Log splitter hydro oil?

[dlabrie]

I have a 15+ yr old, stand alone, Mighty Murc log splitter. I have never added or changed the hydro oil in it. There is no filter that I can see. My questions are, what type of hydro oil should I use to top it off? Should I drain and replace all of the oil? I have probably split over 500 cord of wood with it over the years.
David

 

[AndyR]

I've got an old one that my dad gave me. Hydro fluid was silver /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif so I just drained it and replaced it with generic hydraulic oil. Works fine.

 

[dlabrie]

Andy,
The fluid in my splitter is dark blue/black. It looks like thin gear oil. Is Hydro fluid pretty much all the same thing?
David

 

[AndyR]

It may be gear oil - does it have a strong smell?

I bought my hydraulic oil in a 5 gallon bucket from the local Ace hardware - its clear.

 

[dlabrie]

I'll have to check the next time i use it. Would it be unusual to have gear oil in a hydro system? The place I bought it from is no longer in business. Maybe I'll see if Mighty Murk is on the web.
David

 

[Keoke]

Hi, automatic trans fluid will work as well as hydraulic oil.
It also is less expensive and has a higher detergent content.
Best to drain the old stuff and not mix unknown fluids.

 

[fractal]

I was just reading up on log splitters (and deciding to stick with a wedge and sledge for the number of logs I do) and one manufacturer agrees with you. ATF is as good as hydraulic fluid for dealing with rust and crud and maintains its viscoscity over temperature better than normal hydraulic fluid. He does claim it is a little more expensive (I guess it depends on where you live) but is readily available at any auto parts store.

He also said that if you change your filter every 100 hrs as the manual says you will loose enough fluid changing it that you never have to drain and refill the system. You keep adding enough fluid every time you change the filter to keep if fresh.

I would suggest you look at your splitter again and if you can't find a filter on it, maybe this would be a good oportunity to add one

 

[Keoke]

I have a home made, with Northern Hyd. parts, splitter and have been running ATF in from the start. It has a full flow filter plus a fine screen mesh intake filter. I used a 4" ram with an 8 hsp Briggs engine. Works like a million bucks and I could not do with out it. I already had the engine so it was cheap to build. My unit has a 6 gallon tank (slider box beam) so the fluid never gets really hot. Keeping the temp down is the key to long component life.

cheers,

 

[ewoss3]

George, could you post pictures of your unit