Log splitter mechanics

[Mechanos]

Been looking at log splitters lately... both stand alone and 3pt. I've noticed that some have the splitting wedge on the ram and push against a stationary plate on the end of the beam. Others have the flat plate mounted on the ram and push against a stationary wedge on the end of the beam. What are the pros and cons each style?

 

[art]

I like fat wedges against a butt plate so that it will blow a pice of wood apart vs a skinny wedge.

I perfer a self contained splitter!!

A multi-position splitter is normally more versatile depending on type of wood being split.

 

[mrmikey]

I prefer the moving wedge/stationary plate. Reason being is that when you have to pick up and move the piece of wood to split it again it's right there (providing of course yoiu have trays) and not on the ground.
I've used one the other way around and find it more a pia than anything.....Mike

 

[radioman]

If the wedge is stationary and if the wood get stuck and can't push through, how do you get it off? whacking, cutting near metal is ptia. When wedge is mounted on ram, it can be retracted and use power of hydrualic to remove wedge from stuck wood. :thumbsup:

 

[Diamondpilot]

I have and like the wedge on the cylinder and a stationary plate. I had my splitter custom built for $450 and it as nice as any store bought unit. It runs via my remotes and his horizontal and vertical.

In nearly 10 years I have had maybe 3 pieces of wood get stuck and a few whacks with another piece of wood. I split about 5 rick per season for myself and sometimes some for my friends.

7 years ago I had a shop press adapter built for mine. You simply pull the pin holding the wedge, slide it out of the track, put in the shop press adapter in its place, back the tractor up near it, hook up the hoses and go. I have only needed it twice but when I did it was invaluable. Could not do that with a fixed wedge model.

Chris

 

[yomax4]

I use both verticle/horizontal and a plain horizontal. Both are ok but I tend to grab the plain old splitter the most. If I have very large logs, I roll 2-3 onto my loader and ease up to the splitter and roll them onto the rail to be split. I have front installed rails and rarely have to pick pieces up off the ground. With the Verticle splitter, Everything gets picked up off the ground. When using it horizontal it's ok but tight quarters with the axel and motor so close to the center of the splitter. 3 pt splitters are slower and put too many hours on my tractor. I burn 10-12 cords per year.

 

[Dead Horse]

If the wedge is stationary and if the wood get stuck and can't push through, how do you get it off? whacking, cutting near metal is ptia. When wedge is mounted on ram, it can be retracted and use power of hydrualic to remove wedge from stuck wood. :thumbsup:

I do one of two things in this case.

1) retract cylinder and use a piece of wood to lever the stuck piece off the wedge.

or

2) piece of chain around stuck piece and back of cylinder push plate. retract cylinder and it pulls the stuck piece off the wedge.

 

[North Country]

A 3rd type has entered the fray - the "momentum" splitter. It seems really interesting to me. Cost seems about the same for about the same amount of work (although DR claims you get more work out of theirs.)

DR Power Equipment - DR RapidFire Log Splitter

 

[Mechanos]

One in particular that I was looking at was a used unit local to me. It is a 3pt model that is setup to run directly off the tractor's hydraulics. Hard to tell in the ad (and it isn't stated specifically) but it looks like either a 3.5" or 4" cylinder. After the flow divider, my tractor has 5 GPM available to the rear auxilary circuit. Some quick calculations indicates a 4" x 20" stroke cylinder would extend in about 13 seconds and a 3" x 20" would extend in about 10 seconds. Seems reasonable to me... I just split a little firewood, I don't heat with wood and don't need to produce on a mass scale.

This used unit has a fixed wedge. One thing I just realized it that it could only be used in the horizontal position since the wedge is fixed. Probably wouldn't be that hard of a job to "reverse" the design and mount the wedge on the ram. Then it could be made to run either horz. or vertical.

 

[WilliamBos]

One in particular that I was looking at was a used unit local to me. It is a 3pt model that is setup to run directly off the tractor's hydraulics. Hard to tell in the ad (and it isn't stated specifically) but it looks like either a 3.5" or 4" cylinder. After the flow divider, my tractor has 5 GPM available to the rear auxilary circuit. Some quick calculations indicates a 4" x 20" stroke cylinder would extend in about 13 seconds and a 3" x 20" would extend in about 10 seconds. Seems reasonable to me... I just split a little firewood, I don't heat with wood and don't need to produce on a mass scale.

This used unit has a fixed wedge. One thing I just realized it that it could only be used in the horizontal position since the wedge is fixed. Probably wouldn't be that hard of a job to "reverse" the design and mount the wedge on the ram. Then it could be made to run either horz. or vertical.

Yeah, reversing them should not be a problem. We ran our Wallenstein splitter off a 1523 hydraulics, at 5.4 GPM it split faster than I could with an axe. Most of the time, never needed a full cycle to split, which was even better. Just keep the beam lubed, fluid film works great.