm 66 years old. Pictures to follow soon, but like Brandon Scott said they don't do it justice. TurboDiesel can verify the hill as well.

 

How do you move your splitter?

 

BX 2660, but it stays on the flats along the creek. I've had the BX up the hill a few times but she went up on 2 wheels a couple of times and I decided I was too old for that chit and to dang young to die so now I just hike up mostly. I can get my Tacoma up there by accessing through the horse farm next door but that's a whole other story! And even through the farm access is limited. So I spend a lot of time moving rounds by hand.

 

So would you plan to move your splitter up and down the slope by hand? Just trying to visualize the operation. Sorry for so many questions....

 

No, by the BX from the farm side. It's straight up the hill with no turns, probably 18 to 20%. There is a bit of a terrace, while not flat, it's okay for the tractor and the splitter, if I level the splitter. That would mean raising one side high enough that one tire would probably be almost or totally off the ground. I'm not convinced that running a splitter under those conditions is the safest thing to do.