Log splitters

It sure has been a great thread.

 

My first intro. into a screw- type splitter was the ones mounted to a car rear hub, with the axle up on a jack stand. While it worked to split wood, the thing was so dangerous is so many different ways at one time it was incredible.

Then a couple of years ago I saw a video of one exactly like that table model you show here and I have to say, not only did it work well, it seemed to be relatively safe provided the operator kept his / her wits about them (read: keep your hands and sleeves AWAY from that screw!). As far as actually splitting wood though, there was not much that could go wrong given the very close and rugged table so close to the screw; there just was no chance of any piece of wood flipping over in any way. The worst thing that would happen is that something like a really nasty knot <might> stall the splitter but honestly, I even doubt that.

If I ever happened to see one in use, I would give it a try if the owner would allow that.

Brian

 

I bought a Speeco 22 ton in 2001, split 5-6 cord a year mostly oak. Have had zero problems with it.

 

Back in the Mid 1970's the state was having a lot of the wood near where we lived logged off. They were real slective in what they took. Many times they would leave a whole 8' log because one end was hollow. Or they would cut a 4' chunk out due to a 3 or 4 way crotch.
Get a permint where we could get 10 cords of dead and down off the state land and we were going in and cleaning up after the crew left for another area.






Some of that wood was to tough to split with a maul and had to be noodled for us to get it in the truck.

Bought a Bark buster set up like this for about $250.00. Worked great and 2 of us could lift it into a truck to travel.




Problem was the cone was mostly Alum with a hardened steel starter screw (see picture) about every 10th truck (3 face coard per load) load the Alum would break out where the roll pin went to hold the hardened screw part. The Alum cone was about $50.00 every time you replaced it. Tried to have it welded but that didn't well, but for part way thru a knot.
Tried to get a machine shop to make me a steel cone but they all turned me down as to costly to do.
So today it sets in my pole barn waiting for me to find a old solid steel stickler cone I can modify for it.

I set about building my own tow behind spliter useing hydraulics, lot of recycled parts and stuff given to me was used. Was given a I beam which was welded on to a New Idea sickle bar mower some one tried to cut a 12" fence line Elm with and it didn't unlock.
Northern hydraulics provided a viking duel stage 18GPM pump and a 4x24 cylinder. I was given a chunk of semi broken spring which was sharpened so you could shave with it welded to the I beam.
I was in college at the time so I made up slide blocks shaped to fit the I beam.
I was given a 6hp B/S motor off a tiller that had wore out the gears.
Boy that thing when altogether was great at splitting those tough knots but not being road wheels the tow was slow.

I got a job 3 hpours from home and where I lived used gas for heat so the splitter was left at dads. about every one in a 100 mile radis with a C,R, D, P, N and their friends used it. That old 6 horse engie gave up the ghost. My dad replaced it with a 8HP new Brigs and locked it away in a shed for many years.
I bought my place here and started heating with wood since there was a southernaire furnace add on.
I messed with that 8 hp Briggs to get it running and did finally get it to go but not well for the splitter.
I decided to stop messing with it and got a 6.5 Predator engine for it.
Now it is back to splitting like it used to when I built it. and blew the pump. Shop was only intrested in selling me a new pump rather than repairing it.
I bought a new pump but from Northern again. Isn't as good as the Viking despite more GPM but works for me.

Yes I do have a picture of it but is on Photo bucket, Any one here have anything good to say about photo bucket?


Al

 

Come on over !! I'll let you try it till I run out of wood !!!

 

I a

I always said that I'd build a little gas screw job like yours. If you want to peddle it let me know.

 

I think sort of theives.

Al

 

Bought this "used" around Christmas. It had 23 hours on it. It now has about 250

 

jrider and depending on price a major You Suck + good on ya!!

 

$7k. Receipt said $10,800...

 

Great machine.. Used one for fundraiser.. Loved it!! Commercial use.

 

Sweet deal. I found one close to me (50 miles), but it's a '09 model and he wants $4K for it. He put the splitter table on his new TW-6. He said he might put it back on the TW-5, if I was interested in buying it...

 

Split Second Kinetic splitter

 

I have a Dirty Hands 35T splitter. Have had it just over a year and a half with zero issues. Have split approx. 20+ cords of Fir, Madrona, Locust, Cherry, Maple and Oak in that order of quantity. It has grunted and snorted some on the uglies but never stopped. 9.6 hp Koehler motor is quiet and fuel efficient. Starts cold and restarts hot easily. I changed the oil 3 times during the break in period and the last fill was synthetic. Always use zero alcohol gasoline in all my small engines. I have modified it with a large log table/engine guard and a hydraulic component guard. Also fenders with armored turn lights and a wheeled trailer jack for ease of moving it on hard surfaces. This is my first ever splitter and I wonder why I didn't do it sooner. Only time will tell how much longevity I get out of it!

 

Nice mods. Great work

 

As a matter of coincidence, I rolled mine out of the garage yesterday and used it for awhile. (When the neighbor heard it running, he too came over with a wheelbarrow full to split up for him!)

It had been at least a year since the last start up; actually-probably longer; and I thought the honda engine would start right up with no more than 3 pulls. Yeah right! I was on my sixth pull and was wondering just why it hadn't fired..."never did that before...."

I had forgotten to turn the switch on! Yeah, started right up as soon as the switch was in the run position!

 

I did a tally of the different log splitters mentioned in this thread so far and its quite a list.
Really enjoyed hearing about and seeing all the different splitters
I suppose a lot of the different names are made with the same parts by a few manufacturers.
Also interesting the mods done by members to their splitters
Great thread, here's the list so far. Hope I didn't miss any

Northstar 37 ton
Northstar 32 ton
Dirty hand tools 22 ton
Dirty Hand tools 28 ton
Dirty Hand tools 35 ton
Split Second Kinetic splitter
Timberwolf TW-5
Timber Wolf TW6
Powermate 25 ton
White 33 ton
Rugged Split,37 ton
Bark buster
Iron & Oak Commercial 22 ton
Countyline 25 ton
Speeco 25ton
Speeco 22 ton
Speeco 15 ton
Ram Splitter 16 ton electric
Speeco SpeedPro kinetic
MTD 25 ton
MTD 20 ton
Forest King
Campinspecter’s Beaver
Cub Cadet 25 Ton
Ariens 27 Ton
Ariens 22 ton
black diamond 30 ton
Earthquake electric 5 ton
MTD yard Machine 25 ton
MTD yard machines 31 ton
Brave 20 ton
Huskee 22 ton
Yardmax 28 ton
Champion 23 ton
Earthquake Electric
03fatboy built his own
Tiewire built his own
Trail twister built his own

 

I built my own also.

Al