Log splitter buying ?

[Ken45101]

So much depends on how you operate and when you split wood. I bought a Timberwolf TW-3 3pt splitter a couple of years ago. Great machine but I've been regretting the purchase. Since I usually have something else on the tractor (like the bush hog), I don't want to spend an hour switching equipment to split for an hour or two in the summer. So all the splitting has to wait until cold weather when the tractor isn't tied up with the bush hog or something else.

Likewise, I hate running a 50 hp tractor at full rpm for the splitter, it seems like such a waste of fuel, so I run it at half rpm and the splitter operates slowly.

As others have noted, having the splitter on the rear prevents you from using the loader to lift and load heavy logs onto the splitter.

OTOH, if you only split moderate sized pieces, in winter, with someone to help you, then a 3pt splitter can be more practical.

Besides, the tractor starts more easily and reliably than any stand alone gas engine I've seen on a splitter

Ken

 

[Herkypilot]

I agree with what Ken said. Much more economical to run a 5 hp Honda motor on a splitter. It only holds about 1/2 qt of oil for annual Maintenance. Get one with a fuel shutoff or add one. Run the gas out of it when you are done to keep gas from varnishing in the float bowl. That's about all I do and it keeps going year after year.

HP

 

[JRL305]

Here's a pic of my 37 ton splitter. We have a lot of dead hardwoods and they're hard as cement. They sure burn nice in the fireplace though.

 

[Herkypilot]

Here's a pic of my 37 ton splitter. We have a lot of dead hardwoods and they're hard as cement. They sure burn nice in the fireplace though.

That looks a lot like my Northstar 30 ton from Northern Tool. I have a big hickory tree that was just cut up in my back yard which is ready to split. Probably a nice little project on Thanksgiving day while the wife cooks up some dinner :thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[rocketfish]

I also like the stand alone splitter so I can use the tractor while I split.

I second that! I also have a Huskee splitter (35 ton) that I use behind my JD 330 garden tractor. Witch (many others have said) frees up your tractor and loader to move wood.
Hey Gordon does the pump on your Huskee leak hydro oil? I see the pan in the pic. I have that prob and have the same pan under mine!

 

[Dead Horse]

I skid all logs to a cutting yard immediately in front of the wood shed. I have two tractors for the firewood work, a big one for winching, skidding and bucking work and a 3710 for the splitter and moving logs and slag clean up work. Over the years, I have used both a standalone splitter and a TPH splitter. I believe I prefer the TPH unit, which is what I have now.

One reason is that it is easy to move around, anywhere my tractor can go my splitter can go. When I put the tractor away at th end of the day, the splitter goes with it. I also like being able to lay the beam on the ground to split really big rounds. Finally, I have enough engines to deal with on this farm, with out adding another one to the maintenance schedule. Epilog? well no one ever asks to borrow my TPH splitter. Where as I have a friend who hardly ever sees his stand alone splitter. and when he does, it inevitably needs to be serviced........

 

[Gordon Gould]

Hey Gordon does the pump on your Huskee leak hydro oil? I see the pan in the pic. I have that prob and have the same pan under mine!

No leak but I had just filled the hydraulic tank and then ran the splitter on a slight side hill and oil was vibrating out the vent. So I guess I put to much in. I had just bought that splitter used. I like it a lot except the gas tank is to small. First splitter I ever had. Goes vertical or horizontal.

 

[Herkypilot]

I skid all logs to a cutting yard immediately in front of the wood shed. I have two tractors for the firewood work, a big one for winching, skidding and bucking work and a 3710 for the splitter and moving logs and slag clean up work. Over the years, I have used both a standalone splitter and a TPH splitter. I believe I prefer the TPH unit, which is what I have now.

One reason is that it is easy to move around, anywhere my tractor can go my splitter can go. When I put the tractor away at th end of the day, the splitter goes with it. I also like being able to lay the beam on the ground to split really big rounds. Finally, I have enough engines to deal with on this farm, with out adding another one to the maintenance schedule. Epilog? well no one ever asks to borrow my TPH splitter. Where as I have a friend who hardly ever sees his stand alone splitter. and when he does, it inevitably needs to be serviced........

Nice setup there Dead Horse. Two tractors are convenient. I suppose I never envisioned a 3pt splitter lowered to the ground with a small hill to rest on. I thought it would generally be horizontal with the ground.

HP

 

[Tul01]

I have been going back and forth on this for a couple years. We have a little larger 100hp tractor with good flow, would the 3pth cycle reasonably quickly at a lower rpm speed or does anyone know if it would be the same as some of the other equip where it needs to be revving fairly high? Thanks

Brent

 

[EddieWalker]

Shop Troy-Bilt 27-Ton Gas Log Splitter at Lowes.com

After doing a lot of looking around and reading on here I went with the Troybilt 27 ton log splitter from Lowes. It has a Honda engine on it, which is something that I really like. I've come to the conclusion that I wont buy another small engine unless it's a Honda. It is the standard that all the others compare to. They even say that they are almost as good as Honda, but I have yet to see any claim to be better.

I like my rounds to be 12 to 14 inches. That works perfect for my wood stove. I also like to split my wood pretty small. It starts easy and I can get my stove heated up rather quickly. Once my stove is going, it keeps the house warm all night with very little wood needed.

The 27 ton log splitter handles any round I can pick up that length easily. My 78 year old dad uses it all the time and he likes to roll the rounds to the splitter and split them with it positioned downward. I find that to be tiring on my back and prefer to pick them up and split them while standing, but having that option is nice.

We usually leave it out while splitting. Its nice to haul it to a tree and leave it there. Sometimes other things come up and it sits there awhile. We use the Mule to haul it around most of the time, but if nothing is attached to the tractor, that works too.

If I had it to do again, I would get exactly the same log splitter.

Eddie