Thoughts on 3pt log splitters?

[shooterdon]

I have a 60HP tractor with rear remotes. The flow is enough to run a serious wood chipper. I am basically looking to split a lot of wood from a 2-3 acre lot. After that it might be the occassional log unless we clear some more land. Predominantly hardwood although I have a large amount of pine too which I am still debating about. As for moving it around I have a small UTV but I would really like to get some IBC cages and use my forks. I just need to find some inexpensive IBC cages.

If you are not going to get into firewood, does it make sense to own something for occasional use?

Before I bought my splitter, I rented one from Home Depot. If you have stuff organized and a person helping, you can split a lot of wood in one day. For $100 once a year, is it worth having something that takes up space, has to be maintained and ties up capital?

If you have a friend or neighbor that has a stand-alone splitter you can pump out a lot of wood in a couple of days and give him a $50 gift certificate. Just return it with a full tank of fuel...LOL

Edited to add:
The cheapest 3 pt log splitter is going to cost about $1500 and have 16 tons of force. The HD rental unit for $100 has 20T and can be run horizontally or vertically. In the last 15 years I have averaged over 10% on my investments, but even at 8%, on $1500 you earn $120/year, so the rental cost is "free".

But I am a numbers guy and not much into having lots of "toys" that accumulate until I need to build another storage building.

 

[WranglerX]

In my case this would be hooked up to a 60hp tractor and I would use my UTV to move the cut wood around. Might even get a little trailer for it. As for amount of wood, I cleared a few acres and have a lot of hard wood to split but I don't see doing much more than that going forward. Maybe if we clear more of the land.

But does it have winch and boom to lift rounds that are too big to manhandle onto splitter? Or from log deck to cutting area.... I bring my logs down in 4 foot lengths, some are so heavy I need to use FEL with forks to move them from log deck to cut area to make them 16 inches or so..... I think you misunderstand peoples statements for moving logs/rounds with tractor

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I have a 3 point splitter and will NEVER go back to a standalone splitter.

SR

 

[scootr]

There seems to be 2 schools of thought here. Those that need a loader to bring rounds to the splitter. And those that are content to bring the splitter to the rounds.
Then there are those who have 2 tractors.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

There seems to be 2 schools of thought here. Those that need a loader to bring rounds to the splitter. And those that are content to bring the splitter to the rounds.
Then there are those who have 2 tractors.

Don't forget about those that are smart enough to cut over a trailer or wagon, so they don't need a tractor to bring the rounds to the splitter!

SR

 

[scootr]

 

[Sportsman762]

I have a 60HP tractor with rear remotes. The flow is enough to run a serious wood chipper.

A woodchipper and a log splitter have significantly different horsepower and hydraulic requirements. The Woodmaxx chippers use a self contained hydraulic system and are driven from the pto. In this case your 60hp will make all the difference compared to a smaller tractor such as 45hp. However the Kioti DK6010 has a 9.6 gpm pump when running at 2600 rpm so hydraulic flow is your struggle.

Kioti DK6010 Owner's Manual (Page 55 of 242) | ManualsLib

www.manualslib.com

The cycle time for my splitter according to the manual is as follows:
5GPM-28.3 seconds
10GPM-14.2 seconds
15GPM-9.4 seconds
20GPM-7.1 seconds
25GPM-5.7 seconds

A stand along log splitter with a two stage pump is 9.4 seconds compared to your tractor's 14.8 second cycle with the same splitter.

My tractor Massey 20C has a 20 GPM pump on it, its only 45hp however it has a large pump on the front of the engine since it is an industrial tractor. My limit is Pioneer quick couplers limit it to 12 GPM so I am running about the same speed you will be. I have contemplated putting flush face couplers on the loader and the splitter so I can run it at the full flow, but I do not do enough splitting to justify it, and running at 1000rpm is nice and quiet.

I am basically looking to split a lot of wood from a 2-3 acre lot. After that it might be the occassional log unless we clear some more land.

A three point splitter makes sense as your usage sounds limited once the immediate need is addressed. A gas engine if not used will most likely fight you when you needed to use it if left unattended for extended periods of time. @shooterdon has some interesting points as well.

 

[fishheadbob]

I've had a 3 point splitter for 40+ years. You need enough hydraulic flow to work quickly; my 3930 put out around 12 gpm and worked quickly at idle. As I get older I can't work as quickly as the iron horse does so I've gone down to an 8 gpm tractor which still works faster than I can. Fuel use with either tractor is negligible.
Rounds and big chunks are no big deal. The splitter lowers to ground level so a big piece rolls on easily. I like being able to split a cord or two when I'm ready as opposed to renting/borrowing a splitter and having to go furiously for a day or two. Used to do 22 face cords per year mostly hickory and hard maple; went geothermal and maybe 3 or 4 cords now.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I split once or twice a year, depending on how many trees the bugs get, and have been fooling around with wood splitters for many years.

I started with a 3pt that was powered by a rear remote. WAY too slow. I switched to a PTO pump and got better speed but it still tied up the tractor for other work.

Gas powered rentals are available around here for $110/day but I usually need it for 3 or 4 days, since I work alone. $440 x 2 + $880 on average per year plus 3+ hours of my time to transport. Then there's the problem of getting stuck with a rental that hasn't been maintained properly and having to either work on it or return for another.

The best approach for me anyway is to buy a new splitter every year, use it, and resell on FB Marketplace. I take care of my equipment and usually get most, if not all of what I paid on the resale. Yes, there is a capital outlay but it's short term. There is also no long term equipment storage to worry about.

May not be the best approach for everyone but it works for me.