Thoughts on smaller firewood processors

[woodmills1]

OK been at it a few weeks, here are some observations


I bought a mutiteck 1610 EZ live deck  it is a small firewood processor
16 inch dia and 10-12 foot logs

1. It is just fantastic to see the stuff split going up into the truck

2. You would not want to have to pull the bar and chain by hand with everything else you need to pay attention to

3. thank god I didn't get a PTO model...need the metavic behind the tractor to feed the thing

4. you will need another machine to remove the copius amounts of sawdust and splinters

5. keep a shovel handy to pull the sawdust out and push or pull the splinters.

6. conveyors seem like your best friend, they are not they need to be babied lika 2 year old.  Any small piece will jam them from above and ifin ya don't push or pull the splinters from below now and then they will pull up a miniscule piece and jam.

7. ya need a pickaroon     some blocks fall bad etc and ya don't wanna put your hands in there cause you can trigger anything when ya lean over to move that block

8. It takes longer than you think....but is way eaiser/better than not having one

9. It likes straight round wood....be prepared to remove nubbins and Y's

10. when you run it at maximum diameter you will break or bend something

11.  At half the price you would not want one built less rugged than this one...It will break...you will hate it or spend the time and bucks fixing and upgrading

12.  I love it............ :D :D :D 8)

[woodmills1]

meant to put this on the general board, can it be moved there please? ???

[ken999]

Thanks for the input WM1.

[bull]

Woodmills, Do I hear an echo, Oh that's me.... I feel the same way, awesome machine but it can scare the crap out of you......nothing has been able to stop the splitter it will push anything thru wether it fits or not, thank god for the guards around the splitter and work station. I may add something stronger infront of the Joysticks...

last stick falls into spliter bin before you cut it, what a B1tch to get out, I made up a tool with an old shovel that I use the up feature on ethe 4 way wedge to push it back up works ok.... I am making a sled to put under the machine and pull out when full for the sawdust....
I will be digging a pit at the bottom of the conveyor when I move the machine the next time....

I think the owners manual is a joke, doesn't even show the updates that my machine has..... I have an issue with bar oilder control and there is a crappy picture of it and no explanation....

I am producing a good cord every two hours working alone, at this time the majority of what I am cutting is 6 inch and under single split...... When I get something 8 inches and over boy does the wood add up fast....

I would say I am 90 % happy with the machine and will not be going back to the saw and splitter...
I have someone working with me who is taking everything 16 inch and over or to tough to get thru the machine and my brother is taking everything 4 inch and under for his wood furnace... We are harvesting and processing an average of 10 cord a week......

[woodmills1]

Yes it is awesom, and the splitter will damage the housing real easy.  How many bolts have you broken on the splitter centering bar.  I bent the main splitter bar with a piece that was lumpy to one side.  Had to push on it with the tractor to center it.

and yes, if you forget to push the balance bar out for the last piece, it falls in the splitter.  I use the tractor winch throught the claw of the grapple to crane it out.

but watchin the split pieces go up the conveyor is priceless.

In the spring I am going to lay out a spot where the truck will be a little lower so the conveyor can be less steep, and dig out under the center so the sawdust and chips fall away.

do you have a rubber flap on the bottem edge of the conveyor?

[bull]

No broken bolts, but missing or loose nuts after first 12 hours on the machine, there is a rubber flap on the conveyor if you revese the conveyor you have to remember to pull it back into position. have only had one log stuck on the wedge used a shot chain hitched to the push plate and pulled it of no problem.  I am going to build an table with a log stop around the infeed table so logs don fall off either side when loading.... I have been loading all logs but side in toward the saw- left side of infeed table. Also putting a sheet of 3/4 plywood beetween infeed rails to stop middle drop out of short wood

[woodmills1]

Mine was used and I would have thought multitek checked it out but...... ???

The bar bolts were loose and after 4 cuts the bar hit the guard and got jammed.

the saw seemmed to chatter a lot and try to feed too fast.......the jam not on the feed speed for the bar rotation was loose.  Once adjusted the saw cut smooth and rather quick for about 1/2 hour then problems.......the oiler hose had vibrated right off the bar and was squirting all over the place.   the hose was off and the little angled nipple was like 6 turns out.  checked lotsa things for tightness after that.

BTW  let the engine idle for a minute or two so after running, so it doesn't backfire

the manual is scrap paper

[Bibbyman]

We have a Blockbuster 14-12.  I don't think it's near as big as your machine or as complex.

We have some of the same problems but not all of them.  I can't think of anything shaking loose except for some little indicator device that helps you cut the blocks to length.   It was a fiberglass rod like a fishing pole that mounted in a bracket that hung down in front of where the log would be fed out to cut to length.   Last year we just replaced it with a short section of light chain.

One problem you've not mentioned – maybe because you've not had it happen ..... yet.  But if you let debris build up in and around the moving parts,  it will freeze overnight.  Next time you run it, things that needed to move before will not move in a chunk of frozen junk.  It tends to break off fittings and such.  It's a good practice to clean out any areas that may bind up if frozen.  Its remarkable how many gallons of oil will be pumped out before you can get it shut off!  Trust me on this one.

As for cleanup,  I take the Terex and run the forks under the output end and turn sharply – thus raking a lot of junk out from under the machine.  Then I put the bucket on and can scrape the debris away.   I have to do some shoveling and picking with something like a claw hammer to get stuff that's under the framework.   Every now and then I just hook onto it and pull it about 10' forward to clean ground and start over.

[bull]

I was going to make in in appropriate comment but didn't  :D ....
I use a leaf blower on my machine to blow off all the debrise in all the little nooks and crannys, seem to be keeping everyone happy !!!

[woodmills1]

frozen stuff yes yes yes


I tried to dump a bucket of sawdust, got back it was still there. :D :D