3pt. hitch woodsplitter

[pat32rf]

I've got two 3pth splitters, both homemade and given to me on extended loans. One is vert, the other horizontal. I'VE NEVER used either one while on my 3pth. The vert is chained to my woodshed and the horizontal gets moved to other areas where I may be splitting.
My JD4300 runs them at 1500rpm and they split as fast as I want to feed the wood (about 4 bush cords/yr, sometimes more). Both units have longer than necessary strokes and small diameter rams with basic valves, but on big knarly wood I just spin the chunk and take smaller slices.
If I had lots of help and tried to do all my wood in a week-end then I would rent/buy a portable stand alone horizontal so I could move the logs with my forks, but now I just pile a dozen or so, block them, then hook up the hydraulics and split as I have the time and energy.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I built my own splitter for the 3 point a few years back because I could not find what I wanted factory made. Most 3 point splitters go across the back of the tractor only allowing 1 person work at the splitter at a time. I built mine to stick out the back of the tractor. It will go horizontal or vertical and will split anything I throw at it at 1200 rpm behind my Jinma 28HP tractor.

Chris

 

[crazyal]

I'm one of the stand alone units over a 3pt hitch splitter guys. Even though my splitter will lift up to split horz or vert I find it's easier to use the FEL to lift logs to a height that they can just be rolled onto the splitter.

That PTO powered unit Bob talked about sounds like a beast. It's almost too fast. The waiting for the ram is kind of like a mini break. A 6 second cycle time would be great but I bet you must be tired after using it.

 

[easygo]

I use a PTO splitter, but I'm not going to try to make a case for it.

I think the argument goes both ways about not running the tractor to split wood. I just see it as adding 10-12 hours per year to the clock for firewood processing is not a big deal. It is a very capable machine why not just use it. That is why I bought it.

 

[Dead Horse]

I use an American AM TMH 48 on my 3710. I like the fact that huge rounds can be rolled on to the I beam. In fact I often have the top of the I beam at near ground level for the big rounds and have the flexibility of raising the work station up to suit the terrain and work conditions.

A stand alone unit is fine but just one more piece of equipment to maintain, that I definately do not need. (I had to chuckle about this one as my neighbor rented a standalone splitter from the local tool rental guys. it was new and they never bothered to check and see if it had oil in the crankcase. THAT was ugly!)

I split over 20 cord of wood last year and am looking to match that this year.

The tractor runs at a nice, QUIET 1500 rpms and produces enough force and flow to match my desired pace of work. Having the tractor tied up is not an issue for me...... Its big brother (see <<<<<< picture) does the wood hauling duties, right off the splitter, (unless I need to go a long distance with the wood). The other nice thing is that a tph splitter will go ANYWHERE the tractor will go. No fussing with towing it into and out of tight places or setting it up on odd terrain.

If someone gave me a stand alone unit, I would sell it. But again, "we a two tractor family".

 

[tessiers]

I've got both, I use the stand alone splitter more often and split more wood with the 3 point. I use the stand alone when I need to split a little wood now and again, when I need to really split wood I get the tractor. The GPM argument is hogwash, the 2 stage pumps only go fast when they are not splitting, if you run the splitter well it will always be splitting. My 3 point will split more wood in the same time than my stand alone. 2nd point was efficiency. I can run both units all day long and burn less diesel than gas while splitting more wood with the diesel. Small Gas engines are not real efficient, diesels are. Last point is horizontal, or vertical. I find I like the 3 point for the large wood because by the time its too large to lift it will easily roll onto the beam of my 3 point when its laid on the ground. I find wood very cumbersome once its laid onto its flat end, especilly large rounds. All that being said I like both units and either one will keep up with me easily. I do like the fact that the 3 point is one less engine to maintain. I also like that its easier to not lend it out.

Good Luck either way!!!

 

[merlintractor]

Check out Iron and Oak #TVH02...vertical and horizontal...bullet proof! The gold standard of splitters IMHO.

Iron & Oak Commercial Log Splitters - PRODUCTS

 

[Dead Horse]

I agree about the "lendability" issue.

With rare exception I do not lend out any of my hardware. I learned this the hard way.

 

[nickel plate]

I think that you need to reconsider your vertical wood splitter application. Mine is fairly tame as to your requirements with the exception of being wood horizontal and height adjustable. This is a very worth while elevational-back breaking-up and down-necessary-work station adjusting-requirement in a hydraulic wood splitter. Just envision both wood round placements and I think you will be better off with a horizontal splitting unit of your choice.

 

[Smalljobs]

I bought a 3ph Ramsplitter last year. The quality was poor and the service was even worse. It arrived with damaged paint, missing parts, and a damaged hose. It took endless phone calls to get it resolved. When I needed a replacement hose for the damaged one, they asked me how long it was. Why would a mfr not know what they supplied? When the hose arrived it was the wrong one. My credit card was charged when I placed the order but the delivery kept getting delayed beyond my own specified delayed date.

It mounts crosswise and splits both vert and horizontally. I've split a ton of wood for myself and my neighbor and it works great. It runs off two remotes I installed myself and is plenty fast enough, even for two people. When I helped my neighbor we had to stop because we had wood everywhere! Working alone it's plenty fast enough for me. The four way slip on head deformed the cutting edges immediately and it should have been designed assymetrically so it would slip on either way depending on the diameter of the wood to be split.

Hopefully Ramsplitter has solved their quality of product and quality of service. The splitter works great and the horiz/vertical feature is really handy for those big rounds.