Logsplitter 2.0

[oldpilgrim]

Here's a pic of the rack that attaches to the rail. It works well in horizontal position but doesn't get in the way vertically.

You can see my blue pillow on the 5 gal bucket seat.

What I'd really prefer is something that requires no bending over, crouching, etc.

Sounds like you're talking about sitting.

 

[rswyan]

Just the material I alreadt had on hand. I didnt have a bunch of lengths of pipe. But had that 11ga sheet left over from skinning my plow and building the wings and didnt see any other use for it.

Makes sense ...

I dunno what I'll do ... I have a 4' x 7' sheet of 10 gauge ... but I have other plans for it (grass/leaf vacuum) ...

I'll probably just gather up the scrap metal here and take it down to my steel supplier and cash it in and use the coin from that to buy a couple of standard lengths of small diameter pipe and then use that.

The very last thing I did before painting was locating the beam to the axle. I see far too many homemade builds that have the axle in a position that just looks unbalnced as heck and tons of tongue weight. But also dont want too little tongue weight as to flip the splitter when a large round is placed on it. I placed 200# where a large piece of firewood would go, then set it to balance perfectly. That makes the splitter stable with large pieces of wood while splitting, but not too much tongue weight when moving my hand.

Good idea.

I have plenty to do before the beam really needs to be attached.

Also consider which end you will be towing from. Let your splitting style dictate that. Since I split and let wood drop into a pile, I tow from the "dummy end" of the splitter. If you frequently split then load directly onto a truck, I would tow from the business end. That way you can split and the pieces can go directly onto the truck.

Another good point ... :thumbsup:

I think what I'm going to do is pick up an 18" long 2" receiver tube, then split it in half making two, and weld one to each end ... that way I can use either as the situation dictates. Plus it will allow using either a ball coupler or an eyelet.

Most likely, the way it will go is that the wood when split will get loaded either into the loader bucket or into my dump cart ... less bending that way.

Our other splitter is a horizontal/vertical huskee from TSC. Vertical is nice for big stuff. But not ideal for smaller stuff. Sitting down isnt as convenient as it sounds. Cause in just a few minutes, you run out of wood that is withing arms length, so are constantly getting up and down. So for the average size wood, say 8" up to 18" (or whatever you can handle comfortably), it is better to split horizontal IMO.

Yeah ... I'd really prefer horizontal myself ... and having a log lift should make getting rounds up on the splitter alot easier.

I have a Prince LS logsplitter valve with detents in both directions for the ram I just need to come up with a valve with power beyond (for the log lift) ... for cheap ...

Initially, I'm going to be using the 4 x 24 cylinder off the dump cart for the ram, and the angle cylinder off the landscape rake for the log lift. The 4-way wedge will be slip-on ... at least initially, maybe permanently.

Still trying to decide what length of log to design for ...

The wood-burning furnace here at the house will take a 24" piece of stove wood ... but 20" to 22" is probably more ideal. The double barrel stove up in the shop will take something longer ... probably 28" max ... but 24" to 26" is probably better.

 

[rswyan]

Here's a pic of the rack that attaches to the rail. It works well in horizontal position but doesn't get in the way vertically.

You can seat my blue pillow on the 5 gal bucket seat.

A man after my own mind :thumbsup:

Sounds like you're talking about sitting.

Absolutely ... whenever, and wherever, I can ... as much as possible ...

After 50+ years of beating the crap out of my body it's starting to provide a little "feedback" that I might wanna go a little easier on it

 

[oldpilgrim]

But also dont want too little tongue weight as to flip the splitter when a large round is placed on it.

I leave it connected to the tractor, whichever one I'm using at the time. I usually don't even put down the front leg.

Notice the rounds close on one side and the pallets on the other. From the pile to the splitter to the pallet with only occasionally getting up to move the rounds closer.

I had the leg down here as I was just about to move the tractor to push a bunch of rounds closer from the main pile.

 

[arrow]

One of the problems I ran into when towing with the table attached was that there was not enough clearance between the splitter and the tractor wheel. Had to make an extension to the tongue

 

[ajmaxham]

I built my splitter at 35'' for a good working height for me. A large caster is bolted to the fold up jack so I can push it in and out of the shop.

 

[murphy1244]

I built my splitter at 35'' for a good working height for me. A large caster is bolted to the fold up jack so I can push it in and out of the shop.

View attachment 406345

That is the perfect height, No bending over at all. I want that log lift.

 

[motoman3b]

motoman,

In the frenzy that was yesterday, I missed your comment.

Logsplitter 1.0 was going to be a 3PH mount with gas engine ... Logsplitter 2.0 is not - it's going to have wheels and a ball hitch.

Major selling point in favor of the current plan is that it frees up the tractor (which I only have one of)

Well I was thinking of building one that could be both towable and a three point hook up, for one I hate trying to back up a splitter in tight areas so three point hookup would be nice in that aspect

 

[yomax4]

Well I was thinking of building one that could be both towable and a three point hook up, for one I hate trying to back up a splitter in tight areas so three point hookup would be nice in that aspect

I was thinking of the same thing. Adding a 3 point to the rear of my towable. My 3pt has the cyll on one side that could level the splitter on less than level ground. Currently I have to try to block up one wheel to level and it's a beast to try to do that. With the 3pt. I could lift the whole splitter off the ground.. Spring project..

 

[rswyan]

Well, after getting stiffed by our regular UPS driver twice on Friday and Monday, I finally have my Surplus Center order. I ended up have to drive over to the terminal (14 miles) and raise holy he11 and then they called him and arranged for me to meet him at a local business to get the package.

All because the guy wouldn't drive about 150' - 200' on my driveway (flat, level) ... 'cause it had maybe an inch or two of snow on it. He didn't even have to bring it all they way down to the house - just to the shop - where my van was parked.

So I now have the stub axles, the hubs, a riser for the filler/vent, the 2" NPT pipe flange for the suction strainer, a 300 psi gauge for the filter on the return line, and some fittings.

Ran into a little situation the night before last: had some creosote/debris fall down into the 90 elbow that connects the chimney to the double-barrel wood stove in the shop, almost plugging it ... which prevented me from really getting a fire going. So I spent some of yesterday cleaning out the stove/chimney.

Ultimately ends up being a good thing as it needed it (overdue) and allowed me to discover that the 90 elbow really needed to be replaced, as it was almost rusted out ... up inside the pipe that it connected to.

Also spent some time on finishing the new backstop for the pallet forks so I can get them put back together and get them out of the shop - as they're just one more thing that's taking up space in an already cramped area.

Hopefully make some good progress on the splitter today.

I did manage to get a little done on the splitter yesterday - cleaned up the log rest which was partially painted/primered ... and rusted wherever it wasn't. Also did similar for the push block.

Will probably have to make a trip to the LWS for another bottle of 75/25 ... probably hit Harbor Freight for that receiver tube while I'm at it.