MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
- Messages
- 66,376
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
Looks like a lot of sassafras.
Winch Firewood Processor
- Thread starter polemidis
- Start date
- Views: 14707
Stomper
Gold Member
Nicely done. Looks like it痴 doing great. If you don稚 mind I would like some more details on the winch motor. Like how it operates and what makes it free-spool. As well as model and make. It operates exactly how I want mine to operate. I have been trying to think of a way to adapt an atv winch spool to a hydraulic motor for my setup but it looks like yours works great and free spools easily
I just saw that I had post some specs above. There are some changes:
a) The splitter is now powered by a 18hp duromax, (the 16hp was also adequate)
b) The saw is powered by the HF 22hp motor, as the 18hp was stalling at 1500psi. The 22hp does not stall, it can push up to about 1900, where the chain slows down. We filed the rakers a little bit which improved the cutting speed. Its needs a little more experimentation. I think thats about the speed limit with that type of cheap gear motor before having to jump to a lot more expensive (bent axis maybe??)
With some sugar and red maple. Its too cold here for sassafras
The motor I used was the 22.8 cu in White Hydraulic Motor 500 Series. It looks out of stock but you can still order it from somewhere else. Parker also makes one identical. What you want it the "Declutch Port". option. So you have the 2 regular work ports, but it also has and extra port at the back.
The plumbing to this motor: I used a cylinder type spool valve with detent kit on one Spool. The surplus center carries only detent kit for both spools IN and Out, thats not ideal. I found it online or you can call the local hydraulic supplier. Working port A from the valve goes to the port A of the motor. Port B from the valve goes to a TEE, one side of the TEE goes to Port B of the motor, the other side of the TEE goes to the Declutch port. (depending where you have the detent, in or out, you may have to swap working port A for B)
So the operation is: you keep pressing the spool when you want to winch IN. Oil is directed to the work port B and the declutch port (it pushes the "clutch" plate to make a contact inside the motor). But when you want to free winch out you lock the spool to the other direction and you go pull the wire. What happens it that oil is flowing through the port A but the declutch port is not pressurized but connected to the tank so it is easy to freewinch.
I do not know how ideal is that plumbing though.
What the company recommends is here, utilizing another valve just for the declutch port
a) The splitter is now powered by a 18hp duromax, (the 16hp was also adequate)
b) The saw is powered by the HF 22hp motor, as the 18hp was stalling at 1500psi. The 22hp does not stall, it can push up to about 1900, where the chain slows down. We filed the rakers a little bit which improved the cutting speed. Its needs a little more experimentation. I think thats about the speed limit with that type of cheap gear motor before having to jump to a lot more expensive (bent axis maybe??)
White Ash
With some sugar and red maple. Its too cold here for sassafras I had to do a lot of guesswork because I could not find any resources online. Ask as many questions you need.
The motor I used was the 22.8 cu in White Hydraulic Motor 500 Series. It looks out of stock but you can still order it from somewhere else. Parker also makes one identical. What you want it the "Declutch Port". option. So you have the 2 regular work ports, but it also has and extra port at the back.
The plumbing to this motor: I used a cylinder type spool valve with detent kit on one Spool. The surplus center carries only detent kit for both spools IN and Out, thats not ideal. I found it online or you can call the local hydraulic supplier. Working port A from the valve goes to the port A of the motor. Port B from the valve goes to a TEE, one side of the TEE goes to Port B of the motor, the other side of the TEE goes to the Declutch port. (depending where you have the detent, in or out, you may have to swap working port A for B)
So the operation is: you keep pressing the spool when you want to winch IN. Oil is directed to the work port B and the declutch port (it pushes the "clutch" plate to make a contact inside the motor). But when you want to free winch out you lock the spool to the other direction and you go pull the wire. What happens it that oil is flowing through the port A but the declutch port is not pressurized but connected to the tank so it is easy to freewinch.
I do not know how ideal is that plumbing though.
What the company recommends is here, utilizing another valve just for the declutch port
MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
- Messages
- 66,376
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
We have very few ash trees left. Borers got em all.
They are just starting to move in, both from the north (Canada) and the south. (New Hampshire.) They recently released parasites that we hope will attack the borer.
One of our biggest problems is getting out of state tourists to leave their bug infested firewood at home.
To the OP; that looks like a nice machine.
MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
- Messages
- 66,376
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
Yep. About 30 years ago my wife and I took some tours in Appalachia and saw the massive chestnut stumps left over from the blight.
There are a few- very few- isolated areas of Chestnut left. I never visited it, but my employer managed one of the last naturally occurring stands in Maine, before a conservation group bought the land. Like many, I'm waiting for them to develop a disease resistant strain. The Chestnut Society is working on it, but they aren't there yet.
The 2nd tallest American Chestnut is next town of me
I think the resistant hybrid will be ready in next 1-2 years. 15/16th American chestnut 1/16th Chinese. But they are EXPENSIVE!!! They sell already 3-4 nuts something around $1000 I think through their subscription They have to fund the research somehow!:confused3:^^^^
I guess that it will be a while before I plant any. With my luck a squirrel would come along and eat the seed.
I would like to see something done with beech, it isn't a highly valuable tree anyways but considering how much space it takes up in the forest it's unfortunate that it's all diseased.
I guess that it will be a while before I plant any. With my luck a squirrel would come along and eat the seed.
I would like to see something done with beech, it isn't a highly valuable tree anyways but considering how much space it takes up in the forest it's unfortunate that it's all diseased.
Here they cut them all down. In my forest I leave whichever Am. Beech isnt infected just in case I may have some resistant strain, but I dont have high expectations Q).^^^^
I guess that it will be a while before I plant any. With my luck a squirrel would come along and eat the seed.
I would like to see something done with beech, it isn't a highly valuable tree anyways but considering how much space it takes up in the forest it's unfortunate that it's all diseased.
Anywayw are off topic and the forum police may interfere! hahaha.
I am currently try to decide on a hydraulic tank for my processor. I do not want to give $300 for a 30gal tank. My options are a old water heater tank that I have gutted, a 55gallon drum and cut 6 plates off 14ga on the plasma and weld them. The whole day I am changing my mind on that. The 3rd option is loosing ground though
^^^^
You might also be able to find a tank from a dead piece of equipment.
We also try to cut it all, except for the smooth barked trees. The problem is that it sprouts from the roots so still spreads.
I'm having a block cut this fall which has an exceptionally high population of uninfected beech, I hope to snag a few seeds to start, then plant later.
You might also be able to find a tank from a dead piece of equipment.
We also try to cut it all, except for the smooth barked trees. The problem is that it sprouts from the roots so still spreads.
I'm having a block cut this fall which has an exceptionally high population of uninfected beech, I hope to snag a few seeds to start, then plant later.
crazyal
Super Member
Do you have any truck junk yards around? A gas tank that mounts to the frame of a truck would make for a good hydraulic tank. They are usually thick steel. If you can pick one up cheap that's not rusty I think it would fit the bill nicely.
