Hydraulic wood splitter sizing?

I have a 35ton and it will split anything. If it don't split it cuts it. The only problem is when it is cold I can't start it. It has a 12hp b/s and you have to pull start it. If you aren't careful it will kick back and tear your arm off. I can't put a starter on it as the fly wheel is different. (made to be cheaper) when it is warm it starts ok. The reason for hard starting is you are turning the hyd. pump also and with every thing stiff it just don't quite catch. I don't think I would by anything over 8hp again. I'm looking for an other engine with elect start.
leaddog

Good pointers there by leaddog. If you are going to go big get electric start. I have a vert/hor. 20 ton with a 4" cylinder and two stage pump and it usually splits what I can get on it or in it. Some times it has to be manipulated to find the right spot. The motor blew on it a couple of years back (it's a 20 year old splitter) so I now have a 6.5 instead of a 5 horse but the pump is 11gmp/3.5gpm two stage I have replaced the pump twice because I didn't check the fluid often enough and lost the two pumps to cavitation.
The secret in the splitter world is cylinder size. An 11gpm pump at 2000psi on a 4" cylinder won't have the power that it would on a 5" cylinder. Two stage pumps run high volume at about 650 psi and when it gets rough they drop down to about 3.5 gpm low volume at the higher pressure. With small bore engines I wouldn't try a single stage pump. A lot of wood spits without even getting to the higher pressure but some won't split without it. I have spit around 30' rounds with my splitter with no problem and some times a gnarly knotted chunk not barely 15" will make me back the wedge out and try a different spot. Elm is real good at that.

I have the 30 ton Northern. I'm happy with it other than the one low pressure hose keeps splitting, I need to get that replaced. I regularly split 24" oak, no problem.

I bought the 4 way wings but I ended up taking them off. When you got into the big stuff and knarly stuff it just didn't work out very well.

I have a Harbor Freight 30 ton rated for 25" long x 8" diameter.

The only problem splitting 18" long x 40" diameter maple rounds it that it takes three fairly strong people to move the rounds.

Just remember the bigger the engine the more gas you will burn. Have a swisher American made splitter 6.5 horse 22 ton have not found a piece it will not split yet.

If you have a slightly bigger budget I suggest the split-fire, it is a hydraulic splitter that splits in both directions do a search on google on this unit I did call and get some prices they start around 2000$ for the (2260) and go well over that, the one I liked had the 4 way wedge 3500$ for the (3465)...Super split is a whole different animal but worth a look also...Both can be seen in operation on Youtube...Dave

20 ton or bigger

As you men mature more you'll realize that 24" is not good for firewood splitting. Your splitter will handle it forever but it'll catch up with YOU
and make you old before your time.

I hate sawing those big rounds, but splitting them is the best. Wrangle it over and use the splitter vertically. Make sure you've got a stump to sit on while using it and you get lots of wood without having to bend a whole lot. They're easy to handle after you split in in two. I cannot imagine trying to split big rounds horizontally though. BTW, edited to include I've got a 5hp 20 ton Brave but all I split is oak. It takes care of it like nothing... even the knots and crooks.

I don't own a splitter but I rented a 13 ton form the local Taylor rental, and it took care of everything I had, some of which was pretty tough stuff. See before and after. I would guess a 20 T should handle most anything you could put in it.

If I remember correctly, it wasn't too many years back when a 20 ton was considered a big splitter. It seems that true to the american way, they started building them bigger.
When I got my 20 ton from TSC about 10 years ago, I believe the only bigger splitter available was a 24 ton and everybody said I didn't need one that big. They were right.

Tree farmer said:

Just remember the bigger the engine the more gas you will burn...

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Tell me about it. I'm going to keep track of how much gas I burn because it seems excessive. Seems like between the tractor and the splitter, I was always refilling my jerry cans. I put new plugs in the tractor and that seemed to help. Might be time to change the plug on the splitter too.

My only complaint about my splitter is the slow cycle time. I spend a lot of time (and gas) waiting on the ram to reach the wood and to retract.

First I suggest to get one that will stand up rather than splitting horizontally. If you have to lift every piece up onto the splitter, you double your work load and will ruin your back very quickly.

Ours is an older 20 ton (Tractor Supply) with a 5 hp B & S engine. In the many years we've used it there has been only one piece that it would not go through. Naturally, that was a knotty twisted up elm. But only that one piece! It has been trouble free too.

When I bought this splitter I was not sure either on the size. I told the manager that I was afraid I'd buy a splitter and find it too small but I'd be stuck. He told me there was no problem. If I bought it and it would not do the job, I was to bring it back for a full refund! I bought it and have never been sorry.

As some others have suggested, 20 ton minimum and you should be good. I prefer splitters that go vertical, although you will have some guys tell you horizontal is the only way. If you go horizontal you absolutely need a log lift for larger rounds (add $$$$). I split many rounds over 36" with my vertical/horizontal splitter (in the vertical position, of course). If the round doesn't split all the way through (from one side to the other) I keep the ram/wedge down in it and swing a maul through the edge of the round facing me. This usually gets the round in half, and then I can handle repositioning the round halves for subsequent splits. I do my splitting alone - if you have help you might not have to do it this way.

I have a Harbor Freight 22 ton and I've been happy with it, especially for the money. It has had some problems, but I bought it reconditioned for $640 delivered to my door. For that money, I can deal with having to resolve a couple issues. If I had to buy one new today I would look hard at the TSC splitters or the ones sold by Northern Tools.

MarkG

A 20 ton will do it, as others have said. A bigger unit will possibly do it better, but not by a huge amount... I've got a 30 ton HF unit and most times it never even slows down. I also do a lot of splitting with a friend's 20 ton, and while it goes through everything, it does work harder at it...

I would second the comments about going vertical, as that allows you to just sit in front of the splitter and crank out production as long as your supply holds out...

Gooserider

I too have the 30t from Northern Tool. It cycles a little slow but has busted through or cut everything I've given it.

I noticed on the newer ones they have addressed the return hose splitting as Jackpine was saying. When mine gets too short I'll replace it.

As far as vertical vs. horizontal, why not get a splitter that does both? Mine does both and I use it in the vertical position for the stuff I can't lift and the horizontal position for the stuff I can.

hottubbrad said:

I am wondering what size (in tons) wood splitter I would need to split 24" diameter maple.
I am going to buy one and don't want to undersize.....

Any experienced people out there....?

Northern tools has 13, 20 ,30 and 37 ton units....for example.

Thanks

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The 37 ton Northstar will dice up 36" rounds with ease all day long...Im sure the smaller tonage will do the trick as well
The rounds get so big, I have to use my L39 and backhoe (with thumb) to move them. Once I split them small enough its usually easier to go horizontal after that. Its nice to have the flexibility with the same splitter

kenny chaos said:

As you men mature more you'll realize that 24" is not good for firewood splitting. Your splitter will handle it forever but it'll catch up with YOU
and make you old before your time.

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nah, keeps you young trust me...you grow your guns by moving them and by the summer the ladies will go wild...

If they are really to big for you, use a maul and work it down to size....let the maul do the work, it takes little effort if done correctly

I would suggest at least a 16 ton as I have one that is about 25 years old and on its third 5 hp engine it is very good on fuel but a back killer as it is only a horizontal, I only remember sticking this a few times on a few nasty pieces of elm , I do have another splitter now also which is a 22 ton , this is the cats meow its on my tractor , I have a 4 and 6 way head for it auto forward and reverse and a log lift . Its quiet with it being on the tractor and I split 21 full cord last fall on less that 7 gallons of diesel , its also very quick and because of the tractor cab lights we can split all night , also being on the tractor its easy to move from pile to pile to split .

As mentioned several times before, a 20 ton will split about all you want to cut for firewood. Mine has never been stuck. Seems to go through about anything including elm. Mine is horizontal only. If I get something really big, I just make a little ramp out of some splits, and roll the big piece up. Anything really big and bulky, I have some lifting tongs for my tractor bucket. Takes two people to do it efficiently, but it works.

Non helpful and divisive messages deleted, and thread CLOSED - Let's learn how to be polite...

Gooserider