The old log splitter thing again

[smfcpacfp]

Yeah, I noted back when you 1st posted that the I beam is bowed. When I made mine I worried about torsion stresses on the beam and I split a length of 3" pipe and welded it back together down the center of the beams web. My beam is only 4x6" but has held its shape
over 25yrs.
larry

If you look carefully at the beam, you will see welds all down the exposed portion of the beam. I welded a beam to the beam on both sides because at first it did flex quite a bit. Now it doesn't.

acohen: That hurts a little. If you look at the non pulley side of the crankshaft, you will a silver pulley for a rope. The original service manual shows a hand crank.

If you talk to any small engine mechanic, I don't think anyone would dispute that Wisconsin was the best of the best small commercial engine. It was acquired by Kohler which many would say makes the best small commericial engine today.

I know a little of the history of this engine. It serviced stripper oil wells in Texas in the 1950's. It had a larger tank as it would run tirelessly for weeks at a time without attendance. It still has the original piston and rings as I was going to overhaul it when I first got it.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

Somethings are'nt pretty but they function well. Shiny and new is all good and well but things often don't stay that way long
Ken

 

[Egon]

you will a silver pulley for a rope. The original service manual shows a hand crank.

I got a real chuckle out of this one. Actually maybe it's just that my age is showing. Younger fellas here are probably not at all familiar with what was standard at one time. A simple rope pull. None of these fancy recoil pull starts.

The picture were enjoyable.

The mention of splitting at very cold temperatures also brought back fond memories. At -40 all you had to do was drop an Axe on some pieces and they split and even had a real nice ring to the Axe when it bottomed out.

 

[wolc123]

I have the H-V Northern splitter with the Honda and 2 speed pump, and it is a fine piece of equipment. I am 6 ft tall, and the working height in the horizontal mode is perfect for smaller logs, with no back strain. When splitting logs that start out at over 50 lbs or so, I use it in the vertical mode, and just roll them up on the table and work from a seated position, again no back strain. The 2-stage pump has driven the wedge right thru the nastiest, most notted chunks of white oak I have seen, and the high speed and automatic return really speeds up the process. Using this tool, I can split wood almost twice as fast as I could with an old 3 pt, single speed, horizontal splitter, and my back does not bother me when I am done like it used to. Not needing to lift those big pieces up, or bend over a rail that is too low, makes a world of difference on an old, worn back like mine.

 

[acohen100]

I spoke with a small engine mechanic today that told me something that I think seals the deal. He mentioned that the engine on the MTD models, the Honda GC, is a cheaper, Chinese-made and has lots of problems and difficult to fix. Guess that means the Northern model is my choice. Thanks for all of the input.

 

[huntsman22]

I'm a little late jumping in here. I wanted a 3 pt model to utilize my old ford tractor, but the hydraulics would be way too slow. I got the speeco 22 ton'er. There is a lot to like about it.........horizontal

vertical....

The built-in log cradle sure beats trying to balance a round on the beam.....

I didn't want the tractor to feel left out, so I used it to move the splitter, haul slash and a gascan......

 

[BrianW]

I got a real chuckle out of this one. Actually maybe it's just that my age is showing. Younger fellas here are probably not at all familiar with what was standard at one time. A simple rope pull. None of these fancy recoil pull starts.

The picture were enjoyable.

The mention of splitting at very cold temperatures also brought back fond memories. At -40 all you had to do was drop an Axe on some pieces and they split and even had a real nice ring to the Axe when it bottomed out.

I must be old because I recognized the rope pull!

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

when i used to work at a troy bilt, briggs, lawnboy, tecemseh, etc. dealership.......we went to a lot of seminars..........most were adamant that engines used on big box store equipment, etc, was spec'd differently......even thought they looked the same.....

notice honda makes two color engines.
notice that some places sell complete engines for what some only sell short blocks for.....

this came from dealer trainers, so i always assumed it to be true......

just like walmart and sears has things built to their specs, mtd, etc. probably did the same thing....

I spoke with a small engine mechanic today that told me something that I think seals the deal. He mentioned that the engine on the MTD models, the Honda GC, is a cheaper, Chinese-made and has lots of problems and difficult to fix. Guess that means the Northern model is my choice. Thanks for all of the input.

 

[SnowRidge]

I am also in the market and have been looking at most of the units discussed in this thread. In the process, I came across this
recall affecting some Speeco and Huskee models with the low end Honda engines.

Since a number of other makers are using these same or very similar engines, I have been wondering why only the Speeco made units have been recalled. Are there more shoes waiting to drop, or did Honda supply a unique model to Speeco?

 

[nh DRAGON]

I spoke with a small engine mechanic today that told me something that I think seals the deal. He mentioned that the engine on the MTD models, the Honda GC, is a cheaper, Chinese-made and has lots of problems and difficult to fix. Guess that means the Northern model is my choice. Thanks for all of the input.

If you are going to do your own wood year after year you might want to check out American splitters. Tall wheels for easy moving and hight for not working bent over. The model we have has a big table in the front. You can pull a pin to take the hitch off and just put the bucket of your fel under it and it will load it's self. It also has a lift on the side for the big logs that we had to use a back hoe to lift before and it has a choice of engines.