Unicorn Log Splitter / PTO Driven

[cwarrix]

Well, I gave up on the idea of trying on of these for now. I was watching two of them on eBay, one sold for $560!!!! And the other sold for $355. Way more than I want to pay to try it.

Also, just for clarification, these where the kind that hook up to the three point hitch and are driven by the tractor PTO. The ones that bolt to a car or truck axle seem to be less expensive, probably because there are less parts. Thanks for all of the feedback.

 

[Highbeam]

OMG! that's even more crazy. So your one rear wheel is on the ground and the other drives the unicorn. The differential is offering full power to the unicorn. Wow. Would be lame if a big log caused enough torque transfer to the blocked wheel to get it to move. That's about the most red-necked thing I've heard of in a long time, and I was pulling on dump trucks with a skidder and cable this weekend. It sounds like it worked well though so what the heck.

 

[jimmysisson]

Sure, they work all right, but you spend a lot of time on your knees bending over somethin pretty dangerous. You're real alert and sore all at the same time. Simple though, and as reliable as the vehicle.
Jim

 

[wvrocks]

They can definetly be dangerous. A friend of ours was using on on the back of his pickup. He stumbled and got the leg of his snowpants caught on the splitter. It wrapped his leg around the cone up to the middle of his femur before his young son was able to shut it off. Due to an exceptional orthopedic surgeon and lots of recovery and therapy time he now walks without a limp. For a long time he had more hardware in that leg than Ace Hardware has on the shelves.

 

[slowzuki]

Seems like a perfect place for a hydraulic motor and q/a plate on the loader!

 

[HardlyWarcane]

You can walk down the road and trip and get run over by a truck too!
Come on people when you go to work do you leave your brain behind?
I know a guy who cut off his fingers with a hydraulic log splitter with the dead mans pull to work lever too - he doesn't tell many people that's how it happened and not even me how it did - he said it was fast!
Some people have closed car doors on their fingers too - how does that happen i'd like to know -unless some one helps - but it does ,it's why their called accidents.
It's not like the screw come chasing after you ?
I'm looking for one myself cause I like the way it deals with knotts and as with all tools - I'll be as clear headed as I can and thinking about what I'm doing like around any peace of equipment!
Just my two cents worth!

 

[Travelover]

...............Just my two cents worth!

And it was well worth the 4 1/2 year wait!

 

[AchingBack]

I'm glad I found this thread because I just saw this in our local craigslist. Unicorn Log Splitter, three point tractor mount with manual
I'm thinking it might be a worthwhile investment. Right now I am using an 8 lb. maul which is quite adequate for well dried madrone, Oregon Ash and Douglas fir; but at age 68, I'm thinking about a change in splitting methods for the 3 cords I burn each year.

Years ago I used one of these screw type splitters. It was powered by a small gas engine. Worked quite well, but be prepared for some exercise. The one in the cl ad appears to be designed so that the log is held in place by the long red pipe.

Is anyone using one of these?

 

[Charolais]

I'm glad I found this thread because I just saw this in our local craigslist. Unicorn Log Splitter, three point tractor mount with manual
I'm thinking it might be a worthwhile investment. Right now I am using an 8 lb. maul which is quite adequate for well dried madrone, Oregon Ash and Douglas fir; but at age 68, I'm thinking about a change in splitting methods for the 3 cords I burn each year.

Years ago I used one of these screw type splitters. It was powered by a small gas engine. Worked quite well, but be prepared for some exercise. The one in the cl ad appears to be designed so that the log is held in place by the long red pipe.

Is anyone using one of these?

My Dad had a unicorn for the 3 point back in the 70's. We wore it out. Splits wood fast. We cleared land and used the wood to heat 2 houses. Took 11 years to wear it out. Would have bought another one but folks stopped selling them in this area.

I have an outdoor wood boiler now and I ordered the cone for a post hole digger last week. Hope to get that going as soon as it's delivered. As with any equipment you have to be alert and stay focused. No one here ever got hurt with the unicorn we had in all those year.It's much faster than a hydraulic splitter too.

I have my hydraulic splitter on the front end loader upside down. I split wood from the tractor seat. I'll put the hole digger type on the back and use both as needed. I have lots of wood from timber being harvested. Most is stump/butt cuts and lots of it is 10' long and 20- 30 inches across. The cone will speed things up on those long cuts.

 

[Cantoo]

Achingback, I have one and was always planning on mounting it to the loader of my tractor and power it with hydraulic but I've never gotten around to it. I did play with it when I bought it and the thing would split anything and fast. Someday I will get it mounted. I bought it at an auction sale and I don't think I paid more than $25 for it.