firewood processor

erict1963 · Jan 29, 2011

Iam looking for any information on where to by parts to biuld a firewood processor with a hydraulic chain saw , websites,diagrams and ideas would be very helpful.

Muhammad · Jan 29, 2011

Welcome to TBN.

CompactTractorFan · Jan 29, 2011

Welcome to TBN!!! You might want to try the Build-It Yourself section.

tawilson · Jan 29, 2011

Welcoming, bumping and subscribing in one post.

ferguson123 · Mar 29, 2011

erict1963 said:
Iam looking for any information on where to by parts to biuld a firewood processor with a hydraulic chain saw , websites,diagrams and ideas would be very helpful.

check out my home made firewood processor with hydraulic chain saw might be of some help! See it Here

Scooby074 · Mar 29, 2011

ferguson123 said:
check out my home made firewood processor with hydraulic chain saw might be of some help! See it Here

Great processor.

Im in the process of designing my own processor. Id like to use the same f11 hyd motor as you did. How's the cut speed? If you dont mind me asking, how much was that motor? Im having a hard time finding pricing on that particular model.

ferguson123 · Mar 30, 2011

Scooby074 said:
Great processor.

Im in the process of designing my own processor. Id like to use the same f11 hyd motor as you did. How's the cut speed? If you dont mind me asking, how much was that motor? Im having a hard time finding pricing on that particular model.

I payed ｣250 on ebay for it reconditioned. The cut speed is not to bad but i think it wood go faster if i had a powerful enough pump running it? i have it running off a tractor at the min which is putting out 3000psi and 66 litres a min max and the parker f11 motor i think has a max continuous psi of 5000 (350 bar) and max continuous flow rate of l/min 97 (gpm 25.6) so if i had a pump putting out nearer these figures it might go faster..
here is a bit about my saw incase you didnt see it

jimmyj · Mar 30, 2011

There are lots of you tube videos showing processors including home made ones. ferguson123's is about the best I think.

I'd love to have one some day.

Scooby074 · Mar 30, 2011

ferguson123 said:
I payed ｣250 on ebay for it reconditioned. The cut speed is not to bad but i think it wood go faster if i had a powerful enough pump running it? i have it running off a tractor at the min which is putting out 3000psi and 66 litres a min max and the parker f11 motor i think has a max continuous psi of 5000 (350 bar) and max continuous flow rate of l/min 97 (gpm 25.6) so if i had a pump putting out nearer these figures it might go faster..
here is a bit about my saw incase you didnt see it

Thanks for that. Its kind of an expensive motor isnt it :thumbsup:.

I think parker has a smaller f11 that requires less flow. Might be a better fit to my design but i think it turns slower.

How does your hydraulic setup compare to a traditional gas power saw say in the 50cc range?

ferguson123 · Apr 2, 2011

Scooby074 said:
Thanks for that. Its kind of an expensive motor isnt it :thumbsup:.

I think parker has a smaller f11 that requires less flow. Might be a better fit to my design but i think it turns slower.

How does your hydraulic setup compare to a traditional gas power saw say in the 50cc range?

Yep its expensive alright.
would say it would be sumthing similar to a 50cc saw

Scooby074 · Apr 2, 2011

ferguson123 said:
Yep its expensive alright.
would say it would be sumthing similar to a 50cc saw

Great! thats what i needed to know.

I did notice in my research that alot of the machines are direct drive via belt to the saw. Could save some expense, but wont work in my design.

ferguson123 · Apr 3, 2011

Scooby074 said:
Great! thats what i needed to know.

I did notice in my research that alot of the machines are direct drive via belt to the saw. Could save some expense, but wont work in my design.

thats a pity, thats what i wood do if i was building it again, i wood gear up the output of a lower speed motor with a belt and pully sytem. a big pully on the motor and a small pully on the saw. could have as much speed as you want then. without the expense of a high speed motor and the need for a case drain line back to the tank from the parker f11

I will get up a video. then you can decide if it is fast enough for yourself.

Scooby074 · Apr 3, 2011

Video will be great thanks.

The reason that belt drive wont work, is that i plan on making a hydraulic power pack on wheels to power the splitter and other equipment like a walk behind brush mower etc. Sort of a home made 2 wheeled tractor like a BCS or Gravely

I think Hakki Pike makes a direct drive kit for their pto processors, that gets driven by a 24? HP honda.

I will mention that one guy i talked to hated the direct drive. The clutch system was nothing but problems. He convinced the manufacturer to take it back and now has a completely hydraulic system.

dcyrilc · Apr 3, 2011

I saw a homemade splitter very similar to this one a while back, but with a hydraulic chain saw instead of a sawblade. Couldn't find the video, but this commercial one is close to how it operated.
YouTube - Palax Power100S Firewood Processor version 02

ferguson123 · Apr 8, 2011

Scooby074 said:
Video will be great thanks.

The reason that belt drive wont work, is that i plan on making a hydraulic power pack on wheels to power the splitter and other equipment like a walk behind brush mower etc. Sort of a home made 2 wheeled tractor like a BCS or Gravely

I think Hakki Pike makes a direct drive kit for their pto processors, that gets driven by a 24? HP honda.

I will mention that one guy i talked to hated the direct drive. The clutch system was nothing but problems. He convinced the manufacturer to take it back and now has a completely hydraulic system.

Got a video up go here to see it firewood processors it is at the bottom of the page

Scooby074 · Apr 8, 2011

ferguson123 said:
Got a video up go here to see it firewood processors it is at the bottom of the page

Thanks for that. Thats a pretty good speed. If i can get that level of production ill be happy. Just have to find one of those saw motors...Hopefully for a cheap price.

Any issues with your infeed? My original idea was to use a system like yours, but then I was thinking about using a #60 chain on a bed to support the log along its whole length . I thought it might make for a smoother infeed and position control under the saw, so i can keep my cut lengths consistent.

N8ghz · Jun 6, 2011

I too, am in the planning,scrounging stages of building something like a firewood processor.

I have read about the Parker f11 motor, and yes they are pretty pricey.
I have a Fairmont Hydraulic saw that I currently run off of a compact IH tractor (1500psi @ 6gpm @2600rpm on the tractor). It works well, but I bet it would be better at it's full rate of 2000psi @8gpm.

If I use the saw for a machine setup, I would want a longer bar as this one is 16" using 3/8" .050 chain. I have not seen any long bars for this saw yet. I guess I need to take the bar off and do some comparisons?

I don't know if this handsaw will have enough uumph for machine operation though?

My current thinking about building is:

A "V" trough for a log (length not determined yet?)

A hold-down bar incorporating a cleated, powered roller of variable speed & down-pressure instead of a conveyor system.

I'd like to make the trough kinda short and use a roller-stand like on a pipe-threader machine for longer logs

I intend to load the log with a fork lift attachment I previously made to replace my 60" bucket on the FE loader

The machine would be sitting on the ground and be capable of being moved around my property with the fork attachment (channel grooves like on a small dumpster scrap box)

The valves,etc would be on the machine.

The Engine, Pump(s), tank, filters, etc. would be on the power pack (which I intend to build as a separate unit, also fork-lift movable or on a small 2-wheel trailer?)

I want the log to advance to a hydraulic actuated "stop" that can maybe be moved manually for short firewood or upto 24", that function would manual & pinned to frame. It would come down, get touched by advancing log, then retract out of the way.

Log then get cut off, falling down into splitter & get shoved thru a multiple edge splitting wedge with a verticle edge of sufficient length below center-line of the entire splitting wedge to allow a one-edge split of like 4-5" logs?

I may make a separate stand frame the the machine could be put on (optionally instead of simply sitting on the ground) so as to get it high enough to drop the split wood into a dual axle dump trailer (currently building)

The power unit may be this:

65hp Wisconsin gas engine V465D (from a 5' concrete saw)
This engine has a 2" output shaft about 7" long now, and on it is a multi-belt sheave (7-8 grooves?)

My plan is to have sevaral hydraulic pumps, belt-driven in a side-saddle fashion with flange bearing jackshafts and at least 2 belts per pump.

One pump....2-stage log splitter type for splitter
Another pump for everything else, saw, feed-roller/hold-down, length-stop.
I can't see where I would be doing anything else when sawing?
The other functions would be flow limited and/or pressure limited?

I haven't even thought about control vaves yet, although a bunch of 12vdc valves would the cat's %$$, but could add up $$$ real quick.

I have considered maybe using 90vdc electric PM motors with AC drives for some functions as I have used those with 1000-5000w inverters depending on motor size.

I also considered an air cylinder for the length-stop as it would not need to be powereful.

I could use an air cylinder for the log-hold-down too, but it would need to be a "big" one.

Those are some of my thoughts.....luv to compare notes with ANY others....

I do have a lathe, bridgeport mill, gas-drive welder, mig, and all the other common fab tools......plus.....

retired, divorced and love to build things

ferguson123 · Oct 5, 2011

N8ghz said:
I too, am in the planning,scrounging stages of building something like a firewood processor.

I have read about the Parker f11 motor, and yes they are pretty pricey.
I have a Fairmont Hydraulic saw that I currently run off of a compact IH tractor (1500psi @ 6gpm @2600rpm on the tractor). It works well, but I bet it would be better at it's full rate of 2000psi @8gpm.

If I use the saw for a machine setup, I would want a longer bar as this one is 16" using 3/8" .050 chain. I have not seen any long bars for this saw yet. I guess I need to take the bar off and do some comparisons?

I don't know if this handsaw will have enough uumph for machine operation though?

My current thinking about building is:

A "V" trough for a log (length not determined yet?)

A hold-down bar incorporating a cleated, powered roller of variable speed & down-pressure instead of a conveyor system.

I'd like to make the trough kinda short and use a roller-stand like on a pipe-threader machine for longer logs

I intend to load the log with a fork lift attachment I previously made to replace my 60" bucket on the FE loader

The machine would be sitting on the ground and be capable of being moved around my property with the fork attachment (channel grooves like on a small dumpster scrap box)

The valves,etc would be on the machine.

The Engine, Pump(s), tank, filters, etc. would be on the power pack (which I intend to build as a separate unit, also fork-lift movable or on a small 2-wheel trailer?)

I want the log to advance to a hydraulic actuated "stop" that can maybe be moved manually for short firewood or upto 24", that function would manual & pinned to frame. It would come down, get touched by advancing log, then retract out of the way.

Log then get cut off, falling down into splitter & get shoved thru a multiple edge splitting wedge with a verticle edge of sufficient length below center-line of the entire splitting wedge to allow a one-edge split of like 4-5" logs?

I may make a separate stand frame the the machine could be put on (optionally instead of simply sitting on the ground) so as to get it high enough to drop the split wood into a dual axle dump trailer (currently building)

The power unit may be this:

65hp Wisconsin gas engine V465D (from a 5' concrete saw)
This engine has a 2" output shaft about 7" long now, and on it is a multi-belt sheave (7-8 grooves?)

My plan is to have sevaral hydraulic pumps, belt-driven in a side-saddle fashion with flange bearing jackshafts and at least 2 belts per pump.

One pump....2-stage log splitter type for splitter
Another pump for everything else, saw, feed-roller/hold-down, length-stop.
I can't see where I would be doing anything else when sawing?
The other functions would be flow limited and/or pressure limited?

I haven't even thought about control vaves yet, although a bunch of 12vdc valves would the cat's %$$, but could add up $$$ real quick.

I have considered maybe using 90vdc electric PM motors with AC drives for some functions as I have used those with 1000-5000w inverters depending on motor size.

I also considered an air cylinder for the length-stop as it would not need to be powereful.

I could use an air cylinder for the log-hold-down too, but it would need to be a "big" one.

Those are some of my thoughts.....luv to compare notes with ANY others....

I do have a lathe, bridgeport mill, gas-drive welder, mig, and all the other common fab tools......plus.....

retired, divorced and love to build things

you ever get any further with it?

N8ghz · Oct 9, 2011

Ferg, yes I have done alot on it. I don't have any pictures yet, but I have the saw mount made & installed above the splitter. I started with an older Speeco 3-pt unit, and eliminated the wedge-on-ram, and made a large flat plate slide instead. I made a 4-way wedge on the dead end that moves up/down with a 4" stroke cyl. I have a 4-place manifold with a gang of vickers valves on it. Those 4 valves move the wedge, run the hold-down, FWD-Rev the log, and run the saw. I have the log rack and hold-down-driver made and mounted along with the valve manifold. I have 2 more larger D05 size valves mounted too. One diverts oil to the manifolded valves only when one of those functions are used, otherwise (de-energized), the oil free flows and is available to the dual-solenoid D05 splitter valve (tandem-center). I am thinking of adding 1 more valve for a log-lift. All of the above is basically tacked together as a mock-up and will need fully welded/bolted when finalized. Some of that is done, some is in the testing mode...

I decided to begin with a manual lever to lower the saw, but may add a cylinder and valve later. The saw is locked on full throttle and it's valve (on the manifold) is controlled by a prox switch...when moved from 'home' position the saw runs, when returned it shuts off. When in saw is in home position other functions can work. The prox switch is also an interlock so you can't move the log or the splitter cylinder unless the saw is 'home' (up).

I hope to get some pics up soon for others to comment on?