Building a firewood processor

[Turnburn99]

Hi Everyone!
Yesterday I purchased a tidy little gas international 574 tractor. I was thinking I’d like to build a small firewood processor using some existing projects and combine into one. My biggest question is about the hydraulics on the 574 and if I can make them work? Currently I have a saw mandrel run by a 9hp gas motor. A separate wood splitter run by a 8hp motor. I’d like to combine these two onto a trailer frame. I’d like to convert the saw to run off the PTO of the tractor. The cut piece of wood will drop onto the splitter beam. I’d like to remove both engines and use PTO for saw, and tractor hydraulics to feed the control valve for the splitter. If possible I’d like to also tee off tractor hydraulics to run a small hydraulic motor to run a conveyor to load split wood into another trailer. Converting the saw to PTO isn’t an issue, I have enough parts kicking around to do that. But I’m wondering if the tractor hydraulics will work for the splitter and a motor. I’d rather use the tractor for all rather than two or three small engines all running together.
If anyone has knowledge of these 574 gas tractors and understands what I’m hoping to achieve, please weigh in. I have basic understanding of hydraulics and “think” it’s possible, but would love to hear from knowledgeable folks.
Thanks in advance!
Rick

 

[old and tired]

How much money do you have to spend? I hope a lot... The internal hydraulics of that tractor is less than 10 GPM (assume power steering is using some of it) the best you can do is use the pto to power a hydraulic system (external).

Read this thread and look at the last link in #6
ISO PTO driven hydraulic power unit plans?

 

[TN8Man]

Sounds like more work and much more dangerous than the standard way of cutting and splitting fire wood.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Take your stand alone engine and hydro pump and make a log splitter with that and put it on wheels so your tractor or ATV can haul it around. Wide open with a tractor engine for the hydro pressure seems like a bad idea to me.

 

[Turnburn99]

Thanks everyone for your opinions. I appreciate it before starting this project. I’ve already built the splitter and it works well as is without running it from the tractor hydraulics. Was hoping to run all with the tractor but sounds like that may not work so well. My inexperience with actual tractor hydraulics is why I asked. Really do appreciate the input.

 

[oldnslo]

I would look at removing the pump from your existing log spitter and driving it via the PTO. Probably do the same for other hydraulics required. This makes the processor a self contained unit that you can operate with any tractor of adequate PTO HP.

 

[MossRoad]

I would look at removing the pump from your existing log spitter and driving it via the PTO. Probably do the same for other hydraulics required. This makes the processor a self contained unit that you can operate with any tractor of adequate PTO HP.

If he's running the log splitter pump from a small engine, it's 3600 RPM. His PTO is 540. He'd have to involve gearing, belts/chains, pulleys, etc., to get the proper pump speed. It's a nightmare that's unnecessary, in my opinion, of course.

 

[MossRoad]

Hi Everyone!
Yesterday I purchased a tidy little gas international 574 tractor. I was thinking I’d like to build a small firewood processor using some existing projects and combine into one. My biggest question is about the hydraulics on the 574 and if I can make them work? Currently I have a saw mandrel run by a 9hp gas motor. A separate wood splitter run by a 8hp motor. I’d like to combine these two onto a trailer frame. I’d like to convert the saw to run off the PTO of the tractor. The cut piece of wood will drop onto the splitter beam. I’d like to remove both engines and use PTO for saw, and tractor hydraulics to feed the control valve for the splitter. If possible I’d like to also tee off tractor hydraulics to run a small hydraulic motor to run a conveyor to load split wood into another trailer. Converting the saw to PTO isn’t an issue, I have enough parts kicking around to do that. But I’m wondering if the tractor hydraulics will work for the splitter and a motor. I’d rather use the tractor for all rather than two or three small engines all running together.
If anyone has knowledge of these 574 gas tractors and understands what I’m hoping to achieve, please weigh in. I have basic understanding of hydraulics and “think” it’s possible, but would love to hear from knowledgeable folks.
Thanks in advance!
Rick

Welcome to TBN!

I had an IH2500b (the industrial equivalent of the 574) for about 10 years. It was gas with HST transmission, tractor loader.

As others have stated, the machine doesn't have that many GPM and pressure to do all of that.

If you're dead set on building a fully hydraulically powered firewood processor with saw, splitter, conveyor, etc., again, as others have mentioned, you might want to consider getting a PTO hydraulic pump for the back of your 574. That would provide plenty of flow and pressure, I'd think.

You'd need to calculate the total GPM and pressure of all of your motors, rams, etc., and you'd need to size a reservoir properly. Then figure out a PPTO pump that would provide those specs plus a little extra for security. All the hoses, fittings, valves, etc., too.

 

[oldnslo]

If he's running the log splitter pump from a small engine, it's 3600 RPM. His PTO is 540. He'd have to involve gearing, belts/chains, pulleys, etc., to get the proper pump speed. It's a nightmare that's unnecessary, in my opinion, of course.

Agree if all he wants to operate with hydraulics is the splitter. But now if he intends to have would processor you need some way to feed material into the saw for correct length, some way of controlling cutting movement or feeding material into the saw to cut. Possibly a table to take splits away from splitter. Doing all those functions I would use a double pump system, a hi-lo for the splitter and separate pump for all the other functions. Gear up from 540 to 3,000 or 3,600 should be very simple with belts.

Like you say my opinion based on my opinion of the ultimate end goal