3pt log splitter

[KennyG]

I'm always amazed how fast posters here jump in to proclaim what a terrible idea a 3 point splitter is, and how their stand alone splitter is such a better idea!

That's the great thing and the frustrating thing about the internet. Everyone has an opinion. Some of those are about things they are expert in and others are about things they have no idea about.

I would guess most of those who like stand alone splitters are best off with one, but I would also guess they have never owned or even used a 3 point splitter. Similar issue on tractor brands and features.

 

[ericm979]

I would like to store on firewood racks holding about 1 cord each, and carry to the house one rack at a time. I have a spot on the patio that in the winter is not used for anything but firewood.

A cord of hardwood can weigh over 7000 lbs wet.

My tractor can just handle an IBC tote full of firewood. A 275 gallon tote cage holds a little over 1/3 cord. I bring them up to the house from my splitting/wood storage area.

I prefer to haul logs to my splitting area if I can. The ideal is to buck into 8' lengths and carry them with the grapple. But sometimes that's not possible. Cutting into rounds in the woods and carrying those out is a lot more work.

 

[Bikewanderer]

Not a chance it's that heavy.

I cord of water (128cf) weighs just under 8000 lbs. Since wood floats and stacked wood has lots of voids, wood MUST be far less. My experience is about 2 tons (perhaps more when wet). I carry 1.5 cords regularly on my F350 with 8'x12' bed.

 

[arrow]

I'm always amazed how fast posters here jump in to proclaim what a terrible idea a 3 point splitter is, and how their stand alone splitter is such a better idea!

I'm equally amazed how many posters here have 3 point splitters and really like them, including me,

It just keeps on keeping on, reliable getting the job done with power and speed, slooooowly sipping diesel fuel!

My wife says, it's one of our "best buys"! Even she likes to run it,

SR

There are caveats to your statement. 1. One needs a high enough hp and pump spec tractor. 2. You have more than one tractor so you can just jump on the next one should you need your fel or tractor while splitting. 3. You have a serious splitter and not one that costs $800. There is little comparison to what you have and what has been presented here as "other examples".
This is why you enjoy yours so much.
I could live with your situation but from what I've seen with lesser 3 pt splitters on smaller tractors, It would make me want to pull the few strands I have left right out of my head.

 

[arrow]

Not a chance it's that heavy.

I cord of water (128cf) weighs just under 8000 lbs. Since wood floats and stacked wood has lots of voids, wood MUST be far less. My experience is about 2 tons (perhaps more when wet). I carry 1.5 cords regularly on my F350 with 8'x12' bed.

Having actually weighed both on a truck scale, a cord of red oak wet weighs just short of 5000lbs. Dry it loses about 1500 lbs.
There is a species of oak that can weigh almost 8000 lbs wet per cord but this is a pretty rare tree and almost never considered "firewood".
So your assumption is valid.

 

[arrow]

That's the great thing and the frustrating thing about the internet. Everyone has an opinion. Some of those are about things they are expert in and others are about things they have no idea about.

I would guess most of those who like stand alone splitters are best off with one, but I would also guess they have never owned or even used a 3 point splitter. Similar issue on tractor brands and features.

There are multiple "opinions" but I would not consider that troublesome.
What is missing and what I find frustrating with these "opinions" most of the time and simply "glossed over" are the "details". That's where the devil resides.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

There are caveats to your statement. 1. One needs a high enough hp and pump spec tractor. 2. You have more than one tractor so you can just jump on the next one should you need your fel or tractor while splitting. 3. You have a serious splitter and not one that costs $800. There is little comparison to what you have and what has been presented here as "other examples".
This is why you enjoy yours so much.
I could live with your situation but from what I've seen with lesser 3 pt splitters on smaller tractors, It would make me want to pull the few strands I have left right out of my head.

1. For the splitter that I have, you need 30 pto hp to get -----> MAX power, it will run on less, it just won't put out max power. The tractor in the pict. has 30 pto hp...

2. I work smarter, not harder. I NEVER need or use more than one tractor while splitting, because I stage the rounds on a trailer or wagon. Anyone can do the same by cutting over a trailer just like I do. I sometimes cut over my sno-mobile trailer, so you don't need anything spl. to cut over.

3. I also have a splitter that "just plugs into the remotes". I bought the Timber Wolf, mostly because of it's greater speed and really well built 4 way wedge. I split off the remotes for years before getting the TW, and a slower splitter is just fine, if you aren't trying to do a zillion cords a year.

To be honest, if it wasn't for my wife encouraging me to buy the TW, I probably wouldn't have bought it, even though I recognized it's greater speed.

SR

 

[arrow]

1. For the splitter that I have, you need 30 pto hp to get -----> MAX power, it will run on less, it just won't put out max power. The tractor in the pict. has 30 pto hp...

2. I work smarter, not harder. I NEVER need or use more than one tractor while splitting, because I stage the rounds on a trailer or wagon. Anyone can do the same by cutting over a trailer just like I do. I sometimes cut over my sno-mobile trailer, so you don't need anything spl. to cut over.

3. I also have a splitter that "just plugs into the remotes". I bought the Timber Wolf, mostly because of it's greater speed and really well built 4 way wedge. I split off the remotes for years before getting the TW, and a slower splitter is just fine, if you aren't trying to do a zillion cords a year.

To be honest, if it wasn't for my wife encouraging to buy the TW, I probably wouldn't have bought it, even though I recognized it's greater speed.

SR

You have a "system" that works for you. Makes it "pleasant" to do rather than "torturous." That makes a difference.
I've been w ppl using splitters and methods that would make me want to eat a gun.

 

[John_Mc]

A cord of hardwood can weigh over 7000 lbs wet.

My tractor can just handle an IBC tote full of firewood. A 275 gallon tote cage holds a little over 1/3 cord. I bring them up to the house from my splitting/wood storage area.

I prefer to haul logs to my splitting area if I can. The ideal is to buck into 8' lengths and carry them with the grapple. But sometimes that's not possible. Cutting into rounds in the woods and carrying those out is a lot more work.

Not a chance it's that heavy.

I cord of water (128cf) weighs just under 8000 lbs. Since wood floats and stacked wood has lots of voids, wood MUST be far less. My experience is about 2 tons (perhaps more when wet). I carry 1.5 cords regularly on my F350 with 8'x12' bed.

Actually, Black Locust can exceed 7000 lbs per cord when green. There are others (such as Eucalyptus or Live Oak), but we don't have those in my area. We do have a few species that can sometimes push 6000#/cord (Beech, White Oak).

Our better firewood species can run about 2 tons when fully seasoned, but most are a bit less.

 

[ericm979]

Not a chance it's that heavy.

I cord of water (128cf) weighs just under 8000 lbs. Since wood floats and stacked wood has lots of voids, wood MUST be far less. My experience is about 2 tons (perhaps more when wet). I carry 1.5 cords regularly on my F350 with 8'x12' bed.

Eucalyptus (blue gum) and live oak, both of which I have, are over 7000lbs/cord when wet. I can verify that carrying eucalyptus rounds out of the woods is hard work. I'd prefer not to burn live oak but when one dies and needs to come down it goes into the stove.

Firewood BTU Charts - BTU of Firewood Cord

Firewood BTU charts for energy content and weight per cord for common firewood types and species.

worldforestindustries.com

But even the light weight 4500lbs/cord wood is going to make a rack holding a full cord far too heavy for a compact tractor's loader.