3 point log splitters

[greenthumb]

How hard do you guy's think it would be to build one using a double acting cylinder and run it off the boomers hydraluics from the loader? Just thinking there is not much to those Piece of metal I beam stop plate and bracktet to atttach the cylinder and a guide of some sort to keep cylinder from riding up on the log.

Just getting the opinions of some the best tractor owners in the world

 

[EdKing]

I was thinking the same thing. Just get a cylinder, some hoses and a hydraulic valve. Make a 3 point mount, a stop on one end of the beam. Put channels on the botom of the blade that slide over the I-beam. I think thats going to be my next project after I finish my pallate forks for the FEL.

Ed King

 

[BB_TX]

Shouldn't be too hard if you are reasonably good cutting and welding. But do some planning first. A guy I know decided to make one from a large hydraulic cylinder he had acquired. He did not consider the stroke length. The oversize cylinder hit the stop and kept going. Bent the whole thing.

 

[Rowski]

Here's a link to a basic log splitter blue print<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/agdex/700/788-1.html>blue print</A>.

I saw a splitter on a tractor (some time ago) that split on each stroke. In other words the cylinder extending would split the log. As the cylinder retracts it can split a log that way. Seems to me to be more efficient, not having to waste a stroke. But I can't remeber where I saw it and what the mechanics are behind it. Maybe some one else has seen this?

 

[Youare]

A friend of mine made one several years ago. Like you said a piece of I-beam and a few pieces of flat stock a few nuts and bolts a little welding and the hadrware is done.

The wedge at the end should start out with a slim edge to start the split then go to a wider angle to force the chunk open. If you put a slight angle on the vertical edge of the splitting wedge so that the top sticks out a little more than the bottom this will help hold the log down as the ram pushes the log through the wedge.

A center open directional control valve completes the hydraulic control. There are directional control valves that have a detent to hold the control in the retract position until the ram is back all the way. I would put a spring on the advance position so that when you let go of the control lever the ram goes to the center open position as a safety measure.

Using the tractor hydraulics saves the cost of a pump and motor but does tie up the tractor and instead of using a 6 or 7 hp engine you are using 4 or 5 times the hp to run a splitter.

Attaching a catch shelf on each sdie of the I-beam to hold split pieces that will have to be split again will save the work of bending over to pick up the split piece on the off side. I'm sure there must be some good plans out there some where.

Randy