cordwood saw

Renze · Feb 19, 2011

This is what i bought for my birthday:

YouTube - Mottimaster Klapikone

Its cheap, fool-proof, very fast. It just takes some caution to operate. (let the machine take the last short stump off your hands, dont try to hold it or it will slap your fingers against the guard) But thats no different than a brake press or sheetmetal shear...
I payd 3000 euro for mine, they sell new for 3995 euro. A hakki Pilke style firewood processor (with chainsaw and hydraulic ram) would cost double and have half the capacity.

This Mottimaster sells for the same price as Klapi-Tuiko but it comes standard with a
3m fixed length elevator, the Mottimaster comes standard with a 4m foldable which can load higher trailers. If anyone would purchase such a machine, i'd recommend the Klapi-Tuiko, as it has a better log support, with a coil spring. (i will convert my Mottimaster to the Klapi-Tuiko style log support)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozQrfPMOLo4&feature=related

Today we rushed half of the roof beams through it, that my grandfather built in 1960. It doesnt care about some nails, however i try to avoid the big 6" nails.
It does splinter the firewood, but i didnt hear the stove complain about that

Ductape · Feb 19, 2011

Renze...... that looks pretty slick for the smaller firewood. I've never seen anything similar here in the States.

Renze · Feb 21, 2011

Ductape said:
Renze...... that looks pretty slick for the smaller firewood. I've never seen anything similar here in the States.

I hadnt seen it either, but when i asked a friend in Finland if he uses a circular saw blade or a chainsaw type processor, he showed me this. A typical circular or chain saw processor would cost double, need ten times more upkeep (saw sharpening) and still have only half the capacity.

My brother wants to add his share to the equipment fleet and buy a cone splitter on a tractor mounted backhoe, to split bigger logs into 10 feet, 6 inch logs which the Mottimaster can handle.
The longer the wood, the better it works: with 2 feet sticks you have to lay them in your hand, stick it into the opening and open your hand for the machine to pick it off your hand. But longer logs have enough inertia to be fed fast with little recoil.

jimmysisson · Feb 21, 2011

That's the first I've seen such a thing - pretty fast! How big a round of hardwood will it take without jamming? And how much pto power do they recommend? It must have a pretty big flywheel?
Thanks, Jim

beenthere · Feb 21, 2011

Renze said:
........... A typical circular or chain saw processor would cost double, need ten times more upkeep (saw sharpening) and still have only half the capacity.
..............

Don't kid yourself about not having to keep that chopper knife/blade sharp all the time. Cutting through wood like that requires "sharp" and will get "un-sharp" rapidly.

Just sayin'

Renze · Feb 22, 2011

jimmysisson, the manufacturer recommends 25Kw or 33 hp. It stalled my 39hp 3011 so i geared the PTO speed down to 400rpm through the main gearbox (putting the range lever in neutral) then it broke my PTO shaft U-joint yoke.

when feeding an 8" oak in the hole, the shearbolts on the main drive sprocket breaks.
At 540 rpm i run the tractor at 1400-1500rpm which gives enough time to feed the log or beam into the hole. My 55hp tractors both run it like its a baler: hmm-hmmmm-hmmm.
when cutting 3 by 8" roof beams of the ban were tearing down, it maintains a pretty constant rpm.

I would say, expect 55hp and this machine, to do 6" oak without abusing either the tractor or the machine.

About blade sharpening, they are Hardox 400 blades like used for earthmoving cutting edges.. I cut scrapwood with nails all saturday long, about 12 m3. With a chainsaw you can do 5m3 of clean firewood before you need sharpening, so when not cutting nails, the blades dont need sharpening every year.

You do have to adjust the blade clearance properly, to reduce the recoil of the wood, which gets kicked up a bit. With long logs you dont notice it, with short logs you must allow the machine to pick the wood up from your hand, not trying to hold it or it pushes your hand between the wood and the safety shield.