Huskee 22 /general splitter tips?

[osagebow]

Just towed home one from TSC, was $1099.

Anyways, thought y'all could share tips for this model in particular and splitters in general, and answer a few particular Q's

-Have run one once, a mtd gold 27, I think, and the owner requested to lube the beam periodically with motor oil. Is this necessary, and if so would veg oil work?

-came filled with hydro, should I still do a "bleed"?

-will initial use require "topping off" hydro fluid?

-is running at less than full throttle a good idea with smaller stuff?

- Still need to get gas and find my old turner dairy milk crate before i get started and post pics, hopefully Sunday. Gotta see a guy in a red suit and hit the staff xmas party tomorrow.
Thanks in advance.

 

[TreePointer]

I have never lubed the beam on my Huskee 35-ton. The rest is all RTFM, LOL!

Check hydraulic fluid reservoir dipstick to ensure TSC added enough fluid. If not, stop byTSC and they should give you enough (free) to get it into proper operating range.

Follow procedure in manual for initial purging of air from hydraulic system. Do this after transporting to your destination.

Topping off shouldn't be necessary. Check fluid level before each use. Add fluid if needed.

On these new engines, always run at full throttle to ensure proper lubrication and cooling.

Change engine oil and hydraulic filter as specified in manual.

I don't change hydraulic fluid unless it's dirty or cloudy (moisture).

 

[triptester]

Do not use oil or grease on the beam , it will collect dirt and grime increasing wear. Do not overfill the hydraulic tank it needs room for fluid expansion.

 

[bogydave]

Warm it up then run at full throttle or just a hair below.

Never lubed the beam, will collect dirt/dust , get sticky & wear faster. Just keep it clean

Watch the finger pinching folding tongue stand.

Have fun.

 

[swagler85]

I was told to change oil after first few hours of use. A note o that is there is two places to drain oil on that engine. I spent the first ten minutes pissed off cause I couldn't get the plug out. Then realized there is another one under the mounting plate. Quite a aha moment.

 

[MasterMech]

-Have run one once, a mtd gold 27, I think, and the owner requested to lube the beam periodically with motor oil. Is this necessary, and if so would veg oil work?

These beams are a bit different than mine but wiping the shiny metal surfaces down with an oil soaked rag after using, (just to prevent rust, more of an aesthetic thing than anything.) Is all that I do. I wouldn't grease that beam either. That's asking for a mess.

-came filled with hydro, should I still do a "bleed"?

Remove the spark plug wire and bungee the lever forward. Then pull the engine over until the wedge moves forward 2-4 inches or so. This will ensure the pump has enough hydro fluid in it to start-up without damage. The remove your bungee, re-install the plug wire, start the engine and run the wedge 2-3 full cycles until there is no jerking. (all air is purged from the cylinder/lines)

-will initial use require "topping off" hydro fluid?

It should be filled to the mfg's specs. Check it, make sure there is at least 1-2" of room in the reservoir for expansion as the fluid warms up. After your initial run, the level will drop slightly but so long as your fluid level stays in spec, your ok as it should not use any more.

-is running at less than full throttle a good idea with smaller stuff?

I back my machine off a bit when working by myself to save fuel as I do not need the extra speed. That engine will run comfortably at full speed but anything over 2800 rpm will provide adequate cooling so long as it's not under constant heavy load. (Which doesn't happen on log splitters.)

Change engine oil and hydraulic filter as specified in manual.

This is important. Especially that first engine oil change @ 5 hours or so. Do that oil change with the engine warm.

I don't change hydraulic fluid unless it's dirty or cloudy (moisture).

Or discolored (usually means it has gotten very hot) or is exceptionally old (Over 10 years).

 

[smokinj]

No rocket here. Big thing keep the oil changes up on the motor. Re-place the hydro filter once a season and top off the hydro fluid.

 

[osagebow]

thanks all for the replies. I thought oiling the beam was kinda counter productive. Its a tad low after bleeding. Ok to add a bit of dextron 2 tranny fluid to existing hydro fluid I assume? have have some on hand.

 

[MasterMech]

dextron 2 tranny fluid

lol, that stuff is still around?, hell the Dexron III spec is long dead....

I'd want to use whatever they filled it with rather than mixing fluids but I don't think the Dex2 will hurt anything.

 

[osagebow]

lol, that stuff is still around?, hell the Dexron III spec is long dead....

I'd want to use whatever they filled it with rather than mixing fluids but I don't think the Dex2 will hurt anything.

Hahaha...in the s10 from god knows when. Going to tsc, hit Santa earlier than expected.

 

[Village Idiot]

I would also take a few minutes and tighten up all hose clamps and make sure all the engine mounting bolts are tight.

When first running mine I thought I had a bum engine. It split fine, but it didn't sound right. I tightened all the mounting bolts (found a couple that were slightly lose) the odd sounds were gone. If I notice the bolts loosening up in the future, I will use some loctite.

A couple of weeks ago I developed a drip on the return hose. Tightening up the hose clamp fixed that issue. Did the rest for good measure.

 

[TreePointer]

I would also take a few minutes and tighten up all hose clamps and make sure all the engine mounting bolts are tight....

Good tip on ensuring those hose clamps aren't too loose. I've seen more than a few posts regarding loose hose clamps on these Huskees. The wildcard with Huskee splitters is the person who assembles them at TSC.

 

[thetooth]

I had a return hose blow off during operation . Speeco stood behind their product and reimbursed me for the lost hydro fluid . I did replace the hose clamp with a heavier duty one from work . I have been very pleased with my splitter it has split everything I have thrown at it .

 

[jeff_t]

I would also take a few minutes and tighten up all hose clamps and make sure all the engine mounting bolts are tight.

When first running mine I thought I had a bum engine. It split fine, but it didn't sound right. I tightened all the mounting bolts (found a couple that were slightly lose) the odd sounds were gone. If I notice the bolts loosening up in the future, I will use some loctite.

A couple of weeks ago I developed a drip on the return hose. Tightening up the hose clamp fixed that issue. Did the rest for good measure.

Yep. Make sure all the bolts are tight. After you run it a bit, check them all again.

The rocket scientist that put mine together didn't bother to put a hose barb on the return, just jammed the hose on the nipple welded to the tank and clamped it.

Don't tow any more than you have to. Mine gets towed behind my atv from the garage to the wood pile, and back. If I need to take it anywhere else, it gets trailered.

 

[billb3]

I wouldn't mix Dextron with hyd oil, but you could use either one by itself.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Just towed home one from TSC, was $1099.

Anyways, thought y'all could share tips for this model in particular and splitters in general, and answer a few particular Q's

-Have run one once, a mtd gold 27, I think, and the owner requested to lube the beam periodically with motor oil. Is this necessary, and if so would veg oil work?

-came filled with hydro, should I still do a "bleed"?

-will initial use require "topping off" hydro fluid?

-is running at less than full throttle a good idea with smaller stuff?

- Still need to get gas and find my old turner dairy milk crate before i get started and post pics, hopefully Sunday. Gotta see a guy in a red suit and hit the staff xmas party tomorrow.
Thanks in advance.

Congratulations on the new splitter. Others have given some good advice so I'll just touch a little. As for the oil/grease thing, when I am done splitting, I then put the splitter into horizontal position for storing. I also then put some oil on the beam and run the ram through a cycle to spread the oil. Then the splitter is ready for storage. I do not put oil on the beam during the splitting and of course one should not put grease on the beam. In fact, the manual states to put oil on the beam and not grease.

I do not run ours at full throttle unless it is some tough stuff. Normally about 3/4 throttle.

Milk crate is perfect height for splitting.

Have some fun now.

 

[osagebow]

Good tips all, thanks. One hose clamp was kinda loose - probably would have failed. Did the "Tighten up" all around and split about 20 slightly punky red oak rounds for my neighbor's smoke dragon, worked great.

A word about TSC....
The night we bought it, the newer salesperson incorrectly stated a cheaper returned 22 ton unit was sold "as is" with no warrantly whatsoever. So I did not get that unit

Same guy flagged me down when i went back for the manual I forgot to ask for, and hydro fluid ( a free large jug was given to me) and made sure I was reimbursed the $105 difference from his mistake. I was VERY impressed, so i spent it all in the store. Definitely a TSC fan now.

This is my 13 year old neighbor kid Nick - 170 lb. ox with size 14 shoes. He's gonna be quite the lumberjack. He reminded me to take a picture for "logbook or whatever that site is...."

 

[osagebow]

Don't tow any more than you have to. Mine gets towed behind my atv from the garage to the wood pile, and back. If I need to take it anywhere else, it gets trailered.

Indeed...40 mph is about all I could stand towing it back . It was all over the place.

 

[WellSeasoned]

My bolt and cotter pin that holds up the front support leg broke today while in transit. Other than that, I love my huskee. Ran 11 cords through it over the past 3 months. Its a great work horse! You'll love it!

 

[Beer Belly]

Gotta remember, the axle is part of the tank.....towing over rough terrain may crack the tank/axle. When I got mine, one of the wheels was falling off....ended up being a bearing issue (towed 20+ miles home this way not knowing)....also a hose leaked.....throttle linkage fell apart twice (Red lever throttle control), gave up on fixing it and bypassed it......this weekend, Motor bolts were loose. Great Splitter for the $$$, no major problems

 

[aussiedog3]

I have the same splitter, 2 years now no troubles, just be sure to check engine mounting bolts, mine have jiggled loose a couple of times.
Keep the oil changed, I think the manual suggests every 5 hours of use or so. Easy to do and only takes about a half a quart of oil anyway!
I have yet to find a piece of wood that this thing won't split or just slice its way through.
You are gonna love it. Enjoy.

 

[muncybob]

That was cool of the guy at TSC!! That pic reminded me of what my splitter use to look like...clean. I check all the places that could possibly vibrate loose at every oil change. The only part that failed on me was one of the pins that hold the ram in place. Apparently fell off and the complete ram assembly fell during my 1st vertical splitting session and just missed a serious hand injury...scared the crap outta me. This is the reason I check everything to be tight at oil changes. I love this splitter though, has done everything I have asked of it and except in really cold weather it has been easy to start too.

 

[Bocefus78]

Congrats! I only have 2 tips...
First and foremost, go back to the TSC and get a $25 crank up wheel style trailer jack. Remove the finger lopper (AKA the folding leg) and immediately trash it. You can thank me later. This actually makes me want to start a thread on who has cut theirself from this poor design.
Second, go get a spring that will fit over the pin for changing horizontal/vertical mode. That little bugger rattles like all he will without one. I stole this idea from the MTD splitters.

 

[TreePointer]

SpeeCo (makers of Huskee) changed their design on the 22-ton model by adding a loop handle on the tow arm above the leg because of the "lopper leg" safety issue .

 

[MnDave]

Here's a little splitter trick I picked up from a neighbor.
Lets say you are splitty something stringy like elm.
That splitter blade will stop an inch or so away from the end plate.
So if you get a real stringy piece sometimes it won't completely split because the last few inches of fiber stay connected.

Don't haul it off the beam and try to rip it apart by hand (unless your wife likes watching you play He-man).

What I do is back the blade away from the end plate with the piece still stuck to the blade. Back it far enough so you can set a different split against the endplate. Now go forward till the blade is all the way through.

MnDave