Rotory screw log splitter

[Hollyblue]

Need advise, anyone here use a screw type log splitter? I'm disabled and can do most things around the homestead independently, but moving around the rounds, my legs just won't handle more than a few and give out.
I saw on YouTube a screw log splitter that went on the end of the backhoe and realized, I could actually do that.
It looked like it had a hydrolic motor attached to the bucket curl cylinder area and bracketed to the bucket bracket.
I've looked online and all I can find similar is the skid steer one so I think I'd Need to fabricate one for my sub compact Massy Ferguson 21hp.
The main draw back from what I found was safety from spinoff, but this style you aren't holding the log but up on the tractor. You also can split many rounds from the tractor in the radius range of the backhoe before moving. Added benefits you can chew up a stump for easier removal and possibly even a post hole digger.

Any information on this would be extremely helpful for me to be fully independent, and greatly appreciated!!!
Thanks!

EDIT: MASSY FERGUSON GC1723 tractor, so SUB compact. Most of the resources are for larger tractors, and many look to be better applied to them. My thought is the screw would be the best to handle splitting on my small tractor size. I've seen smaller stationary screw splitters that seem to do well Splitting the size wood I need.

Wood: property was logged out some time ago so size is only 12" -20" diameter and lengths of 12" - 14" for the home, and 16-18" for the garage. Any larger diameter and it goes to the neibor or son to split. Oak, ash, maple and popular mainly.

I really appreciate your posts and opinions. I'm sure you all value your independence as much as I do!

 

[i7win7]

Contact split fire, they might be able to adapt an excavator model to backhoe.

3209 - Split-Fire USA

split-fire.com

I made a bucking table to make the job easier for me

Processing Firewood the Professional Redneck Way

This will be a long assembly post with many photos, you may want to bookmark it and read on a rainy day. You will need a root grapple to lift logs, A miter saw to cut multiple 4x4's and 2x8's to size, plus other wood working tools most home owners all ready have. Let's start...

www.orangetractortalks.com

 

[oldnslo]

I have seen a couple of videos where people had adapted a back hoe to be a log splitter. I do not recall if they used the bucket curl for split or exactly hiw they worked. But with these they could pick the pieces up and split into a pile or trailer vs having split pieces scattered about.

On the screw style would your back hoe take the torque - twisting moments required? I guess a lot depends on size and type of wood that you splitting.

Either way I wish you the best in finding a solution that works for you.

 

[CobyRupert]

When the oil crises /inflation hit in the late 80’s wood stove use really took off, my dad and uncles, like many, returned to the life of firewood that they thought they’d left in the 1940’s.
The first splitter they got was a rotary screw that hooked to the 3 point hitch of a tractor. I remember there were also other screws that mounted on a car’s hub after you jacked one tire. All of them were very dangerous.
They use to mount the screw splitter on an old 17hp Case VAC even though 70-100Hp tractors were more readily available. I imagine that was so the tractor would stall if things went really bad.
Even though I was too young to drive tractors, my job was to sit in the seat and slam the clutch in (transmission/live PTO) when things went wrong and yelling and hand waving ensued.
There was no other way to stop it. Very dangerous. Suicide if operating alone.

Within a year we had a hydraulic wood plotter and I never saw or missed the screw again.

 

[ericm979]

There's some skid steer log splitters out there. I.e. TM Warrior Skid Steer Log Splitter Attachment | TM MFG


You might need to adapt the mounting for the tractor which can't curl down as far. And the tractor's hydraulic flow and pressure will not be as much as the skid steer so it would be slower and less powerful. You could always buy or make a PTO driven hydraulic power pack to get more flow and pressure. But then you're talking a large expense.

Another option would be a Gorrilabac attachment for your hydraulic splitter. You can use it to pull rounds to the splitter and pull them up on the splitter. Home- Log Splitter Lift - Gorillabac

 

[CobyRupert]

Ahh…I now see you’re probably talking about something like this?:

Splitting pine is one thing, I’d wonder what happens in oak or some stringy elm, etc..
It sure looks convenient to split everything from the cab seat, I wonder if a twisting force on the backhoe arm could become a problem with a long log?

 

[Hollyblue]

Need advise, anyone here use a screw type log splitter? I'm disabled and can do most things around the homestead independently, but moving around the rounds, my legs just won't handle more than a few and give out.
I saw on YouTube a screw log splitter that went on the end of the backhoe and realized, I could actually do that.
It looked like it had a hydrolic motor attached to the bucket curl cylinder area and bracketed to the bucket bracket.
I've looked online and all I can find similar is the skid steer one so I think I'd Need to fabricate one for my sub compact Massy Ferguson 21hp.
The main draw back from what I found was safety from spinoff, but this style you aren't holding the log but up on the tractor. You also can split many rounds from the tractor in the radius range of the backhoe before moving. Added benefits you can chew up a stump for easier removal and possibly even a post hole digger.

Any information on this would be extremely helpful for me to be fully independent, and greatly appreciated!!!
Thanks!

I should add the lengths I cut at. 12-14 for the home and 16 for the garage stoves.

 

[Hollyblue]

Ahh…I now see you’re probably talking about something like this?:

Splitting pine is one thing, I’d wonder what happens in oak or some stringy elm, etc..
It sure looks convenient to split everything from the cab seat, I wonder if a twisting force on the backhoe arm could become a problem with a long log?

Almost exactly what I'm talking about. Splitting 12-14" for the small house and 16" for the garage stove most rounds under 20" diamiter and mostly oak maple and ash. Been told the string stuff doesn't do so well. More advice needed for my smaller tractor! Real large rounds go to my healthy neibor that has a big standard splitter and shares for my garage hangout. Thanks for the replies!!

 

[/pine]

For manually moving rounds I use a pickeroon...some peavieys have hooks and a longer handle...sure saves on the back and hips etc...

 

[Williy]

Hollyblue check out some of these sites:

small tractor screw type log splitter for sale - Google Search

willy