Splitter, grease or no grease?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

moterhead3

New Member
Oct 13, 2007
54
Bethel Twp PA
I,ve got a 25ton MTD splitter. I've changed out most of the junk bolts it came with and it's been pretty good. Someone told me I should grease the edges where the wedge slides. No mention of this in the book. I think grease could make things worse if the dust is abrasive, but its wood. What do you guy's think?
 
My MTD manual says to "Lubricate the beam area (where the splitting wedge
will slide) with engine oil; do not use grease." That said, I use a bit of grease but then wipe most of it off.
 
I put a little oil on mine if it starts to squeak. Not grease as I don't want it on my wood.
 
I hang a small plastic container w paint brush filled with waste oil. One swipe about every 15-20 min or so. Truthfully I don't see the need the ram moves so slow there's no friction built up.
 
Wow I re-read my manual and it says use oil not grease. Its amazing what you can find out when you read the owners manual. Thanks
 
savageactor7 said:
One swipe about every 15-20 min or so...

wellbuilt home said:
a few times a day...
Maybe I should elaborate. Once a year I put a small dab of grease on a rag and rub it on the beam, mostly to act as a barrier against moisture.
 
A friend of mine has an MTD about 6 years old. Never lubes the beam. His beam has a lot of wear on it. The sides are about 1/4" worn in the main working area of the beam.
I use waste oil on mine also. Top, sides, under sides. Run it out, get behind it, cycle it a few times, put it away.

Steve
 
dry moly lube spray in the green can (CRC?) from Grainger. High pressure lubricant that dries to the touch, like a greenish tinted spray primer. Spray it every few hours.
We use it on field machines in dry dusty environments where grease would hold abrasive dust.

kcj
 
I have some spray slide lube that is used on farms. Never thought to lube the splitter. Whoda thunk it.
 
Oil is still cheaper than metal. Because I do almost all the wood splitting early in Spring, before putting the splitter away I will put oil on the beam, run the ram down, put a little more oil ahead of the beam before bringing it back up. No rust. Oil is cheaper than metal.
 
I typically coat the beam with some oil every time before I fire up the splitter . . . the manual says to do so . . . so I figure I might as well follow the manufacturer's suggestion.
 
I've had good luck using STP as a lubricant.
Especially where you can't get white lube to stay put.
 
most of the newer splitters have em from what I have seen.
Grease tends to 'stick' better to the beam than bar and chain oil
PA130830.jpg
 
Status
Not open for further replies.