10 ton manual wood splitter, convert to run on remotes

   / 10 ton manual wood splitter, convert to run on remotes #11  
I realize this has nothing to do with your question but I get disgusted when I think back about all the time and money I spent on wood splitter rigs over the years. I would have been better off throwing more $$ at it from the beginning and gone with something like this:



No lifting required. It splits the wood on the ground and moves it to a pile as well.

Well out of your price range though.
What a stupid way to do it. Painful to watch. Go to about the 12:00 mark and see how he struggles getting a round lined up and split.
 
   / 10 ton manual wood splitter, convert to run on remotes #12  
Just for clarity this is how a typical wood splitter hydraulic system is configured....


Hydrauic Diagram.jpg
 
   / 10 ton manual wood splitter, convert to run on remotes #13  
What a stupid way to do it. Painful to watch. Go to about the 12:00 mark and see how he struggles getting a round lined up and split.
I never liked that way of doing it unless it was mounted on an excavator.

When the whether is nice and the ground is dry, Im not wasting time splitting. Im cutting and hauling wood. When the ground is too soft to cut....I split. Last thing I would want to do is be driving the tractor or a skidloader over the same small patch of ground for hours at a time grabbing and splitting a single piece of wood at a time.

ONLY thing I would consider on the front of a tractor or skidloader for wood splitting is the ones that grab a whole log at a time...then cut and split. One of them firewood processors. Otherwise you are better off with a standalone splitter. If the pieces are too big to handle...either horizontal/vertical or one with a long lift.
 
   / 10 ton manual wood splitter, convert to run on remotes #14  
I know it does, just thinking out loud and wondering what I can do for minimal costs (and also retain either tractor or manual operation). I have a front third function and rear remotes. Seems worth a try to just plumb one of the remotes in place of one of the manual "pumps", but I'm not totally sure a single acting will work properly. The screw to release pressure will still be there on the jack. I believe it also serves as a relief valve.


As is, the splitter has no powered retraction, only some large springs. That has always been adequate.
I had the same manual splitter (Ebay second hand £12)& the same idea as you! The problem with using the jack with externally supplied hydraulic pressure is that there is no return path for the oil. In a jack the cylinder overflows (small hole near top of bore) into the external case which holds the oil supply. If you supply external oil, then you will rupture that case which is not designed to hold ANY pressure: it's just a reservoir.

I used a double acting cylinder I had lying around & purchased (£35 ish) a single spool valve. Then
Splitter.jpg
a couple of spare hydraulic lines & bits of scrap plate & bolts etc to make some mountings & the pusher slide & for a total cost of less than £50 it was complete.

I use it in the bed of a Cushman Turf Truckster powered by the Cushman hydraulics. It works well for my needs: most of my logs come from hedgelaying so 9" dia would be the max. I have split some larger rings, but the Cushman hydraulics are a bit asthmatic for the bigger stuff. I did try it behind my Zetor 7045, but the Cushman is much handier to use around confined spaces
 
   / 10 ton manual wood splitter, convert to run on remotes
  • Thread Starter
#15  
I had the same manual splitter (Ebay second hand £12)& the same idea as you! The problem with using the jack with externally supplied hydraulic pressure is that there is no return path for the oil. In a jack the cylinder overflows (small hole near top of bore) into the external case which holds the oil supply. If you supply external oil, then you will rupture that case which is not designed to hold ANY pressure: it's just a reservoir.

I used a double acting cylinder I had lying around & purchased (£35 ish) a single spool valve. ThenView attachment 722163 a couple of spare hydraulic lines & bits of scrap plate & bolts etc to make some mountings & the pusher slide & for a total cost of less than £50 it was complete.

I use it in the bed of a Cushman Turf Truckster powered by the Cushman hydraulics. It works well for my needs: most of my logs come from hedgelaying so 9" dia would be the max. I have split some larger rings, but the Cushman hydraulics are a bit asthmatic for the bigger stuff. I did try it behind my Zetor 7045, but the Cushman is much handier to use around confined spaces
Thank you, and thank you for taking the time to give me explanations, rather than just say it won't work, or say it's going to blow your jack.

I knew (and was afraid that) blowing the jack was a possibility, but the reasons I thought it wouldn't are as follows.

As mentioned, the jack is designed for a 10k psi internal pressure. I believe there are check valves between the non pressurized reservoir in the body that holds excess fluid and the pressurized channels where work is going on. I thought if the check valves are for 10k psi, my 2k psi tractor is not going to force fluid into the jack body past those check valves. I was guessing that the tractor would push the piston until the log was split or the tractor went into relief, and when I retract the cylinder the fluid would flow back from the jack cylinder into the tractor. But I wasn't sure and I knew this could be the nail in the coffin.

I think I'll continue using it as is, until other, more pressing tractor expenses have been made, then revisit with with the intention of using a DA cylinder, as you did. I first did a quick Google and saw cylinders $300-500 and used that as my ballpark. After looking harder I'm seeing $150ish cylinders which are cheap enough to pursue.

I'm not sure I totally follow why it would be unsafe to use the levers on the tractor to operate the cylinder. If I mounted the splitter like this
p-8709-TMH1315_HORIZ_KUBOTA_RGB_01_750__94075_750x500.jpg
and take into account where my remote valve levers are
IMG_20211125_151138364.jpg
I think if I stand as I am when I take this picture
IMG_20211125_151145506.jpg
, if the splitter where the log is is to the left near near the tractor, and I'm reaching to my right for the valve, all is well. I've never, not once, split wood with any company, but maybe that is the sole concern?

As to Big Bubba's question of why, it's a little bit of both. Now that I have the tractor, I have a goal of using it for as many things as possible. I have many things now that are made to be used by hand, standalone with its own power source, or with a lawnower or golf cart that I desire to get set up to use the tractor. I want the tractor to do as much work for me as possible, but I'm not made of money. I like to tinker also. I don't split enough wood to justify buying a splitter. Gas or 3ph and even the used prices I've seen so far. However, it's worth enough to me just for making my life easier when I DO need to use it to spend a few hundred on a cylinder and hoses (basically why I bought this tractor too. I don't NEED it.)

I appreciate when people give feedback (positive or negative) without being condescending. There is something to be said for someone who is in the research stages asking for insight and feedback instead of just doing it without seeking the wisdom of others. Don't beat us up and make us afraid to ask next time.
 
   / 10 ton manual wood splitter, convert to run on remotes #16  
I see you are from the UK.

Not sure what the used market over there is like. But here....I could probably put you on half a dozen 3ph splitters in the $300 range within a 50 mile radius.

At one time....you could buy a new one for $600 all day long at places like TSC or rural king here in the states. Not sure if covid has changed that.
 
   / 10 ton manual wood splitter, convert to run on remotes
  • Thread Starter
#17  
They've gone up. I'm in SC, USA.
Screenshot_20211125-202656.jpg


I'm also hoping to reduce the number of extra small engines I have. I have a 2 stroke auger I just put a carb in, and another 2 stroke auger that I can't start that I guess needs one. I have a generator and a pressure washer that I can't start, and need work. For things that get occasional use, if they can be tractor implements, that's what I hope for.

You can say, well you need to treat and store your small engines for long term storage better! And you'd be right! Lol, but here I am.
 
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   / 10 ton manual wood splitter, convert to run on remotes #18  
They've gone up. I'm in SC, USA. View attachment 722300

I'm also hoping to reduce the number of extra small engines I have. I have a 2 stroke auger I just put a carb in, and another 2 stroke auger that I can't start that I guess needs one. I have a generator and a pressure washer that I can't start, and need work. For things that get occasional use, if they can be tractor implements, that's what I hope for.

You can say, well you need to treat and store your small engines for long term storage better! And you'd be right! Lol, but here I am.
Those aren't 3ph splitters. I'm sure they went up...just don't know how much. Not in the market
 
   / 10 ton manual wood splitter, convert to run on remotes
  • Thread Starter
#19  
I don't see any 3ph splitters at TSC, but the cheapest 3ph splitter I see is $1000.
 
   / 10 ton manual wood splitter, convert to run on remotes #20  
I realize this has nothing to do with your question but I get disgusted when I think back about all the time and money I spent on wood splitter rigs over the years. I would have been better off throwing more $$ at it from the beginning and gone with something like this:



No lifting required. It splits the wood on the ground and moves it to a pile as well.

Well out of your price range though.
For a little pile like that I think I would beat that quite easily with my splitting maul and my 372xp to cut the stubborn ones. If he had a trailer right there to spilt right into then it would start saving a bit of time and using a skid steer would be much quicker of course.
 
 
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