"Troy Bilt" 27 ton log splitter, add winch? (Not 20 ton. Helps to know your own equipment)

[joea99]

Got a 20 Ton Troy Bilt log splitter, Honda engine, that runs well. Getting more painful to bend and lift and got a lot of wood to split as I clear a wooded area.

While I can tilt the splitter to vertical was thinking to add a hydraulic winch to help drag/lift log sections. Most I have found here so far is about dragging large logs uphill or get machinery unstuck. And most hydraulic winches I've seen are way too big and expensive for my needs.

Ideas?

 

[2manyrocks]

The tree service that cut some trees for me last month had a winch on their wood chipper. It really reduced their work load. I can see how a winch could be helpful to you, but I'm not sure how you'd add one to your splitter. One issue would be that the log splitter would need to be pretty well anchored to use as a winch point or it could get toppled over.

 

[WranglerX]

The tree service that cut some trees for me last month had a winch on their wood chipper. It really reduced their work load. I can see how a winch could be helpful to you, but I'm not sure how you'd add one to your splitter. One issue would be that the log splitter would need to be pretty well anchored to use as a winch point or it could get toppled over.

Ditto.... Which mean it need to be coupled to tractor or PU for stability for winching operations... Use tractor for moving and lifting things...

 

[joea99]

Not intending to pull logs or trees, just cut 22 inch sections to split. But I see how it could be an issue with really wide/heavy pieces.

Just trying to save my back/hip which is hollering at me lately. I could not start my Stihl 029 yesterday and had to use the 012. Then I quit for the day when I realized I not able to move fast enough if I needed to without falling on my ass.

 

[Deere Dude]

Why not have a strong pallet on a couple saw horses against your splitter and hoist chunks up to the pallet with your FEL. Then roll the chunks to the splitter bed.
or, if you have forks, load the pallet with chunks and place against the splitter in top of saw horses. Make the heigth level with the splitter rail, then you can just roll them onto the splitter waist high.

 

[ericm979]

Check out this commercial log splitter winch/lift: Home- Log Splitter Lift - Gorillabac

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Just get a small winch and a small hydraulic motor and sprocket drive it. I work in poultry houses. Miles of cable and tons of winches.

The septic tanks, concrete ones, are delivered and let down with a winch. Motor is the size of a household coffee cup.

Little winches in poultry houses will pop 3/16" galvanized aircraft cable. I can take the same cable and pull a fairly well stuck vehicle out with it. The 12v side by side winches can be had at hobo frate.

 

[joea99]

Just get a small winch and a small hydraulic motor and sprocket drive it. I work in poultry houses. Miles of cable and tons of winches.

The septic tanks, concrete ones, are delivered and let down with a winch. Motor is the size of a household coffee cup.

Little winches in poultry houses will pop 3/16" galvanized aircraft cable. I can take the same cable and pull a fairly well stuck vehicle out with it. The 12v side by side winches can be had at hobo frate.

Any sizing suggestions? I see this one, but is seems pretty low torque for the task:

0.76 cu in Dynamic BMM12.5FB1U Hydraulic Motor | Low Speed High Torque Hydraulic Motors | Hydraulic Motors | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

That's what chains and sprockets are for. Winches work good d at 250:1. So a 50:1 winch box with a 4:1 drive, will be close enough. Then you can still double line your winch and double the winch power.

 

[Fxfymn413]

I'll ask the obvious question...Why not use a hydraulic log loader? I put one on my splitter and it lifts 24" long logs, some of which are over 30" in diameter, without effort. Plus it makes a nice "table" to place smaller stuff on so it is easy to reach to load into the splitter.

You already have the hydraulics, so all that is needed is a valve, a relatively small cylinder, and some fabrication to make the lift.

What really helped my back was adding some trailer jacks to my splitter this year that allow me to raise the entire splitter up to a more comfortable operating height. Because the loader does the heavy lifting it doesn't matter that the splitting table is 3 feet off of the ground.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I've seen V8 car engines picked up with boat trailer winches.

 

[joea99]

I'll ask the obvious question...Why not use a hydraulic log loader? I put one on my splitter and it lifts 24" long logs, some of which are over 30" in diameter, without effort. Plus it makes a nice "table" to place smaller stuff on so it is easy to reach to load into the splitter.

You already have the hydraulics, so all that is needed is a valve, a relatively small cylinder, and some fabrication to make the lift.

What really helped my back was adding some trailer jacks to my splitter this year that allow me to raise the entire splitter up to a more comfortable operating height. Because the loader does the heavy lifting it doesn't matter that the splitting table is 3 feet off of the ground.

Don't know what a hydraulic log loader is, but will give it a search. Mean time, if you have some examples, it would help me get a clue.

 

[WranglerX]

Don't know what a hydraulic log loader is, but will give it a search. Mean time, if you have some examples, it would help me get a clue.

Usually a hydraulic lift that is hinged on main beam of splitter and when in lowered position is on ground but when raised to allows log to roll into alignment with splitter ram...

One variation as in video below...

 

[joea99]

Usually a hydraulic lift that is hinged on main beam of splitter and when in lowered position is on ground but when raised to allows log to roll into alignment with splitter ram...

One variation as in video below...

I found this one also that uses no additional hydraulic components. Food for thought.

 

[Williy]

This web site shows a video of how this guy
made his own lift
https://splitwoodclub.com/best-log-splitter-log-lift-hydraulic-to-commercial

willy

 

[Fxfymn413]

There are tools out there that will help with your concern about moving the log to the splitter. Here is an example of what I use: https://www.stihlusa.com/products/forestry-tools/logging-tools/hookaroon/

Mostly I just roll any big logs onto the lift. I'm 71 and we still split 4 plus cords of wood this past fall.

 

[woody]

This thread might be some good reading for you.

logsplitter lift

I have Benn thinking of adding a log lift to my mtd log splitter. I don't believe I have the room for a hydrologic lift but I have thought about using an engine type lift. I saw one a harbor freight that mounts on the back of a truck with both a hydrologic ram and a cable. I would make my own...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[2manyrocks]

There is a link in that thread to a guy from NZ who made a simple frame using the return on his splitter to lift logs. Seems so simple that I wonder why manufacturers don't just build that into their splitters.

For the sake of discussion, this Norwood skid winch for tractor log skidding looks interesting. I don't know enough about winches to say anything useful other than after seeing a winch used with the tree service chipper, it got my attention. https://www.norwoodsawmills.com/skid-winch-hydraulic-log-skidding-winch

 

[Randy Gann]

My guess is that your 20 ton splitter is mostly used in the vertical position and you are looking for easier ways to move the cut “rounds” up to the splitter. Guessing you don’t have a grapple or method using your front end loader to move the rounds. Could you mount a 12 volt winch on the 3 pt hitch of your tractor to drag the rounds up towards the splitter?

 

[pacosperson]

Got a 20 Ton Troy Bilt log splitter, Honda engine, that runs well. Getting more painful to bend and lift and got a lot of wood to split as I clear a wooded area.

While I can tilt the splitter to vertical was thinking to add a hydraulic winch to help drag/lift log sections. Most I have found here so far is about dragging large logs uphill or get machinery unstuck. And most hydraulic winches I've seen are way too big and expensive for my needs.

Ideas?

I built a large stainless steel "tray" and attached it to my splitter opposite the 'operator position'. Then I'd load up my bucket and place it just beyond the edge of the tray. (just in case it did creep down) As you remove and split wood you can leave a little on the tray and create a space in the bucket for the wood you just split. When the bucket load is split it is already back in the bucket ready for transport to the wood pile.