Quality Electric Lot Splitter?

[LD1]

I have some air handlers at work on the job since 1995... they have 10 and 20 hp Baldor 3 phase motors... in 22 years I have only replace one bearing on one motor that was noisy... the motors run 24/7 for months at a time and are made in USA

Maybe some motors are just better built and under rated by the manufacturer?

Motors arent underrated. They are rated for exactly what they can handle. Then there is a service factor (SF) on the nameplate. A good heavy duty industrial type motor is usually 1.15. That means that the motor is actually designed to handle 1.15 times its rated HP and FLA long term with no ill effects. Most homeowner stuff is usually 1.0. So anytime you go over on the current rating, you are doing irreversible damage. A good analogy I have always heard is similar to the way the doctors (and those safety videos) describe hearing loss. Effects are cumulative.

As to your 10 and 20HP motors that have lasted 22 years......

Running a motor, 24/7....under constant load and constant speed is the single best way to make a motor last. Constant starting and stopping, or varying loads.....that will wear out a motor faster.

At work, we have a pair of 300HP compressors. They run 24/7 constant load. Also have a 425HP compressor of the same make, but its the trim compressor. (variable speed) based on plant demands, it can vary its motor speed, and vary its loading to meet plant demands. And for the 3 years its been installed, that motor has been out and rebuild 4 different times.

Wrong. You're just going to have to toss the cheap or the single phase idea. I've got 3 phase power and the scrap yard is littered with 3 phase motors. It wouldn't cost much ( unless you're factoring in the high flow hoses and valves which cost a lot) for me to build an electric splitter to smoke a gasoline splitter. Problem is I don't have 3 phase where I want to split wood.

240v single phase is more than capable of powering splitters at the same rate as a gas motor. And they are not as rare as people think.

Most 11gpm pumps have a low speed of 1.7-1.8gpm and at 2500psi that needs 3HP
The 13gpm pumps are 2.9GPM on low That calls for 4.97 HP.....so a 5HP motor will do there
16gpm on second stage is 3.5gpm. That calls for 6HP.......so a 7.5HP motor is needed
A 22gpm pump on second stage is ~7gpm......so that would require 12hp........15HP needed

Surplus center has
3HP.....$500
5HP.....$800
7.5HP.....$931 (which pulls 32a)

Yes, 15hp single phase motors are harder to source, and would pull north of 60a. But just how many of us are using a 22gpm pump.

And for a 16gpm splitter....which is usually paired with an 8hp gasser.......just how does $900 compare to a quality (like honda) gasser?
And for the 11-13 gpm splitters, which are usually paired with a 5 or 6 HP gasser......just how does $500-$800 compare?

And is the slight increase in price, worth it to be able to split indoors and no fume yourself out, operate the splitter for alot less money, and not have to worry about maintenance issues associated with the gasser? Like oil changes, and carb issues associated with ethanol. Simply plug it in and know that it is gonna work.

 

[PILOON]

Maybe I'm out to lunch but I simply cannot compare offshore motors to known USA like Leeson or Baldor.
What I suspect is often some lesser quality ones are rated at the startup amperage rather than the 'run' amps.

Kinda like battery drills.
One brand rates theirs at 20 volts while others call it 18 volts while they all have the same number of cells.
Simple, charging 18 volts is done at 20 volts and if the voltage is read immediately after a charge it will read higher.
Like a car 12 volt is charged usually around 13 something but never called 13 volts.

 

[4570Man]

A 5.5 hp Honda GX is about $350. We've yet to consider the additional wire needed on the electric motor or the Honda knockoffs at a lower price. Which fits what I said earlier about it could be done. Just not cheap.

 

[4570Man]

Maybe I'm out to lunch but I simply cannot compare offshore motors to known USA like Leeson or Baldor.
What I suspect is often some lesser quality ones are rated at the startup amperage rather than the 'run' amps.

Kinda like battery drills.
One brand rates theirs at 20 volts while others call it 18 volts while they all have the same number of cells.
Simple, charging 18 volts is done at 20 volts and if the voltage is read immediately after a charge it will read higher.
Like a car 12 volt is charged usually around 13 something but never called 13 volts.

Unless I'm mistaken Baldor is no longer US made.

 

[LD1]

I have some air handlers at work on the job since 1995... they have 10 and 20 hp Baldor 3 phase motors... in 22 years I have only replace one bearing on one motor that was noisy... the motors run 24/7 for months at a time and are made in USA

Maybe some motors are just better built and under rated by the manufacturer?

Wrong. You're just going to have to toss the cheap or the single phase idea. I've got 3 phase power and the scrap yard is littered with 3 phase motors. It wouldn't cost much ( unless you're factoring in the high flow hoses and valves which cost a lot) for me to build an electric splitter to smoke a gasoline splitter. Problem is I don't have 3 phase where I want to split wood.

A 5.5 hp Honda GX is about $350. We've yet to consider the additional wire needed on the electric motor or the Honda knockoffs at a lower price. Which fits what I said earlier about it could be done. Just not cheap.

So a $500 and about $50 worth of wire if you already have a welding plug in your shop.

$200 more buys a quieter machine, that can be run indoors, operates on less money, and you dont have the worries of ethanol fuel, oil changes, pulling a rope to start, etc.

Never claimed it was cheaper anyhow. But if one likes splitting wood inside a shop in a tee-shirt, it is not that much of an upcharge to do so

 

[4570Man]

So a $500 and about $50 worth of wire if you already have a welding plug in your shop.

$200 more buys a quieter machine, that can be run indoors, operates on less money, and you dont have the worries of ethanol fuel, oil changes, pulling a rope to start, etc.

Never claimed it was cheaper anyhow. But if one likes splitting wood inside a shop in a tee-shirt, it is not that much of an upcharge to do so

That is with an 11 gpm pump which is easily doable. I used to have an electric splitter with a 3 hp electric motor on a 11 gpm 2 stage pump. I agree it was undersized for continuous use at high pressure. I had no problems from briefly overloading it. This comparison was a bigger splitter with a 22 gpm pump. The cost difference there is a lot more. I don't think many people want to split large quantities of wood indoors. I'd be one of those people that do. That's a work in progress that'll be lucky to be done by next winter. I decide it was a lot more cost effective to just put the gasoline powered unit outside and just run hoses.

 

[3Ts]

Another consideration on electric motor size is what will the power company provide for a transformer for single phase power? I was going to need 40hp to run a pump for a sprinkler system. Looked into electric for simplicity and maintenance - found out that they will only provide 26kw max on single phase, any more requires 3 phase. It would have cost $46,000 to bring it to the gate and more to run it about 2,000' to the pump. There are ways to get more HP out of the same amount of current, but $$$ - google "written pole motor". The technology has been around for awhile but mostly used on Hydro electric generators. Cost is another matter all together.


Written Pole Motor Page 26 of this report compares conventional 50HP with a written pole 50HP and apparently you can get up to 100HP on single phase. I understand they are very heavy, very expensive, probably need to be shipped back to the factory for repair, and are special order from your local supplier if he knows what they are.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I bought a used Baldor single phase 7.5hp motor that draws 37amps @240v off ebay for $175.00. I sent the money and then picked it up later, when I was over that way... It works perfectly...

There's plenty of "deals" on electric motors, IF you just take the time to look for them.

SR

 

[4570Man]

I could have a dump truck load of motors ( and a lot of other good stuff if I was rich ) from the salvage yard from 25 cents a pound. The amount of good motors and cylinders there was sickening.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

My experience with the 5 ton electric is: they are all made in China, look pretty much alike, operate the same and do a credible job when they work. I have used 3 brands over 6 years. The first one was from Lowes and it lasted 2 years and split about 30 cords (we were using it in a production mode) before the pump blew up. The second one, also from Lowes only lasted through about 2 years in very light duty, and the motor burned up. The third one was a HF model and after a couple cords the connection between the motor and pump came apart. When they worked there was very little they would not split; fir, cedar, maple (even curly grain), alder, plus misc fruit tree woods. At time we put rounds 12-14" diameter through with no problem. Knotty wood we just set aside for backyard bonfire service in the winter. High tonnage is grossly over rated. Why spend $ for a 30 ton unit when a little 5 ton will do 90% of the work needed. That 10% is not worth the $ needed to buy a bigger unit.

Like Ultra Runner; where is a 5-10 ton electric that will LAST?!! Probably will go out and buy another through away as parts are non-existent for them.

Ron