Husky 28 ton 4 way wedge advice

[crocboy25]

Hello,

I have a 28 ton Husky splitter. I would like to add a 4 way wedge head onto it. Does anyone have any advice on what kind to get? Any kind to avoid? Also, I have seen videos of people using a 4 way wedge but it is always using horizontal. Can they be used vertically?

Thanks in advance.

Lee

[ButchC]

4 way wedges on splitters not designed for them have ruined a bunch of cylinders and beams. The stresses are multiplied many times over.  I suggest and afternoon searching homebuilt 4 way and similar on you tube and watch very carefully. You will see beams springing and twisting cylinder shafts springing etc.  4-ways can work on equipment like yours IF you are carefull about what you place on it, as in easy splitting wood and how you place it on the beam paying attention to the knots. Although I have not looked I would bet if you search Ebay that somebody  is making a slip on 4 way wedge for that splitter.

[crocboy25]

Thanks for the reply.  I have spent a good deal of time online searching ebay and youtube etc... every video i have seen the user has the splitter set up horizontally. No one said it must be that way but if it does i wouldnt want one.  There are slip on wedges but using one vertically seems kind of dangerous. I for sure dont want to ruin my splitter either.  I have about 15 years experience cutting wood but never have tried the 4 way before.  Thought I would ask around for tips/advice before I tear up my equipment. :embarassed:

[gspren]

crocboy, you may want to move this question to the firewood area for more responses. Good luck.

[sawguy21]

My boss built a 4 way attachment for his splitter but the machine lacked the necessary power. I put a larger engine on it,  cranked down the pressure relief and bent the ram. : It might have worked in an easy to split wood like Ponderosa pine but definitely didn't like birch.

[crocboy25]

Thanks for the responses

[John Mc]

One of the reasons you only are seeing 4 way wedges on horizontal splitters is because the vertical splitters have the wedge attached to the cylinder shaft (they have to, or you'd be trying to push the wood into the ground when splitting vertically). Because of the stresses involved in 4-way splitting, a wedge like that is normally mounted on the fixed end of the splitter.

[UpInATree]

I have a 4 way splitter (slip on) that was made with and for my Timberwolf TW-3.  I am VERY glad that it is removable.  When splitting rounds that are 24" or more the 4 way is just a pain. The really big stuff or knarly knotted pieces will stall out the over pressure relief valve and then you have to fight to remove the stuck on piece of wood.  Don't get me wrong, it has its place.  Medium sized log rounds are great.  My 4 way is lifted up and down hydraulically.  The ram is 35 ton.  I take it off a lot though.  I have a tree service so I get a lot of big stuff to split.  Good luck.

[jmur1]

Hi crocboy25:

I have two findings from my own design that may be helpful to you:

1. A small offset of the splitting knives (make the wood contact the horizontal knife after the initial split from the vertical knife is started) helps for power but too much can lead to binding; and that can result in major damage.  Try to make the second split following the same path as the wood might move if the second wedge wasn't there.

2. The direction of the wedge angle (steel cut angle) is very important for how the wood splits are directed.  If you have a double sided (<==) sharpened second wedge it will direct half of the splits downward which can result in binding.  You can allow some relief with a slight angle on the horizontal wedge upward.

Either way in a configuration like the Husky 28 T splitter it will put large loads back into the cylinder guides that it may or may not handle.  It will pay to closely watch the cylinder ram for bending after this change.      

jmur1