PTO Log Splitter

[Industrial Toys]

There are many acceptable and dangerous machines around. Some with very high inertial forces. A table saw comes to mind and those quite frankly scare the bejeepers out of me. I hardly think the slow moving ram on a hydraulic splitter is a great potential hazard. Sure, some really stupid person will manage to hurt himself on just about anything! I do have not one but two big mushroom type safety shut down switches. Even illuminated and flashing! I say it's for "safey" but really it just adds to the cool factor.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I never said it would be any faster. As far as my project goes, I am simply going to save time by not having to stand there and watch the paint dry, so to speak. I can be doing something else like getting new rounds or stacking wood. It's not the speed of the remote operated splitter that is the problem, (as I see it) it's that usually you have no choice but to stand there operating it.

oooooh ok, this is what you said that I thought you were thinking running it off the loader that would make it faster...

But PTO splitters are always so slow! My solution, and it's coming together, is to build a splitter that runs off my loader hydraulics but is controlled electrically.

SR

 

[ovrszd]

I'm not a fan of auto split valves. I want to push/pull the handle to split. So when I want to stop the ram all I do is let off the handle. I love auto return. I also have an emergency kill switch for the engine right beside the splitter valve handle. And I never considered my Honda V-twin 630CC 4 stroke engine as a screaming engine.

 

[4570Man]

I have rear remotes on my tractor. They are more GPM and more PSI than my wood splitter pump. I don't want my splitter on the back of my tractor because I move the big logs with a backhoe thump. I just bought a B7100 17 hp diesel, I might put my splitter on that tractor. I think a kill switch on a wood splitter is worthless. Even as slow as they move they are far too fast to feel it hit your finger, and then hit the stop button. I have an auto return, but auto split sounds dangerous.

 

[ovrszd]

I consider the kill switch as a safety against splitter problems more than finger problems. If my hand is in the splitter, last thing I want to do is shut off the engine so I can't get it out.

 

[4570Man]

I don't think there would be any problem getting your hand out because the other half would still be laying on the other side.

 

[LD1]

Just running a saw in general is dangerous. Dealing with loaded wood under tension and compression, kickback, felling trees, etc. More dangerous than a quick hydraulic splitter.

 

[blucoondawg]

There are many acceptable and dangerous machines around. Some with very high inertial forces. A table saw comes to mind and those quite frankly scare the bejeepers out of me. I hardly think the slow moving ram on a hydraulic splitter is a great potential hazard. Sure, some really stupid person will manage to hurt himself on just about anything! I do have not one but two big mushroom type safety shut down switches. Even illuminated and flashing! I say it's for "safey" but really it just adds to the cool factor.

The safety issue with a splitter is not to protect a "stupid person " from putting their hand in the danger zone intentionally, it is to prevent anyone or anything from getting bound up for whatever reason. Suppose you put the splitter in auto split mode and walk away to grab more wood and your kid or your neighbor kid comes along and sticks their hands in there or your dog runs up and sticks it's snout in there for some dumb reason, or maybe you put it in gear and you slip on ice or trip on your own feet and fall in such a way that your arm or maybe your head is caught in the splitter? Maybe you will be that stupid person who is maimed or killed or maybe it will be someone else who is ignorant of the danger because you felt it a good idea to bypass a safety control that should be there.

Ya sure every piece of equipment can be dangerous but over the years people have learned to engineer safety devices into the equipment to minimize risk as much as possible, failing to do so is ignorant.

 

[LD1]

No one is arguing that a double detent or auto-cycle can be more dangerous.

The question is: is it an acceptable danger given the other dangerous equipment around the farm of a typical log splitter user.

It is no different than a dog or neighbor kid running up and getting caught in your 3ph attachment or running across the road and getting hit. Or slipping and falling with a running saw.

Its about acceptable levels of danger. I don't view a slow hydraulic system with autocycle as very dangerous. We can't all live in bubbles or nothing would get done.

 

[rswyan]

Just running a saw in general is dangerous. Dealing with loaded wood under tension and compression, kickback, felling trees, etc. More dangerous than a quick hydraulic splitter.

Yup - and saws become even more dangerous the older and less spry one gets ...

My days of climbing onto and over wood piles and bucking logs are coming to an end ... same as cutting in inclement (wet) weather. Just not worth the risk.