Firewood on a Hakki Pilkie 1x37

[GRANITEstateMP]

Thought I'd take a couple picks of firewood from this Sunday.  We were using a REN MFG 24hp PTO power unit to power the Hakki Pilke 1x37 processor.  Did this cord of 22in wood in about 55 minutes.



 



 

Sun is shining, pile is ready for wood time!



 

Another angle of the processing area



 

Log lift and log deck area   

[GRANITEstateMP]

Here is a short video of us working up some wood on Sunday

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR4RkhH9Fn0&t=4s

[GRANITEstateMP]

Still at it!  Making firewood is a never ending process.

 
Deck reloaded with about 3 cord of wood. Waiting for my next "day off" to process


 

Did a little trading for some pine & hemlock.  First cord of 18in heading to a camp ground.

[hedgerow]

Looks like a nice set up for processing wood. Yes firewood making is a never ending process. It has been hot here in eastern Ne and that seems like it is when we have time to make firewood. Between framing and a real job in town summer seems when I have time to make firewood. We burn about 15 cord a year in our Garn. Crops are in spraying is done for a while it is dry were the wood is so it is time to make firewood. Be careful and have a great summer.

[GRANITEstateMP]

Hedgerow,

We've had a real interesting late spring and early summer!  We were in a drought heading into winter but mother nature got us all caught up this spring.  My wife's family are dairy farmers and they are WAY behind on crop work because of all the rain.

We burn about 3 to 5 cord a year in our old woodstove.  I've got 2 or 3 helpers and they burn another 10ish cord amongst them.  Last year (second full year with the processor) we did about 85 total cord, year before was 120.  I was really running around (lots of delivery's) the year we did 120 but we also had a couple mobile processing jobs that helped add a bunch of cords quick.  We're in the processor of building an intake conveyor for the processor and then adapting a live deck.  That will help me be more efficient labor wise.  The way we are set up now, the processor is most efficient with 3 people.  One person running the machine, one raking the load down in the trailer, helping with re-splits, and clearing chaff, and one person helping keep the unit fed - rolling logs on the landing and helping guide them onto the log life and in the short (factory) intake conveyor.

[chubby]

Hakki Pilke makes a 6 way axe for that model. No more resplits!  8)
The 1x37 is pretty bulletproof!

[GRANITEstateMP]

Chubby,

I've got the six way wedge, we don't use it much.  If I'm in the right wood it's great, but if I'm in smaller wood then it makes the splits too small!  Or if I'm in knotty wood, it puts a ton of stress on the hydro's. 

The 1x37 is pretty bulletproof!  I've done plenty of work to the unit since I've had it, but really for what it does, I'd consider it mostly maintenance!  For the price of one of these units, and the amount of wood it puts out I'm pretty darn happy.  Don't get me wrong, I'd love one of the big boy processors, just not the note to buy it!

[GRANITEstateMP]

It's been a couple years since I started this thread.  We're still plugging along making big logs into little pieces!  We did just short of 100 cord last year, probably 80 - 85% of it on the little processor.  I've been hoping to add a live deck onto my little processor, heck I've got the deck, but something always comes up or funds dry up.  Here is a few of us processing a few weeks ago.



 

The Honda motor on my PTO unit bent a valve.  Upon further inspection, it's pretty well wore out.  My buddy brought his new Kubota over and we ran the processor with that.  We hooked my tractor to a borrowed 12ft dump trailer to deliver a cord to a neighbor.  It was real nice to have 2 trailers to load into instead of doing a cord and waiting on delivery



 

I'm pretty sure we processed 3 cord of wood that day, delivered 1, and had the processor cleaned up (we make plenty of sawdust and splints) in 3 hrs.  We call that a good day!



 

The brow was getting a little low by the end of the day.  I pre-sort logs when they are delivered.  Anything too big we keep off to the side and work up with chainsaws and an hydraulic splitter.



 

I was hoping that I had a picture of the brow I made to work with the splitter.  It is very basic, just a real heavy wood table that is the same height as the splitter, we can pile the real big pieces on it with the tractor and roll them on the splitter.  No need for heavy lifting.  An improved discharge table / grate is in the future for the 4ft splitter, but like most things it's not a priority and keeps getting put to the back burner! 



 
 This was last fall, my wife's Uncle's truck.  I need to either get a taller conveyor, or stick to shorter trucks!

 That's about it, got to try and get ready for the next day of processing, gonna try and get a new motor swapped onto my PTO unit tonight once I get home from my real job ;D ;D

[barbender]

I like it! I STILL haven't pulled the trigger on a processor...I guess I'm waiting for the planets to align or something😊

[Bruno of NH]

Nice set up

[GRANITEstateMP]

Barbender, you let me know once those planets align, that may be the day I buy a lotto ticket!!!

Bruno, thanks, it's not the biggest, the best, or the most productive, but it's what I got and what I could afford at the time!  Heck, now I couldn't afford this setup!

[Bruno of NH]

I'm looking into them
It's part of my new plan I have going.
I don't want to run it from the tractor
What does a unit like this cost?

[GRANITEstateMP]

Bruno,

I don't like running the processor off my tractor, it's way more useful doing other things, and putting ours on it with the processor is an expensive waste.  That being said, sometimes it happens!

I paid around 2k, about 3 years ago for the PTO Unit.  It's pretty simple, and a great idea.  Other than the Honda giving up on it a few weeks back it's pretty much been nickle and dime maintenance stuff to keep it going.  Your more than welcome to swing on by and check it out! I just finished instIlling the new 22hp Predator motor this am. Testing it on a cord later today. 22 of the finest horse's China had to offer ;D

 

[Bruno of NH]

Just don't over fill the oil go by the line on the dip stick
Not the amount in the book

[Corley5]

  The Honda GX670 on my 14-12 is getting long in the tooth.  I've been eyeing that same Predator engine as a replacement.  Or get hooked up with the three phase power that's now available to us and make everything electric.  It would be nice to just flip a switch

[jmur1]

Looks like a productive zone.  Loving the good attitude - keep at it - and keep enjoying what you do!

[hedgerow]

GRANITEstateMP
Looking forward to see how that Predator holds up. I have several 6.5 HP on pumps, air compressors and a couple 13 Hp Predator's so far I have had zero issues with any of them. I break them in on regular 30 W oil then switch to 20-50W Mobil one. 

[GRANITEstateMP]

Bruno, 

  For the first time in a long time, I actually followed instructions on the engine start up ;D.  I filled up to the line, ran it a bit, checked it.  All was good, so we did our first cord at WOT!  Gotta break it in RIGHT!  It'll get it's first oil change after this weekends firewood is done.  The best part, I crossed the oil filter part number, AND, it fits Toyota Corolla's.  That works well for me, since I work at a Toyota dealer as a parts guy!

Corley5,

  I was back and forth as to what to do.  My wallet made the final decision, yet to see if I'll regret it or not!  I'm pretty sure the Ole' Honda was down on power for a while (I did maintenance, no rebuilds), I might have been able to prevent loosing the cylinder if I'd dug further into it, but I'll be honest, time and other projects would have come first and we'd end up at the same result!  I've seen a bunch of video's on my little processor running off of electric, sounds pretty...QUIET!  I like the fact that I'm still pretty mobile, but starting to do less and less mobile processing.  I'd rather stay at my place and plug away.

jmur1,

  It ain't always easy, but we try and stay with the half full bottle

hedgerow,

I'm hoping it holds up well.  I'm not betting on it, just hoping!  I've heard more good than bad about these little buggers, fingers are crossed!

I'm gonna probably stick with the 10W-30, unless I see any consumption.  10W-30 kinda stinks, we don't use that at work, so I actually need to buy it vs, collecting partial empties from the Techs! 

[GRANITEstateMP]

Predator update - I didn't do as I said and change the oil after the first cord.  We're 10 or 12 cord in.  Oil looks good, and level has stayed good.  I've got a guy coming over tomorrow  (my off day) to bang out a couple cord of 22in stuff.  I really am gonna try and do a oil change after that!

  The motor has run well, can't knock it so far.

  

[GRANITEstateMP]

Update on my Update:

The Predator WILL NOT USE a Corolla oil filter!  Even if you cross check it on 2 different oil filter charts, screw it on til tight...  O-ring doesn't seal, trust me on this one :(.  It looks like the boss at the bottom of the filter pipe is a bit different.  Ho-hum.  I did 1 oil and filter change, a power flush, and reinstalled the old filter!  Good thing I make plenty of wood chips, the flush was messy >:(

[Bruno of NH]

I had that happen with the first filter I got.
Wix and carqwest have filters that work

[GRANITEstateMP]

Bruno,

Good to know I'm not the only one!  I got a WIX 51394 on it's way.  I'll give it the "eye-crometer" look over when they drop it off, and if it meets that gauge, I'll try and put it on tonight, or maybe tomorrow...

 

[GRANITEstateMP]

Wix filter didn't work either, it almost did, but threads bottomed out.  Good times.  I ended up using a Toyota 90915-YZZG2.  That filter fit a lot of Toyota V6's over the years.  It also fits my Cub Cadet lawn mower ;D and I have a bunch of them on the shelf at work.  This is definitely one of the draw backs to using a knock off motor vs. a real Honda.  If it were a Honda, I could have had a Honda filter from the (car) dealer and been done with it (the Honda filter has a different thread pitch vs. what is needed on the Predator - 3/4 x 16).

[GRANITEstateMP]

It was pretty hot today, but we did a cord of 16in off the processor, then a cord of 18in stuff that was either too big or too ugly for the processor.  The cheap Harbor Freight tent made it a little easier to try and stay cool. It did make it a bit tougher for the guy on the tractor loading the brow (me)



 

[GRANITEstateMP]

Predator update - She is still going strong!  Just finished cord 71 on the year, not sure how many of those came off the processor or this motor, BUT, I know it's about time for it's second oil change.  Oil is still looking good, but hours wise time for some maintenance