Diesel log splitter with crane revamp

allarizonaparts · Feb 27, 2011

I originally built this about 5 years ago and after using it a couple of years my design flaws were showing. First off I thought that a little play in the push block was a good thing. Turned out it wasn't, the h-beam is 12"x12"X 1/2". Between the play in the push block and not centering the cylinder vertically on the push block led to it binding up and it bent the table. Wasn't fun straightening that back out.....

It has a 10 hp electric start diesel motor, I know chinese but the price was right and haven't had any trouble with it. 16 gpm Barnes pump. 5"x24" main ram. 3"x"8 crane lift ram. 2"x18" extending ram.

The crane has worked well but I didnt give it enough reach. Picking up 30" + diameter rounds they were to close to the splitter. I bent a fender and hooked one of the log catchers and bent the crane. The crane spins on a 1 1/2" solid round stock that is in a 1"4 wall piece of pipe. I added gussets to the top of the pipe and decided on an entenda-crane. (that was my 8 year old sons idea). The extenda crane has an extra 18" of reach. I picked up an assembled small block chevy on the stand, (probably around 650 pounds) nothing flexed and it didn't try to turn the splitter over. The ram slid it back and forth without any problems

I took some pics today after cleaning up the mother of all messes, a hydraulic hose I forgot to tighten..... I had hydraulic fluid dripping from the ceiling and pretty much sprayed the entire shop.

Still in the revamp stage but I'm seeing light at the end of the tunnel..:thumbsup:

2458n · Feb 28, 2011

I was told the diesel engine would turn 1800 RPM compared to gas at 3600 RPM. If this is true do you have enough flow out of the Barnes pump. Is the pump a two stage or not? I really like the crane and log tongs. Four way with height adjustment. Yup,really nice. I have collected all the parts just need the time I guess. Currently using a loader and tongs for big pieces,but 5hp 2 stage pump is not really tearing the big wood up. Need to put pressure gauge on to find weak spot or spots.

allarizonaparts · Feb 28, 2011

It turns the 2 stage pump at 3600 rpm. Could have gone with a 22 gpm pump but decided not to mainly for the price difference. The cylinder travels fast enough the way it is. I used an adjustable priority valve that sends 14 gpm to the main ram and 2 gpm to the crane. I didn't go with an adjustable 4 way, it's a slip on. The sides of the single wedge are built up to take the pressure instead of the all the force on the sharp edge of the single wedge.

I thought about a log lift but the crane is better for the big rounds. Lets me knock a 1/4 off of it and then swing the bigger piece out of the way.

A pressure gauge is good to set pressures initially but not really needed after that. The lift ram and extenda ram hardly build any pressure.

Time is the big issue on building one, I don't know about anyone else but there is countless hours in this project.

Good luck on your build, there worth it. Clint

2458n · Mar 2, 2011

Thank you for your reply on pump size and speed. I was thinking of using the pressure gauge to check my own weak log splitter. On big wood it just drives the wedge in an then kinda quits. Lost my computer due to lighting the other night- so log splitter is one project behind again.

Oliver1655 · Mar 4, 2011

Nice clean look! I am confused though. Why are your catch tables placed in front of the wedge if the wedge is fixed to your beam? I normally see this setup when the wedge in on the cylinder. With fixed wedges, the tables are normally after the wedge to catch the split pieces.

allarizonaparts · Mar 4, 2011

The tables in the pics are for staging the next logs. I haven't gotten around to building the catch tables yet. As long as I have someone else helping I haven't needed them yet. One of these days I'll get around to it....you know how that goes. Clint

Johndeere3720 · Mar 4, 2011

Wow, that is one nice splitter. Sure makes my little troy bilt 27 ton splitter look small. :laughing: I really like the crane arm, very good idea. So how does the crane arm rotate? Do you manually rotate it or is it hydraulic? If it isn't I cant imagine it would be hard to convert to hydraulic similar to the way a mini excavator turns on its axis.

allarizonaparts · Mar 5, 2011

The crane is manually rotated, I put grease zerks in the 1/4" wall of the pipe it rotates in and it's easy to rotate. Your right though, would be easy to make it swing like an excavator. Hmmmm maybe a future project. Doesn't look like it will ever end. Thanks for the compliments. I picked up the torches, grinders, welders etc and started building. Winged it as I went and it turned out just like I pictured. :laughing:

LanceH · Apr 9, 2011

Arizona, Nice build. I'm either going to buy a 10 hp diesel from ebay or carroll stream, so I'm glad to hear that you have not had any trouble out of it. I too have a 16 gpm pump, but its a Speeco (dang near the same as Barnes). Do you remember which pump mount bracket you bought and if the engine & pump shafts met up properly? I didn't want to spend $70 on a mount and find that it would need shimmed or the shafts ground down. Thanks for the help.

allarizonaparts · Apr 12, 2011

Lance, I bought the pump bracket and couplers from Northern. The aluminum bracket was whichever one they had listed for 8, 13, 16 hp etc. Everything bolted right up without shims or grinding. I've heard a few bad stories with the diesel clones. This one came from Canada on Ebay, I think it was $515.00 shipped. Guess I got lucky, no vibration and no problems. The only things I've ordered for it are an air filter and fuel filter. Yanmar parts and found them on Ebay for cheap. I kind of wished I would have gone with a bigger pump, maybe later on, already spent enough on it.

Clint