Thinking about building a splitter. Question is, mobility.

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fabsroman

Minister of Fire
Jun 1, 2011
1,086
West Friendship, Maryland
I am used to a MTD 25 ton splitter, which I can move around by myself without much trouble. I want to build something with an 8 to 9 second cycle time, a 5 inch cylinder, and a 28 gpm pump. Probably going to go with a Honda GX690, 20+ gallons of hydraulic fluid, a log lift, and a wedge lift. Essentially, something like the Timberwolf TW-6.

My main concern is whether I will be able to move this thing around under human power, or if I am going to need an ATV or truck to get it where I want it in somebody's yard. I could rig up a harness from a deer stand harness that I could use to help pull it, if need be, but would prefer not to.
 
I have a 30 ton with a 5" cylinder verticle/horizontal. Its a pain to move manually. If there is any incline forget it.
 
Here's what I'm doing for my splitter.

image.jpg
 
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As the size of splitter increases, so does the weight. I won't even consider trying to move my big boy by hand.
 
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gzecc said:
You may want to upgrade the rear wheels to 12" with suspension. This will increase its road worthyness and increase its versatility.
Click to expand...
They are 12" wheels with 3500lb spindles. I don't plan to ever pull it on roads so no suspension needed.

This is the second splitter I've put pneumatic jockey wheels on. The first weighed 12-1500 pounds, one person could easily move it on flat lawn since your just pushing/pulling and not having to lift the tongue weight.
 
Mike Fromme said:
They are 12" wheels with 3500lb spindles. I don't plan to ever pull it on roads so no suspension needed.

This is the second splitter I've put pneumatic jockey wheels on. The first weighed 12-1500 pounds, one person could easily move it on flat lawn since your just pushing/pulling and not having to lift the tongue weight.
Click to expand...

I was debating getting a leaf spring suspension from the rear of some vehicle and using that for my splitter. I have all of 4 trees on my property. Two weeping willows and two maples, so my splitter will need to go places.

How come you went with a square tube for the main beam of your splitter instead of an I-beam? Most of what I have seen built has been on an I-beam, both commercial and homeowner.
 
You might be able to come close to 'human propelled' if you do some deep thinking and actually 'engineer' it. Which means using properly sized parts, an efficient hydraulic system and minimal excess weight, etc. I ran some basic equations and built my 20 ton splitter using a 6" schedule 40 steel pipe as the 'backbone' - it also doubles as a hydraulic tank. Instead of monster-thick solid plates, I made trussed / gusseted end caps to carry the load and they also double as motor / hydraulic pump supports. So the whole thing rolls around like a 2-wheeled cart.

Most people won't do that, they just grab what ever steel is handy... if 1/8" thick steel is enough, then probably start looking for a 1/4" thick plate, and call it 'even better' when you find a 3/8" thick chunk. Get all that extra 'strength' (read weight) with a few more components and suddenly the whole thing is an unmanageable beast. You also might be getting pretty heavy with 20 gallons of oil, log lift, wedge lift, and all the other accessories.

Conversely, if you do all that, adding a diverter valve and a small hydraulic motor aren't going to add much extra weight/cost/complexity - and now you have a hydraulic self propelled log splitter, so who cares what it weighs!
 
Mike Fromme said:
They are 12" wheels with 3500lb spindles. I don't plan to ever pull it on roads so no suspension needed.

This is the second splitter I've put pneumatic jockey wheels on. The first weighed 12-1500 pounds, one person could easily move it on flat lawn since your just pushing/pulling and not having to lift the tongue weight.
Click to expand...

No doubt they are strong enough. When/if taking it on the road, suspension will greatly increase the lifespan of the entire machine. It really takes a beating without suspension. Your at the point that installing it, isn't hard. I'm thinking a torsion axle.
 
fabsroman said:
I was debating getting a leaf spring suspension from the rear of some vehicle and using that for my splitter. I have all of 4 trees on my property. Two weeping willows and two maples, so my splitter will need to go places.

How come you went with a square tube for the main beam of your splitter instead of an I-beam? Most of what I have seen built has been on an I-beam, both commercial and homeowner.
Click to expand...
I didn't want to use leaf springs because the mountings for the springs would be where I want to stand. With the solid axle setup there is less structure in the way. A torsion axle would be the best of both worlds but I didn't want to spend the money for my needs.
I have 40 acres of trees to cut here but I get all my wood that I burn dropped off by a tree service. The only reason this splitter will be on the road is if I sell it.

I'm using a 6x8x1/2" tube and will weld a 1x8" flat plate to the top for the pusher to ride on. Some commercial splitters and processors are using this setup. Apparently it is less likely to twist and will deflect less then a comparable weight h beam.
 
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Corey said:
You might be able to come close to 'human propelled' if you do some deep thinking and actually 'engineer' it. Which means using properly sized parts, an efficient hydraulic system and minimal excess weight, etc. I ran some basic equations and built my 20 ton splitter using a 6" schedule 40 steel pipe as the 'backbone' - it also doubles as a hydraulic tank. Instead of monster-thick solid plates, I made trussed / gusseted end caps to carry the load and they also double as motor / hydraulic pump supports. So the whole thing rolls around like a 2-wheeled cart.

Most people won't do that, they just grab what ever steel is handy... if 1/8" thick steel is enough, then probably start looking for a 1/4" thick plate, and call it 'even better' when you find a 3/8" thick chunk. Get all that extra 'strength' (read weight) with a few more components and suddenly the whole thing is an unmanageable beast. You also might be getting pretty heavy with 20 gallons of oil, log lift, wedge lift, and all the other accessories.

Conversely, if you do all that, adding a diverter valve and a small hydraulic motor aren't going to add much extra weight/cost/complexity - and now you have a hydraulic self propelled log splitter, so who cares what it weighs!
Click to expand...

Thanks for that suggestion. Just looked at hydraulic motors that are wheel hubs. At $200, that isn't too bad to make this thing easy to move. Do you think putting the motor on a single wheel and guiding it by the tongue would be sufficient to get the job done? Can a hydraulic wheel hub motor handle the speed if I am towing this thing at 60 to 65 mph?
 
fabsroman said:
Thanks for that suggestion. Just looked at hydraulic motors that are wheel hubs. At $200, that isn't too bad to make this thing easy to move. Do you think putting the motor on a single wheel and guiding it by the tongue would be sufficient to get the job done? Can a hydraulic wheel hub motor handle the speed if I am towing this thing at 60 to 65 mph?
Click to expand...
You could put the drive motor on the front wheel.

On my splitters the front wheels are mounted to a heavy duty trailer jack. If you put the tongue attached to the beam all you would have to do is crank the wheels up to tow it on the road.

 
I actually wanted to build a self propelled splitter. And came very close to buying a golf course greens mower since they are hydraulic drive and can be had cheap. But by the time i factored in all the odds and ends needed to make it work it wasnt worth the money for my needs.
 
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fabsroman said:
Thanks for that suggestion. Just looked at hydraulic motors that are wheel hubs. At $200, that isn't too bad to make this thing easy to move. Do you think putting the motor on a single wheel and guiding it by the tongue would be sufficient to get the job done? Can a hydraulic wheel hub motor handle the speed if I am towing this thing at 60 to 65 mph?
Click to expand...

While doing 65mph you should have this.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_620183_620183
 
gzecc said:
While doing 65mph you should have this.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_620183_620183
Click to expand...

lol - I actually looked at torsion axles last night and printed out that very from Northern Tools so I can put it in my manilla folder. I am starting to compile my manilla folder of parts I want for the build and starting to come up with a design in my head. I really like the torsion axle and hydraulic motor for a front wheel. This is going to be a fun project. Probably way more splitter than I will need, but it is going to be a cool discussion piece for a while and it will make splitting wood all that much more enjoyable, and quicker too. Also something to keep me busy and out of trouble. I really am liking the torsion axle and some wheels from the junkyard. Might go with something off a Ford vehicle if possible since everything I own is a Ford.
 
Get the torsion axle from Northern and just use the 12" wheels you have. They'll be fine. You' also need hubs.
 
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