Yesterday was a bit too cold and windy for my liking; last night the wind really howled, and it stayed cloudy for most of the day. As far as I know, no trees down from the wind although the ground is saturated with water; the trees being bare helps there. It has been a very wet winter although the snows have been mild; the worst was the storm on Sunday and that only produced 7.5 cm/3 in at most and the roads stayed clear. Today was clear bright sunny skies with some wind. I ventured out to finish splitting the pine. The moisture is a bit higher than I like but split it should drop in moisture fairly quickly. I can't remember when that pine was dropped; it was on my sister's property and threatened her house. Some of the rounds were quite large; 50 cm/20 in, and were still heavy for me to lift. I picked up one to put on the splitter and it wasn't so smart for me to do; I am a bit sore now. I decided to split the remaining three large rounds by inverting the splitter. Easier said than done; inverting the splitter proved to be a challenge for me as well. It was all I could do to lift the cylinder but once I got it up far enough so that some of the force was horizontal I managed to get it the rest of the way up. I think I pulled the muscle in my left side again. I got the last three rounds done but I don't think I like splitting vertical. Instead I need to look at some sort of log lift. I will get it stacked and covered tomorrow; the sun went down before I could finish the job.
I am not sure what variety of pine this tree is but it grows with a slight spiral to the grain. When splitting you will often get splinters. I pile them up to the side and will use them for kindling when I need to start a fire.
To invert the splitter I had to pull out a spring loaded pin with one hand and hold it out, while trying to lift the cylinder with my other my other arm; this meant twisting in a bad way; which is probably why my side is hurting. That spring loaded pin will go and be replace with one with a clip pin. That way, remove the pin, use both arms for lifting. I know why they used it but it isn't a good idea; especially if you aren't that strong. This was the first time in inverting the splitter so I didn't know about the spring loaded pin. Also, one of the hydraulic lines is too short to invert the splitter; it crimps the line. I went ahead and used it to do the three large rounds I didn't want to risk trying to lift but I didn't like the line being crimped. I hate it when companies nickle and dime a product to save money.
A good friend brought me a load of oak and birch a couple of days ago i gave him an old generator for just had to split it yesterday
Either County Line never inverted the splitter or they didn't care. I might drop by TSC and see if the newer ones are better; might order a replacement line.
Tractor supply sells premade lines in assorted lengths in the hydraulic section of the store and auto parts stores now make lines custom length in a lot of places. On my 35 ton Husky which I think is same splitter, I chuck a round of wood on the beam sideways and run the ram down into it to help with offsetting that weight sometimes. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Extending the ram down will make the lift 10-15 pounds lighter, or it does on mine. The spring loaded clip is a safer, in my opinion. I’d keep it if I could.
Thanks. That line definitely needs to be longer if the splitter is going to be used inverted. I hope to be able to drag the splitter into the woods for rounds too large for me to lift to haul back. I need to get a hitch ball for the tractor; they make a three point hitch.
Thanks. It is also design to snap back in place by itself when you lower the cylinder. I didn't think about extending the ram; will remember that for the next time. It was all I could do to get the cylinder lifted.
Thanks. Once the Old Girl is going again, I have some red oak in the woods that should have been hauled out years ago.
