3 pt. log splitter

[Anonymous Poster]

That's a nice unit and if I were buying, I'd also consider the 4-way version. But you know...they quoted me $725 for the 230 and $995 for the 230-4, delivered to PA. $35 less if I caught them on a regular run into the States. You certainly got a good deal!

 

[OkieG]

molerj,

You have "power beyond" capability on your 955. JD sells an aux hydraulics kit (part # BM16763) with the fittings and tubing to plumb hydraulic fluid to the rear of your tractor. The kit ties in to the SCV (loader valve) valve body and creates a tubing loop to the back of the tractor with a quick disconnect in line to allow access to the fluid. That is "power beyond".

Power beyond supplies fluid to power a backhoe or any rear mounted implement. Even though PB taps in to the hydraulic fluid at the SCV, it bypasses the SCV itself, so that the SCV does not control PB fluid flow. Another separate set of control valves is needed to use an implement. The PB just supplies the high pressure inflow and returns fluid to the tractor reservoir.

Hope this helps.

OkieG

 

[Anonymous Poster]

The 4-way wedge should be available as an add-on for your SS230 from split fire sales, I am sure it could have been bought separately when I bought mine.
I don't know anything about Kubotas, but there was no valve needed to add power beyond on my JD, just two hoses and some fittings. Maybe he thinks you want an SCV, I wonder that by the way you mention "valve". The kit for another SCV for my tractor is $500 in parts from JD.
The splitter may seem slow, but you do not have to ever return it to split another piece, therefore doubling capacity.

 

[centell]

Split-Fire thanks for the good information. Today I will call Split-fire to see if I can get an attachment to make it a four-way splitter. Your are right, you never have to split one twice. This splitter is real powerfull and I do like the forward and back stroke. I read on the other splitfire page you can get an attachment to make it four way. I believe you first split the big logs and then use the four way. Am I correct. Do you have to split the big logs first and then use the four way on the other side. Which one of the strokes have the most power. The forward or back. Which one should I put the four way splitter on. Can the four way splitter be removed easily or not. Hope it does not have to welded on. So far I have about 5 cords of wood split, all pecan. Tornado remove all my huge pecan trees, hated to see this wood go to waste. I let grandkid handle hydraulic lever and I put the logs on the splitter and I have others stack wood. This is like team work. We all enjoy the log splitter. Next week I bring tractor and splitter to camp and will be spliting wood for about five of my neighbors. This should keep the camp ground happy. I will not charge them anything but at least they will owe me respect. Ha. Ha. This should keep everyone happy. I know I will get free meals and beer for this.

 

[rdbrumfield]

You get the most power when the cylinder is extending. you have more displacement to fill. When retracting you have to subtract the area of the ram from the diameter of the cyl. It is probably good that the cylinder doesn't pull as hard, could pull itself into.

 

[hazmat]

FYI Northern has slip on 4 way splitters

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=4006970&storeId=6970&productId=28657&langId=-1>8" $60 </A>

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=4006970&storeId=6970&productId=23781&langId=-1>12" $75</A>

 

[Anonymous Poster]

On my splitter, the wedges interchange. There is a pin that pushes into the wedge that holds it onto a piece of steel that sticks up out of the frame of the splitter. You will easily be able to see it, it is about 1" diameter, just push it out and lift the wedge off the machine, replace with 4- way. I am not sure if the 230 come equipped with this quick-change, or it is an option. Check with split fire.
Split fire recommends splitting tough logs on the 2-way. I have never used my 2-way wedge, 4-way will cut anything, no stalls. Even knotty elm and beech, I've split 30"+ blocks this way, also.
One direction is rated higher, although I do not remember which. I honestly have never stalled it either way. Mine has a 4.5" cylinder, I think the 230 may be a 4", not sure.
Be careful letting young people run this machine. It is different than other splitters in that it will split coming back towards the operator. If someone lets the front block become a hand rest, they will soon have 1 less hand. I let my daughter run the lever as well since she did on all other splitters. I spotted her hand there before it was a problem. She now watches from the swingset. Even had adults want to rest thier hand there while operating....please keep an eye on it.
If you have a quick-tach bucket, set it next to your wood, back the splitter between the bucket and woodpile, stack wood off the splitter in the bucket. This will really save your time. I'll try to have my wife attach a picture of our operation soon.

 

[beenthere]

Re: 3 pt. log splitter (losing fingers)

<font color=blue>""I let grandkid handle hydraulic lever and I put the logs on the splitter ...""<font color=black>

Can't buy into that procedure. If you split very long, you will learn that too many other things can detract that person running the lever, and they don't pay attention at the key moment when a quick re-adjustment has to be made to the log being split, and some fingers might be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I saw it happen, and fortunately all that the wedge caught was the tips of three fingers of the leather glove. Cut them off clean though. The operator had thought all was set to go, but at the last split second the log moved as the pusher made contact, and the person reached to reposition the log. The operator didn't even know that the guy's glove was in there, as he was looking somewhere else at the moment.
I always run my own lever ever since that experience. And it wasn't my glove that was ruined. But it is also a good practice to teach how to position logs onto the splitter by holding their sides, and not position them holding the ends of the log. This keeps fingers out of the path of the splitting wedge and pusher. Amazing how many want to split by grabbing the log by the ends and setting them down on the splitter with fingers at each end. (Maybe just my opinion).

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: 3 pt. log splitter (losing fingers)

I rarely run the lever, as I like to feed wood to the machine and keep it moving along. My wife runs it most of the time. While the operator is obviously responsible to watch the operation, I surely feel more responsible for my fingers than to stick em in to grab a moving log. Hope the person on the lever didn't feel totally responsible, everyone around needs to be on thier toes and thinking.
The decal on my split fire says never to grab wood by the "sawn ends", makes sense to me.

 

[centell]

Re: 3 pt. log splitter (losing fingers)

Thanks for all this good information that each one of you are giving me. I will try to answer each one of you in this post. I did call Split-fire today to get the four-way attachment. They tell me it is not availiable for the ss 230, but to bring it up to a ss240 would cost me three hundred something dollars. I told him thank you I would look further. I did click on the information on Hazmats post and found an attachment at Northern for sixty dollars. I order it not knowing if it will work or not. May have to make some modifications or maybe I just threw my money away. Splitfire and Benthere you are both right, you can get carried away, I would say on any log splitter if you are not carefull. I guest sometimes we depend too much on the next person. Saturday afternoon I mashed my finger not holding the log right loading it on the splitter. Probably will lose the fingernail out of this. It sure taught me a good lesson and enjoyed reading your post about the safety of this. I know the fingernail will grow back but not the finger or hand. It was a lesson well learned. Could have been worst. Sometimes we take attachments and machinery for granted not thinking of the dangers involved. But all in all still satisfied with the splitter and anxious to install the four-way attachment to it. I did get to split another cord of wood after work today right before dark. It did not take me long and still enjoying it.