In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Pretty cool add on winch for a splitter.

Discussion in 'The Wood Pile' started by Babaganoosh, Mar 31, 2017.

  1. Babaganoosh

    Babaganoosh

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    Saw this the other day. Anyone have one? I contemplated buying one but they haven't emailed me back with height information. I need it to fit in the shed. I have a hoist and log tongs (on the way) to hang in the tree over my splitting area. When I get it set up I'll take a video. I like how the wheel/screw piece allows you to let it hang a little bit and split off the big piece.

    Ive got a LOT of big red oak rounds cut at 18 inches long that I'd use it for. I think it beats noodling or using a sledge and wedge. I think it will be easier than cracking them vertically.


     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2017
  2. XXL

    XXL

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    Looks well thought out and constructed. Definitely an asset if you split the big stuff. Work smarter not harder ;)
     
  3. NortheastAl

    NortheastAl

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    That looks like a real back saver. Could be a nice thing to have.
     
  4. bogydave

    bogydave

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    Just my opinion,
    but he sure makes it look harder , (makes my backhurt just watching)
    Set up a winch & mast, & a charged battery
    Bend over to Screw into the round, drag it, tear up the grass, , lift in position ,
    split & drop 1/2 the round off the splitter , bend over to screw the outer 1/2 round
    split the 1/2 round, un screw the handle
    Then has to clear the standing area of splits, bending over & over to toss the splits to the pile.

    + over 1/2 the run time on the splitter is just making noise & burning gas
    more time chasing the rounds than splitting

    Being a old fart, with a bad back , set in my ways:

    I roll several rounds to within pic-a-roon distance of the splitter, start the splitter,
    sit down, stand up the rounds onto the splitter shoe, pull the lever to split the round , toss the splits to a pile.
    or
    park the splitter by the pile of rounds & start splitting:

    20" rnd .JPG DSCF5776.JPG

    VERTICAL RULES !!!!
    :) :)
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2017
  5. Ralphie Boy

    Ralphie Boy

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    Someone is always trying to build a better mouse trap.
     
  6. Babaganoosh

    Babaganoosh

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    I can probably roll those birch rounds no problem all day. But 20 to 24 inch oak rounds? No thanks.
    Hes definitely making it harder but it's to show how far it can drag the round I think. With a helper I bet it's much easier.

    I'm going to see if my redneck version works when I get some time . My rounds are all in a row so I don't have to drag them.
     
  7. bogydave

    bogydave

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    Yea
    I can see it could have uses
    But not for my situation

    True statement

    My helper is the old guy in the mirror:rofl: :lol::rofl: :lol:
     
  8. Babaganoosh

    Babaganoosh

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    Same here
     
  9. saewoody

    saewoody

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    I have decided to resurrect this old thread. I remember taking a look at it when it was posted a couple years back. But just recently I’ve started thinking about something similar. I’m wondering if anybody has made their own version of this?

    I was lifting 2 foot diameter maple rounds last weekend and it wasn’t really all that fun. And then my Harbor Freight email came and they were advertising a $50 2500 pound winch with a remote. And I started thinking about potentially making a set up like this for myself.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  10. buZZsaw BRAD

    buZZsaw BRAD

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    jo191145 (fellow CT hoarder) has something like that i think saewoody. Do you sledge and wedge/noodle big uns to load? With a herniated disc now, anything over 18" i'll half/quarter to load.
     
  11. saewoody

    saewoody

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    Only if I can’t pick it up; and that is a rarity. But I ended up with a bit of a hernia a couple years ago that I am confident is directly related to this hobby of ours. And sometimes my mind forgets the body is getting older, but the body will remind my brain. I should probably halve a lot more stuff than I do before I even lift it, but oftentimes a lot of what I seem to deal with is yard trees, and they don’t like to split that nicely. So then I’m working the Fiskars around the edges and end up splitting most of the piece by hand. I ended up doing a couple cords of sugar maple that way last year. Way too big to lift, but near impossible to split into halves or quarters (without a wedge). So I figure if I’m going to be swinging, I might as well swing for easy to handle pieces. I will noodle on a rare occasion. But that is usually to separate a large crotch (I hope no one takes that out of context!)


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  12. Fifelaker

    Fifelaker

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    I made one a few years ago. 20171029_121552.jpg 20170827_184506.jpg I get some large stuff and I will say it's slow but so am I.
     
  13. saewoody

    saewoody

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    Thanks for the input and the pics. Looks like you are handling some big stuff.


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  14. MrWhoopee

    MrWhoopee

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    Last edited: Nov 7, 2019
  15. jo191145

    jo191145

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    I made one that runs off my atv winch. Atv has a front trailer hitch so it seemed logical to just use that.
    As with most improvements I’ve made once I used it I wouldn’t ever want to go back. I’m never splitting vertical, no longer swinging a sledge and noodling is only fun for so long.
    Is it slower than picking up a 200lb chunk of wood? Maybe, but I’m not picking up no 200lb chunks of wood either.

    on oak I use a rafting dog. Three good whacks with a 3lb hammer and it’s secure. On ash I’ve found the dogs don’t work as well. I switched to the log tongs I use on my other winch operated equipment. (Log arch and log trailer)
    For the dog I welded a small piece of round pipe on the back of the support. So whenever I release the dog I just tuck it in the pipe out of the way. The tongs are faster but I’ve yet to come up with a method where they’re not in the way somehow, or at least the rope ;)
    Biggest issue is longevity of the remote batteries. Even on my relatively expensive Polaris atv winch the remote battery doesn’t last long. Seems to lose the ability to transmit more than a few feet rather quickly. Can be a real PIA.
    I also wired my atv winch to accept a separate 12v deep cycle battery. Atv batteries are already skimpish on amps.

    synthetic over cable everyday. Didn’t think I’d like synthetic but I have three winches with it now and I’d never buy anything else. They have 1/4” rope rated for 15,000lbs now. Insane.

    Not so sure I’d like the dc wires running up the pole to the winch. I’ve seen many instances splitting the big ones where they may get pinched. It happens.
    4B9BF77F-F9AC-48E1-AA1C-448667776B3A.jpeg BDB62EAE-34FB-45FE-831A-100661427D22.jpeg
    D3F3213E-9F2D-4AC0-B052-2055A75FAD37.jpeg BDB62EAE-34FB-45FE-831A-100661427D22.jpeg
    Yes I still noodled the ash. There comes a point where there’s just too much wood to deal with on the tables.
     
    Last edited: Nov 8, 2019
  16. T.Jeff Veal

    T.Jeff Veal

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  17. MikeyB

    MikeyB

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    Nice set up T. Jeff.
     
  18. T.Jeff Veal

    T.Jeff Veal

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    Thanks, didn't find that wasp nest until the end... that's what I was slapping
     
    Chvymn99, MikeyB, NortheastAl and 5 others like this.
  19. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

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    Sorry, but I just don't get it.

    First off, let me explain my situation. I had polio in my youth and still suffer from the consequences but get along fairly well anyway. I injured my back badly in 1984 and had 3 surgeries. I have many terrible discs in my back and neck. 3 surgeries to replace hips. I state this only so people would hopefully understand my situation when it comes to splitting wood.

    I will admit that I don't split a lot of wood that is 3' or more diameter but don't think there are that many that do either. I also do my level best to not lift wood. Hence, the splitter stands up; I don't split horizontally and just do not see any sense in doing so. If you have to lift the wood, you are doing it wrong. Same thing; if you have to do a lot of bending over, you are doing it wrong.

    The wood that man was splitting in the video; it was crazy to need a winch to move that and if it were split vertically, there would be no need to lift it. The block probably could have been all split by the time he got his on the splitter.

    I think these things look nice to some but most of them are nothing but gadgets and we are better off without them.
     
  20. Yawner

    Yawner

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    I could have written your post! I agree with you, I don't understand all the lifting, like you, I split vertically so I don't have to lift! I have to lift too much to get stuff into my truck/trailer! Might get a winch for that!

    T. Jeff Veal... two things interest me... that steel floor mat gizmo you have, is that store bought or did you make it? I sure need one of those, really like that! Also, that tool that you jam down into the round to separate fibers, what is that called? I sure need one of those, too! Hmmm... I just thought of something... I have a bada$$ "root shovel" (Radius Root Slayer) for digging into ground with roots. It's heavy duty and it has a very sharp, fileable end that's similar to the end of that tool you are using. Since I am sitting on a round when I split vertically, it would be handy to grab the shovel and do what you are doing with that tool. I wouldn't have to stand up. The root shovel I have is not as long as a regular shovel, which is about as long as that tool you are using. I will have to try the root shovel! Still, what is that thing called? TIA!