can someone tell me what this thing is called?

[Renovationman]

At that point it seems like a gas powered option is better.

For me it was usage plus I didn’t need a 20 ton and don’t foresee the need for one. It would definitely be different if I was splitting 4-5 cords a year. My buddy up north has a 6 ton electric and never had an issue with his 3-4 cords a year. He’s had it at least 10 years. Plus I already had the generator.

 

[moresnow]

Moresnow? A tractor and Loader would just take all the fun out of it....nothing better than packing 150 lb rounds 200yrds to an ole wood buggy.

Agreed. The older I get. The smaller my wood

 

[spudman99]

Agreed. The older I get. The smaller my wood

TWSS

 

[johneh]

I have an electric in the basement to split my kindling
That's all I use it for it is quiet

 

[Johnny_Fiv3]

My father in law and I built one from parts off of an old backhoe. Built it on a set of axles with a hitch to tow it around. Once at the pile you just unhitched, tipped it up vertical, and dropped the 3 stabilizer arms. The wheels were at the back so you could do this alone. Hydraulic pump and motor were mounted to an old pressure washer frame with wheels. He used some sort of quick disconnects (not sure of proper name) for the lines. He even welded up a cage the motor assembly went into once the splitter was hitched back up that locked it in place for transport. It was a pretty cool project. Still works great. I think total cost was about $350. $50 for a 10HP pressure washer with a blown pump, but motor was fine. $50 for the cylinder, lines, and control stick assembly off the backhoe, $100 for the hydraulic pump and disconnects, $50 for the splitting wedge, $50 for misc parts, $50 for beer. We had the axles and steel laying around.

 

[redmanlcs]

Johnny, this is exactly what I'm looking to do. My uncle attempted to make his own. 5hp briggs from lawnmower, tilted on its edge with horizontal shaft carb retrofitted to work., A jack from a handicapped schoolbus wheelchair lift, with hoses and controlls, and a power steering pump from a 1979 ford pickup. The thing looked good and worked good, so as long as you didn't ask it to split anything.

You did peak my interest tho. There happens to be this heavy equipment salvage yard near............... humm. I bet I could get the jack, controls, and pump there at a reasonable price........ I def want to build my own. I have a moble home frame I can cut a beam from, plenty strong. Then I can also use this to mount pump and engine and maybe build my own wedge and push plate.

 

[Ashful]

I think i paid $35 a day For that id rather let someone else do the maintenance and storage.

That’s astounding. They’re $100/day here, every day.

 

[Ashful]

Agreed. The older I get. The smaller my wood

Sounds like “low-T”.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

That’s astounding. They’re $100/day here, every day.

I actually had it 1 day and a half and i think the bill was mid 40s. I ran it continuously for 8 hrs the first day and 4 the second. Had a helper roll the rounds to me and pile the splits. Other wise i would have to keep stopping to do that. It was a 30ton plus splitter.

 

[Ashful]

I actually had it 1 day and a half and i think the bill was mid 40s. I ran it continuously for 8 hrs the first day and 4 the second. Had a helper roll the rounds to me and pile the splits. Other wise i would have to keep stopping to do that. It was a 30ton plus splitter.

That's great! I think that if I could rent at those prices, it'd be tougher to justify a purchase. The way I was looking at it, with our local prices, it was only eight or ten rentals to meet the purchase price.

 

[Redapse]

@redmanlcs

Did you ever find a wood splitter you were looking for? One with a electric motor and gear reducer? If you did I'd love to get some specs from you as I'm looking to build one.

What sort of ratio gearbox.. what sort of horsepower electric motor etc.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

The only thing I could see welding up for $100 and scrap is the big weighted arm on a spring.

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I put an electric motor on my hydraulic splitter and it works great. 20 tons at the flip of a switch

 

[Ashful]

I put an electric motor on my hydraulic splitter and it works great. 20 tons at the flip of a switch

What size pump are you spinning, and using what type and size motor?

Just thinking, it takes a 6-7 hp ICE to drive 11 gpm, and more like 8-9 hp to drive 16 gpm. You're not getting that sort of power, or much more torque, out of a regular cap start single phase AC induction motor, which would be the usual go-to for small/cheap stationary equipment running long periods. Universal motors can give monster torque, and can be rated as high as 3hp (by stall current method, not true operating hp), but they're not great for hours and hours of operation, and they're noisy as all hell. Repulsion-Induction (RI) motors might fit the bill, but have fallen out of popularity, and aren't cheap or easy to find. They also have heat and brush wear issues, unless just repulsion-start induction run, and then you're back to the original induction motor low torque issue.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

What size pump are you spinning, and using what type and size motor?

Just thinking, it takes a 6-7 hp ICE to drive 11 gpm, and more like 8-9 hp to drive 16 gpm.

I am using a 3hp 3600 rpm 240v motor on a 12 gpm pump. It shifts to high pressure at about 650 psi and the high pressure stage is 1.85 gpm. It draws a little over 13 amps at full load and I put a 100 ft 12 ga cord on it. The motor sees the most load at the high end of the low pressure stage. The motor stays nice and cool even after hours of non-stop use. I use the 4 way 90% of the time and it powers right through the wood.

I designed the hydraulic system to run cool and not waste power. The fluid doesn't get hot at all. I can comfortably touch any part of the hydraulic system after running it all day, and hold my hand on it. It sits on full size 15 inch tires and will run down the highway at 70 mph. I have installed outlets at friend's houses where I split wood so I can roll up, plug it in, and get right to work. It will easily do a cord an hour if you can keep up to it. We have done 4 face cord an hour, but more than that will wear you out in a hurry.

 

[Eman85]

I wasted enough time and energy with home built splitters and used splitters. Between the scrounging of used junk parts and the cost of new parts it's just not worth it. When I sold the last one I went and bought a County Line splitter that goes on my 3pt hitch and runs off of my tractor hydraulics. No small engine to maintain and breathe the fumes from. No flat tires and no one asks if they can borrow it.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

I wasted enough time and energy with home built splitters and used splitters. Between the scrounging of used junk parts and the cost of new parts it's just not worth it. When I sold the last one I went and bought a County Line splitter that goes on my 3pt hitch and runs off of my tractor hydraulics. No small engine to maintain and breathe the fumes from. No flat tires and no one asks if they can borrow it.

I went electric because of the fumes and noise. It was horrible. All I have to do is plug it in.
The cost to run it is around 25 cents a day.

 

[Eman85]

I went electric because of the fumes and noise. It was horrible. All I have to do is plug it in.
The cost to run it is around 25 cents a day.

Fully understand, with plug in electricity there's no problem powering a good splitter. My 3 point is basically a frame, beam and cylinder so I could change what I power it with easily. I've done that with small engine splitters where they ruined the engine. just hooked my tractor to it and bypass the splitters hydraulics. With a motor, pump and tank I could power mine with it and still be able to power it with my tractor in the woods if I wanted. I'm looking more and more at cordless outdoor power equipment, light and no fumes.
I've spent my life working on internal combustion engines, no telling the brain cells I've donated to the cause.

 

[johneh]

That works for you but 80% of my splitting is done at the wood yard
in my bush lot no power there so its gas all the way

 

[Isaac Carlson]

If battery tech would actually improve like they keep claiming it will, we'd be able to run splitters and chainsaws for more than a few minutes. I have a gas splitter for "out there" away from power, but I much prefer the electric. The problem with power equipment is that it needs so much power to get the work done. It's working hard and it takes power to do that work. Electric front end loaders and such wouldn't last long on a charge.

 

[Max W]

I went electric because of the fumes and noise. It was horrible. All I have to do is plug it in.
The cost to run it is around 25 cents a day.

Second that! I run a 220, 2 hp motor with a 11gpm pump and 4” cylinder. Don’t recall the shaft size. I don’t know how many tons of force as I have no pressure gauge to calculate from but there is very little it won’t power through and didn’t take long to bend the 3/4 “ steel stop plate which required adding reinforcement. The stainless tank is large and heat of the hydraulics or motor has never been a problem. I have 60 ft of 10/4 cord and another maybe 30 ft of 10/3 wire (cord designations are listed differently) that I run out from my house dryer outlet. I built it to run vertically as well but never really used it that way.

It is nice to not fiddle with an engine or go looking for ethanol free gas and it so much quieter. More than 15 years old and built on an old boat trailer it’s not all that pretty. For me and my needs electric was a good way to go.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

That looks like an awesome splitter. I had to turn mine down after it broke the pusher. And then I turned it down a little more. It is now down to about 17 tons and still splits everything with the 4 way. Wedge design is a huge factor in how well a splitter works. I have been tempted to get a 3" cylinder just for the faster cycle time.

 

[Ashful]

I would love to be done with the noise. I have no issue with the fumes (I'm outdoors) or the "fiddling", my engine has never given me any trouble, always starts and runs just fine. But my God, is the ever effing loud!

In the case of my engine, the most offensive noise is coming off the intake, the muffler actually works well enough.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

The fumes still bothered me, even outside. I even put small pipes on my chainsaw mufflers to shoot the exhaust out away from me.(another benefit of ported saws) 😁