Wood splitter

[J_J]

When I get around to changing mine, I was going to take two matching 1/2 plates one side welded to the backing plate, and the other one welded to the I- beam A one inch bolt through the center for rotation, and put some holes towards the outside edge. Simply slip some 3/4 in bolts in the holes at the position you desire. O degrees, 90 degrees and 180. You could even cut small trees close to the ground at the 90 degree position.

Or weld another mounting plate on the bottom of the one that is there. 180 degree position.

 

[stray]

Sounds good J.J. although I just don't have much faith in the splitter cutting a very big sapling into. I'll have to get some small limbs and try it. Thanks for the idea about the rotation sounds interesting.

 

[pequeajim]

J.J. I was looking at the Northern splitter and it is pretty light at 290 lbs. I am welding a heavy duty trailer hitch receiver for my 425 and wonder if I could mount this splitter with a square tube welded to the beam that would allow me to rotate it 90 or 180 degrees? I wonder if the hitch would hold it, let alone with a log in place?

The attached pic shows the PT adapter. Mine will have some heavy gussets on all fours sides of the tube.

 

[pequeajim]

Here's a drawing showing how it would mount to the tow adapter. I am concerned about the strength of this type of setup?

The idea is to be able to rotate the assembly.

 

[pequeajim]

If you look at this pic, the tube is attached in a way that allows the whole assembly to rotate to a vertical position.

 

[stray]

It looks like that would work just fine. You might sacrifice some lifting power in the upside down mode but I’m sure it would carry the weight of the splitter. In lifting the splitter around with a log in its bite one might be concerned with bending the bar or tubing going into the receiver. I even though of building a ripper that goes into the receiver but elected not to. I didn’t say I didn’t think it would work I just elected not too. Could be I was just into building Quick plates.
One thing that is obvious the closer you build the bite of the splitter to the tractor the more you will be able to lift.
Anyway how goes the welding class?

 

[stray]

That splitter you had posted looks like a good one to adapt to the Pt. Where did you find it? Just put a receiver bar on it, slide it into the receiver you are making, pipe the hydraulics into the PTO and away you go. Should be a fairly simple job.

 

[MossRoad]

That sounds like a great idea, J_J

 

[J_J]

Some of those hitches are rated for about 500 lbs tongue weight. I think it could carry it just fine. Were you going to cut vertical and horizontal, and upside down. On a simple rig with the valve located up by the operator, one might be able to pull the unit from the receiver and rotate it to 45, 180, 270 degrees. My hydraulic cylinder is laying on the I-beam, which gives it a shorter profile. The square receiver is a good idea, but I would use a solid 2 in bar to weld to the log splitter

 

[RegL]

Good idea but I think for the 90 and 180 deg. positions to be usefull, you would want the splitter control valve to be in the cab of the PT so you don't have to get off the tractor. Position splitter over log, split and go.