Reconditioned 22 ton splitter

[Trey_G]

About a year ago, I traded a very worn out Polaris Ranger for a plethora of items from a friend with a tree service; guns, grills, etc.... One item was a wood splitter that had sat idle in his wood yard with the engine and pump gone for a while (it was a 1997 yard machine). About $675 later it's basically a new machine except for the ram, frame, I-beam, and tires. I've learned a lot and have actually enjoyed putting it together for the most part.

I've been perusing threads on tonnage requirements, it occured to me that I have no idea what I have now, and what I should expect when I start splitting. I live in South Carolina in the middle of timber country and have easy access to hardwoods when the loggers are gone, and this includes Live oak. I stop every day after work and come home with my truck on the springs.

Anyway, I'm not really sure what I have (tonnage wise) with this frankenstein machine and was hoping some brainiacs and more "seasoned" dudes could help me based on the following:

It has an almost new 8 hp honda, coupled to a 13.6 gpm pump. I just bought a new Nortrac 2 stage valve, as I found out the old "energy" one had a max gpm of 10 gpm and had some blown o-rings. I'm hoping to get it all back together soon and test it out.

Is that enough info to give an idea of the tonnage? Will this set up split live oak without blowing anything? Growing up we cleared land and split wood in the winter to sell with splitters that were completely homemade. I've spent hundreds of hours sitting in front of one (as my bad hearing would testify), so I know about repositioning wood and flat out chunking some crotch pieces here and there. Just want to know what I have really. Thanks in advance.

 

[triptester]

Tonnage is determined by pressure x bore size. Log splitter 2-stage pumps are typically rated at 3000 psi max. A 4" bore cylinder at 3000 psi will equal about 19 tons. A 4.5" cylinder can produce about 24 tons. A 5" cylinder can produce about 29 tons.
Measure the outside of the cylinder and subtract 1/2" to find the bore size.

 

[Trey_G]

Perfect. Thanks!

 

[VirginiaIron]

Tonnage is determined by pressure x bore size. Log splitter 2-stage pumps are typically rated at 3000 psi max. A 4" bore cylinder at 3000 psi will equal about 19 tons. A 4.5" cylinder can produce about 24 tons. A 5" cylinder can produce about 29 tons.
Measure the outside of the cylinder and subtract 1/2" to find the bore size.

I agree..., you need to install a pressure gage to set the valve And determine tonnage... AND..., preserve life And property. And, loud noises and machinery will damage the unprotected hearing, get some protection, it's never too late to prevent more damage.

 

[WiscWoody]

Tonnage is determined by pressure x bore size. Log splitter 2-stage pumps are typically rated at 3000 psi max. A 4" bore cylinder at 3000 psi will equal about 19 tons. A 4.5" cylinder can produce about 24 tons. A 5" cylinder can produce about 29 tons.
Measure the outside of the cylinder and subtract 1/2" to find the bore size.

Well then I’ll have to look up the pressure for the pump in my new 37 ton splitter with a 5” bored cylinder...

 

[WiscWoody]

I agree..., you need to install a pressure gage to set the valve And determine tonnage... AND..., preserve life And property. And, loud noises and machinery will damage the unprotected hearing, get some protection, it's never too late to prevent more damage.

From spring to fall when I might be working on cutting wood or splitting it I keep a set of foam ear plugs in my pockets at all times and I use them whenever a saw or my splitter is running. It’s bad enough that my ears rang for days when I was young from loud concerts or headphones cranked up to 11 at all times... it’s amazing that I’m not deaf already!

 

[triptester]

Here is a calculator to figure tonnage. The only way to know what tonnage an individual splitter is producing is to have a guage on the pump side of the control valve which will give the after the relief opens. Advertised tonnage is always inflated.

(broken link removed to http://www.baumhydraulics.com/calculators/cyl_calc.htm)

 

[WiscWoody]

Here is a calculator to figure tonnage. The only way to know what tonnage an individual splitter is producing is to have a guage on the pump side of the control valve which will give the after the relief opens. Advertised tonnage is always inflated.

(broken link removed to http://www.baumhydraulics.com/calculators/cyl_calc.htm)

Well, if my pump really puts out the 3850psi listed in the manual then the calculator says it is a 37.8 ton machine on the push part of the cycle. It’s supposed to be a 37 ton splitter. Is there a gauge that will measure up to 4000 psi?

 

[Jags]

Plenty of gauges available that will read 0-5000 psi (pretty cheap). I would be very surprised to hear that it was set at max pressure. Most are not. Even the pumps rated for 3000 psi have the system relief valve at 2500-2750 psi from the factory. Remember, its not what the pump is capable of, but where the relief pressure is set.

 

[WiscWoody]

Plenty of gauges available that will read 0-5000 psi (pretty cheap). I would be very surprised to hear that it was set at max pressure. Most are not. Even the pumps rated for 3000 psi have the system relief valve at 2500-2750 psi from the factory. Remember, its not what the pump is capable of, but where the relief pressure is set.

Ok. When would you read the gauge? I’d think when your splitting a tough piece of wood like some big elm...?

 

[Jags]

Ok. When would you read the gauge? I’d think when your splitting a tough piece of wood like some big elm...?

You need to dead head the ram (full extension) until the relief valve bypasses. The reading on the gauge during the dead head is where the relief valve is set to.

Edit: the gauge needs to be placed inline with the cylinder port that pushes the ram OUT.

 

[VirginiaIron]

Well then I’ll have to look up the pressure for the pump in my new 37 ton splitter with a 5” bored cylinder...

Which one did you get? Pics?

 

[VirginiaIron]

Ok. When would you read the gauge? I’d think when your splitting a tough piece of wood like some big elm...?

Mine reads next to zero without a load and the cylinder extending. So I would say when the cylinder is locked either way, if the gage is located before the spool. Checking it during a split will provide varying results due to wood density and makeup.

 

[WiscWoody]

Which one did you get? Pics?

I got this Forrest King Pro from Menards during their 3 day Black Friday sale for $900 plus tax plus 10 gallons of hydraulic fluid. I sold my 22 ton splitter to help pay for this one. This is a stock photo as I haven’t hardly even run the splitter yet, it’s out in the yard covered up with a canvas tarp and snow.
This splitter should be able to handle big Elm and I have one to take down just outside my front door this spring to give it a good test.

 

[VirginiaIron]

Nice. Installing a gage after the valve and before the cylinder with this model may be problematic.

 

[VirginiaIron]

You need to dead head the ram (full extension) until the relief valve bypasses. The reading on the gauge during the dead head is where the relief valve is set to.

Edit: the gauge needs to be placed inline with the cylinder port that pushes the ram OUT.

What benefit is there to installing a gage at the cylinder out port rather than before the valve?

 

[Jags]

What benefit is there to installing a gage at the cylinder out port rather than before the valve?

Typically you would want to locate the gauge downstream of the relief valve, not upstream. Its the relief valve pressure that you are trying to read, not the pump output pressure.

 

[VirginiaIron]

Typically you would want to locate the gauge downstream of the relief valve, not upstream. Its the relief valve pressure that you are trying to read, not the pump output pressure.

If the relief opens at a determined pressure to the return line, won't the psi be the same? Before or after the valve?

I thought if I put my gage just before the valve I could adjust all my valves, and that is how I adjusted my system. I did find this info at Yesterdays tractors and maybe this is why it's not called Today's tractors, ha ha, and at Baileys
Obviously, the benefit of a gage on the cylinder lines is to isolate that supply so that any variance in pressure can be easily isolated to that cylinder and help determine if the inner seals are leaking.

 

[Jags]

Theoretically on a simple system like this, yes, the pressure should be the same. I try to keep it simple and straight forwards, cuz the next thread posted might be about troubleshooting a pressure issue where we don’t know if the problem is the control valve, relief valve or the cylinder where gauge position matters.

 

[Trey_G]

I agree..., you need to install a pressure gage to set the valve And determine tonnage... AND..., preserve life And property. And, loud noises and machinery will damage the unprotected hearing, get some protection, it's never too late to prevent more damage.

Would the new hydraulic valve have a preset pressure relief setting? Or is this something I need to do on my own? And understood and agreed on the hearing protection

 

[VirginiaIron]

The manufacturer indicates the PR is factory set. I hear from real life experience that they are below what they claim. Maybe the Manf. Is using better gages. A gage should be mached to the pressure to be most accurate. You don't want a 10k psi gage on a3-5k system.

According to the gage I purchased for my system, and where it was placed, the gage indicated the splitter valve was below what was represented in the literature.

EDIT: If you have a new system and it is splitting everything you give it, within reason, I wouldn't worry about installing a gauge.

 

[WiscWoody]

The manufacturer indicates the PR is factory set. I hear from real life experience that they are below what they claim. Maybe the Manf. Is using better gages. A gage should be mached to the pressure to be most accurate. You don't want a 10k psi gage on a3-5k system.

According to the gage I purchased for my system, and where it was placed, the gage indicated the splitter valve was below what was represented in the literature.

EDIT: If you have a new system and it is splitting everything you give it, within reason, I wouldn't worry about installing a gauge.

That’s what I was thinking, not to bother with a gauge. Just another place for a possible leak.