Pretty much done cutting, working on splitting now

Every year I cut as much as I can before deep snow shuts me down. Well the time has pretty much arrived now. Got a pretty fair amount.

 

Looks like a fair amount of work you got done. Plus, all the rounds that you have stacked and ready for splitting when that time comes back around.
Very good.

 

Are you going to continue splitting and stacking even though you are done cutting? Looks like you do a good job of keeping the processing area free of deep snow.. edit. Your title answers my question. Good work!!

 

....did you cover your splitter hydraulic tank with foam insulation?
Nice stacks!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

Always enjoy your pictures Bandit. Thanks for sharing.

Great stacks!

 

Well I have run into a minor issue or at least what I perceive to be an issue. My garage is 45 degrees minimum. The hydraulic tank holds 35 gallons. The pump is 22GPM and the valves are rated for 25GPM and it has a dump valve for the return stroke due to the 5" cylinder and 3.5" rod. Since the hydro system is so well designed and conservative, THE SYSTEM IS RUNNING TOO COLD! After 3 hours of running in temps of the mid 20s the tank is only up to 70 degrees. I insulated it to have it warm quicker. Now in the same temps it is still only 80 degrees after 3 hours of running.

Colder temps aren't hurting anything but this is not optimum. The auto cycle valves and everything are working fine but the return pressure is running way higher than it should and is probably getting real close to the bypass on the assembly at 25PSI.

Anybody ever heard of a splitter running too cold?

 

I have to get after it now, in roughly 4 weeks my attention has to turn to pruning apples trees and hopefully the golf course will be opening around the early part of April.

For a retired guy, I never get a day off. The working stiffs at least get weekends.

 

My hydraulic system has never run too cold but I do notice that before it gets heat into the detent on the return stroke sometimes pops out until it gets hot. Next time I am splitting in the cold I am going to shoot it with a heat gun to see some actual tempatures.
Nice setup you have there and looks like you are doing a fine job.

 

Told you it was an odd problem. The hottest I ever saw it get was 130 degrees after 2 hours of running on a day that was in the 90s and full sunshine. The hydro tank is also black. That day the asphalt in my driveway was 140 degrees and dark blue of my house siding was 160 degrees. I also checked temps with a laser heat thermometer.

Part of the problem to is I am a one man band, I pull wood off the stack, split and restack so the splitter is not doing anything half the time. Because of this I run it at a leisurely 2640 rpm. So it is not working hard at all, but running WOT throttle doing nothing doesn't make a lot of sense to me anyway.

 

I've heard of other people's running too cold, I think they put a stick on heater on the tank to pre-warm it.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

I've looked into that. I am not wild about a "stick on" heater. The hydro tank has a port for a heater already installed. Just need the right adapter as it think it is 3/4" and the heaters are 1/2" at 750 Watts. Like I said though, it is not super cold as the garage is 45 degrees in the Winter.

Here you can see the port.

 

Yes sir , also a one man band here.
Dang that is a beautiful looking splitter!!

 

Does it require a 35 gallon tank? Could you drop to 20?

 

Oh wow, did not know anyone installed heater ports for them!
Throw a glow plug in there and it should warm right up!
Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

The builder suggested taking some fluid out but that sure seems like a hassle. Besides in the grand scheme of problems, this one isn't a real bad one. Although you are correct, less fluid would run hotter.

 

Never underestimate a dottering old guy with time and bit chainsaws.

 

I was going to type the same thing!

 

It's not running WOT though....it's actually on high idle.....or one could say full throttle I suppose. The throttle simply lets you adjust it from low idle to high idle. It only goes to WOT when the throttle is set to full and has a load that requires the governor system to try to maintain the high idle rpms....then it will open the throttle. Small engines would just SCREAM (and probably grenade not too long after) if they were running at WOT with no load. Don't believe me, manually open up the throttle plate on any small engine and hold it there while trying to fight off the governor system from trying to back it off. It's not like a chainsaw. When you squeeze tight on a chainsaw, it IS going to WOT.

Anyway, small engines are designed to be ran at the specified high idle RPM (which is typically right around 3,600rpms). Some will argue running them less than that under a load is actually bad for them and can cause them to overheat due to reduced airflow from the flywheel turning slower. I'm not going to go that far though. I just know they are designed to run at that 3,600rpm area when under no load and the governor system will do it's best to maintain that rpm when there is a load by opening up the throttle.

If you do it because you don't like the noise, well, one can't argue that. Personally, I love the sound of an I.C.E. screaming! LOL

Oh, I'm pretty sure if you did run it at full throttle (high idle), you'd see some more normal and higher hydraulic fluid temps.

 

How much do you aim for in terms of cutting to sell?
Seems like a decent amount. I might do a but of selling down the road. Just to make a bit of play money.