A wheel or a shoe?

[Heartwood]

It's time I add a trailer jack to my Huskee 22. I think a wheel jack, as opposed to a flat footed jack, would be the way to go. I usually move the splitter around with my lawn tractor, and a jack will make the hook-up a lot easier. But sometimes I have to do some budging. Though the little plastic wheel probably won't let me roll the splitter around the yard, I'm thinking it will let me move it short distances easier just by me lifting off some of the weight and getting some benefit from the wheel. Anyone have any bad experience with a wheel jack, where they wish they had the sturdier shoe? Splitter move around more (I of course block my wheels)? Other issues? Or has one proved as good as the other?

Thx

 

[MasterMech]

In your case, either should be fine. The tongue of the frame should be light enough to lift and wheel the splitter around if you go for the shoe. The lack of serious weight should also be a plus when it comes to the durability of the wheel. I've seen wheel jacks on heavier trailers (small horse trailers usually) that are next to useless. Trailer is too heavy, ground too soft, can't roll over gravel, etc.

I have a 900 lb splitter with a simple swinging stand that has a shoe at the bottom. Unless I have to push it uphill, I can roll it around the yard, my driveway, or other areas easily.

 

[weezer4117]

Make sure the ram is retracted putting the weight of the cylinder over the axle, if a majority of the weight is over the axle you should be able to push/pull around with ease!!

 

[velvetfoot]

You probably have a different configuration on your splitter, by on my Harbor Freight unit, the beam actually has the hitch attached to it, so the tongue weight is heavy-like 150 lbs. The jack makes it easy to set the ground brace into position and change from horizontal to vertical, place it on the trailer dolly, etc.

 

[Bocefus78]

It's time I add a trailer jack to my Huskee 22. I think a wheel jack, as opposed to a flat footed jack, would be the way to go. I usually move the splitter around with my lawn tractor, and a jack will make the hook-up a lot easier. But sometimes I have to do some budging. Though the little plastic wheel probably won't let me roll the splitter around the yard, I'm thinking it will let me move it short distances easier just by me lifting off some of the weight and getting some benefit from the wheel. Anyone have any bad experience with a wheel jack, where they wish they had the sturdier shoe? Splitter move around more (I of course block my wheels)? Other issues? Or has one proved as good as the other?

Thx

Ive got the same splitter....TSC sells a folding wheel jack.....get one. You will be wondering why you didnt years ago! It even helps setting it up on unlevel ground. Best $30 mod possible to that splitter. If you want, you can remove the bolt and use a quick detatch pin for the wheel and you have both flat bottom and wheel.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I put a wheel on our splitter for those short moves. If I had it to do over again I'd get the one with two wheels because our moving is always on unpaved ground. The single wheel would be okay on paved but the 2 wheel should be better on rough ground.

 

[xman23]

Dennis, I think you and I have the same splitter. Mine has a leg folds up and a pin that holds it in the up or down position. pin is a pain to line up. I would like to leave the leg down. So how did you add wheels to the leg? Does the splitter now want to move around as you are splittin?

Tom

 

[oldspark]

I think someone posted one of these before but I really like this idea.
http://www.bonanza.com/listings/Trailer-Dolly-Plans/12905659

 

[Heartwood]

I put a wheel on our splitter for those short moves. If I had it to do over again I'd get the one with two wheels because our moving is always on unpaved ground. The single wheel would be okay on paved but the 2 wheel should be better on rough ground.

The wonders of Hearth.com. I'd never have thought of the benefit of two wheels taking a little more off the load. Did some searching around and found the dual wheel Atwood at, of all places, Walmart.com is the best bet. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Attwood-Dual-Wheel-Trailer-Jack-1500-lb./11071148.

It has 6" wheels, where the PitBull (Reese) has only 5": http://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Heavy-Duty-1000-Trailer/dp/B0051I4VNI.

The Harbor Freight dual wheel is bigger, so drops to 4" higher than the others--too high to drop the tongue onto my Cub hitch. http://www.harborfreight.com/1500-lb-capacity-dual-wheel-swing-back-boat-trailer-jack-67500.html

Thx to Dennis

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Dennis, I think you and I have the same splitter. Mine has a leg folds up and a pin that holds it in the up or down position. pin is a pain to line up. I would like to leave the leg down. So how did you add wheels to the leg? Does the splitter now want to move around as you are splittin?

Tom

Tom, yes our splitter also had the leg and the pin. A real pain it can be. I simply removed the leg and attached the wheel to the side of the tongue. If you look at the first one on this page: trailer jack you will see it comes with the hardware and is easy to put on.

In the past all I ever did to move the splitter would be to simply pick up the front and move it. Naturally, that was moving it in the barn or just moving it a little to a time while splitting. Other times I tow it with the atv.

 

[xman23]

Thanks Dennis. A quick fold up legs with wheels would be a nice improvement for my splitter. I'm going to look around for one.

This year I changed out the ball hitch on the splitter. It was for a small ball, not sure the size, might have been 1 3/4. I never had the ball. I changed it out to a 2" so the car and ATV can pull the splitter. The new hitch was about $20 at Tractor Supply. It was little wider than the splitters square tong frame, but all I had to do is open a hole up to 1/2" and add one new hole. A few spacer warshers and it was perfect. About 10 minutes work.

Tom