Splitter question

   / Splitter question
  • Thread Starter
#21  
The suction and return is low pressure. Just plain pipe fittings will work. A bell reducer where you need to step down. There is still benefit to running larger line.

Yea I figured a reducer at the tank was easy. I was trying to figure how to come from the tank with a 1 1/4 line and reduce it AT the PUMP. Step down hose fittings are not a common thing.
 
   / Splitter question
  • Thread Starter
#22  
Yea I get that mentality completely. Have the stuff I own is built on that premise. I have a Craftsman mower that the blade bearing and other deck components wore out on. I removed the deck and use it as a small tractor but I keep thinking I would have a better use for that motor.

Heck I even thought of using the hydrostatic rear axle as a hydraulic hoist, attaching a pulley on one axle and using a cable run out to a boom. Then I could more easily load some of the huge oak rounds I end up, with onto my trailer.
 
   / Splitter question #23  
Yea I figured a reducer at the tank was easy. I was trying to figure how to come from the tank with a 1 1/4 line and reduce it AT the PUMP. Step down hose fittings are not a common thing.

You can see by my picture, I couldn't find a suitable inexpensive inlet hose above 1" and had adapter problems at the pump inlet, ¾ as I recall, so I downsized from the NT outlet 1 ½ or 1 ¼ down to 1" went with the 1" hose and adapted to ¾ at the pump. I'm using clear PVC hose I bought at Lowes about 3 years ago and it's holding up fine. Not showing any signs of degradation.

All those fittings are water type plumbing fittings. Having no problems. Use a pipe dope paste suitable for lubricants amont other things. I have some of them in the outlet too that are working ok but when I find the high pressure ones to suit me I may change over. I have been running water fittings on my implement hydraulics for 35 years and only lost one and that was due to mechanical damage, not pressure related.
 
   / Splitter question
  • Thread Starter
#24  
Well I got all my parts today. For the life of me I cannot figure out how to run a larger hose from tank to pump. Part of the problem is that the pump has a 5/8" (I thought it was 3/4) hose barb inlet. This is not a fitting threaded into the pump, it's part of the pump. That is a real dilemma to me. If I (or someone) can figure a way around it, let me know. For now, it's 5/8 all the way. It has worked that way so far, but probably would work better as you guys have suggested.

Maybe someday an upgraded pump someday? For now it's not possible. My tank inlet is 1 1/2" so if I ever do go larger or newer on the pump, I can surely get a larger feed line.

Anyway, I got my filter also. Question. All the splitters I saw today had the filter in the return line to the tank, is that correct? Odd thing was one of them, a 34 ton unit at a Kubota dealer, had the flow arrow on the pump housing, pointing TOWARDS the valve. That seems backwards to me.

The BAD part was those fittings are ridiculously priced, WOW! A 3/4" MPT to 5/8" hose barb was $6.99 at the cheapest, and $10 at the highest. They were brass, but I couldn't find that fitting in any other material.
 
   / Splitter question #25  
Any pictures?

Are you sure it is 5/8? Thats pretty uncommon in hose sizes and as such some of the common barbed fittings for 5/8" are more expensive than for 3/4 or even 1"

There isnt gonna be a cheap solution to your problem. Two fittings needed at the pump. Say a 5/8" barb with 3/4" female pipe threads and a 1" barb with 3/4" male threads. Thread them together and basically make a reducing barbed coupler. Short piece of 5/8" hose then the rest with 1". A 1" barb with 1-1/4" threads at the tank.

They make reducing barbed couplers, but I didnt see any that reduce more than one step.

Arrow pointing toward the valve is definitely wrong on a return filter. It will still filter, for awhile anyway. But the built in check valve bypass wont operate. so could blow a filter if it becomes clogged
 
   / Splitter question
  • Thread Starter
#26  
Yea I should have at least done a before/after. It was raining pretty hard (finally) when I got home yesterday, so I just left my parts in the truck. I will assemble them today, with pictures. I will take shots of the old "tank" I took off and threw away too. I'm a little embarrassed at the number of reducers I needed to use, but I guess it is what it is.

When you live rural and the nearest shop that carries hydraulic fittings, or in my case the filter, is 35 miles away, it's hard to round up parts. Most of the time I will order online, but in this case I wanted to get it done, and I needed to see and test fit parts myself.

Not only are 5/8 parts expensive, no one carries them.

I have determined my next upgrade to this will be a pump with a larger output (maybe 13-16 GPM)and suction. I see quite a few in that range at $150-200, and specs list a 1" suction. That will be an easy swap, when the time comes. I don't want to go too big gpm wise, due to the 5hp engine. That said, I see box store splitters rated 27-30 ton, with a 6.5hp engine.

Maybe a better route would be to use the 15hp Briggs I have (old riding mower) and build a beast of a splitter and sell this one to help fund it. Heck that would be a fancy one with electric start even. Someday! I would need a bigger welder first. No way would the little 110v mig do 1/2" or heavier, steel.
 
   / Splitter question
  • Thread Starter
#27  
Yea I should have at least done a before/after. It was raining pretty hard (finally) when I got home yesterday, so I just left my parts in the truck. I will assemble them today, with pictures. I will take shots of the old "tank" I took off and threw away too. I'm a little embarrassed at the number of reducers I needed to use, but I guess it is what it is.

When you live rural and the nearest shop that carries hydraulic fittings, or in my case the filter, is 35 miles away, it's hard to round up parts. Most of the time I will order online, but in this case I wanted to get it done, and I needed to see and test fit parts myself.

Not only are 5/8 parts expensive, no one carries them.

I have determined my next upgrade to this will be a pump with a larger output (maybe 13-16 GPM)and suction. I see quite a few in that range at $150-200, and specs list a 1" suction. That will be an easy swap, when the time comes. I don't want to go too big gpm wise, due to the 5hp engine. That said, I see box store splitters rated 27-30 ton, with a 6.5hp engine.

Maybe a better route would be to use the 15hp Briggs I have (old riding mower) and build a beast of a splitter and sell this one to help fund it. Heck that would be a fancy one with electric start even. Someday! I would need a bigger welder first. No way would the little 110v mig do 1/2" or heavier, steel.
 
   / Splitter question
  • Thread Starter
#28  
OK got it together. Haven't put fluid in yet, but will explain.
First off, the suction line IS 3/4, duh! Soooo, I used the old hose that was on it (heater hose I think). So that will have to be redone, soon. I THINK I can pinch it off enough to not lose my fluid when I do. At least I can catch it in a bucket if need be.

I decided to post some picks as promised so here goes.

This first pic is with the new tank in it's place and the old one on top of it, just to compare them. All the oil on the old one is only a small portion that had been leaking from the crappy old tank.
Splitter6_zpsfaazb6qr.jpg


This is a shot of the tank (mounted) with the suction line connected. The suction line looks huge in this pic because the previous owner torched a hole in the platform and brought the suction line up through it, and wrapped the suction hose with another old hose to protect it. I re-installed both hoses, for now. I don't have a suitable piece of new 3/4 hose.
Splitter5_zpsccamtdzl.jpg


This shows the tank side of the whole splitter. The right "leg" of the splitter is white from the degreaser I sprayed on it to clean the years of leaking fluid. Note my filter sits a little cockeyed underneath. When I tack welded the bracket I made for the filter, it "looked" level to me, until I hade the filter mounted. I am going to fix that right after this post. I am sure it will work as it, but it bugs me to look at it.
Splitter4_zpsmbpxxwmh.jpg


This is the valve side and you can see where i mounted the filter. I wanted it out of the way and protected, so there it is. All line to and from filter are 5/8".
Splitter3_zpss1sazeh4.jpg


This is the return side. You can see it come up out of the filter housing and into the street el to the tank. It's all tucked in there nicely. When I ordered the tank I wasn't sure if it would fit up there.
Splitter1_zpslmhcgzqc.jpg


The "legs" on this were added by the PO. The splitter came from the factory sitting just below knee height, and he didn't like it that low so he raised it. Those are big H beams he used for legs. The 1/2" square tube rods are braces to keep the legs from flexing. I am going to remove those and brace them another way. Not sure yet.

Any way it's not the best looking one out there but it will do the job and hopefully the pump will last longer than the previous one, now that I have a filter in the line. Someday I will paint it all orange, just to make it match, maybe :).
 
   / Splitter question
  • Thread Starter
#29  
Oh yea forgot to mention, the orange cross brace between the legs, I added. The legs were cockeyed before. After this I am starting to think I COULD build my own, larger one. IF I had a better (bigger) welder.

Might have to save for a DC tombstone.
 
   / Splitter question #30  
I don't want to go too big gpm wise, due to the 5hp engine. That said, I see box store splitters rated 27-30 ton, with a 6.5hp engine.

HP and tonnage are not related in the case of splitters. I could make a 100 ton splitter with a 3HP motor if I wanted.

Very simply in the world of splitters, they all run nearly the same PSI, so "tonnage" is about cylinder diameter only. roughly 4" = 18-22T rated, 4.5" = 25-28T rated and 5" cylinder = 34-37T rated.

HP allows you to run a higher flow rate pump, so it will cycle quicker, but dont change the tonnage unless pressure or cylinder diameter change.

You typically see more HP on higher tonnage machines because they have larger cylinders, and need more FLOW to have a decent cycle speed.

Looking good on the build. 3/4" is fine for suction. Afterthought, but I have a valve on mine incase I need to pull a pump.
 

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