What to build a Hydro Wood spliter thats a 3pt mou

PILOON · May 24, 2006

I did just that.
Used a 4" X 6" 'I' beam and a 4 X 24" cylinder.
Beam is about 4 ft long and I welded 2 vertical 1/2" flats to connect to the upper 3pt arm.
Added a length of rod at bottem to fit the lower 3pt arms.
The base of the cylinder is pinned between the 2 vertical flats.
My splitting wedge is at the most rear position and I used a push plate that is guided by the 'I' beam upper flange.

One handy advantage is with the 3 point I can set the working height to favor my back.

The valve is above and at the rear of the cylinder for connvienance.

It uses the tractor 3.5 gpm pump which while a bit slow is still fast enough to tire me out after a couple of hours.

All in all it is a very useful device and worth building IMO.

Valve cost me about $100. cyl was a 'find' at $25. and the channel was about $50.00 a few years back from a recycle yard. Add maybe $50. for hose and fittings.

With 4 ft hanging out the rear and a FEL up front it drives just OK but I would not want to go a mile with it.

Neet thing is the ease in moving away from split piles to relocate and no engine to 'tune up' frequantly.
Always ready to use!

PILOON · May 24, 2006

I did just that.
Used a 4" X 6" 'I' beam and a 4 X 24" cylinder.
Beam is about 4 ft long and I welded 2 vertical 1/2" flats to connect to the upper 3pt arm.
Added a length of rod at bottem to fit the lower 3pt arms.
The base of the cylinder is pinned between the 2 vertical flats.
My splitting wedge is at the most rear position and I used a push plate that is guided by the 'I' beam upper flange.

One handy advantage is with the 3 point I can set the working height to favor my back.

The valve is above and at the rear of the cylinder for connvienance.

It uses the tractor 3.5 gpm pump which while a bit slow is still fast enough to tire me out after a couple of hours.

All in all it is a very useful device and worth building IMO.

Valve cost me about $100. cyl was a 'find' at $25. and the channel was about $50.00 a few years back from a recycle yard. Add maybe $50. for hose and fittings.

With 4 ft hanging out the rear and a FEL up front it drives just OK but I would not want to go a mile with it.

Neet thing is the ease in moving away from split piles to relocate and no engine to 'tune up' frequantly.
Always ready to use!

New_Jersey01 · May 25, 2006

Tractor hydraulics would be my choice.
Thanks

New_Jersey01 · May 25, 2006

Tractor hydraulics would be my choice.
Thanks

New_Jersey01 · May 25, 2006

Do you have any pics.
Thanks

New_Jersey01 · May 25, 2006

Do you have any pics.
Thanks

ovrszd · May 28, 2006

( I did just that.
Used a 4" X 6" 'I' beam and a 4 X 24" cylinder.
Beam is about 4 ft long and I welded 2 vertical 1/2" flats to connect to the upper 3pt arm.
Added a length of rod at bottem to fit the lower 3pt arms.
The base of the cylinder is pinned between the 2 vertical flats.
My splitting wedge is at the most rear position and I used a push plate that is guided by the 'I' beam upper flange.

One handy advantage is with the 3 point I can set the working height to favor my back.

The valve is above and at the rear of the cylinder for connvienance.

It uses the tractor 3.5 gpm pump which while a bit slow is still fast enough to tire me out after a couple of hours.

All in all it is a very useful device and worth building IMO.

Valve cost me about $100. cyl was a 'find' at $25. and the channel was about $50.00 a few years back from a recycle yard. Add maybe $50. for hose and fittings.

With 4 ft hanging out the rear and a FEL up front it drives just OK but I would not want to go a mile with it.

Neet thing is the ease in moving away from split piles to relocate and no engine to 'tune up' frequantly.
Always ready to use! )

Yeah!!! That's exactly what I want to build. Couple questions for you though???

1. Does your tractor have a high volume hose coupler like what would be used to run a backhoe that you hooked to???

2. Did you buy one of those vancy valves that will retract the cylinder without you having to hold the lever???

Thanks for the write-up and any further advice you might have.

ovrszd · May 28, 2006

( I did just that.
Used a 4" X 6" 'I' beam and a 4 X 24" cylinder.
Beam is about 4 ft long and I welded 2 vertical 1/2" flats to connect to the upper 3pt arm.
Added a length of rod at bottem to fit the lower 3pt arms.
The base of the cylinder is pinned between the 2 vertical flats.
My splitting wedge is at the most rear position and I used a push plate that is guided by the 'I' beam upper flange.

One handy advantage is with the 3 point I can set the working height to favor my back.

The valve is above and at the rear of the cylinder for connvienance.

It uses the tractor 3.5 gpm pump which while a bit slow is still fast enough to tire me out after a couple of hours.

All in all it is a very useful device and worth building IMO.

Valve cost me about $100. cyl was a 'find' at $25. and the channel was about $50.00 a few years back from a recycle yard. Add maybe $50. for hose and fittings.

With 4 ft hanging out the rear and a FEL up front it drives just OK but I would not want to go a mile with it.

Neet thing is the ease in moving away from split piles to relocate and no engine to 'tune up' frequantly.
Always ready to use! )

Yeah!!! That's exactly what I want to build. Couple questions for you though???

1. Does your tractor have a high volume hose coupler like what would be used to run a backhoe that you hooked to???

2. Did you buy one of those vancy valves that will retract the cylinder without you having to hold the lever???

Thanks for the write-up and any further advice you might have.

PILOON · May 29, 2006

ovrszd,

I used a plain Prince valve, spring loaded both directions meaning I have to hold to split and hold to return.
Safest that way!

I did later remouve the spring on the return stroke and plan a simple lever and push rod setup to stop the retraction when the cycle is completed. (automatic return shut off!)

The hose I used was 3/8", mainly because that is what my aux hydraulic block is tapped for as well as basic 'hyd quick connects'
In my set up (mitsubishi factory aux port) i need to always have either a open center valve connected ot I need to mate the out (press) to the in (return) otherwise I'll blow the aux block, hence I have one hose female and the other male.

Be sure you spec an open centered valve.

As a precaution I surface welded a zig zag pattern to my 'push plate' to prevent the possibility of the logs being pushed upwards or sideways when under pressure.

The 'push plate' is about 2" wider than the beam flange with 2 1" strips on each side just a bit thicker than the flange 2 more strips about 2" wide by 3/8".
The push plate is 1/2" flat (about 6" high) and as wide as the push plate.
The plate is welded vertically to the slide plate (also 1/2" stock) and the slide is about 6" long
2 angled flats serve to brace the push plate against the slider and are spaced just a bit wider than the hyd cylinder ram.
I then drilled 1/2" holes in both brace flats as well as 5/8" in the cylinder shaft.
This 1/2" pin/bold serves only to drag the pusher back while the butt of the cyl shaft pushes against the flat back of the pusher.

(I did it this way as the cyl I used had a massive end that I cut off. (was a dozer tilt cyl and used a 1 1/4"pin)

My push plate was intentionally made to be a 'sloppy' fit in order to slide easily and not bind.
One side I welded but ised 3 ea 3/8" bolts on the other in case I wanted to remouve it.

As my 'ultimate test' I placed about a 6" diameter hard maple log crossways and proceeded to 'cut to length' the log.
Never slowed down at all, just sort of groaned, the I beam twisted under strain and the made one big 'TWANG' and the log went in two directions.

I was hidden using a stick to push the valve.
Since then I trust my welding!
Guess I was pushing a few tons.

My splitting end is about 8" high and consists of 2 8 x 8 pieces of 1/2" welded onto the top flange with the wide part being as wide as my flange.
I lucked out and was given an 8" piece of treated and sharpened FEL cutting edge that I welded to the front of my wedge.
You want a wide wedge to really pop your wood open, this way yoy dont need to completely cycle the hydraulics each time.
Some woods pop with merely 1/3 stroke (maple and birch)
others, (oak and ash) want a lot of travel.

Good luck!

PILOON · May 29, 2006

ovrszd,

I used a plain Prince valve, spring loaded both directions meaning I have to hold to split and hold to return.
Safest that way!

I did later remouve the spring on the return stroke and plan a simple lever and push rod setup to stop the retraction when the cycle is completed. (automatic return shut off!)

The hose I used was 3/8", mainly because that is what my aux hydraulic block is tapped for as well as basic 'hyd quick connects'
In my set up (mitsubishi factory aux port) i need to always have either a open center valve connected ot I need to mate the out (press) to the in (return) otherwise I'll blow the aux block, hence I have one hose female and the other male.

Be sure you spec an open centered valve.

As a precaution I surface welded a zig zag pattern to my 'push plate' to prevent the possibility of the logs being pushed upwards or sideways when under pressure.

The 'push plate' is about 2" wider than the beam flange with 2 1" strips on each side just a bit thicker than the flange 2 more strips about 2" wide by 3/8".
The push plate is 1/2" flat (about 6" high) and as wide as the push plate.
The plate is welded vertically to the slide plate (also 1/2" stock) and the slide is about 6" long
2 angled flats serve to brace the push plate against the slider and are spaced just a bit wider than the hyd cylinder ram.
I then drilled 1/2" holes in both brace flats as well as 5/8" in the cylinder shaft.
This 1/2" pin/bold serves only to drag the pusher back while the butt of the cyl shaft pushes against the flat back of the pusher.

(I did it this way as the cyl I used had a massive end that I cut off. (was a dozer tilt cyl and used a 1 1/4"pin)

My push plate was intentionally made to be a 'sloppy' fit in order to slide easily and not bind.
One side I welded but ised 3 ea 3/8" bolts on the other in case I wanted to remouve it.

As my 'ultimate test' I placed about a 6" diameter hard maple log crossways and proceeded to 'cut to length' the log.
Never slowed down at all, just sort of groaned, the I beam twisted under strain and the made one big 'TWANG' and the log went in two directions.

I was hidden using a stick to push the valve.
Since then I trust my welding!
Guess I was pushing a few tons.

My splitting end is about 8" high and consists of 2 8 x 8 pieces of 1/2" welded onto the top flange with the wide part being as wide as my flange.
I lucked out and was given an 8" piece of treated and sharpened FEL cutting edge that I welded to the front of my wedge.
You want a wide wedge to really pop your wood open, this way yoy dont need to completely cycle the hydraulics each time.
Some woods pop with merely 1/3 stroke (maple and birch)
others, (oak and ash) want a lot of travel.

Good luck!