Pinch hazard on Huskee 22 & 28 ton log splitters.

[jcims]

I know, i know...log splitters and pinch hazards are not exactly strange bedfellows, but I'm borrowing my brother's Huskee 22-ton splitter (a great little machine btw) and almost found this one the hard way.

Basically if you have your hands anywhere in the 'pinch area' and trip, slip or try to catch the tongue while it's falling, the edges of the tongue stand (which folds up inside the tongue) will happily scissor your fingers right off.

Maybe I'm just a hand-wringing mama's boy, but with the engineering and fabrication tools we have available today, there really just isn't any excuse for this kind of hazard. Due to the fixed length of the stand, you really can't help but get your hands all over this area when transferring to and from a hitch, and if you forget to re-pin it, it could happen any time you move the machine. Simply using a round post would improve strength and greatly reduce the hazard without increasing the cost. Like i said, it's a great little splitter, but this is (to me) a bit sloppy. I'm going to shoot a note to TSC corporate (as I can't tell who manufactures these), hopefully they will consider changing the design a bit.

The 35 ton has a side mounted jack stand, which is overkill for the lighter models, but also isn't affected by this issue.

That's all.

 

[savageactor7]

but with the engineering and fabrication tools we have available today, there really just isn’t any excuse for this kind of hazard

I'm in total agreement but unfortunately the Chinese won't play ball with our parasite attorneys. Thanks to your report folks at least have a heads up.

 

[smokinj]

I replace mine with one that has the wheel and crank

 

[twitch]

I bought a small splitter last year, and the front leg was pretty flimsy. I was going to get a trailer jack with a wheel, but ended up getting a fold down stabilizer jack. It locks up or down and is adjustable. Works really well and I didn't need the wheel because the splitter isn't very heavy.

 

[jcims]

I replace mine with one that hast the wheel and crank

That's a good idea, they aren't that expensive at TSC, might just do that to return the favor for letting me borrow the splitter (the hinged stand is a pain to use as it is).

 

[gpcollen1]

While I love a good safety alert - I find it hard to believe that if that thing was slipping/falling that I would hold on to it. You are probably going to let it go right?

 

[flewism]

Yes this thing will hurt you especially when you are trying to put it on a ball 10" off the ground aka.. a ATV or lawn tractor. I went to setting it on a round or cinder block , then lock the stand in the up position, and then placing it on the ball on the 4-wheeler and always wearing gloves. Leaving the stand hanging loose and lowering the splitter by hand to a 2" ball and then pinning the stand in the up position, sooner or later you will pinch a finger when lowering it to the ball.
A cheap $20 trailer jack is the fix.
I have had mine a few years now and my only other complaint is the pin that holds the splitter in the horizontal position. The pin setup is fine but in going from vertical to horizontal after time I tended to drop the beam onto the pin from a few inches up. Repeatedly doing this deformed, tore and slightly buckled the .100" steel the pin was mounted through. I stitch welded a 15" piece of .25" mild steel inside of the .100" "C" channel to reinforce this area and bolted the pin through both.
I still like this splitter, it runs and splits with ease year after year with basic maintenance. For the price I am happy with the purchase.

So the new splitter have that yellow caution tape on the sides where the stand folds inside the beam? Mine didn't come with that.

 

[blel]

This is a PIA on the 22 ton splitter. You have to do too many things at once without a good place to hold onto it. I have thought about somehow putting a handle on the top of the tongue to pick it up by. It would probably have to be welded on, if bolted, the heads of the bolts would interfere with the leg folding up. I'm sure there is a way of doing it, just haven't gotten too far into it.

Other than that, it is a great machine.

 

[LLigetfa]

I long ago recognized that hazard. My MTD has a similar scissors style stand, only the leg is C channel. What I do is to lock in the stand before I remove it from the ball. The center of the tongue is hollow which can make it quite a challenge to get the pin through with any kind of weight on the stand. What I did was to fill the hollow with hardwood and drill through it so that the pin is now guided through to the other side.

 

[blel]

[quote author="LLigetfa" date="1258849849"]I long ago recognized that hazard. My MTD has the same scissors style stand. What I do is to lock in the stand before I remove it from the ball.

Do to the height of the ball on truck and garden tractor, I have to lift it off the ball before I can extend the leg. Putting it on the ball is even more of a PIA. Lift the tongue, pull the pin, pull the leg back, usually move the machine a little one way or another. and drop on ball, all while not having a good grip on the tongue. A handle on top of the tongue would make this a lot easier.

 

[colebrookman]

Just heard on the scanner, looking for an ambulance for a 45 year old male who had cut his finger on a splitter. Just wondering how serious, how he did it, will they call him stubs? Be careful, sh.. happens and it happens fast.
Ed

 

[cuznguido]

You know, these log splitter things are funny beasts. You can pick that there hitch end up and stand it right up in the air and it will sit right there like a good little soldier awaitin orders. Why a fella could stow that there leg thingy away and have a pepsi break, and maybe even dine on a Sniker bar and that there thing will just sit right there and wait. Damn site easier than callin a lawyer and gleefully awaitin yer cash settlement. But then, that's probably what an old illiterate woodhick would do.

 

[LLigetfa]

Do to the height of the ball on truck and garden tractor, I have to lift it off the ball before I can extend the leg.

Time then to raise the ball. There are different offsets available and taller balls. You can also flip an offset over and mount the ball the other way around for more height. I mounted my ball high enough that the leg clears the ground unless I stop on some real uneven terrain.

 

[flewism]

You know, these log splitter things are funny beasts. You can pick that there hitch end up and stand it right up in the air and it will sit right there like a good little soldier awaitin orders. Why a fella could stow that there leg thingy away and have a pepsi break, and maybe even dine on a Sniker bar and that there thing will just sit right there and wait. Damn site easier than callin a lawyer and gleefully awaitin yer cash settlement. But then, that's probably what an old illiterate woodhick would do.

Your are absolutely right, it will stand right up there while you stow the stand. just don't leave it up there to long with the engine on a 45° angle or you will be blowing blue smoke when you fire it up.

 

[LLigetfa]

You know, these log splitter things are funny beasts. You can pick that there hitch end up and stand it right up in the air and it will sit right there like a good little soldier awaitin orders. Why a fella could stow that there leg thingy away and have a pepsi break, and maybe even dine on a Sniker bar and that there thing will just sit right there and wait. Damn site easier than callin a lawyer and gleefully awaitin yer cash settlement. But then, that's probably what an old illiterate woodhick would do.

Ja, it'll sit back alright but gas will leak out of the tank and might flood the carb. Still a good idea for a few minutes.

One could also set the tongue down a big round to hold it until the leg is set.

 

[Gooserider]

You know, these log splitter things are funny beasts. You can pick that there hitch end up and stand it right up in the air and it will sit right there like a good little soldier awaitin orders. Why a fella could stow that there leg thingy away and have a pepsi break, and maybe even dine on a Sniker bar and that there thing will just sit right there and wait. Damn site easier than callin a lawyer and gleefully awaitin yer cash settlement. But then, that's probably what an old illiterate woodhick would do.

Ja, it'll sit back alright but gas will leak out of the tank and might flood the carb. Still a good idea for a few minutes.

One could also set the tongue down a big round to hold it until the leg is set.

One of the things I've learned (the hard way) is that you need to shut the gas off any time you go to move the splitter... The carb float valve isn't designed to deal with the engine bouncing around when it isn't running, and will flood the engine quite thoroughly... If you have the gas shut off, tilting the splitter shouldn't bother anything...

Gooserider

 

[jcims]

So the new splitter have that yellow caution tape on the sides where the stand folds inside the beam? Mine didn't come with that.

That was a little photoshop magic.

You know, these log splitter things are funny beasts. You can pick that there hitch end up and stand it right up in the air and it will sit right there like a good little soldier awaitin orders. Why a fella could stow that there leg thingy away and have a pepsi break, and maybe even dine on a Sniker bar and that there thing will just sit right there and wait. Damn site easier than callin a lawyer and gleefully awaitin yer cash settlement. But then, that's probably what an old illiterate woodhick would do.

My fingers are worth more to me than a cash settlement, but I like the sit and stay idea. I must be illiterate and dumb.