3pt or Stand Alone Splitter

[PJohnson]

Folks - Looking for hands on experience with 3pt splitters
Weighing the benefits of one less engine to maintain, cost comparisons, etc. What experience can you share?
An option I considered is workflow. If I have a standalone splitter - I can cut, chip, and split in series instead of swapping out machines.

Have you found the 3pt which is about the same money as a stand alone to be a better choice?
i was looking at a northern tool 3pt (item# 11965) for $779,but it is no longer available.
The units below range from $950-$1,200 with 16-20 ton psi.

I am running a MF GC2310. My two other attachments are a backhoe and a chipper. My need for splitting is small 1-2 cords a year for the firepit and homestead cleanup (2 1/2 acres).

Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

PJ

Boss Industrial 16 Ton 3 point splitter-3PT16T21

Order Boss Industrial 16 Ton 3-Point Log Splitter today from woodsplitteroutlet.com & receive free liftgate truck delivery. Fast shipping!

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16 Ton Tractor 3 Point Log Splitter (3PT16H)Default Title

Our 16 ton 3 point log splitter attachment for tractors are perfect for the small tractor owner.

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[dlctcg]

We used a 3pt splitter for one years wood splitting (we borrowed it)... it just didn't work well for us. First it used the tractor hydraulics & it was very slow, which may be alright for some. The bigger issue for us is we use the tractor for to many other things during our splitting process & it just was not convenient. We use the bucket & the forks to move our wood so having the splitter on the 3pt we had to many moving parts to be efficient. You may be perfectly fine for your use with a 3pt for 1+ cords... we opted for a stand alone splitter.

A different note on 3pt splitters... we have a friend that has one that has it's own PTO pump to run the unit & that thing is fast & powerful.... but would still limit our use of the FEL with the splitter on the back & are in a different price range.. (our friend has 2 tractors)

This is not saying one is better than another... just our experience & what works for us.

 

[WranglerX]

IF you have decent GPM flow (10 + I would guess) 3PH splitter may be ok...But at 16 tons, its a wimp.... I have oak on my property the makes my 22 ton stand alone grown and almost surrenders to log.... If you have soft wood it may be ok....

Personally if It were me I would stay away from the "BOSS" as it pushes wood towards tractor, by experience with my stand alone I would want splitter to push wood away form tractor...

 

[wolc123]

Now that ethanol free gas is readily available, a stand alone is the much better option. Prior to that, carburetor issues alone would have been enough to justify a 3 pt model that runs off the tractor's hydraulics, especially if you are only doing a couple cords per year.

I have had a Northern 22 ton with a Honda engine for 18 years and it usually sits unused for around 6 months and fires up on the second or third pull every time. It is very handy to have the tractor bucket and forks free at that time, for moving logs and split wood.

 

[MossRoad]

As others have mentioned, if you have the splitter on your 3pt, the tractor might not be available to move large logs and rounds around. If you're all set up, all your rounds are cut, and all you're going to be doing is splitting that 1-2 cords for the day or two, then a 3pt splitter might not be bad to knock it out once a year. Take it off after use, clean it up and store it. You should check on the hydraulics on your tractor. Also, and someone should correct me if I'm mistaken, a stand alone log splitter has a two-stage pump and your tractor doesn't. How's your tractor going to handle tough or knotty wood like a two-stage pump does?

Also consider how fast you'll have to run your tractor to develop enough GPM to move the splitter at a reasonable speed.

One more thing, is your tractor designed to put out that hydraulic basis continuously? Was it designed to just operate cylinders on an intermittent basis, or provide continuous high pressure/gallon flow? The hydraulics might overheat.

Anyhow, those would be my concerns on a 3pt splitter.

The only two items I have stand alone currently are a gas powered splitter and a generator. And, as I mentioned, it's because I want the tractor free to help move the logs and rounds. Our power outages are usually due to storms. That means there might be storm damage. So I want the tractor free to do storm/snow cleanup while the generator is running.

As for ethanol/non-ethanol in gas splitters, it's not an issue if you follow your splitter's manufacturer's recommendations. We've had a gas splitter since the early 80s and it's never seen anything but 87 octane e10 fuel. Never a fuel issue. The original Briggs engine wore out after 30 years, but the fuel system was fine. I re-powered it with a Harbor Freight Predator engine. Direct bolt-on replacement, about 5-6 years ago. It also has no ethanol issues.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

One more thing, is your tractor designed to put out that hydraulic basis continuously? Was it designed to just operate cylinders on an intermittent basis, or provide continuous high pressure/gallon flow? The hydraulics might overheat.

I never knew there was a company that makes a tractor that was designed to only run a cylinder "intermittently". What company makes that turd??

OR, are you talking about an overgrown lawn tractor?

SR

 

[dodge man]

I agree, a stand-alone is the way to go. I throw the split wood right in my bucket to move it where I store it.

 

[ericm979]

Your tractor flows 4.1gpm. That will make for a very slow 3pt splitter. A full cycle of a 4"x24" cylinder with a 1.5" rod will take about 30 seconds. That is very slow.

Tractor hydraulic systems usually max out at 2200 psi or so. Splitters go roughly 50% higher than that, which makes them more 50% more powerful at the wedge. That may or may not be useful depending on the wood you're splitting. My splitter has a 4.5" cylinder and I sometimes need everything it has to split a particularly difficult piece.

A stand alone splitter does not cost much more than a 3pt one due to economies of scale.

A splitter engine being more appropriately sized will be more efficient.

Many splitters have a fuel shutoff which makes it easy to run the carb dry when you're done with each session. I use E10 with stabilizer (which I have around for the generator and UTV) and leave it in the tank when I'm not using the splitter. Just like the generator which I also run dry, the splitter starts right up on gas that's been sitting half a year.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Stand alone splitter here too. I use the tractor to move wood around too much during the processing.

 

[shooterdon]

If you look at guys like Sawyer Rob who use the 3 PH units, and split a lot of wood, they have two tractors...and not little ones.

Look at cycle times. The stand alone units will be faster if you size them right.

BTW for 1-2 cords of wood, I would look at an electric unit if you have power near by or can move the rounds to where you have power. They are slow but cheap and quite. The other option is to drag out your generator to power it. It is a good way to exercise the generator too. And you can place the generator 25 ft away so the fumes and noise are less bothersome.

 

[jeff9366]

My need for splitting is small 1-2 cords a year for the firepit and homestead cleanup (2 1/2 acres).

Consider a 110 volt or 220 volt electric/hydraulic log splitter if you decide on a stand alone.

LINK: electric log splitter for sale

 

[oosik]

I had a 25 ton Didier stand alone. There were still those nasty knots & forks that were a real ***** to split. At the time I don't think I could have done much better with a 3-point splitter. All my firewood came from pine on my property here.

If I had to do it all over again - I'd still go with a stand alone splitter. Perhaps a Timber Wolf this time. A hydraulic lift would have been nice for our gigantic pine. We would leave the splitter out where the fallen trees were. Along with the chainsaws, gloves, fuel, axes, etc, etc. Just mosey out there and SADDLE UP.

 

[BrokenTrack]

You want to go with a stand alone splitter. Why put all those hours on a tractor engine that costs 6000 to replace when a stand alone engines replacement only costs $100?

 

[shooterdon]

One other consideration. Know your wood. If most of what you split is easy to split, buying a lot of tonnage is not smart. Speed is more important than the ability to split logs full of knots and crap. In nine years of heating with wood in Northern Mi there are only two rounds I did not split with my 16T splitter. I put them on my 100 yard range as target back stops.

The really tough stuff can be put in the woods to rot if you do not have a lot of it.

My buddy uses a small 5-7 T unit to split his wood and he burns 6 cords a year. He may need to "noddle" a few of the bigger rounds but he gets it done.

I see folk buy stuff so they can address 100% of what comes along when they are better off buying what works for 98-99% of their needs.

 

[WranglerX]

...............

The only two items I have stand alone currently are a gas powered splitter and a generator. And, as I mentioned, it's because I want the tractor free to help move the logs and rounds. Our power outages are usually due to storms. That means there might be storm damage. So I want the tractor free to do storm/snow cleanup while the generator is running.

As for ethanol/non-ethanol in gas splitters, it's not an issue if you follow your splitter's manufacturer's recommendations. We've had a gas splitter since the early 80s and it's never seen anything but 87 octane e10 fuel. Never a fuel issue. The original Briggs engine wore out after 30 years, but the fuel system was fine. I re-powered it with a Harbor Freight Predator engine. Direct bolt-on replacement, about 5-6 years ago. It also has no ethanol issues.

................

Have to completely agree with this statement....

 

[spruce Deere]

I use a stand alone splitter. I process around 5 to 8 cord a year to burn between the shop and house.

The logs I get sometimes need a tractor to move. I like having the splitter independent, I can tow it with the buggy, pick-up or even the tractor. I can leave it by a pile of logs for a few days and not tie up the tractor.

 

[grsthegreat]

A couple of thing here concerning the above posts. If you cut and split a crap load of wood a year, get a wood processor. If you cut and split 4-5 cord a year get whatever makes you happy. I have, in the past, rented a stand alone and saw how it worked. Then I made my own 3 point unit. I have had that running on my tractors for 12 years. Its not the fastest unit out there, but 2 point need to be mentioned.
1. You don’t need to cycle it fully between logs. I can move thru a lot of wood pretty dang fast (im in the less than 5 cord category).
2. I have all my fingers still


as for tractor engine wearing out. Give me a break. If your worried that running a splitter for a few hours a year will wear out your tractor, get a different tractor.

personally, I hate maintaining engines. I do it as a living now maintaining generator units. Any engine I can dump is a plus in my book. My tractor runs my splitter at about 1200 rpm. But I vary it thru the day. I also don’t have knurled oak or other hard woods. So a lot depends on the type of wood your splitting.
i also don’t haul my splitter into woods. I haul my chipper into woods. I cut trunks into 6 foot lengths, chip the branches inplace, and haul trunks out to my splitting pile by house using the fork attachment. Then I cut And split the rounds there and don’t have to haul split pieces too far to stack to age.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

We absolutely love out 3 point splitter!

SR

 

[TerryR]

I like my 3-point splitter a lot too:

It's easy to take were I want to use it, requires no lifting to hook up to the tractor, and lets me put my FEL bucket next to it to toss in the split wood to carry it to be put away.

 

[crazyal]

I have a cheap Troy Built (MTD) with a lower quality Honda engine. I've had it close to 20 years now and other than change the oil I've had no problems with the engine. When I'm done using it and it'll sit for more than a week I just shut the fuel off and let it run till it stalls. The only other issue is the Loyjoy joint had the plastic spider wear out. While it's less than $10 at Tractor Supply I decided to push it and ruined the steel part of the joints. All in all it cost less than $30 to fix and now I replace the spider when it starts to sound like it's rattling more than normal. 3 bolts and the engine comes off to replace it. I also can stand it up so for big stuff I don't have to get it onto the splitter.

For me a 3pt splitter would have to be something that can be mounted on the loader so I could just split rounds on the ground. That would make splitting fun. Being able to flip it over to finish splitting the pieces to size would be needed as well.