FEL Upside Down Log Splitter - Need Advise

   / FEL Upside Down Log Splitter - Need Advise #1  

WVBartMan

Silver Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2004
Messages
103
Location
West Virginia
Tractor
Kubota L5030, M9540
I'm looking at a FEL Log Splitter attachment (36-inch upside down, 30 ton, wheel to wheel skid-steer log splitter) see link for details: Skid Steer Log Splitter 30 Ton 36" Opening | FREE Shipping 3036

I plan on putting this on a Kubota L5030 FEL and using the rear remotes to power it. I have a Super Splitter which does a great job and is very fast which makes production scream. The issue is as I get older picking up those large pieces really takes a toll and every year a large percentage of my wood is to big to pick up. I work alone most of the time and the thoughts of having a splitter on my tractor to bust up the larger pieces so I can easily pick up them up and feed them into the Super Splitter sounds like a great idea to me and my back.

The issue/questions for those who have one of these is as follows:
1. Since it is on a FEL instead of a skid-steer will manuverability be a severe hinderance?
2. Based on a 9.7 GPM flow of hydraulic fluid from the tractor, any idea on cycle times?
3. I was thinking of getting the 4-way wedge since my only concern is getting the big ones split up for handling?
4. How is visibility on what your doing from the cab, from the pictures it looks excellent?

Any advise or opinions would be appreciated, thanks for the help.
 
   / FEL Upside Down Log Splitter - Need Advise #3  
Here is a calculator that will give you an idea of cylce times. Speed for a Hydraulic Cylinder - Calculates Extended Speed, Retracted Speed, Extend Time, Retract Time, Cycle Time

I think it would be hard to maneuver and be very slow to split piece by piece. I can't really see one being productive on a skid steer even. If you had a big pile of wood how would you split it? Would you have to lay the wood out to split it? Do you run over the stuff you just split? If you had to pick the wood up and move over to another pile for the splits you would waste alot of time. You could get a super split for the 3PH and lower and have a ramp for the big pieces. You could also rip those big pieces with the saw about half way and bust them with a maul and finish them with the splitter.
 
   / FEL Upside Down Log Splitter - Need Advise #4  
I'm thinking like you, it would be nice to pick a big block up, position it over a hay wagon and crack it in half. possibly another split to make it lighter and then once there's enough return to the regular splitter while working at waist height.
 
   / FEL Upside Down Log Splitter - Need Advise
  • Thread Starter
#5  
I got my splitter on Friday and I'm glad I did, splitting and handling the wood will never be the same. I quarter the large pieces of wood and let them fall into my dump trailer, then I haul it to my splitter. I raise the dump bed with the tailgate on the trailer shut resulting in never having to bend over and lift another piece of wood off the ground. I touch the wood one time (by hand) and that's splitting it with the SuperSplitter and stacking it. I love the visiability with the sideways splitter and cycle times are not bad at all. By the time I get the tractor turned around the splitter is open and ready for the next piece.

I give this splitter two thumbs up for ease of use and keeping possible back injuries at bay. Tomorrow I begin teaching my wife proper operation so I can continue sitting in the lawn chair with a cooler close by. Supervising is a true art and I must continue mastering/perfecting it.
photo 1.jpgphoto 2.jpgphoto 3.jpgphoto 4.jpgphoto 5.jpg
 
   / FEL Upside Down Log Splitter - Need Advise #6  
one heck of a splitter!

a question, how are you getting the splitter onto the chunks of wood?

assuming you cut down tree, then take chain saw, down the trunk cutting it into lengths.

but are you pushing chunks by hand or with splitter to actually get a hold of chunks as you go down the tree?
 
   / FEL Upside Down Log Splitter - Need Advise #7  
Now I'd say that is pretty neat especially the getting it into the trailer part. Sure does beat a sledge hammer and wedge.
 
   / FEL Upside Down Log Splitter - Need Advise
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Sue Splitter & Truck.JPG

Boggen - The process involves using a chainsaw to drop and buck the limbs off, then using my Farmi Winch mounted on my 3-PT Hitch to drag the log to where I can get the FEL with the log grapple onto it, usually up the side of a mountain. I then cut the logs into 14-foot lengths and load them into the dump trailer. I pull the trailer load to an area (landing) for unloading/dumping. I take my tractor and saws to the landing and my wife running the tractor and using the log grapple on the FEL picks up the log and I cut it to 20-inch lengths, avoids bending over and keeps the cut from the uncut segregated.

The next process is I'll use the splitter wedge to manipulate/move the cut 20-inch in length pieces of wood. I'll pick a large piece out of the pile, pinch it with the splitter to pick it up and move it over to the ground to get the first split. I then take the half just split, pick it up, take it to the dump trailer and split it over the trailer reducing it to a quarter of its original size. I thought it would be time consuming with a front end loader, that is moving and manipulating the wood but I found that to be very easy and fast. I never have to leave the seat of the tractor and can quarter the wood in just a few minutes.

I haul the quartered wood to my Super Split Splitter up by my wood shed, raise the dump bed to keep the wood fed to me and with the bed in the air the closed tailgate is around the same height as the splitter, meaning, no bending over, no reaching down, simply move the quartered piece horizantally onto the Super Split table and get at it. I can quarter split and then Super Split/Stack 2 full loads (14' x 7' x 4') from the dump trailer a day by myself and still manage to stay well hydrated with Miller Lite.

My only regret is this type of splitter was not invented years ago. I have several friends with back problems relating to splitting firewood and in speaking to one of them today and showing him my pictures he is now interested in getting one himself. I will comment on the model and company I purchased it from:
1. Outstanding quality, heavy duty does not begin to describe how this unit is built. Fit and finish, perfect.
2. 30-ton model walked through some tough wood without even straining or slowing.
3. Make sure you run at least .50" hydraulic line to it from your tractor, huge hydraulic ram on the splitter but I still managed quick cycle times (7-sec in, 7-sec out) without running the tractor hard at all.
4. Excellent customer service, speak with Aaron (female), she gave me free shipping, $2,795 to my door.

In closing, in the past I always stayed away from big wood due to the effort required to handle and split it. The storm on June 29 took down over two dozen virgin Red Oak, White Oak, Hickory and Black Walnut trees on my property. These trees required a 36-inch bar on my Stihl 066 to cut through them and yes, on those large pieces I split them into 8-pieces in order to reduce them in size to be more manageable. The final update was installing 12" tall sideboards on my dump-trailer, I can't go around half loaded now can I.
 
Last edited:
   / FEL Upside Down Log Splitter - Need Advise #9  
well noted steps!

have you ever looked at "wood processors?" were there is a winch, to help pull logs over to a "lift" that lifts logs up onto a table. and then once on table, it splits the wood, and sends the lumber off to a catch trailer. perhaps also even cuts the logs down to wanted lengths 8" to 24" in length before splitting.

just wondering what might be better the FEL splitter you have, seems to keep you in the seat a good amount, and never having to really man handle any sort of wood, or deal with many cables or chokes to deal with the any sort of lumber beyond cutting down the tree, and cutting it up in wanted lengths.
 
 
 
Top