# Splitter, grease or no grease?



## moterhead3 (Oct 11, 2009)

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?


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## LLigetfa (Oct 11, 2009)

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.


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## ccwhite (Oct 11, 2009)

I put a little oil on mine if it starts to squeak. Not grease as I don't want it on my wood.


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## savageactor7 (Oct 11, 2009)

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.


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## wellbuilt home (Oct 11, 2009)

I use some WD40  a few times a day but I'm not getting any wear on the bar at all .


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## moterhead3 (Oct 11, 2009)

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


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## LLigetfa (Oct 11, 2009)

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.


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## YZF1R (Oct 11, 2009)

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


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## kevin j (Oct 11, 2009)

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


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## Jamess67 (Oct 11, 2009)

I have some spray slide lube that is used on farms. Never thought to lube the splitter. Whoda thunk it.


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## 'bert (Oct 11, 2009)

I use a spray on graphite lube, dries fast and stays.


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## Billster (Oct 11, 2009)

I put waste hydraulic oil on mine whenever it looks dry on the beam.


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## Backwoods Savage (Oct 11, 2009)

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.


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## firefighterjake (Oct 13, 2009)

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.


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## billb3 (Oct 13, 2009)

I've had good luck using STP as a lubricant.
Especially where you can't get white lube to stay put.


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## heppm01 (Oct 14, 2009)

FWIW, my Timberwolf has a pair of grease zerks on the ram.


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## Wildman_fab (Oct 14, 2009)

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


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