Home Build Log Splitter

[TGF]

How much should I expect to spend. I am at a bit of a x-roads. I can buy a log splitter for under 1000 dollars, to actually build one and make it worth my time I think I would have to be able to build it for under 400. Is that realistic?

I have a 3038e that would be running the hydraulics.

 

[rdbrumfield]

I take it a 3038e is some sort of powerplant or tractor. If you bought one it would have it's own. By the time you start adding up a pump, resevoir, hoses, valve and steel, unless you can find them used and cheap you might as well bite off a new one.
I built mine a long time ago and no way could I have made it without a collection of gimmees. I just changed it from tractor power to selfcontained. the engine alone was 1600

 

[TGF]

yes the 3038e (tractor) would be used to run the hydroaulic ram. I have rear quick connects so the plan was to build either a 3 point or draw bar log spliter that would hook up the the rear hydro.

 

[ovrszd]

I built one four years ago. 3pt powered by a PTO pump. 35 Ton capacity. I bought everything and had $1500 in materials.

I guess the first thing you need to decide is what capacity splitter do you need?? You can buy a self contained splitter for less than $1500 but it won't be a 35 Ton and will be slow. If that suits your needs then that's what I'd do. If your needs are a durable large capacity splitter I think you can build it cheaper than buying.

I'd be concerned about how slow a splitter is going to be on your tractor. For example it probably has a pump flow capacity of 6-10 gallon per minute. If you use a 4"x30" cylinder the cycle time is going to painfully slow, probably 20-30 seconds to run the cylinder out and slightly less to retract it. That's unacceptable to me. I want a cyle time around 10 seconds out and slightly less to retract. On my homemade splitter I used a 22 gallon per minute pump to get that quick cycle time.

Now I use a self contained trailer mounted splitter with a 6"x30" cylinder. It has a cycle time of 12 seconds out and slightly less to retract. That's plenty slow for me. I paid $6500 for it. Not practical unless you have a large volume need. We split 100 cords a year.

 

[TGF]

nice looking rigs, I was thinking a 10-15 ton splitter as I don't have a whole lot of hug stuff, just some big dead fall.

 

[ovrszd]

You could probably run a 10-15 Ton splitter with your tractor at an acceptable speed. Good luck with your choice.

 

[TGF]

i was thinking this would be a good cyclinder

Logsplitter Cylinder - 4" Bore x 24" Stroke

 

[Reverend Blair]

My experience with splitters run directly off of tractor hydraulics is that they are way too slow. We generally cut wood in the winter, so I like a machine that keeps me moving.

I've used one that runs on a pump driven by the PTO and it's good, except that the guy that made it designed it so you're either bent over or kneeling. The hydraulics work well though.

I've also used a few standard vertical splitters powered by small engines.

My favourite is the hydraulic cutter splitter that a guy I used to work for put together though. You could feed a 10" diameter piece of birch into it, and it would cut and split it. No chainsawing. Beautiful. The only problem is that the cutting blade or the channels it ran in would sometimes break.

 

[LD1]

I would just buy one if you dont have any of the major parts already laying around.

Yes that cylinder would work, but figure another ~$80 for a valve, ~$100 or so for hoses, and another ~$150 in steel at a minimum, and you are already pushing $600 not counting your time. And considering you can buy one @ tsc for 700 bucks?????

Some tsc's carry speeco and others carry their country line brand. Both seen well built to me. CountyLine SplitMaster 3-Point Hitch Log Splitter - 2153304 | Tractor Supply Company

But considering your tractor only has 5.3gpm pump, a 3PH unit with a 4" cylinder is going to be painfully slow.

TSC Huskee splitters are great for the money. They are also built by speeco. Folks over on arboristsite also speek fairly highly of them too. For $1000 you can get their 4" cylinder 22ton unit. The 4.5"/28ton is around 1300 and the 5"/35 ton is 1700 or so. We have a 4.5"/27 ton unit and have split ~20 cors per year for about 10 years now and not problems whatsoever. And these splitters will be quicker with the 2-stage pumps than using your tractor hydraulics. And the smaller motors are cheaper to run as well.

 

[TGF]

that husky 22 ton looks nice.