Altering Timberwolf TW-P1 tray

[Engineer]

I've had a Timberwolf TW-P1 splitter for a few years, and it's been great.  My father and I share it to do our firewood, so it goes through about 15 cords a year.

However, the one thing that annoys both of us about the machine is the table grate/tray that catches the splits.  It's only a slip fit into the end of the main beam, and it rests on top of the ball hitch latch.  It appears that the tray is supposed to be held in place by the safety tow chains but I'm not 100% sure on that, at least it was never explained to me that way.  We do it anyway.  Well, we don't like the way it sits there, putting pressure on the latch, I've had it fall off the splitter several times if I forget to hook the chains to it, it's just not a great design.

I am wondering if anyone else has the same complaint and what they have done to fix it?  I am considering extending the tube that the hitch is mounted on, to a point just beyond the end of the tray, so that the splitter can be towed with the grate attached (at least through the woods or for short distances - not OTR), also putting some sort of stabilizer or prop between the tray and the hitch tube, so that the tray hooks to the machine and sits reasonably level, and does not fall out when in use. 

[bandmiller2]

Mate its your splitter by all means customize it. What if instead of the tray you put a trough so the split wood would keep pushing the wood before it into a trailer or pile, kinda like a hay baler. What is really handy is a tray on the back side of the splitter to catch half the chunk when you split big stuff. Frank C.

[Tom L]

the tray on my timber wolf, 3 point splitter I think is the same as yours

I have had it slide off a couple of times as it just sits in the web of the beam and is not secured

I always thought that it wasn't supposed to be secured, if a log binds on it, or jams somewhere it would bend the tray and wreck it

now as it is if something jams it just slips off the end, and doesn't break anything

"accept my back when I go to reload it"