How to add log splitter to John Deere 870????

[JS415]

Hello all,

I have a JD 870 tractor that is fitted form the factory with 4 hydraulic ports, for a front end loader. I also have a great log splitter that has lost its engine, so I decided to hook it up to my tractor.

According to my manual and dealer, this can be done, without too many problems. My splitter has a valve, with a neutral position when the handle is straight up and down.

My tractor has the SCV handle, which is in a neutral position when straight up and down.

I had 2 hoses made, to attach from the tractor to the log splitter. One 4000PSI hose to go from the pressure side of the tractor to the input side of the splitter valve. The other hose was a simple return hose to go from the splitter valve back into the tractor, to be used only when the ram was reversing, or the fluid was simply cycling through under no load. This hose was only rated at 300PSI.

I had 4000PSI hose hooked up and my valve, and my return hose hooked up also. When I tried and used the joystick on the tractor to cycle the fluid through, after about 10 seconds, I blew a hole in the return hose and sent fluid everywhere!!!

I may be wrong, but I thought under "no load" the return hose should be fine at 300PSI.

I read in my manual that both ports are pressurized on my tractor. Should I take this to mean that it has back pressure on the return line, which would keep the front end loader from falling fast? In this case, maybe my design would have worked, I just needed a 4000PSI line for the return also, because the back pressure was more than the hose would hold?

For the time being, I am taking a return hose from the splitter valve, and running the hose back into the fill tube on my hydraulic tank, and it works just great!!!

I simply pull the SCV lever open with a bungee cord, then use the valve on the splitter to operate the ram.

Does anybody have any ideas on the proper setup for this type of operation? I ordered a manual for a JD log splitter, and it shows it set up just like I have it, only the hoses are attached to the 2 ports on the rear of my tractor, which mine does not have.

Any advice or suggestions???

Thanks,

Jerry

 

[AKfish]

Welcome to the TBN forum. Good folks and a great source for information.
Let me say that I'm not a hydraulics guru and certainly there are many who can provide you with greater detail with your question. However, I believe that the ports on the back of the tractor that you are referring to are the power-beyond ports. This hard-line setup allows you to connnect attachments like a backhoe or log-splitter to your tractor directly into the hydraulic system of your tractor. I have a log-splitter and a JD 970. My log-splitter connects into the power-beyond system for my 970. Hope this info is a start on the learning curve. AKfish
PS a search in the Attachments forum for Power-beyond kit might be a good use of your time as well.

 

[beenthere]

Depends on where you plugged in the 300 psi hose, but it sounds like you hooked into the dual acting valve, not a single acting valve. The dual is for a two-way ram, and unless you have one pressure line from the tractor and a spring to return the ram and force the oil out and back to the tractor, you will be 'sending' pressurized oil to the two-way ram to return it. Just put a 4000 psi hose on and run the splitter ram as a two-way.

I use just one hose from my FEL lift rams to the one-way lift ram on my snow plow. Works fine. The weight of the plow forces the oil out the pressure line and back to the valve. There is no return line. If I put on a two way ram, then I'd hook the other pressure line to return the ram and force the oil back to the tractor.

Surprised your dealer told you that a 300 psi return line was workable. Guess you found out it wasn't, but sorry to hear of the Valdez spill.

 

[kennyd]

Your setup is fine, but you need high-pressure on both sides of your valve. The OUT of your valve is not just a "return to tank" in your setup.
Think about it this way... Say you have 2000psi on the "pressure" side of your couplers, and you bungee the joystick to get the oil flowing, Since the valve on your log-splitter is a Open Center valve (It is right?), meaning that oils flows right though the valve when it is in neutral (Handle straight up and down), Then logically you will have 2000psi on the return side as well.

Hope this makes sense... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[jd110]

The "ideal" setup for a log splitter is to use the power beyond kit. There are less restrictions in this circuit and would allow your splitter to operate faster. You also would not have to tie a lever into position like you do now. There would be flow as soon as the engine is started. Otherwise, the loader valve will work fine if you install a high pressure hose on the return side. As you found out, there is some back pressure on the return side, in excess of 300 psi apparently.

 

[JS415]

Actually, the dealer did not tell me a 300PSI hose would be Ok. That assumption was made by me, and my mis-understandings of hydraulics!!!

And I remember what happens when I "assume"!!!

Anyway, am I correct in believing that on a 2 hose setup, if one hose is being used as the pressure side then the other side has to be a return side, and I just need to make sure I use a 4000PSI hose.

The reason I did not go with the power beyond setup, is that I could get the hoses made fairly cheap, and have a nice set-up without spending a lot of money.

Anybody else have any ideas or concerns??

I really appreciate the insight so far, I plan on hanging around here to see if some of the knowledge will rub off on me!!!

Thanks,

Jerry

 

[kennyd]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Anyway, am I correct in believing that on a 2 hose setup, if one hose is being used as the pressure side then the other side has to be a return side, and I just need to make sure I use a 4000PSI hose. )</font>

That is correct, BUT...Since you are using your joystick (known here as DSCV- Dual Selective Control Valve) to run the splitter, either hose can be the pressure OR the return, it just depends on which way the joystick is moved.
Clear as mud?

Kenny

 

[JS415]

As muddy as that is, I actually do understand it!!!

I already know which port would be the pressure port, when my joystick is pulled to the far right, so I just make sure that hose always goes to the pressure side of the valve on the log splitter.

Now I just need to go have my buddy make me another hose setup that I can put my quick-connect on.

I never realized the back pressure on the "return" hose would be the same as the "pressure" on the input hose, but when you sit down and think about it, it makes sense.

When in the neutral position, and just circulating fluid through the valve and the hoses, it must be more than the 300PSI hose could take.

Jerry

 

[beenthere]

Still seems that you confuse the two hoses. One hose puts pressure to move the ram out. During that motion (condition) the other hose is the return. When you use the 'other hose' to move the ram back, then that hose is pressure and the first hose is then the return. They switch roles with a dual valve.

Does your splitter have a two-way ram?

 

[JS415]

Yes, my splitter has a two way ram. One hose in the rear to push it forward, and one in the front to push it back. The flow is controlled by the position of the valve on the splitter.

What I want to make sure of, is that, regardless of whether I am pushing the ram forward or rearward, the path of the fluid that is leaving the splitter valve, and returning to the tractor, is going into the correct port on the tractor.

I have to believe that if I have the SCV locked so that I am only able to use 2 of the 4 ports, and I know which of those 2 is the "pressure" side going into my splitter valve, then the other hose "must" be a return hose into the tractor.

Originally I thought that this "return" hose would not be under severe pressure. But after watching it blow up, I assume it must be under pressure going back into the tractor. Either that, or the port I have the hose connected to is not a "return" port when the other port is "pushing" out.

Does this make sense??

Thanks so much.

Jerry