Wood Splitter Advice

Gooserider · Jan 3, 2008

BurningIsLove said:
Yeah, I'm with Goose and the other vertical mode fans on this one. Lifting 100+ lb rounds up onto the horizontal beam was a lot more labor and strain on the back than rolling a round onto the ground-level platform in vertical mode. Both my father and I have back problems, and we find that if we squat in the correct position, then the long term back discomfort is much smaller than lifting rounds up repeatedly.

I prefer to sit, but same deal...

Im also not sure I understand the issue people (reaperman and his dealer) are talking about using a 4-way in vertical mode? I understand the point about the split size, e.g. the round size is not always going to yield 4 perfect sized splits and that re-splitting one or two too-large ones would be difficult w/ a 4 way wedge. I just do those by hand w/ a splitting maul as I enjoy splitting the ole fashioned way. Can you please explain why this is mechanically a bad idea?

Playing devils advocate for the moment, as I'm not a fan of the multi-way wedges, there are two problems mentioned that are more likely with multi-wedges, especially if they are mounted on the moving ram, as opposed to the fixed stop (with the pusher on the ram) Neither is as much of a concern with a single wedge mounted perpendicular to the beam. I will speak mostly to 4-way wedges, but the same thing applies to larger ones

1. With a single wedge the splits just fall to either side, no problem. With a multi wedge, the two splits closest to the beam are trapped between the beam and the moving wedge. If they are big splits, and especially if they are ones where the log wants to split on an angle so that the split gets bigger as you go down, the split is going to potentially be jammed into the beam by the moving wedge. If the base wedge is wide enough to push the splits off the beam this might not be a big problem.

2. As many rounds don't want to split straight, or are harder on one side than the other, they can put a lot more torque on the piston of the hydraulic cylinder, trying to either rotate it, or make it flex. Neither is good for the seals, though again, it's not real clear how big a problem this is on a properly designed unit.

For example, I have a 9HP Robin/24 ton hydraulic system on mine. A tiny fraction (like 1%) of rounds have even made the engine change pitch, and those were super large, knotted & gnarled rounds that would normally have taken dynamite to split. Im having trouble visualizing what you mean by the log being wedged into the I-beam? The ram (2-way or 4-way) runs parallel to the I-beam, so there is no force exerted on the I-Beam by the ram or by gravity.

The ram runs parallel to the beam, but the wedges are tapered, and two of the splits are going to be pushed towards the beam (or table) by the wedge "wings" that are running parallel to the beam rather than perpendicular like the two-way wedge does.

Gooserider

Larryj24 · Jan 3, 2008

Gooserider,

You are correct on the 4 way wedge. NEVER put it on the piston side! For all those reasons and more.

However, a 4 way wedge when mounted on the beam IS SUPPOSED TO FLOAT! In other words, it is not Fixed in position. It needs to ride up a shaft (usually the existing splitter wedge) as it moves through the wood. This elimintaes the Jam problem. This is the ONLY WAY a 4 way wedge is designed to work on an I Beam Splitter.

LarryD · Jan 3, 2008

Larryj24 said:
Gooserider,

You are correct on the 4 way wedge. NEVER put it on the piston side! For all those reasons and more.

However, a 4 way wedge when mounted on the beam IS SUPPOSED TO FLOAT! In other words, it is not Fixed in position. It needs to ride up a shaft (usually the existing splitter wedge) as it moves through the wood. This elimintaes the Jam problem. This is the ONLY WAY a 4 way wedge is designed to work on an I Beam Splitter.

That is exactly how mine works. You would be amazed at how much the 4-way rides up and down the fixed wedge.

Larry D

Larryj24 · Jan 3, 2008

Larry D,
Some might be amazed, but not I. I have read too many threads where people are trying to make a Horizontal/Vertical as good as a horizontal. Some people don't understand all they sacrifice with a vertical. I guess because at one point I was doing some production of firewood and learned it then. You want the I Beam at working height so your not bending over. Table so you can do resplits, though not necessary with a 4 way wedge, and of course the ultimate is the conveyor belt. Also learned back then why you want the splitter to push away from the hitch. Nothing worse than having to dig your splitter out of a fresh split pile!

Woodrat · Jan 4, 2008

Horiz/vert splitters always reminded me of the "camel ==a horse designed by a committee" saying. The height will seldom be what is comfortable for your back in the horizontal position. Even if you could get around the fact that multiple wedge adaptors to be able to move, I don't think I'd want to be (or see anyone else) nicked by one of those "other" wedges while operating the valve---unlikely-yes------impossible-NO. I've seen stranger things happen.
Purely from a "time" standpoint, hydraulic splitters are not productive enough because of thier slow cycle times unless outfitted with multiple wedges. I have a Brute/Timberwolf TW3HD with 6 way wedge on my tractor and love it (high production& low noise. That being said-- if I had to drop to one splitter, it would be my other one--a Super Split that I changed to an electric motor to get rid of the noise.
This machine is 20-25 years old and in all probability will still be working fine in another 25. My son would "take it of my hands" anytime. My point is that with any wood up to 16", I could probably run "head to head " with someone operating my tractor because of the cycle time factor. The Super Split has about a 2 second cycle-- I use a pulp hook to grab & position (and reposition) the pieces, so basically I can get six splits off a round in the same time my tractor with the six way wedge completes its cycle!
They are pricey- but well worth it. I'd tell you to watch for one used, but you're very unlikely to ever see one- I know,I've looked!

LarryD · Jan 4, 2008

Larryj24 said:
Larry D,
Some might be amazed, but not I. I have read too many threads where people are trying to make a Horizontal/Vertical as good as a horizontal. Some people don't understand all they sacrifice with a vertical. I guess because at one point I was doing some production of firewood and learned it then. You want the I Beam at working height so your not bending over. Table so you can do resplits, though not necessary with a 4 way wedge, and of course the ultimate is the conveyor belt. Also learned back then why you want the splitter to push away from the hitch. Nothing worse than having to dig your splitter out of a fresh split pile!

We rented verticle machines and I quickly came to the conclusion that they were harder on my back than a Horizontal machine. That is what lead me to buy our splitter. The design of the timberwolf is to get the working parts of the machine higher up, so you are stooping over less. I think vert vs hor is very much personal preference. For me horizontal is far more productive. That is my opinion. Add a four way wedge, log lift and the table and you can split wood for many hours and not feel like you've killed yourself. The up front cost is worth it.

Larry D

triptester · Jan 5, 2008

Here is a link to a line of vertical splitters that you don't have to bend over to use .

Available options are log-lift, attached conveyor, and even self propelled.

http://www.timberdevil.com/products.html

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Wood Splitter Advice

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