iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

3 point wood splitters

Started by Woodcutter_Mo, February 04, 2018, 11:22:03 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Woodcutter_Mo

 The faster it will split, the better but speed isn't my ultimate goal, being able to split more difficult pieces without messing with hammering wedges as much is what I would like. Sounds like these setups will probably work fine for my uses.
-WoodMizer LT25
-592XP full wrap, 372XP, 550XP, 455 Rancher, RedMax GZ3500T
-Fixer-uppers/projects:
024AV, MS260, MS361, MS460, Shindaiwa 488, 394XPG

gspren

  A few years ago at a farm auction I bought an older homemade 3 pt splitter that uses the tractors hydraulics. It is a well made unit with a 4" X 24" cylinder and came with hoses that will fit either my JD620 or my JD2355, problem is the splitter has an open center valve that's non-convertible so I can only use it as-is on the 1956 JD620 which puts out about 900 lb of pressure so only good on easy stuff. The three options I see are get a different valve for the splitter, get a pto pump so I could use any tractor including the little Kubota or just keep borrowing the neighbors Iron & Oak splitter.
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

btd

Easy straight grain wood splits with just a few inches of travel of the cylinder back and forth, hard to split stuff obviously chews up more time, but, I think an efficient setup is as important (or more so) as cycle time. Imo
Find the happy place between speed and fuel consumption and all is well if you're not trying to make a living at it.

62oliver

I run my homemade splitter off the hydraulics on my JD310C, or the aux hydraulics on the skid steer.
  I just split wood for my own use and the few hours per year that amounts to doesn't bother me. It is less hassle than maintaining another engine that you don't really use that much.
  I doubt that it is more than 12-15  hours per year average.
And especially on the 310 it is fast.
Husqvarna 266, Case 90xt, JD310C, TJ240E, 02 Duramax

york

My first splitter was three point mounted,but had its own source of hyd.
8hp-16 gpm pump,nice thing about it,it was self propelled,could move it around with ease...
Albert

chevytaHOE5674

Much cheaper to run and maintain a small B&S type engine than it is to accumulate hours on a tractor.

Ivan49

In 1972 I built one and at the time I used it on a JD 50. I just split about 5 to 10 cords a  year and even if it was slow it was easier than swing a maul. I later used it on my White which ran a little faster but speed was not my goal my goal was to split wood easiernd not have to work on an engine every year just to split wood. I still use this splitter a few times but most of the time now I use my wood processor as I don't have to lift as much. I would not want to guess how many cords I have ran thru the 3 point splitter because many years I used it to help my neighbors out. Now he has one that I built for him and he stills uses it

gspren

Quote from: Ivan49 on February 11, 2018, 07:43:01 AM
In 1972 I built one and at the time I used it on a JD 50.

Ivan, did you use the tractor hydraulics or a pto pump?
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

Woodcutter_Mo

Quote from: chevytaHOE5674 on February 10, 2018, 10:04:30 AM
Much cheaper to run and maintain a small B&S type engine than it is to accumulate hours on a tractor.

That's a good point, although since I would be using it mostly for my own firewood I don't think it would rack up too many hours on the tractor. Now if I started selling alot of  firewood, I think it would be a good idea for the splitter to have its own engine. In fact I have several engines that I could use if I were to build my own splitter or if I decided to make the 3 point splitter self contained in the future.
-WoodMizer LT25
-592XP full wrap, 372XP, 550XP, 455 Rancher, RedMax GZ3500T
-Fixer-uppers/projects:
024AV, MS260, MS361, MS460, Shindaiwa 488, 394XPG

chevytaHOE5674

To all you guys talking about having to work on a small b&s type engine yearly what you having to do to them?

My Tecumseh on my splitter is 25 ish years old gets used 2 weeks a year and I've never worked on it other than changing the 1 quart of oil it holds and maybe a spark plug. Same with my rototiller it's got a 40yo Briggs and gets used 1 day a year and I've never had to work on it....

Way less maintenance than a tractor that has fuel/oil/hydraulic/coolant filters to change and those fluids to maintain

armechanic

I change the engine to my tiller in the spring and back to the splitter in the fall. I started this in 1991 when I returned from Desert Storm, had to buy new engine last year. I guess I wore it out changing it.
1989 Lt 40, D6C CAT, Home made wood processer in progress.

Hilltop366

Most problems with seldom used engines are rotten gas, Rusted gas tanks and mouse nest.

chevytaHOE5674

Treat your gas with something like stabil or run it empty when your done.... lots cheaper to do one of those two things than run a tractor....

Kwill

 I started building mine as a stand alone splitter. You can tell from the pic. But I bought a loader for the 8n and need a front pump to run it. So I decided rather than having to buy  2 pumps one for splitter and one for tractor I would just buy one and add a set of remotes on the 8n to run the splitter. Then I gain a set of remotes on the tractor to run the splitter or whatever I need to and I don't have another engine to maintain. Plus all the wood i cut is here on the farm  and I won't be taking the splitter anywhere. Worked lout great in my situation

 
Built my own hydraulic splitter
Built my own outdoor wood stove
Built my own log arch
built my own bandsaw sawmill
Built my own atv log arch.
Built my own FEL grapple

47sawdust

Kwill,
Great idea,seems I would like to see the hyd.plumbing set-up.I take it the loader and the splitter each have their own reservoirs?

By the way I was looking through your gallery and and came across  the bicycle snowplow.It looked like you(?) were plowing snow out in front of a tavern.Genius at work,beware!My wife and I loved it.
Great collection of antique and elderly items.

Had a fella here with a sign out front his place..."We buy junk and sell antiques"
Mick
1997 WM Lt30 1999 WM twin blade edger Kubota L3750 Tajfun winchGood Health Work is my hobby.

Kwill

Quote from: 47sawdust on February 11, 2018, 02:18:22 PM
Kwill,
Great idea,seems I would like to see the hyd.plumbing set-up.I take it the loader and the splitter each have their own reservoirs?
they run off the tractor sump
Built my own hydraulic splitter
Built my own outdoor wood stove
Built my own log arch
built my own bandsaw sawmill
Built my own atv log arch.
Built my own FEL grapple

Ivan49

Quote from: gspren on February 11, 2018, 08:39:57 AM
Quote from: Ivan49 on February 11, 2018, 07:43:01 AM
In 1972 I built one and at the time I used it on a JD 50.

Ivan, did you use the tractor hydraulics or a pto pump?
Tractor hydraulics and I used the control valve that is in the power troll. Just plug the lines in and use the handle beside the seat to work the cyl

Randy88

Used a 3 pt splitter for years ran off hydraulics, can't recall it being slow at all, just hard on the back and lifting the blocks, then went to a unit mounted on the front of a skid loader, got tired of that as well, then cut the mounts off and flipped the splitter over and ran it on the skid steer that way, died and went to heaven, been that way for almost 14 years now, couldn't be happier, haven't lifted a block in 14 years, hardly ever handle anything by hand anymore except for tossing the blocks into the furnace.   

I'd recommend a valve on the splitter, use a tie strap the hold the lever on the tractor engaged and should work fine.     

Woodcutter_Mo

 On this tractor, the aux lever detents for constant flow. The lever has 2 positions I believe it just changes the direction of flow between the 2 couplers. So this "should" work well with a separate control lever if I understand correctly. I've only used the aux hydraulics to raise and lower a haybine and it just has a single line.
-WoodMizer LT25
-592XP full wrap, 372XP, 550XP, 455 Rancher, RedMax GZ3500T
-Fixer-uppers/projects:
024AV, MS260, MS361, MS460, Shindaiwa 488, 394XPG

btd

Woodcutter_mo you are right, I put the "in" line in the top coupler and the "out" line in the bottom coupler on my kioti then just push the lever on the tractor forward and you should be good to go with a separate valve on your splitter.

Bay Beagle

BIG THANKS to Ya'll ....... I had made plans to order a "split-fire" splitter, to mount on my front loader - so it would be easy to place on the piles.  After reading a thread warning about exhaust fumes coming off the back of the tractor for three point splitters, I gave my front mount second thoughts.  (I have exhaust plumbed to the front of the tractor)   ..... so the Split - Fire md#3203 three point has been ordered - thanks again!!! 

TKehl

Quote from: Woodcutter_Mo on February 15, 2018, 09:58:51 PM
I've only used the aux hydraulics to raise and lower a haybine and it just has a single line.

A single line or a single pair?  You need a pair or you won't be able to get the cylinder to return. 

Would work fine on a haybine or similar.  Pressure up and gravity down. 

I would think you have a pair of connections.  Haven't seen a single connection on anything newer than an Allis D-14, but with newer imports... ??? 
In the long run, you make your own luck – good, bad, or indifferent. Loretta Lynn

Woodcutter_Mo

Quote from: TKehl on February 16, 2018, 12:23:36 PM
Quote from: Woodcutter_Mo on February 15, 2018, 09:58:51 PM
I've only used the aux hydraulics to raise and lower a haybine and it just has a single line.

A single line or a single pair?  You need a pair or you won't be able to get the cylinder to return. 

Would work fine on a haybine or similar.  Pressure up and gravity down. 

I would think you have a pair of connections.  Haven't seen a single connection on anything newer than an Allis D-14, but with newer imports... ???

Sorry, I meant the haybine just used a single line so I haven't used both couplers at the same time. The tractor has 2 couplers
-WoodMizer LT25
-592XP full wrap, 372XP, 550XP, 455 Rancher, RedMax GZ3500T
-Fixer-uppers/projects:
024AV, MS260, MS361, MS460, Shindaiwa 488, 394XPG

Thank You Sponsors!