3 Point Hitch Log Splitter?

Is anyone using a tractor mounted log splitter? Maybe I've been looking at my splitter issue from the wrong angle. Get a tractor that the grands kids can ride on and I can clear snow AND split wood with.

 

They have typically slow cycle times unless you get one with a PTO mounted pump.

 

Yep-think thats the plan Unicorn1 - Lets spend some money and put the grandkids to work preserving our craft...well, let's spend your money and only when the grandkids are ready...

 

I agree. PTO pump is the way to go for these. What's nice is you can lover it virtually to the ground to roll a big round onto; no lifting!

 

Most of the time I used mine it was on the ground to get the big ones on but the cycle time is slow as was mentioned. That's why I bought a normal splitter. Easier to move around too.

 

They have their place but if you are doing a fair amount of wood, do yourself a favor and make a fold down leg to split at waist level. That way you can roll in the big ones and work up the rest at a non back killing level. With no stand on the end they bounce and chatter sometimes when you throw a round on. As others have said, unless you have a larger, newer farm tractor with a large gpm pump, it just adds to the ache. I personally would put them at the bottom of the wish list and we still own one that even Dad avoids anymore.

 

I made a 3 point vertical splitter that used the tractor's hydraulics and the cycle times were somewhat slow. The primary tractor that we used for splitting was our loader tractor which had a bale spear. I welded a ring on the top of the splitter's beam that the bale spear would fit through, so the splitter could easily be moved with out hooking up the three point.

 

Timberwolf and American make nice 3 other units that have the pto pump. If I didn't have a 3 pt snowblower, those were going to be my two options.

 

A friend has one. He would rather have a regular splitter. Some tractors maintenance is expensive...lots of idling time splitting wood goes on the hour meter.

 

This is where my old tractor with the variable hour meter comes in handy. It's like 3 hours of idle to 1 hour on clock.


But anyway I agree I would rather have a separate one for reasons mentioned, easier to move, faster and not have to run tractor.

 

If you are only doing 5 cords a year for yourself you won't rack up a bunch of hours. If you are doing a lot of wood racking up hours is a concern. Then like you said with hours comes maintenance.

 

It really depends on the tractor and the splitter. If you had a tractor with 10 GPM flow and Splitfire 3203 you would get good cylce times. You can get them with a PTO pump but then you can get a nice standalone for the same cost.

 

The last time I used this was almost two years ago and with the standalone splitter I have now I can't see ever using this again.
I bought it in the early ninties with the intention of splitting all my wood with it but it was just too damm slow. Used it for a couple of hours and then the maul came back out. I'd only use it for the unsplittables that were sometimes left over after hand splitting what the log truck would drop off.

Famous last words: seemed like a good idea at the time.

 

How much do you want for it?

 

Ok, I still want a tractor.

 

I'll probably hang on to it. It's stored indoors and is costing me nothing to keep. It'll last a lot longer than my Forest King and will be useful for my son or grandkids maybe in the future.
They don't make them like that anymore, even if it is slow.

I like quality stuff, like my old Troy-Bilt tiller. This ranks up there with that.

 

If you're having slow cycle times, you're doing something wrong. Run her at least halfthrottle, if not more. I run my splitter off either tractor or skidloader hydraulics and I really have to hustle to keep up. I've only been around a couple self-powered splitters, mine will absolutely run circles around them. Sure, you burn more fuel, but if that's your main concern, might as well use a sledge and wedge.

 

the other details now days - dang things cost more than a stand alone unit at the box stores for anything worth while. Course they do make a reasonable counter weight for the front bucket or forks

 

LOTS of different size gpm pumps on tractors and the older tractors were pretty low especially when dealing with single outputs. Some of our newer ones had adjustable gpm that we'd turn up when using a homemade 6 inch. Still slow and I think it was 32GPM. Using a 990 Case/David Brown, it was SUPER slow. Buddy had an 8 inch he hooked up to an excavator but lord knows what that thing was. It was just plain scary strong. I'm runing a 28gpm pump on a 5 inch and it works great for me. Your normal home owner small tractors do not need high GPM pumps so they just aren't there. I think that is what most here are referring to.

 

I was going to bring this up. My little 24hp tractor I think has like an 8gpm pump. The math means my tractor would be slow.