Hydraulic pressure guage for woodsplitter?

[Gordon Gould]

Gee I guess I should not have shown that picture. Tin hack is right, it is a 5000 psi gauge. My mistake. Puts the 3000 psi max pressure about in the middle. But the Tee is a steel hydraulic fitting and like many has pipe threads to to NPTF standards. I put the gauge on the input side of the valve (pump output) as a matter of practicality. Easy to do. There may be a small inconsequential pressure drop across the valve but it is just a wood splitter and it gives a very good indication of what is going on pressure wise splitting a piece of wood. Actually I am more interested in the pump output pressure than the exact pressure in the cylinder but they will be the same, as RebelDad said, unless there is something very wrong with the valve or hoses. This only applies to an Open Center System of course.

gg

 

[Tinhack]

high pressure line with a tee. doesnt matter which end, pressure will be the exact same.

Not if the valve has a pressure relief like most. As Gordon mentions though, he's interested in pump pressure. Cylinder pressure could be considerably less. We don't know the specs on the valve.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Not if the valve has a pressure relief like most. As Gordon mentions though, he's interested in pump pressure. Cylinder pressure could be considerably less. We don't know the specs on the valve.

I don't believe you have that quite right. The pressure relief valve will limit the pressure in the entire system as long as the control valve is held open in the active position. All of the active fluid is at the same pressure.

gg

 

[Tinhack]

I don't believe you have that quite right. The pressure relief valve will limit the pressure in the entire system as long as the control valve is held open in the active position. All of the active fluid is at the same pressure.

gg

That's right and it won't be equal to pump pressure. It will most likely be lower. You just said the same thing in a different way. :confused3:

 

[slivers]

I just put a Tee on the pressure line. Used a 3000 psi gauge. I use a little Teflon tape on pipe thread fittings but feep it back acouple threads. It's been on there for 7 years now.

View attachment 666880

gg

That's a nice setup.

 

[slivers]

That photo shows a 5000 psi gauge. Also, the OP should use a hydraulic Tee not some brass or plumber's fitting.

No need for a "T" fitting.

 

[Gordon Gould]

That's right and it won't be equal to pump pressure. It will most likely be lower. You just said the same thing in a different way. :confused3:

Your are still having some trouble understanding pressure in an open center hydraulic circuit. The pump output pressure is what varies - it is not constant. When you activate a control valve and start to extend a ram if the ram is unimpeded it will take very little pressure to move it. The pressure generated by the pump will be very low. Just the pressure required to extend the ram. All of the fluid in the system from the pump thru the line and valve and into the cylinder will be at this same low pressure. As the ram extends and meets resistance the pump will generate more pressure to keep the fluid moving. As the resistance increases the pressure will increase. The pump functions to keep the fluid moving at a constant rate and only generates the amount of pressure required to do that. All of the fluid is at the same pressure. The pump does not run at a constant 3000 psi pressure. As the resistance against the ram gets harder and harder the pressure continues to increase in order to keep the fluid moving. If the pressure gets high enough to open a relief valve the pump will be able to keep fluid moving (Thru the relief valve) at that pressure and will have no need to increase the pressure further. But still, all of the fluid will be at that same pressure, Fluid in the pump, the line, the valve, and the cylinder, all the same.

Hydraulic stuff can be hard to grasp. Hope this helps you understand. If it doesn't google "how does an Open Center Hydraulic circuit work". You will find a better explanation than I can give.

gg

 

[slivers]

I just put a Tee on the pressure line. Used a 3000 psi gauge. I use a little Teflon tape on pipe thread fittings but feep it back acouple threads. It's been on there for 7 years now.

View attachment 666880

gg

This is one of those Powerfist units where the pump is driven directly off the motor shaft, no hoses anywhere so no need for a "T" fitting.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I壇 use your 3000 peak gauge because I doubt it痴 over that but possibly over 2000. Do you have a picture of the plug? Next question what痴 the point?

That's a good question - really. In my case curiosity. I had been splitting wood for over 50 years with a maul and wedges and decided to try a splitter. I go look and find splitters rated from a couple ton to 50 ton. No clue what it takes in tonnage. I found a reasonable priced used 22 ton Husky and bought it. To answer my original question of what does it take to split an 18" round I put a pressure gauge on there. I found out to split wood like I cut with a simple single wedge splitter it takes way less than 22 ton. Most pieces go in less than a third of that. I do pay attention to how I put the round on and make the first split in the easy spot.





gg

 

[WranglerX]

Want to know the tonnage of your splitter.... You will have to know what the pressure relied valve is set at....

Wood Splitter Hydraulic Cycle Time & Force Calculators

Scroll down to second calculator enter data and divide PSI by to 2000 to get tonnage....

Dale