HF Three Point Log Splitter

[SnowRidge]

Thanks for the input. The leg for the top link did look a little weak to me, even in the ad. What about the side cradles? They look like they are welded on. Are they flimsy or sturdy? Any worries about them getting bent up during use?

 

[natem]

no problem with the cradles. I have thrown logs up on it and they have not moved or bent a bit. I believe that they are welded on.

 

[SnowRidge]

Thanks, the cradles were my main concern.

 

[J_J]

Have you considered building a log splitter . Here are to samples

 

[SnowRidge]

Have you considered building a log splitter . Here are to samples

Yes, but I just don't have the time right now.

 

[firefighter9208]

Snowridge,

I have a 12 ton Bushhog ( they no longer make) 3pt splitter that I paid $250.00 for it and a back blade used. It works great. I haven't found anything it wouldn't split yet. I run it on my Kubota M4800. I don't see where a 12 ton splitter wouldn't work, unless your splitting 48" rounds or something.

Here's how I use it. I take the front end loader and dump all my rounds into the back of my 16' trailer. I then haul the rounds to the wood pile on the trailer. I set the back of the splitter onto the back of the trailer. I then have a table (18" wide) that extends from the trailer to the front of the splitter. It sits on the piece of angle that the 3 pt. hitch attaches to.

My 5 year old daughter will get on the trailer and roll the rounds to the back as I need them. I usually jack up the tounge of the trailer just enough so that the wood rolls easaily to the back. Anything that's too large for her to roll I get on the trailer and roll to the back.

I'm 6' 9" tall and can stand upright and split wood with the splitter resting on the back of the trailer. Better than the old vertical splitter that my grandfather had. I had to spend all day on my knees to run that thing. Or hunched over.

Chris

 

[Justaplain]

I have an old NH 3 pt. My only problem is speed. DK35 at 7? gals per @ 1500 rpm, it seems real slow. Is this because of the small hoses? I ran it with a Ford 1300 and a Cub ??234?? It was a real safe machine with them. bcs

 

[OFarrell]

I have an old NH 3 pt. My only problem is speed. DK35 at 7? gals per @ 1500 rpm, it seems real slow. Is this because of the small hoses? I ran it with a Ford 1300 and a Cub ??234?? It was a real safe machine with them. bcs

It's a combination of hp and hyd pump output. The pump is sized to the engine.

The biggest problem with 3 point splitters that run off smaller tractors is hydraulic flow. You have to run the engine at the governor to make enough flow to power the splitter.

You can run the splitter off a PTO pump, I use a single stage 23 GPM Prince PTO pump on my splitter and with the tractor at idle it can cycle the in 7 seconds. I have had to bump the rpms up to 1400 to split some really knotty elm crotches but other than that it stays at idle.

 

[3RRL]

This is the three point splitter I would really like to have. ToolFetch.com has it at $1279 delivered. I just can't justify the price.

I got a Chinese l8 ton vertical/horizontal 3pt log splitter when I ordered Loretta's Jinma.
She also loves to run it while I load it! It's massive and looks sort of like the one in the link (except) red. I think I only paid $400 bucks for it a year ago. It's as reliable as you can get. The tractors hydraulic psi and flow are the only limiting factors, so I'm only getting 14 tons (like you) out of it. I imagine it's similar to what Harbor Freight sells, except more capacity for larger tractors. It certainly is built with plenty of beef and a large 4" cylinder. You might try one of the Chinese tractor dealers on the board to see if they have one. (Affordable of Ranch Hand)
Like someone said, log splitters are pretty simple so just about any model you choose should do the job given your tractor's hydraulic limits.

 

[MDM]

THat is a massive splitter, what size tractor are you running it with? I've got a 20 year old stand alone splitter that is run by a 5 hp Briggs. It's rated at 20 ton with an 18" stroke and I would say it's total cycle time is 16-18 seconds. I've been thinking about a 3pt splitter. I'm just wondering how my L2800 Kubota would run one. I certainly don't want to get any slower than what I have now. I like the 2 way design of the Powerhorse that Northern makes, I just wish it was about 4" longer.

 

[3RRL]

THat is a massive splitter, what size tractor are you running it with? I've got a 20 year old stand alone splitter that is run by a 5 hp Briggs. It's rated at 20 ton with an 18" stroke and I would say it's total cycle time is 16-18 seconds. I've been thinking about a 3pt splitter. I'm just wondering how my L2800 Kubota would run one. I certainly don't want to get any slower than what I have now. I like the 2 way design of the Powerhorse that Northern makes, I just wish it was about 4" longer.

Yes, that is a good sized splitter, especially for the money.
I run it off a 28hp Jinma and also off a 55hp Kama. The Kama has a little more flow rate than the Jinma, but both are under 10 gals/min and both systems are at 2280psi. Even at that it still works pretty good and it split some 16" Oak like nothing. The wedge on it is nearly foot tall! Cycle time is slow, but it's not a big deal to me since I have all day. I figure living out in California, our Winter is (comparatively) mild to some. I might need 1 to 2 chords a year max. This will be our first go round with a wood burning stove for heat, so it's a new experience for us. I've got plenty of downed Oaks that I need to buck and split. They were knocked down 4 years ago when we pushed the road into our property.
Anyway, I thought it was pretty rugged for the price.

 

[dmoglesby]

Does anyone have any experience or first hand observations regarding the Harbor Freight 3PH log splitter? I have not been able to view one at the local store.
This is the one I am referring to.

Well I ordered this model from HF for $475 plus about $83 shipping. They show it back ordered and say it wont be shipped until the middle of December. This will give me time to figure how to hook it up to my Kubota L3010. I guess the cheapest way would be to acquire extra long hoses and just hook it up to my FL ports. Any other suggestions? I will give a report on this splitter when I get it hooked up.
Mike Oglesby
Fox, AR

 

[3RRL]

Does anyone have any experience or first hand observations regarding the Harbor Freight 3PH log splitter? I have not been able to view one at the local store.
This is the one I am referring to.

Well I ordered this model from HF for $475 plus about $83 shipping. They show it back ordered and say it wont be shipped until the middle of December. This will give me time to figure how to hook it up to my Kubota L3010. I guess the cheapest way would be to acquire extra long hoses and just hook it up to my FL ports. Any other suggestions? I will give a report on this splitter when I get it hooked up.
Mike Oglesby
Fox, AR

You might check with them first, but my splitter came with long hoses and quick disconnects.

 

[madpogue]

Does anyone have any experience or first hand observations regarding the Harbor Freight 3PH log splitter? I have not been able to view one at the local store.
This is the one I am referring to.

Well I ordered this model from HF for $475 plus about $83 shipping. They show it back ordered and say it wont be shipped until the middle of December. This will give me time to figure how to hook it up to my Kubota L3010. I guess the cheapest way would be to acquire extra long hoses and just hook it up to my FL ports. Any other suggestions? I will give a report on this splitter when I get it hooked up.
Mike Oglesby
Fox, AR

Anybody happen to know if this splitter is carried in the HF stores?

I wonder how well it would work at 5.9 GPM (JD 790 @ 2700 RPM).

 

[jinman]

I guess the cheapest way would be to acquire extra long hoses and just hook it up to my FL ports. Any other suggestions?

If you don't have hydraulic remotes, hooking this splitter to your FEL quick connects should be fairly simple. I would use the loader's lift circuit instead of the curl circuit. Once connected, you will have to pull the joystick back all the way and bungee it while the splitter is in use. That will allow the open-center control valve on the splitter to function properly.

Notice that HF recommends 1/2" hydraulic hoses. The more flow you provide, the better the splitter will work. The quick connects and joystick valve will add restriction to the circuit and reduce flow, so you need to do everything possible to aid flow for the splitter.

If you have rear remotes, you still need to use 1/2" hoses. I might even consider removing the splitter's control valve and use the tractor's remote valve hooked directly to the splitter's cylinder, especially if you can reach the remote valve while standing behind the tractor. Just remember, the bigger hoses and less restriction will make your splitter operate much better.

I have not seen one of these splitters at my HF store, but I have seen the self-contained 30-ton model with the gasoline engine and log lift. Of course, that unit sells for $1300. This 3PH model is a bargain at $499, even if it does not come with hoses. The Adobe Acrobat owner's manual you can download from the HF site has a very good description of this splitter and what you need to get it going. If you download that now and get what you need ahead of time, you'll be ready when your splitter arrives. Of course, if they cancel the order for any reason, you'd be stuck with stuff you don't need. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to find a source for the hoses and connections and wait until your splitter is delivered.

 

[Oleozz]

I got a Chinese l8 ton vertical/horizontal 3pt log splitter when I ordered Loretta's Jinma.
She also loves to run it while I load it! It's massive and looks sort of like the one in the link (except) red. I think I only paid $400 bucks for it a year ago. It's as reliable as you can get. The tractors hydraulic psi and flow are the only limiting factors, so I'm only getting 14 tons (like you) out of it. I imagine it's similar to what Harbor Freight sells, except more capacity for larger tractors. It certainly is built with plenty of beef and a large 4" cylinder. You might try one of the Chinese tractor dealers on the board to see if they have one. (Affordable of Ranch Hand)
Like someone said, log splitters are pretty simple so just about any model you choose should do the job given your tractor's hydraulic limits.

Is it just the picture or is the splitter really that big? Looks like a beast!
If you got it for $400 you got the deal of the year. I just started to use my TS 3 pt splitter, splits well but a bit slow. Have 1/2 inch hose and my pump is about 10 gpm. Will give it a workout today.

 

[3RRL]

Is it just the picture or is the splitter really that big? Looks like a beast!
If you got it for $400 you got the deal of the year. I just started to use my TS 3 pt splitter, splits well but a bit slow. Have 1/2 inch hose and my pump is about 10 gpm. Will give it a workout today.

Well, it's pretty darn big.
I think the cylinder rod is at least 2-1/2" diameter alone? It also came with 1/2" hoses and QD's...and it's probably a bit slow, but I have nothing to compare it to except splitting by hand. It's a LOT faster and easier than that!!
I got that one straight from China along with ordering a crate Jinma tractor for my wife. I couldn't pass up the price they had on it since my shipping container cost was already covered. As a matter of fact, I got a 48" tiller, a 2,000lb hydraulic dump trailer, a Jinma Chipper, a 5.5kW diesel generator/welder (AC and DC) and a 5 foot rake all for no extra shipping because it fit into the container.
You're right, it was a deal of a lifetime when prices were super low a year ago.
You would die if you knew the prices I paid back then.

 

[dmoglesby]

According to Harbor Freight the 3 pt splitter shipped about 10 days ago so it should be home shortly now. I obtained 2 144 inch hydraulic lines and ordered two QD couplers from my local Kubota dealer as I couldn't determine if the quick connects are built to any standard. It appears after downloading both the HF and Northstar manuals that these are the identical splitters and the Northern Tools no longer carries this splitter, so I guess HF picked it up. The Northstar unit has some good reviews. Here is a link to the Northstar splitter manual.
http://www.northerntool.com/downloads/manuals/1102.pdf

Regards Mike

 

[Oleozz]

Mike---Once you get it set up and running would like to hear your impressions of it. I believe it is the same splitter that Northern had and as you said it must be discontinued. It can only be used in the horizontal position? but as many folks on here have written is that they very seldom use the vertical position.
Good luck, that cylinder will give you plenty of splitting force. If it's like my Speeco you will find it a bit slow but that's no big deal with me.

 

[scott_vt]

Well, it's pretty darn big.
I think the cylinder rod is at least 2-1/2" diameter alone? It also came with 1/2" hoses and QD's...and it's probably a bit slow, but I have nothing to compare it to except splitting by hand. It's a LOT faster and easier than that!!

Good Afternoon Rob,
That is a pretty stout lookin unit, but Im curious if you are able to split everything with only 14 tons ? I know on my 27 ton unit that on some really knarly maple or birch that it actually slows down a bit, and if it doesnt split it, it actually cuts through it ! Have you had anything you cant split yet ?