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3 pt. log splitter

Started by BboneBob, April 22, 2003, 08:23:28 AM

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BboneBob

I am in search of information about log splitters that can run off of a tractor.

I heat with wood and have been splitting my logs with a maul and occationally renting a portable splitter.  But now I own a large tractor (Ford 445 Industrial) with a 3 pt. hitch (cat. 1, 2, or 3) and a live PTO.  The tractor also has auxillary hydraulics that aren't hooked up to anything right now.  I'd sure like to use my beast of a tractor for something besides hauling logs and maintaining my road.

My questions are:  Do 3pt. splitters run off the PTO or the tractor's hydraulic system?  Also, can anyone recommend a good splitter to look for; and for that matter, is a 3 pt. splitter the way to go or should I just keep renting a portable one every year?

Thank you for your responses :)
BboneBob

ohsoloco

Bbone, check this link out.  It looks like the splitter runs off of the hydraulic system.  

http://www.norwoodindustries.com/splitmate.htm

Bibbyman

A couple of farm boys in our neighborhood sell firewood during the winter.  They stockpile a mound of logs behind their big machine shed in the summer and fall months.  

When firewood season came,  they would drag in a log and cut it up and split it on a splitter attached to their 100hp farm tractor.  Said they were burning 5 gallons of diesel per hour and the fumes were stinking them out of the shed.

One day they were over when we were working up some firewood using a unit with an 8hp gas engine.  The pump GPM was greater on our splitter with engine than the hydraulic system on their tractor. (Your industrial tractor should have greater hydraulic GPM rating.)  They guessed the cycle rate of our unit was twice as fast as their tractor mounted unit.

Must have got them thinking.  Next time I was over there,  I noted they had bought a splitter with gas engine.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

MrMoo

Bbone,
I have a 3pt log splitter and I really like it. It was home built by someone.
It has its own hydraulic system (pump, resevoir, etc.). The PTO directly drives the pump. I have seen pumps with the receiver for the spline just like this in the Northern catalog.
Personally I prefer it setup with its own hydraulic system. It just seems to be that it is less taxing on the tractor.

I power it with a Ford 1710 tractor & it has plenty of power. Actually too much power as it can destroy it self. I found this out one day trying to split elm for my mother in law. I ended up bending the I-beam somewhat. Only later was I told you should split elm right when it is cut down not several months later.

I would say go ahead & get a 3pt splitter they work well & you don't have to maintain a small engine.
Mike

johnjbc

I have a 3 point splitter that I have run off of the hydraulics on Case 530 and had a problem with the hydraulics getting hot.  ::)Used to prop the control handle open with a stick and use the valve on the splitter to cycle the splitter. Now I run it with the electric hydraulic unit that was hooked to the barn cleaner in my barn when I bought it. Never have a problem starting the engine.  :D ;D
I have the splitter in the wood shed next to a cutoff saw that I rigged up with a 16 hp Briggs engine.
If you get one I would recommend getting one that works either horizontal (good for smaller wood) or vertical (you can roll large wood on it). Check out Tractor Supply
LT40HDG24, Case VAC, Kubota L48, Case 580B, Cat 977H, Bobcat 773

ksu_chainsaw

i have run both types of splitters- run from the tractor hydraulics and pto powered.  I did not like the way that the pto powered one worked, but it was cheap.  i then switched to a splitter ran from the tractor hydraulics on a 706 farmall.  after that pump wore out- almost $200 to replace :o, i decided to make a splitter powered by a gas motor.  I have been running that splitter for 3 years now and have not had to replace anything except a battery and fuel tank that both bounced off driving down a rough road.  i found that a 13 hp gas motor is cheaper to run than is a 100 hp diesel tractor.  also, the hydraulic system on most tractors is not made to run continuously so the oil overheats.  i do not know how big of a resivour your tractor has, but it needs to be fairly large.  if you go with a pto powered splitter, it takes almost the same amount of equipment on the splitter as does a seperate motor.  as soon as this semester is over, i will go home and take some pictures of my splitter and post them. 12.5 hp gas, 16gpm 2-stage pump, 5 X 24" cylinder, approx 15 gal. hydraulic resivour, and a hydraulic log lift for the large logs.  I built most of it out of scraps and only paid $300 for everything there.  Hope you get one that works the best for you

Charles W.

Minnesota_boy

When you split elm, don't try to split it down the middle.  Take a 2 to 4 inch slab off a side, turn, take another slab, turn, etc until it is small enough to fit the stove.  I don't know why elm splits so hard down the middle.  :(
I eat a high-fiber diet.  Lots of sawdust!

Jason_WI

"also, the hydraulic system on most tractors is not made to run continuously so the oil overheats.  i do not know how big of a resivour your tractor has, but it needs to be fairly large."

On all of our larger tractors the hydraulic system is always running to lubricate the tranny. All of our tractors have an oil cooler for the hydraulic system to cool the oil. Our Ford 8700 has almost 10000 hours on it and the hydraulic pump has never been touched.

Jason
Norwood LM2000, 20HP Honda, 3 bed extentions. Norwood Edgemate edger. Gehl 4835SXT

dail_h

   I've done it both ways splitting as much as 100 cords a year.believe me,the motor driven unit is much cheaper to operat,pluse most of them have two stage pumps,a real plus in bad knotty wood.If you need the tractor to get the splitter to the wood,just weld a 3pt hitch on
World Champion Wildcat Sorter,1999 2002 2004 2005
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Frank_Pender

Twenty-five years ago a couple of my students built me a 3 point unit without haveing ever seeing a picture or one actually run.   I had themn design it so that the pump ran with the pto and an adjustable pto shaft   I worked great for a couple of years.  I ran it with a John Deere D haveing attatched a hydraulic pump from a D 2 Cat.  I had mounted the unit on a single axel hal ton Forn readend.  I then found a 20 horse Wisconsin with a Zenith Carborator and operated with porpane.  I still have the engine but redesigned my splitter  for 23 years.  There are three units on a single 3/4 ton Ford readend.  One unit run horizontal another run vertical  while you place the wood on a lazy Susan and the third has a quick release hydraulic hose couplers that maked kindling.  I can only operate one unit at a time, as I am only one person at a time. :'(  I use to move a hundred cord a year and teach full time.  that eventuall got old 12 years ago and slowed down and bought a mill or three. ;D
Frank Pender

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