Well a few of you have asked about the log splitter I been working on. After sitting in my shop for over a year, I needed to get it done and moved out. On Saturday, I hauled it out and gave it a test. Here is a video of that event
This will eventually be run on chargas like my other hydralic splitter. I anticipate using this splitter for nearly all my wood, especially for processing long pieces for charcoal. The speed sure beats the hydulic splitter!
Gary in PA where Punxy Phil (THE groundhog) did not see his shadow so spring is just around the corner. However, there was not a cloud in the sky driving home from this event so how he missed is shadow is beyond me!
Excellent job as always Gary; For more information you can look up on this site or on Youtube for the late John Collins build of a kinetic log splitter. I believe he went directly to CR who builds these commercially and bought a rack and pinion. My friend bought one and it works great ---- and FAST TomC
That’s awesome Gary, this is now on my list of things to build, Do you think it could be done to accept 4’ logs? This could be something of interest for those needing process for the smaller chippers.
That’s fantastic Gary. I’m seeing those long ones quartered and am thinking, those are now ready for the chunker. I like it. I need one that does 8 footers. Hahaha
A new inspiration, Gary, well done. I saw a massive flywheel in my brother’s scrap pile and said, “hmmm, what can I use that for?” Now I know I have to get the valves ground and set on my 8hp Tecumseh. Thanks for the post.
Pepe
Nice job Garry. I never use a wood splitter because they are so slow. That I could deal with. never saw a kinetic wood splitter handle anything of that length. That is awesome, now to find a rack, all I need is another project.
Hey Gary. You could put a temporary stopper on the I beam so the rack wouldn’t have to return so far for the shorter wood. It would speed you up a little and have less wear over time. Just a pair of vice grips on the I-beam would do it. But you’re already pretty fast. You da man. Very impressive.
Hi Al,
I bought the rack and pinion from Martin Sprocket. Here is the link for the rack http://www.martinsprocket.com/products/product-search?Part_Number=R4X4
Here is the link for the pinion http://www.martinsprocket.com/products/product-search?Part_Number=S412
They both are 14.5 pitch
You should also be able to get them from McMaster Carr. Anything new??? Well I split a truck load of pine several weeks ago. The engine was fueled with charcoal gas and the whole operation ran well. There were some bigger pieces of pine that I knew would be tough and they were. Twice I needed to use the chain saw to cut the log that got jammed on the wedge. Repeated hammering by the ram just drove the log further on without splitting. The only other problem was when the spring pulling the lever back popped off. I did not know it and while lifting the end of a small log with my left hand, the ram was reactivated. This pinched my left middle finger between the ram and the log. Fortunately, I was able to quickly extract my finger and only got away with a numb digit that is nearly back to normal.
Gary in PA
Gary I have a case ingersoll by directional hydraulic wood splitter. That splitter has a flying wedge instead of the pusher moving and the wedge will split in both directions on a different peice of wood. The interesting thing with that setup is that if the splitter gets stuck you can use the return stroke to get it off the wedge. With a a split on the other side. I have seen the same design with a single direction wedge where the wedge passes between two stops at the end of stroke the stops will knock the wood off the wedge. I don’t know if that would work on one of these because it would require the spring to be strong enough to pull it off.
I really like the speed it is about half what the super split that I used once of this design. That thing was dangerous after one split I walked away this one looks great about like my hydraulic was at 30 gpm but running a 45 hp tractor full throttle burned too much fuel to justify that type of speed . This one make me want another splitter.
Dan,
45hp tractor shuld be more thain plenty for a hydraulic log spliter when running at 1/4 throtle.
We have a log spliter with 22t (50000lb) of force and it is powered by a 45 hp Deutz Torpedo tractor at 1400 rpm on the engine and about 1/4 throtle. It has split at least a 100 cords of wood and l only saw it stoped by a tough wood knot once.
I think your problem lyes in the hydraulic pump multiplicator. This is the reason you nead such a high throtle. If you like the spliter, l think it is cheaper to just buy a new multiplicator with a higher ratio.
Kristijan I have a allis chalmers d15 with a front mounted hydraulic pump at 30 gpm actually think I will swap it out for a 18 gpm. anyway the only rule of thumb I have found is 1 hp per 1 gpm on a gas motor to rrun a hydraulic pump. I would guess that is about right because that hydraulic pump pulls hard on that tractor below half throttle you can stall the motor with it if you fully load the pump. And the tractor has a recently rebuilt motor just put into use this last summer.
That said the real issue is the motor only turns something like 1800 rpm I think at full throttle. AND the pump is rated 30 gpm at 3000 rpm. So while I can split wood at low throttle I don’t get the flow rate because the pump just isn’t turning fast enough it I directly coupled to the front of the crankshaft.
All if that said right now I am splitting wood with a case ingersoll 448 garden tractor that I repowered with a Chinese 10 hp diesel. One of the yanmar knock offs. That is a great setup the motor burns very little fuel and makes an amazing amount of power. I used it last summer to rake all my hay and I raked up 10000 square bales with it on hilly ground. I have debated getting a 2 stage hydraulic pump for splitting wood but the case ingersoll used the hydraulics to run the rearend as well so I would end up with a tractor that would abruptly speed up or slow down when the load on the pump passed 900 psi. All in all I decided without a dedicated wood splitter I would just live with the slower speed. The ingersoll runs at an acceptable speed I think it has a 13 gpm pump just about half as fast as the splitter shown but you never have to reposition the wedge to split the next peice so it is a trade off.
