Fast cycle vertical splitter

[Ashful]

Another recent thread on log splitters had me considering how much slower I've been with my 11-second Huskee 22-ton splitter, versus the 6-second Iron and Oak I used previously. I think it's time to put together my list of wishes, and go shopping for a new splitter, having already amortized my cost of two new stoves.

Here's the requirements. Is there any splitter on the market that meets them?

Splitting force: 22 tons minimum
Cycle time: 6 seconds
Configuration: Horizontal / Vertical convertible

The closest I find now is the I&O 20-ton fast cycle vertical/horizontal: http://www.ironandoak.com/vhmodels/20tonfc.html

What else is out there? I used to rent one of these I&O's, and would stall it in tough wood, so I would favor something with a little more bottom end on it.

 

[Ashful]

Oh, I should add that going to a larger pump and motor on my machine would be an option to consider, if someone has already engineered a solution. My time available for splitting wood is too preciously little to have my machine down for a few weeks, while I dicker around with testing my own (new) solution.

Getting my 4" cylinder to 6 seconds would require a 22 - 24 GPM pump on a 400+ cc engine, something you're not likely going to mount on a Huskee 22-ton chassis, but what's been done by some of the Huskee owners out there? Honda does make vertical shaft OHV 389cc and even 688cc v-twin power plants:

Honda GXV390 + 22 GPM pump = 6 second cycle times for < $1000
Honda GXV630 + 28 GPM pump = 4.5 second cycle times for < $1400

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EGLLE26/?tag=hearthamazon-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EGLLCJQ/?tag=hearthamazon-20

 

[Bad LP]

What about a splitter that has a multi wedge and a log loader? I know my landscaper just bought one that has the single, cross or hexagon head. If you are splitting 6 pieces at a time then the speed factor becomes kinda moot.

 

[woodhog73]

Don't really have any knowledge with iron and oak. However I came real close to buying an entry level splitter from them. It was a fixed horizontal beam 15 ton with a Honda engine. Local outdoor furnace boiler dealer had one. Says he produces 10 cords a year with it to feed his outdoor furnace. On a 15 ton.

I would have purchased it because I wanted the Honda engine. But then for less $$ I found the Gravley with a subaru engine. So I was sold.

That said the entry level I&O splitter was very impressive on build quality. It did not look like a cheap made item. I really wanted that splitter but couldn't get over the cost for only 15 tons.

 

[Ashful]

What about a splitter that has a multi wedge and a log loader? I know my landscaper just bought one that has the single, cross or hexagon head. If you are splitting 6 pieces at a time then the speed factor becomes kinda moot.

Those are great for folks who can choose their trees, but I'd like to see him get the 1000+ pound rounds I often drag home up into that splitter, and then push a 6-way wedge thru them!

I am usually working oak, often above 40" diameter, sometimes over 50".

 

[Tar12]

Ashful there are several splitter builders out there that will build whatever your heart desires...

 

[Jags]

I have always said that if my big splitter ever chews up a pump I will be mounting a bigger engine and 28GPM pump to it. Bigger hoses are also suggested.

Not sure of any on the market that hit those specs.

 

[Ashful]

Had just a few minutes to check spec's this afternoon, and it looks like a 270cc motor will hit the torque and hp numbers I'd need to drive a 22 gpm pump, and hit <10 second cycles. The next step up to 28 gpm would put me < 6 seconds full cycle. That's a 3-second unloaded downstroke, for what might be a fairly easy conversion. All pressures would be kept the same, just need to verify valve and hose capacities and drops.

This brings up the question, how fast is TOO fast? At 8 inches per second, that doesn't give a ton of time to get any errant fingers out of the wedge's path, or release the valve handle if you do feel a pinch.

 

[Tar12]

My current splitter numbers...
28 Ton
Cylinder 5"x24"x2"
Honda 13 H.P.
Pump 22 gpm
Cycle time..10 second
Hydro fluid capacity 30 gallon
Its fast enough you really need 3 people to run it to get max. productivity out of it. It keep us hopping.

 

[Bad LP]

Those are great for folks who can choose their trees, but I'd like to see him get the 1000+ pound rounds I often drag home up into that splitter, and then push a 6-way wedge thru them!

I am usually working oak, often above 40" diameter, sometimes over 50".

Holy crap you can't think outside of "your" wood. That is a far cry from what normal people deal with.

 

[Ashful]

Holy crap you can't think outside of "your" wood. That is a far cry from what normal people deal with.

I'm building a splitter for me, not for normal people.

 

[Ashful]

My current splitter numbers...
28 Ton
Cylinder 5"x24"x2"
Honda 13 H.P.
Pump 22 gpm
Cycle time..10 second
Hydro fluid capacity 30 gallon
Its fast enough you really need 3 people to run it to get max. productivity out of it. It keep us hopping.

Anything you'd change, or does it seem pretty ideal. Which Honda motor? I'm graphing commercial splitters by hp and torque vs. speed and capacity, trying to find the sweet spot.

I usually split with one partner, or alone, so I can't claim I'll be getting maximum capacity out of the splitter. But I can claim I'll wait a lot less time on watching the wedge go up and down.

I wonder if anyone has compiled a list of motors that cross to the mounting pattern of the Briggs 675 that Huskee used on these splitters, not that drilling a few new mounting holes would be a show-stopper.

 

[Tar12]

It is the GX 390. For my 53 yr old body and the reality that comes with that...its all I can handle or want. My only complaint has nothing to do with the splitters ability to split...but the log lift itself...it will lift anything you put on it and that includes with the bobcat...only done that once...lol When splitting solo I use the log lift table as a staging area and pile it as full as I can. If your setting on uneven ground...which is most of time...the vibration from the splitter has a tendency to let the stacked rounds slide off after you get down to the last 2-3...but I am going to remedy that by adding some wings. I cut to a specific length but will add a few inches to the overall width for good measure.

 

[jotul8e2]

Here are two production units that should work for you:

http://www.allwoodlogsplitters.com/musclewood-series

http://www.timberwolfcorp.com/tw-6-log-splitter/

Both companies have excellent reputations.

 

[Tar12]

Here are two production units that should work for you:

http://www.allwoodlogsplitters.com/musclewood-series

http://www.timberwolfcorp.com/tw-6-log-splitter/

Both companies have excellent reputations.

Just about pulled the trigger on the Musclewood series myself but went with the Oak Series..

 

[Ashful]

Here are two production units that should work for you:

http://www.allwoodlogsplitters.com/musclewood-series

http://www.timberwolfcorp.com/tw-6-log-splitter/

Both companies have excellent reputations.

Both excellent splitters, but aimed (and priced) at commercial volume, and neither go vertical. Not really fitting the bill for one man trying to reduce the time required to split 10 cords per year.

I ran some numbers, based on a survey of every 22'ish ton splitter produced by Iron and Oak and Speeco (and their associated brands). It appears a Honda GXV389 (10.2 hp / 17.8 ft-lb) paired with a 22 GPM pump will be the perfect pairing to cut cycle time of my machine in half. Now to see if it will fit.

BTW, I noticed most splitters have spec'd cycle times shorter than their pump size and cylinder should support. I see a lot of splitters spec'd with 12 and 13 second cycle times with a 4" x 24" cylinder on an 11 GPM rated pump, which should yield a 14.2 second cycle time. Either they're spinning those pumps above rated RPM, or they're optimistic in their spec's.

 

[jotul8e2]

Both excellent splitters, but aimed (and priced) at commercial volume, and neither go vertical.

Sorry, missed the vertical feature.

Manufacturers being over optimistic on the specifications? Who would ever have suspected it? But really, there is going to be some variance on any hydraulic system in the field.

My BIL has an interesting set up. He rigged a pivoting vertical post and arm with an electric winch and can winch massive pieces up to his three point (Brave 22 ton) horizontal splitter. The pulley is at the end of the arm and is positioned so that the round can be lowered directly on to the beam. Of course, if you have an 8,000 lb. tractor attached to your splitter it makes it easier to keep it up right when lifting four or five hundred pounds. We have not found anything yet we cannot split if we noodle it a bit, but there are some we should not have tried. We have bowed the beam some and broke the yoke on the ram once. There is more to working with really large rounds than just the pump, engine, and ram.

 

[Jags]

I'm building a splitter for me, not for normal people.

We have GOT to be related in some way.

 

[triptester]

The reason advertised cycle times and reality don't match is because those times are based on only pump and cylinder specs. They don't figure in fiction and flow loss in hoses , control valve, and fittings. It is common for hydraulic fittings and cylinders to have internal openings half their stated size.
To get the full benefit of a larger engine and pump the whole system would have to be changed. Larger control valve, hoses, fittings, hydraulic tank, and cylinder would have to be modified to accept the larger hoses that would be required.
Been there done that.

 

[Ashful]

The reason advertised cycle times and reality don't match is because those times are based on only pump and cylinder specs. They don't figure in fiction and flow loss in hoses , control valve, and fittings. It is common for hydraulic fittings and cylinders to have internal openings half their stated size.
To get the full benefit of a larger engine and pump the whole system would have to be changed. Larger control valve, hoses, fittings, hydraulic tank, and cylinder would have to be modified to accept the larger hoses that would be required.
Been there done that.

Good points, triptester, but you mixed up what I was saying. They're advertising cycle times that are faster than the rated pump GPM's, not slower. It's possible the splitter mfg'rs are rating their cycle times at max throttle, unladen, and in this scenario they're spinning the pump faster than rated RPM.

On the valve and hoses, they seem generously oversized on my splitter, so I anticipate I might get away with leaving most of them as-is. But I will be testing the flow rate and pressure drops throughout the system, if I pursue this upgrade, to be sure I'm not bottle-necking this expensive pump and motor on a cheap hose or valve. Eyeballing it from afar, it appears my primary restriction is going to be the cylinder fittings, which I think are only 1/2" NPT. The valve fittings and hoses are all larger than that, if memory serves me.

 

[Ashful]

We have GOT to be related in some way.

Some relatives on my paternal grandmother's side moved to Illinois. Maybe we are!

Where would you rate electric start on your list of wants or needs? I was hunting for a GXV390 with onboard fuel tank and recoil start, but it seems I cannot buy such a beast. Electric start adds at least $250 to the project, but maybe I'll be glad I have it on cold Saturday mornings in February, when I'm trying to pull over a 400 cc motor coupled to a 22 GPM pump. I'm just anticipating the battery may be dead when I want it, given how long the splitter can sometimes sit out in the snow and cold between sessions.

I hauled the splitter up from the wood lot to my shop after work today. Measurements of the motor and pump mounting start tonight, if the evening goes as planned.

 

[Tar12]

Some relatives on my paternal grandmother's side moved to Illinois. Maybe we are!

Where would you rate electric start on your list of wants or needs? I was hunting for a GXV390 with onboard fuel tank and recoil start, but it seems I cannot buy such a beast. Electric start adds at least $250 to the project, but maybe I'll be glad I have it on cold Saturday mornings in February, when I'm trying to pull over a 400 cc motor coupled to a 22 GPM pump. I'm just anticipating the battery may be dead when I want it, given how long the splitter can sometimes sit out in the snow and cold between sessions.

I hauled the splitter up from the wood lot to my shop after work today. Measurements of the motor and pump mounting start tonight, if the evening goes as planned.

I was talked out of the electric start feature as they had numerous complaints about reliability?Are you aware of Hondas decompression start up feature?
Honda’s automatic mechanical decompression system is designed to give you quicker, easier starts.

This system, which is connected to the camshaft, reduces compression by opening the exhaust valve slightly when the engine is being started. This reduces the amount of force needed to start the engine and improves starting performance. It does indeed work...my old 8 H.P. Briggs took a act of God to get that damn thing to roll over and fire in cold weather. The Honda so far has fired every time the first time...I love that!

 

[velvetfoot]

How about a Subaru?
http://www.subarupower.com/products/engines/ex40-overhead-cam-engine/ex40-technical-information/
http://www.brandnewengines.com/EX400DM5030.aspx

Note from description on second link:

Chain-driven Overhead Cam design offers superior power and performance with an automatic decompression system to reduce the required pulling force by 30 to 40 percent, and ensure starting on the first pull. EX engines start instantly – even at temperatures as cold as -10 degrees C – without any perceptible kickback.

I can attest to the easy starting nature of my EX27.

 

[Tar12]

Ashful whats the difference between the GX390 and the GXV390? I found all kinds of GX390s for sale and believe them to be one in the same...

 

[Ashful]

I was talked out of the electric start feature as they had numerous complaints about reliability?Are you aware of Hondas decompression start up feature?
Honda’s automatic mechanical decompression system is designed to give you quicker, easier starts.

This system, which is connected to the camshaft, reduces compression by opening the exhaust valve slightly when the engine is being started. This reduces the amount of force needed to start the engine and improves starting performance. It does indeed work...my old 8 H.P. Briggs took a act of God to get that damn thing to roll over and fire in cold weather. The Honda so far has fired every time the first time...I love that!

Yep, the Honda GX on my generator has this feature. It's very nice, but I'm thinking that a 22 GPM direct-coupled pump running ATF in sub-freezing weather is going to offer quite a bit of resistance, decomp or not.

How about a Subaru?
http://www.subarupower.com/products/engines/ex40-overhead-cam-engine/ex40-technical-information/
http://www.brandnewengines.com/EX400DM5030.aspx

I can attest to the easy starting nature of my EX27.

Yes! I've been meaning to check their line-up, but haven't made the time for it, yet. I have a Subaru EX27 on my Little Wonder blower, and it's a champ, but not quiet!

Ashful whats the difference between the GX390 and the GXV390? I found all kinds of GX390s for sale and believe them to be one in the same...

"V" = "vertical". The GX390 has a horizontal shaft.