I have a half baked idea a few weeks ago to make up a splitter for my skid steer to help break down big rounds. It works pretty good. Managed to put it together in 3 hrs. My stick welder wasn't in my shop so i gave everything 1 pass with the mug and covered them after with some 6010. I did break one of the guides off when I tested it before Stick welding. I have since finished up all the welding and it performs pretty good. I can pick up big rounds, carry them to the splitter and split them once to make it easier to handle into the vertical splitter. The skid steer is to cumbersome and fuel consuming to use it for primary splitting. But the 30"+ rounds are easy to move and break in half.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/57944/A9BBFC93-BC72-4E94-904B-989000CC5332.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1671147704)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/57944/093E03D3-CC13-46A1-8F89-FB6BED5AD483.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1671147757)
Here's a video I shot while making it.
https://youtu.be/1GqCUYWRyEw (https://youtu.be/1GqCUYWRyEw)
Looks like it works good.
My son has a commercial made skidsteer splitter. He uses it for all his splitting but when he is done splitting the ground is all messed up. Makes a big mess.
Quote from: Gary_C on December 15, 2022, 11:11:27 PM
My son has a commercial made skidsteer splitter. He uses it for all his splitting but when he is done splitting the ground is all messed up. Makes a big mess.
Originally that was my thought to sit in the heat/ac cab and not do any hard work. But I will burn 15 gallons of diesel in a day running the SS. But only 5 gallons of gas in the regular splitter. That's my main reason for using the 2 splitters.
If you use a Super Split Kinetic you can't burn a gallon in a day and will get more than twice as much split. Save the SS for what you can't lift and the especially gnarly pieces.
Nice job!
Not sure if you realize it, but you have also made a very effective tree limb cutter. Open the jaws, reach up and lay it over a limb, close the jaws and "snip" the limb falls to the ground. I looked at several commercial limb shear models that were basically wood splitters with skid steer mounts.
Yellowhammer, I never thought of that! Thanks for the tip!
This company put out a video of theirs, pretty cool, snips limbs, carries stuff like a grapple, and splits wood. It can also buck logs up to 8" logs to save on chainsaw work on the smaller firewood stuff or disposing of the limbs. You've built a Swiss Army knife of devices. I've got an old wood splitter sitting in my shed that I had planned for doing exactly what you did, but I could never get off my butt long enough to do it. Good job.
Skid Steer Tree Trimmer and Wood Splitter - YouTube (https://youtu.be/KaEpVbpnECI)
wow, that would be cool on the end of you excavator. quite a reach.
I order one for my excavator, should be here soon to pickup, splits up to 36". I do have one for my skidsteer that I've been using.
Quote from: YellowHammer on December 16, 2022, 07:02:44 AM
Nice job!
Not sure if you realize it, but you have also made a very effective tree limb cutter. Open the jaws, reach up and lay it over a limb, close the jaws and "snip" the limb falls to the ground. I looked at several commercial limb shear models that were basically wood splitters with skid steer mounts.
I bought the parts to make a splitter/tree shear for my backhoe and want to run it off my hydraulic thumb circuit. What's holding me back is my TLB thumb is run off a mechanical foot pedal valve which is a PITA to operate. I am looking for a way to economically actuate the valve electrically.