# Conical screw log splitters



## slindo

I have been suddenly seized by an irrational desire to build a screw splitter for my old 8n tractor (which doesn't have enough output to run a hydraulic splitter) using one of those conical screw splitter heads that bolt on to a rear axle in place of the wheel. 

Anyone used one? Are they as dangerous as they are reputed to be?

Oh, if anyone has an old one kicking around they'd like to sell, please let me know.


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## CageMaster

better top up your life insurance premiums


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## Thistle

You wouldnt get me near one of those damn things.I remember seeing them in Mother Earth News,Field & Stream & other outdoor/homesteading  mags back in late '70's-early '80's. I just figured they were outlawed years ago already.


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## Backwoods Savage

Not many around now, thank God! Someone on here did have one for sale a while back. Was it maybe Highbeam? But I'd still advise to stay away from them.


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## fox9988

My 2 cents:


fox9988 said:


> There is a thread in The Gear forum, page 3 "Real men ply with unicorns".I have one also.It is very fast in non stringy wood.I have split red oak side by side with 2 guys, one with a maul, the other with a hydraulic splitter. I out-split both of them combined.But I probably was working harder than the both of them combined. It's a real workout partialy due to the speed. In stringy wood, it will go through it, but the 2 halves will still be strung together, you have to wrestle them in half by hand or finish them with an ax, maul, or hatchet. All pto driven implements can be dangerous. If you get hung up in the pto, you are going to be in trouble. My friends call mine the "Screw of Death". I prefer the slow and steady hydraulic splitter.


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## ozzy73

My neighbour refers to it as the "screw of death" ( few scars on hands to prove ).


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## Michael Golden

I think they are neat, but that spinning spike with no shroud and one mishap with a loose sleeve! No thanks......


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## Kenster

I own an 8N (see avatar).  Building one to go on the rear axle is crazy.  Too much trouble getting the wheel off and on.  There is actually Dearborn screw type splittler made for N tractors that runs directly off the PTO.  No hydraulics, no belts, etc.  They came with a frame that would hold the round in place so that it wouldn't spin around when you lose your grip.    Too dang dangerous, regardless.


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## wingsfan

I seen some of them on ebay about a week ago..there were used and new ones. I wouldn't try one.


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## Bret Chase

There is no way I would ever use one of those nightmares...


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## 711mhw

Make one up for your pto & 3pt hitch. Put a table on it, run it slow & don't wear gloves or loose clothing. Should be sweet! Be carefull, don't put Darwins theory to a test. I'd rather use one of them vs. an axe.


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## Bret Chase

711mhw said:


> Make one up for your pto & 3pt hitch. Put a table on it, run it slow & don't wear gloves or loose clothing. Should be sweet! Be carefull, don't put Darwins theory to a test. I'd rather use one of them vs. an axe.


 
I'd rather use a dull hatchet...


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## 711mhw

Bret Chase said:


> I'd rather use a dull hatchet...


 
Chicken


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## Kenster

Slendo,  post your question at YT (Yesterday's Tractors).  You'll most likely get a huge response.  Some pro and some con and some that will give you pointers just how to do it.

http://ytforums.ytmag.com/viewforum...&start=0&sid=f3afadf505cba97d446cea1abbc675ea


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## Bret Chase

711mhw said:


> Chicken


yup


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## MasterMech

Go ahead and ask Highbeam what he thought of his.....

Have you thought about converting a hydraulic splitter to work on a PTO pump?


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## KodiakII

Why not run a hydraulic pump off your pto?


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## fox9988

I didn't catch the rear axle part. Mine runs off the PTO.


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## MasterMech

I think he really intended to modify the splitter to run off the PTO rather taking a wheel off the 8N.


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## maple1

I wouldn't touch one of those with a proverbial 10 foot pole.


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## Kenster

Here's a youtube video of one in use.   The push bar the man added to his platform appears to give him some leverage without having to bend over the splitter.  It looks like the cone is set too low to the platform, causing him to have to make multiple passes to get good splits.  If he could hit the round more center, it might split in one go.   Also, very slow.    Just doesn't seem worth the bother to me.  I'll stick with my Huskey 35 ton.  It will split anything the first time and burns a fraction of the gas that a tractor would.


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## TreePapa

That things is scary. Did anyone else notice where the cone is pointed, if you remove the log?

Peace,
- Sequoia


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## Jags

Ahhh...the cone of death.  Wait till ya get one that sticks on the cone...


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## tbuff

I don't know.... I can see the dangers.


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## Bret Chase

Kenster said:


> Here's a youtube video of one in use. The push bar the man added to his platform appears to give him some leverage without having to bend over the splitter. It looks like the cone is set too low to the platform, causing him to have to make multiple passes to get good splits. If he could hit the round more center, it might split in one go. Also, very slow. Just doesn't seem worth the bother to me. I'll stick with my Huskey 35 ton. It will split anything the first time and burns a fraction of the gas that a tractor would.


 
yeah, **** that.....


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## Jags

That dude in the video could use a little course on work smarter, not harder.


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## Bret Chase

There's one thing I'll never understand.... the tractor powered splitter.... my ancient Kohler K181 (I thought it was a tecumseh.... that was on a different piece of equipment) powered splitter uses less than 3/4 of a gallon an hour to run the 3000 psi barnes pump and 5" cylinder....(29 tons of force) if I hooked up the same ram to my JD1050.... not only would I be using about 2/gal an hour of diesel..... it's internal hydro pump only puts out 1800 psi...... and if I used a PTO driven pump... I'd still be using twice the fuel as the gasser...

I guess it doesn't make much sense to me..


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## Jags

Bret Chase said:


> I guess it doesn't make much sense to me..


 
I am not disagreeing with you, but if you actually do the math it doesn't end up being too much.  If you run 2 or 3 gallons of splitter fuel to make your winters heat vs. 4 or 6 gallons of diesel would the extra 20 bucks in fuel warrant having another gas engine around?  I prefer the engine on splitter, but there really isn't much wrong with using a tractor either if ya already have the power plant.  Just different strokes.


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## Butcher

Actually if you dug around YT enough you might find that there are alot of those kinda splitters mfg and in use in Europe. No machine of any type can be saftly operated if the person using it is lacking in grey matter betwixt the ears. I do like this splitter though. I'm sure PETA dont but then, well, They can all freeze to death far as I'm concerned.


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## Bret Chase

Jags said:


> I am not disagreeing with you, but if you actually do the math it doesn't end up being too much. If you run 2 or 3 gallons of splitter fuel to make your winters heat vs. 4 or 6 gallons of diesel would the extra 20 bucks in fuel warrant having another gas engine around? I prefer the engine on splitter, but there really isn't much wrong with using a tractor either if ya already have the power plant. Just different strokes.


 

well, in the case of my tractor.... I'd have to run a PTO pump... PTO pumps are more money than a 8hp gas engine.  Besides... I've got so many gas engines around... what's one more....  including a 16hp kohler twin on a 40" buzz saw....  that thing hasn't been run in a long time... sad thing is I remember using it when I was 10... I can't imagine having my kids feed it like I did when I was their age...


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## Bret Chase

Butcher said:


> Actually if you dug around YT enough you might find that there are alot of those kinda splitters mfg and in use in Europe. No machine of any type can be saftly operated if the person using it is lacking in grey matter betwixt the ears. I do like this splitter though. I'm sure PETA dont but then, well, They can all freeze to death far as I'm concerned.


 
What is the splitting mechanism on that?  That horse doesn't mind that at all... it's really no different than lunging them...  You've got to exercise them in the winter.. otherwise they get cranky... I know the walking horse/ standardbred mare I used to have did...


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## Jags

Again - just different strokes.  Nothing inherently wrong with using a tractor and some people report that they like the idea of the three point models for different height adjustment.


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## Butcher

Bret Chase said:


> What is the splitting mechanism on that? That horse doesn't mind that at all... it's really no different than lunging them... You've got to exercise them in the winter.. otherwise they get cranky... I know the walking horse/ standardbred mare I used to have did...


 Athens Enterprises, 3637 Chestnut Level Rd. , Liberty, Ky. 42539 - 606-787-0266
Machines like that have been around for hundreds of years in one form or another. That horse is probably happier than iffn it was just standing in a cold stall doing nothing. Kinda like owning a good hunting dog and locking it in a kennel in the back yard 24/7.


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## Bret Chase

Butcher said:


> Athens Enterprises, 3637 Chestnut Level Rd. , Liberty, Ky. 42539 - 606-787-0266
> Machines like that have been around for hundreds of years in one form or another. That horse is probably happier than iffn it was just standing in a cold stall doing nothing. Kinda like owning a good hunting dog and locking it in a kennel in the back yard 24/7.


 
That horse *is* a lot happier.. that's something that PETA will never understand about horses or working breed dogs.... the desire to "work" is bred into them...  My hound mix, Brena (the one in my avatar next to me) just goes stir crazy if there is nothing for her to do.. the harder I work her, the happier she is.  Another good example is my wife's best friend.... she is disabled and has a Weimaraner... she is not capable of properly exercising her dog (she also got that dog against my advise)... and her dog is a nightmare... until she is let out into my 1600ft dog pen with my 3 dogs... and then she is much calmer... it's still a waste of a good bird dog though...

Me, personally.... as people put generators into their houses with automatic transfer switches... I have moved in the opposite direction.. to make it so electricity is not required for my house to function... I would *LOVE* to have a wind driven pump filling a 1,000 gal or so tank in the 3rd mow of my barn... but plumbing codes no longer allow it...


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## Jags

Bret Chase said:


> .. but plumbing codes no longer allow it...


 
Hmmm...they allow water storage for watering a garden (rain water).  I think I could get creative enough to call it something legal.


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## Bret Chase

Jags said:


> Hmmm...they allow water storage for watering a garden (rain water). I think I could get creative enough to call it something legal.


 
Being in construction, for the last 24 years, in this town... I have a good relationship with codes... from that... I know a 1,000 gal potable water cistern will not fly.... unless I want employ a full time water quality engineer...... which pretty much defeats the whole point of the endeavor....


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## scooby074

Screw type splitters are still available and common in europe. Considering their strong safety laws, you have to wonder if the doom-sayers over here are wrong. 

Check this out, a cordwood saw and a screw type splitter in one!! A double whammy of "dangerous" firewood making. Enough to cause the OSHA types to have a minor stroke


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## Bret Chase

scooby074 said:


> Screw type splitters are still available and common in europe. Considering their strong safety laws, you have to wonder if the doom-sayers over here are wrong.
> 
> Check this out, a cordwood saw and a screw type splitter in one!! A double whammy of "dangerous" firewood making. Enough to cause the OSHA types to have a minor stroke




hey.... "my" buzzsaw... (i.e. it's on my property, it belongs to my uncle, and hasn't been started in decades) has a 40" completely exposed circular saw blade... the one in the video was an improvement...


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## slindo

I have a friend who has a couple of these splitters, one of which he runs direct drive off an old industrial engine of 50 HP or so. Works just great and he is still alive. with things that look dangerous, it is often hard to tell just how dangerous they really are. Lot of people badmouth these rigs whenever the subject comes up, but damnfew seem to have any firsthand experience. It is worth noting that Sticker continues to make the kind that bolt on a truck axle, which would seem to me to be by far the most dangerous. It's unlikely they could have stayed in biz if the things were a tenth as dangerous as they look. The banning of the Bark Buster is hard to explain - there were a dozen of so other, almost identical rigs that did not get banned. The major thing the BB was faulted for was not having any kind of cutoff switch; the current version of the Sticker has one, and one is easily added to any of the older machines. My idea is to put a "panic bar" across the top and sides that will kill the engine if it is pushed or pulled in any direction.

My motivation for looking in this direction is I want some thing small and simple, without bringing another nasty little E-10 swilling motor into my life. A 3 pt cone splitter is one of those machines like scraper blade or cordwood saw you can leave in the bushes for 5 years, then pull out and use again. Try that with a Home Depot hydraulic splitter! Sure a tractor is probably less fuel efficient than a GX or clone but for the amount of splitting I do who cares. And a 3 pt. mount makes a very handy package in the woods compared to dragging a trailer splitter. Plus I like the option of changing work height and being able to put the cone right down above the ground and spilt logs as they lie.

BTW anyone thinking of making one of these, or modifying a posthole digger in the manner of the Atom Splitter should be aware that they come with RH or LH threads - an RH thread will not work on a PTO of post hole digger without a very complicated reverser. The PTO versions like the Bark Buster used the LH thread. Stickler used to make a LH model apparently, but only makes RH now. I learned this the hard way, having bought an old cone only to realize when I got it home that it's the wrong direction. So anyone got a LH thread cone they want to part with, let  me know!


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## BillinTX

slindo said:


> BTW anyone thinking of making one of these, or modifying a posthole digger in the manner of the Atom Splitter should be aware that they come with RH or LH threads - an RH thread will not work on a PTO of post hole digger without a very complicated reverser. The PTO versions like the Bark Buster used the LH thread. Stickler used to make a LH model apparently, but only makes RH now. I learned this the hard way, having bought an old cone only to realize when I got it home that it's the wrong direction. So anyone got a LH thread cone they want to part with, let me know!


 
The sticklers will work on a posthole digger but they wont work direct drive from a tractor PTO.







This is an early model stickler with a fixed bolt pattern.
I bought it at a garage sale many years ago.
It wouldn't fit any of the vehicles I had at the time.
I pulled a rear end from a junked car that it would fit on and adapted the drive shaft to fit my tractor PTO.
The tractor that I had at that time didn't have a 3pt hitch so I welded a tongue to the axle and pulled it to where I wanted to split wood.
I jacked up the right side removed the wheel and mounted the splitter.
I locked the brake on the other wheel.
I used it that way for many years.
Never had an injury.
Later I replaced the tractor with one with 3pt and hydraulics and bought a 3pt splitter.
I saw a video of one on a posthole digger on youtube so I adapted the stickler to mount on my digger.
I still use it occasionally to split larger logs.


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## MasterMech

slindo said:


> I have a friend who has a couple of these splitters, one of which he runs direct drive off an old industrial engine of 50 HP or so. Works just great and he is still alive. with things that look dangerous, it is often hard to tell just how dangerous they really are. Lot of people badmouth these rigs whenever the subject comes up, but damnfew seem to have any firsthand experience. It is worth noting that Sticker continues to make the kind that bolt on a truck axle, which would seem to me to be by far the most dangerous. It's unlikely they could have stayed in biz if the things were a tenth as dangerous as they look. The banning of the Bark Buster is hard to explain - there were a dozen of so other, almost identical rigs that did not get banned. The major thing the BB was faulted for was not having any kind of cutoff switch; the current version of the Sticker has one, and one is easily added to any of the older machines. My idea is to put a "panic bar" across the top and sides that will kill the engine if it is pushed or pulled in any direction.
> 
> My motivation for looking in this direction is I want some thing small and simple, without bringing another nasty little E-10 swilling motor into my life. A 3 pt cone splitter is one of those machines like scraper blade or cordwood saw you can leave in the bushes for 5 years, then pull out and use again. Try that with a Home Depot hydraulic splitter! Sure a tractor is probably less fuel efficient than a GX or clone but for the amount of splitting I do who cares. And a 3 pt. mount makes a very handy package in the woods compared to dragging a trailer splitter. Plus I like the option of changing work height and being able to put the cone right down above the ground and spilt logs as they lie.
> 
> BTW anyone thinking of making one of these, or modifying a posthole digger in the manner of the Atom Splitter should be aware that they come with RH or LH threads - an RH thread will not work on a PTO of post hole digger without a very complicated reverser. The PTO versions like the Bark Buster used the LH thread. Stickler used to make a LH model apparently, but only makes RH now. I learned this the hard way, having bought an old cone only to realize when I got it home that it's the wrong direction. So anyone got a LH thread cone they want to part with, let me know!


 
Not for nothing but most of us buy powered log splitters to reduce the amount of work we have to do.  I've seen plenty of these cone splitters in action first-hand and have a good amount of experience with farm equipment in general.  Those type splitters, be they 3pt mounted, axle mounted, or digger mounted, are the most work I've ever seen from a powered splitter.  Most of the videos that show off how great they are also seem to be limited to processing rounds that are pretty easily manipulated by hand.

If my situation was such that I only had a couple cords a year to process, the wood wasn't exceptionally large or diffficult to split, then I know of an even more economical way to get it done.


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## gzecc

Butcher said:


> Actually if you dug around YT enough you might find that there are alot of those kinda splitters mfg and in use in Europe. No machine of any type can be saftly operated if the person using it is lacking in grey matter betwixt the ears. I do like this splitter though. I'm sure PETA dont but then, well, They can all freeze to death far as I'm concerned.



 Never seen a 1HP powered splitter. Maybe that horse is 3 HP, because of his size and power?


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## slindo

That is one well-used cone - is that a piece of rebar in the center? Your axle mount version sounds really clever - got any pictures?

I think I had to direction of rotation for post hole diggers wrong, good news since it means I may be able to figure a way to use mine. Are the two (?) flat stock spreaders at the top the way the splitter came or did you add them? The current Stickler has a steeper angled cone there, to give the splits a finally kick to separate them, and my friend with a similar splitter has been thinking of adding something like you have on yours.



BillinTX said:


> The sticklers will work on a posthole digger but they wont work direct drive from a tractor PTO.
> This is an early model stickler with a fixed bolt pattern.
> I bought it at a garage sale many years ago.
> It wouldn't fit any of the vehicles I had at the time.
> I pulled a rear end from a junked car that it would fit on and adapted the drive shaft to fit my tractor PTO.
> The tractor that I had at that time didn't have a 3pt hitch so I welded a tongue to the axle and pulled it to where I wanted to split wood.
> I jacked up the right side removed the wheel and mounted the splitter.
> I locked the brake on the other wheel.
> I used it that way for many years.
> Never had an injury.
> Later I replaced the tractor with one with 3pt and hydraulics and bought a 3pt splitter.
> I saw a video of one on a posthole digger on youtube so I adapted the stickler to mount on my digger.
> I still use it occasionally to split larger logs.


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## slindo

That's sort of the joke of it all. The splitting I need done would be easily done with a maul, but I had my shoulders done and can't use one. Hence my search for a simple alternative. It just isn't worth it for me to buy $1400 trailer splitter, or even $500 PTO pump, for what I need to do, but it's incredibly  frustrating not to be able to split a bit of wood when we need to. And those hand powered HF ram splitters? Too horrible to contemplate.



MasterMech said:


> If my situation was such that I only had a couple cords a year to process, the wood wasn't exceptionally large or diffficult to split, then I know of an even more economical way to get it done.


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## 711mhw

slindo said:


> That's sort of the joke of it all. The splitting I need done would be easily done with a maul, but I had my shoulders done and can't use one. Hence my search for a simple alternative. It just isn't worth it for me to buy $1400 trailer splitter, or even $500 PTO pump, for what I need to do, but it's incredibly frustrating not to be able to split a bit of wood when we need to. And those hand powered HF ram splitters? Too horrible to contemplate.


 
 Hey slindo, do you still have that "wrong threaded" cone? I'm looking for any (cheap) cone for my p.h.d. It's hyd there fore reversable. I just want to "pre split" the big ones for easier handling on the reg hyd splitter.


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## BillinTX

slindo said:


> ......Are the two (?) flat stock spreaders at the top the way the splitter came or did you add them? The current Stickler has a steeper angled cone there, to give the splits a finally kick to separate them, and my friend with a similar splitter has been thinking of adding something like you have on yours.


 
That model didn't have a flare at the top of the cone so I welded 4 pieces of leaf spring to it.
After that picture was taken I broke a couple of them off on a stubborn log.
So I redid it and added more pieces to fill in the gaps.


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## bboulier

This item is not on my Christmas wish list.


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## Pallet Pete

Just line the logs up in the road and drive over them without rubber on the rims it's probably safer.  Seriously my uncle got a broken jaw from a death spindle that snapped at the tip flew up in the air whacked him unconscious and left him in the snow for an hour before someone found him. Screw that ! 

Pete


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## ozzy73

tbuff said:


> I don't know.... I can see the dangers.




This thing needs a big red kill switch right beside the cone....


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## slindo

Amen. Even better would be a kill bar like I mentioned earlier, which could also be triggered by a flying log or body, or you could hit with your shoulder or elbow, without the need for having a free hand to reach out and push the button with. The operator also doesn't seem to be taking advantage of the 3 pt to find good working height - bending over it like that is sort of scary.

When I was learning to hand start J3 Cubs we were taught to stand right up by the prop. Most people instinctively stand as far away as they can, and lean forward to grab the prop. But if you are doing that and slip, you fall into the prop - stand close to it and you fall away from it. It's a good example of how what seems safe may not necessarily be safe, and a useful principle to remember whenever working with machinery like this.

BTW  the cradle feed on that mini-firewood-processor is worth a second look. Shows what can be done with a properly designed screw splitter.



ozzy73 said:


> This thing needs a big red kill switch right beside the cone....


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## Butcher

Whatever you come up with DO NOT design it like this one.


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## gblass1

The ones with a table are no more dangerous than the business end of the chainsaw we use to cut the wood.  I built one with an electric motor and it works great. Treat it with the respect you would any other power tool you'll be fine.


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## slindo

Great that it is working for you! The table setups do look a lot safer.

I would be interested in knowing what horsepower motor you are doing, and what speed you are running the cone at. Oh, and what kind of a cone you are using.



gblass1 said:


> The ones with a table are no more dangerous than the business end of the chainsaw we use to cut the wood. I built one with an electric motor and it works great. Treat it with the respect you would any other power tool you'll be fine.


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## slindo

Just came upon a couple YouTube clips that should be of interest to all the unrepentant screw cone enthusiasts here:


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## Highbeam

Yes, I own a barkbuster still and have easily split 25 cords with it. Identical to the one in Butcher's photo but I still have the original loading bar and not that weird square stock job they have. Usually, depending on the wood, I am much more productive with the 1000$ huskee splitter. Smaller stuff, like under 18", and straight grained like red alder I can go faster with the bark buster but the huskee is quite nice and of course it is much safer.

Only a fool would argue that the cone style is just as safe as a hydro. Experience tells me that it is possible to be fast and efficient with the BB and not be injured.

The splits from the BB are not as straight and pretty as those from a hydro. More cracking and fraying.  

I tried to sell the BB but no takers. I didn't try very hard since I am concerned with liability. Search on my username and see the very huge and long thread I made about my "unicorn" style splitter. Lots of pics.


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## Giles

slindo said:


> I have been suddenly seized by an irrational desire to build a screw splitter for my old 8n tractor (which doesn't have enough output to run a hydraulic splitter) using one of those conical screw splitter heads that bolt on to a rear axle in place of the wheel.
> 
> Anyone used one? Are they as dangerous as they are reputed to be?
> 
> Oh, if anyone has an old one kicking around they'd like to sell, please let me know.


 
Many years ago, I bought one and operated it with a 135 MF diesel. I used this (dangerous) splitter for several years and never came close to an accident. I am not saying they are not dangerous---a pocket knife can be dangerous---I believe most of the accidents were the fault of the operator not following safety guidelines.
Before I used mine the first time, I devised an easily reached "kill cord" for stopping the diesel engine. THIS IS IMPORTANT  Be sure to never run the tractor at high R.P.Ms. and have a kill switch or someone on the tractor.
I split many cords of wood with my diesel tractor running at about 1,300 rpm


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## NortheastAl

tbuff said:


> I don't know.... I can see the dangers.



What could possibly go wrong?


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## Mr A

Butcher said:


> Actually if you dug around YT enough you might find that there are alot of those kinda splitters mfg and in use in Europe. No machine of any type can be saftly operated if the person using it is lacking in grey matter betwixt the ears. I do like this splitter though. I'm sure PETA dont but then, well, They can all freeze to death far as I'm concerned.



LOL! That is pretty ridiculous! See the horse stumble at the end? And he isn't getting any production. What's even funnier, is that the horse tread mill is for sale. I used a " The Stickler" screw type cone splitter starting out. Yes, it works but was a pain to use. Mostly because I was going back and forth from pushing a round into it, and pushing the gas pedal on my truck to power it through. It was always in the back of mind to never turn my back on it. I had nightmares of backing up to it and having it tear through my calf. Manufacturer instructions are to sit in front of it and have a partner feed rounds to you. Too many precautions and possibilities for accidents. Last time I used it, I ended up knocking the rear end of my truck off the jack stands trying to split larger than recommended rounds. It was a bit of a curiosity in the neighborhood, people would come out and watch me use it, ask questions, etc.


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## Flatbedford

No thanks.


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## kjahnz

tbuff said:


> I don't know.... I can see the dangers.





this one is very similar to what my parents had back in the late 70's early 80's, I was about 10yrs old. Taught me respect for machinery and personal responsibility.  I liked the hydraulic splitter, that came later on, a lot better. we also had a crazy giant saw blade powered by pto driven belt. used it for slab wood. Just thinking of that one (the sound of that blade) kind of gives me chills.... hahaha. oh the memories.


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## Bret Chase

kjahnz said:


> we also had a crazy giant saw blade powered by pto driven belt. used it for slab wood. Just thinking of that one (the sound of that blade) kind of gives me chills.... hahaha. oh the memories.


 
ahh yes... the "buck" or "buzz" saw.... I've got one in my yard.... powered by a 16hp Kohler... I've got 30" saw blades in my shed....  I remember using those death traps when I was 12..... powered off of a belt... off of an ANCIENT case tractor..... so old... the clutch was a lever....

I'll take my husky chainsaw and hydro splitter any day of the week....


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## kjahnz

Butcher said:


> Whatever you come up with DO NOT design it like this one.





I take that back, after going farther into this tread, I would have to say this is what we had..


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## 930dreamer

I think I'm going to pick this one up from CL, I'll post a video of it in action.


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## ScotO

Those unicorn splitters have a place in the world....on the business end of an excavator!  I like what it can do to stumps and big logs, in a hurry!!


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## clemsonfor

Saw a YouTube video a few years ago of them!!  And then a while ago I saw them build one on the show hillbillyblood which is on luke the American something channel which is owned by discovery. Rumor was that show was moving to discovery. Pretty interesting show but kind of stupid the things they do. They had a cone an then welded a wire or square piece of metal too it then that sharpened it. Shows the dangers of it as it was ripping it out of his hands.


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## clemsonfor

What is the point to the one on the excavator?


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## ScotO

clemsonfor said:


> What is the point to the one on the excavator?


did you not see what that thing did to those stumps?  Stumps are some of the densest parts of the tree, imagine making cordwood out of them.....
Yes, they'd be hell to stack nice and straight, but would make good firewood.....I like that one on the excavator, especially if you were in the business of logging or clearing out building lots, etc....that would make quick and easy work of getting a stump out and gone..


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## clemsonfor

I see the power of it. And know that stumps are knarly and dense but u can't sell that. Like u said it won't stack u need a pressure washer to clean it to cut it or need a carbide chain to cut it.  What's the point to split a 15 dot Kong length wise unless its split rail dense?  I guess you could then stack them and but it all at once with a big saw but seems really expensive?  I mean an excavator with that huge attachment would cost $250/ he to run I imagine. U could hire some 20 yr old kid to run a top of the line hydro splitter and be ahead an let the stumps get burned in the air curtain or go in the tub grinder for mulch.


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## ScotO

clemsonfor said:


> I see the power of it. And know that stumps are knarly and dense but u can't sell that. Like u said it won't stack u need a pressure washer to clean it to cut it or need a carbide chain to cut it. What's the point to split a 15 dot Kong length wise unless its split rail dense? I guess you could then stack them and but it all at once with a big saw but seems really expensive? I mean an excavator with that huge attachment would cost $250/ he to run I imagine. U could hire some 20 yr old kid to run a top of the line hydro splitter and be ahead an let the stumps get burned in the air curtain or go in the tub grinder for mulch.


You don't NEED an excavator to run it.....just a hydraulic system big enough to turn it.  I believe they fit multiple applications (backhoes, skidders, tractors, etc.).  I can tell you if I had a piece of equipment to run one of them, I'd look into buying one......I'd be able to bang out stumps at my tree jobs and I'd gladly burn those stump splits in my stove all day long!


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## clemsonfor

Yea I guess I wasent thinking city clearing applications. I work with loggers every day but the last think I ever think of is stumps. But if u had a big bobcat u could bust the stumps up to pull them easier.  And I don't don't have second jobs,  if I did still don't think I'd use one. I'd be more likely to gets stump grinder if I was trying to flush grind a stump.


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## Bret Chase

Scotty Overkill said:


> did you not see what that thing did to those stumps? Stumps are some of the densest parts of the tree, imagine making cordwood out of them.....
> Yes, they'd be hell to stack nice and straight, but would make good firewood.....I like that one on the excavator, especially if you were in the business of logging or clearing out building lots, etc....that would make quick and easy work of getting a stump out and gone..


 

I've seen a Volvo EC340 drive it's bucket through a stump and split it...... I wasn't particularly impressed with the excavator application...


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## MasterMech

Bret Chase said:


> I've seen a Volvo EC340 drive it's bucket through a stump and split it...... I wasn't particularly impressed with the excavator application...


But the excavator pictured was a Komatsu PC150.  Not exactly the same class of machine!


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## MasterMech

Why split a stump when you can annihilate it?


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## Bret Chase

MasterMech said:


> But the excavator pictured was a Komatsu PC150. Not exactly the same class of machine!


 

  true....  

I've also seen the same outfit... with the same operator take a CAT 345... flip the thumb down and pop out a rather large oak stump like it was a tulip.... but the 345 is a damned monster....


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## Bret Chase

MasterMech said:


> Why split a stump when you can annihilate it?





a 100HP forstner bit.........

truth be told around here...  pretty much all of the stumps within an hour's travel of me, ends up up in one guy's morbark 1600 tub grinder....  THAT machine annihilates a stump... and makes a godawful mess doing it!


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## ScotO

MasterMech said:


> Why split a stump when you can annihilate it?


I've seen that vid before, that is very cool!  A buddy of mine is looking at a smaller version of that very stump screw for his skidsteer......


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## 711mhw

Scotty Overkill said:


> I've seen that vid before, that is very cool! A buddy of mine is looking at a smaller version of that very stump screw for his skidsteer......


 
That's what I want to do ^^^^^^^^^^^ pre split the 24" & up stuff for the hyd splitter.


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## 930dreamer

Some trial and error here, owner stated the unicorn goes on the passenger side and use in the lowest gear. I set it up and it won't start into a log. I try it in reverse gear and it's a go. I'll need to set it up on the drivers side and re-evaluate. Will need to add a platform closer to the screw so the wood will track straight as it's screwed.

Video;


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## Mr A

I used mine in D2 to split a bit faster. The Stickler mounted driver side, it's the just the way the threads are cut. Since the cone gets wider, if a log is not at a good angle it can lift the vehicle off the jack stands. You can take a lot of the wobble out of the spin with sheet metal shims behind the mounting plate. 
 I split a few cords with it. It was a pain every time to use it, take off the wheel, mount the screw, take it off, put the wheel back on. When the truck got knocked off the jack stands, I was done with it.


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## 930dreamer

My Jeep Grand Wagoneer has the same wheel bolt pattern but the axle flange sticks out too far for this too mount up. It's a shop rig so my plan was too use it.


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## MasterMech

930dreamer said:


> Some trial and error here, owner stated the unicorn goes on the passenger side and use in the lowest gear. I set it up and it won't start into a log. I try it in reverse gear and it's a go. I'll need to set it up on the drivers side and re-evaluate. Will need to add a platform closer to the screw so the wood will track straight as it's screwed.
> 
> Video;


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## Jags

Wow - that is kinda painful to watch.  It took 59 seconds for the first split to happen.


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