Log Splitter - How often tot change fluid and filter?

[DutchUncle]

A little late to the party here, but my cold starting problem went away when I switched from hydraulic fluid to ATF fluid, it made a world of difference.

 

[varmint]

I am just a casual user of such equipment, so I don't really know what I am talking about, but it seems to me hydrualic oil and ATF would be fairly different, and using something other than what the equipment is designed for could shorten the service life?

 

[deezler]

I share a used splitter with my dad who bought it in a semi-neglected state from a local farm auction. I was gonna do a full service on it... but the hydraulic and motor oil both looked nice and clean and properly full..... so I did nothing, haha.
Starts right up in the summer, likes a shot of ether to start more quickly in the winter. I only put 10-15 hours/yr on it. Should probably care more about it, but there's too much else to do!

 

[WranglerX]

I am just a casual user of such equipment, so I don't really know what I am talking about, but it seems to me hydrualic oil and ATF would be fairly different, and using something other than what the equipment is designed for could shorten the service life?

Isn't ATF and Hydraulic fluid basically 10W oil?..

Automatic transmission fluid - Wikipedia

Hydraulic fluid - Wikipedia

Dale

 

[dstig1]

I am just a casual user of such equipment, so I don't really know what I am talking about, but it seems to me hydrualic oil and ATF would be fairly different, and using something other than what the equipment is designed for could shorten the service life?

I am in the process of setting up a rotary broom with a pump and talked to the broom manufacturer to answer a few questions. When I asked what type of oil to use he said the best thing they fine is Dexron III ATF as it is cheap, easy to find and flows a lot better then regular hyd oil when cold. An automatic transmission is really just another type of hydraulic system, so it makes perfect sense. So yes, I'm going to say they know what they are talking about and it is fine.

 

[joh]

Last winter I bought a used and abused log splitter. The hydraulic fluid was milky, there was no fluid filter, the engine oil was black, the spark plug was so rusted I wondered how in the **** the unit started when it was demonstrated to me! I don't know how the tires held together while I raced home down the highway, driving for at least an hour and a half! Did I mention I didn't know that the brake drums were rubbing! I never noticed any of these faults! I was blinded by the large splitting cylinder and large wheels to move it around. This splitter was a Wallenstein WX320, 3 pt hitch horizontal wood splitter, converted to a trailer mount splitter, 16" wheels, 5 gal fluid reservoir, 13 hp gas engine with a 16 gal/min hydraulic pump. Originally, this splitter would run off of one's tractor hydraulic fluid. However, from my research, all of Wallenstein's gas engine trailer style wood splitters use ATF fluid. That would lead me to believe, one could use hydraulic or ATF fluid with the trailer gas engine wood splitters!

With a new spark plug, a new carb ($20.00 shipped), flushing out the water and replacing the hydraulic fluid (good for -32 Celsius), adding a 1-1/4" in-line filter head with a 6.7" filter between the hydraulic reservoir and the hydraulic pump, not to forget, replaced the tires, All is well! My hydraulic oil does get warm, witch would help drive off any condensation that has accumulated. I need to monitor the temperature so it doesn't get too hot. I'm usually splitting when it about -10 celsius, and the hydraulic hoses are the extra long ones from the cylinder's 3 point hitch days, which help to release a lot of heat, from building up. My tractor has twice the hydraulic fluid, so if the splitter ran off it, the extra fluid could handle more heat and I would think, last longer between changes. I run my splitter for about 5 hours a stretch, always in the cold, keeping track of the hours and how hot it gets and how it sounds, how the fluid looks and feels! Hope that was somewhat helpful!!

 

[WranglerX]

Last winter I bought a used and abused log splitter. The hydraulic fluid was milky, there was no fluid filter, the engine oil was black, the spark plug was so rusted I wondered how in the **** the unit started when it was demonstrated to me! I don't know how the tires held together while I raced home down the highway, driving for at least an hour and a half! Did I mention I didn't know that the brake drums were rubbing! I never noticed any of these faults! I was blinded by the large splitting cylinder and large wheels to move it around. This splitter was a Wallenstein WX320, 3 pt hitch horizontal wood splitter, converted to a trailer mount splitter, 16" wheels, 5 gal fluid reservoir, 13 hp gas engine with a 16 gal/min hydraulic pump. Originally, this splitter would run off of one's tractor hydraulic fluid. However, from my research, all of Wallenstein's gas engine trailer style wood splitters use ATF fluid. That would lead me to believe, one could use hydraulic or ATF fluid with the trailer gas engine wood splitters!

With a new spark plug, a new carb ($20.00 shipped), flushing out the water and replacing the hydraulic fluid (good for -32 Celsius), adding a 1-1/4" in-line filter head with a 6.7" filter between the hydraulic reservoir and the hydraulic pump, not to forget, replaced the tires, All is well! My hydraulic oil does get warm, witch would help drive off any condensation that has accumulated. I need to monitor the temperature so it doesn't get too hot. I'm usually splitting when it about -10 celsius, and the hydraulic hoses are the extra long ones from the cylinder's 3 point hitch days, which help to release a lot of heat, from building up. My tractor has twice the hydraulic fluid, so if the splitter ran off it, the extra fluid could handle more heat and I would think, last longer between changes. I run my splitter for about 5 hours a stretch, always in the cold, keeping track of the hours and how hot it gets and how it sounds, how the fluid looks and feels! Hope that was somewhat helpful!!

Generally I believe filters are usually in return line from valve to reservoir...

Most filters are rated for PRESURE, not SUCTION... Its easier to collapse filter drawing through it than pushing fluid through it...

Dale

 

[joh]

You're right Dale, most filters give their pressure rating. I went to the technical data sheet for my filter, it gives both rating as a suction placed filter and a pressure placed filter (pressure rating is 4 x the suction rating). However, having a large volume of fluid at a low pressure going into my pump, I was forced to use a much larger filter and filter head, hoses etc., not to restrict the in flow. I was advised by a hydraulic specialist, that the best place was on the in-take side of the pump, as long as I used the larger set-up!

I started out with no filter at all. After draining the reservoir, sign of aluminum flakes were stuck to the bottom of the tank, most likely pump wear. I also wanted to install a bottom drain in the tank, for ease of draining. To help prolong the life of my pump, by filter out everything before it went in (including water, witch was and still may be a problem), I placed the filter just before the pump intake. Filtering before the hydraulic reservoir only requires a very small filter, which is much cheaper and better for the compact, streamlined units people like to buy and keeps the cost of the production of the wood splitter lower.

So, my tractor hydraulic system has a smaller filter than my splitter, but larger than the regular (after the pump) filter on the gas engine wood splitters. My tractor hydraulic filter is placed on the suction line and operates under similar before and after pump pressures as my wood splitter set-up. I like to try and understand how things can and should work. I like to have my ideas challenged, it's a part of my learning process. I don't believe everything I hear and need to see similar situations that validate the idea being studied. I have had "failures" in the past, nothing life threatening. Money can be replaced!

Thanks for your thoughts on filter placement! Did you see my posting on tractor diesel fuel filter placement. I went with the idea of someone, ( which made better sense, based on some of my previous experience), who posted a response, contrary to my idea, of the better placement. Down the road when another failure arises, I'll get to evaluate my set-up (most likely, pump failure).

 

[joh]

You're right Dale, most filters give their pressure rating. I went to the technical data sheet for my filter, it gives both rating as a suction placed filter and a pressure placed filter (pressure rating is 4 x the suction rating). However, having a large volume of fluid at a low pressure going into my pump, I was forced to use a much larger filter and filter head, hoses etc., not to restrict the in flow. I was advised by a hydraulic specialist, that the best place was on the in-take side of the pump, as long as I used the larger set-up!

I started out with no filter at all. After draining the reservoir, sign of aluminum flakes were stuck to the bottom of the tank, most likely pump wear. I also wanted to install a bottom drain in the tank, for ease of draining. To help prolong the life of my pump, by filter out everything before it went in (including water, witch was and still may be a problem), I placed the filter just before the pump intake. Filtering before the hydraulic reservoir only requires a very small filter, which is much cheaper and better for the compact, streamlined units people like to buy and keeps the cost of the production of the wood splitter lower.

So, my tractor hydraulic system has a smaller filter than my splitter, but larger than the regular (after the pump) filter on the gas engine wood splitters. My tractor hydraulic filter is placed on the suction line and operates under similar before and after pump pressures as my wood splitter set-up. I like to try and understand how things can and should work. I like to have my ideas challenged, it's a part of my learning process. I don't believe everything I hear and need to see similar situations that validate the idea being studied. I have had "failures" in the past, nothing life threatening. Money can be replaced!

Thanks for your thoughts on filter placement! Did you see my posting on tractor diesel fuel filter placement. I went with the idea of someone, ( which made better sense, based on some of my previous experience), who posted a response, contrary to my idea, of the better placement. Down the road when another failure arises, I'll get to evaluate my set-up (most likely, pump failure).

Started doubting myself again. Seems my tractor hydraulic filter is only "30 microns" and the splitter filter is "10 microns". Not a good comparison. Also, My filter, can only handle 9 Cdn gals/min (11 Us gal/min) I need to look into how fast my splitter pump (gal/min) works, it's an unlabeled unit, probably a cheap one, haven't been able to match it up in dimensions to anything yet. I just assumed it's capacity based on the size of the cylinder it ran. I guess I won't be using this splitter until I fix it properly, meaning changing the filtering to the return line (not the suction line)!!!!

 

[yomax4]

I had to remove the filter system from my splitter. It was on the return side but when I would jog the lever back and forth trying to get an oak to split, The filter would blow up. Splitter is a Northern Tool and it came with no filter. ???