How big can it split?

[ovrszd]

First thanks for all the replies. I am looking at the TSC 3pt. mount. It is $670 plus hoses. I prefer not to have gasoline engine noise while I work and it is easier for me to store a smaller 3pt. mount. I can build a stand so I just wheel it to the tractor and hook it up.Plus the tractor is electric start. I don't expect most years to split more than one cord. I will pay what it takes to split a 16 inch diameter, 18 inch long log but less is better. Greg is your splitter a 4 inch cylinder? Is your hydraulic pressure 2000psi?
Thanks again
Harold

I built my 3PH, PTO pump, 4.5" cyl, 24" stroke splitter. It has a 4-5 second cycle time and splits everything but the gnarliest knot. I can't remember exactly but think I have around $1500 in it. I split 12-15 cords a year to heat my shop and my Son's shop. I plan to retire from splitting wood the winter I turn 80, which is 24 years away. So let's see here,,,,, 24 years times 13 cords a year comes to 312 cords of wood. $1500 divided by 312 comes to $4.81 per cord. Then of course my splitter will get inherited by my Sons and Grandsons but that's another story. So although I agree that I wanted to minimize my costs, I also looked long into the future. Some modernistic civilization will find my splitter rusting in a fencerow in the late 21st Century and it will still work. The beam will still be straight and the wedge will still be sharp That's what I was after.

 

[scott_vt]

I plan to retire from splitting wood the winter I turn 80, which is 24 years away.

Mornin Ovrszd,
Oh my gosh, Ive only got 24 more years to 80 too ! Guess I better get splittin !

 

[ovrszd]

Mornin Ovrszd,
Oh my gosh, Ive only got 24 more years to 80 too ! Guess I better get splittin !

Good Mornin Scotty,
How's things up North my friend??? Hope this day finds you healthy and happy!!!

 

[Wayne County Hose]

I've got a 21 ton splitter and it splits anything I put in it. I was going to get a 37 ton from TSC (it was damaged, would have been 1/2 price) but the local guy told me that a his 21 ton would split anything I can put in it or my money back. I still have the splitter.

 

[Tororider]

If you are at all interested in looking at the Wallenstein, call and find a local dealer. My JD dealer was able to get us a really nice price on our chipper and like I said, it is built like a tank.

I agree with you though, I just like the three point hitch stuff, remove engine problems, although most engines these days are pretty good if you follow a maintenance schedule.

Let us know what you decide. And if you go with a TSC, ask the manager to cut 10% for you, I think they are allowed to give a 10% managers discount.

 

[ovrszd]

I've got a 21 ton splitter and it splits anything I put in it. I was going to get a 37 ton from TSC (it was damaged, would have been 1/2 price) but the local guy told me that a his 21 ton would split anything I can put in it or my money back. I still have the splitter.

I have no idea how many Ton mine is. Is there a formula to figure that??

 

[xlr82v2]

To figure "tons of splitting force"...

Remember the formula for the area of a circle, "pi*radius squared=area"

Take this answer, multiply it by your hydraulic pressure, which will give you your force in pounds.

Take your force in pounds, divide it by 2000 (pounds in a ton), which will give tons of force.

So, for example... your 4.5" cylinder, with 2700psi of pressure from the pump:

4.5/2= 2.25

2.25 squared= 5.0625

5.0625*3.1415927= 15.90431281

15.90431281*2700psi = 42941.64458 pounds of force /2000 = 21.47 Tons of Force.

 

[Ductape]

I've got the same splitter BigE has, also witht the 5.5 Honda. Sounds like your mind is made up on getting a 3 point splitter, but i'm gonna put in another vote for a stand alone. My Yard Machines splitter has about six seasons worth of wood across it..... 6-7 cord per season here. It goes through anythig..... and i mean ANYTHING ! Sometimes there are two thing that just plain go together, like tractors and air conditioning..... or maybe pizza and beer. Well splitters and two stage pumps go together too !! Something you'll never get with a three point splitter. Splitting a knotty piece of elm..... that second stage will kick in and just split that summbich ! One mod i've made to my splitter.... a "shelf" on the far side to catch the chunks that need to be re-split and re-split. Mine will split vertically, or horizontally too. They say to split the really big rounders vertically, but i just use a couple a twobafours as a ramp to roll the big suckers onto the splitter. Or.... if i'm lucky my FIL will set'm on it with his Bobcat. Here is a pic of me splitting a big.... tough .... stringy piece of elm. Would never wanna try splitting this by hand with a maul.... i'm just plain not man enough. By the way... i got mine at the Depot during a ten % off sale. Paid around $1,100 several years ago. No matter how long it sits, it never takes more than two pulls.

 

[WayneB]

I only do about ten cord a year, but it has never let me down. I purchased the the AH-24HH model because I wanted the larger tires to make it easier to pull in the woods.

Bought it from the local Kubota dealer and he mentioned if I could lift it onto the spitter it would split it and it has split everything I could put on it! It is only a Horizontal splitter but works fine for what I am doing. They also manufacture 3pt hitch spitters.

Wayne

You can check out their website at:

Log splitter, wood conveyor and firewood processor by American CLS

 

[Reg]

I have a Home Despot vertical/horizontal one with a 5 inch diameter cylinder.
In a simple contest of stupidity it is POSSIBLE to stall it, e.g. by trying to split DOWN into a knotty crotch piece. For any "normal" splitting it is fine for 2ft diameter logs and SOME crotch pieces. I normally take slices off the larger logs rather than halving and then quartering them, it makes for less handling of large chunks.
The lazy way is to put it into vertical mode, stand the first log on end and use it as a seat.