Splitter assistance

[Touch0Gray]

So I just replaced my 35 year old, home made splitter with a brand new store bought. The old one was belt drive to the pump and in gruesome cold weather I would knock the belt off to get it started. Once the engine was warm I would put the belt back on and had no issues. The new one is direct drive to the pump of course and it went to 10 below last night and I can't get it started. Any secrets other than dragging the torpedo heater out there?

 

[DodgyNomad]

You could give it a shot of starting spray. Or, you could drain the engine oil and or splitter hydraulic fluid and go with a lighter/lower weight for winter. Your idea of heating it up is probably the easiest.

I go to 5/30 syn in my small motors that I know I'll use over the winter. Easier on startup for sure. In the summer, most get 15w40. 15w40 gets very thick in the cold, and I worry about engine wear on startup, as that stuff moves like molasses in the winter.

 

[Touch0Gray]

You could give it a shot of starting spray. Or, you could drain the engine oil and or splitter hydraulic fluid and go with a lighter/lower weight for winter. Your idea of heating it up is probably the easiest.

I go to 5/30 syn in my small motors that I know I'll use over the winter. Easier on startup for sure. In the summer, most get 15w40. 15w40 gets very thick in the cold, and I worry about engine wear on startup, as that stuff moves like molasses in the winter.

I hate ether, I killed a snowblower that way. Easier to move the heater than the splitter!


Edit: ooh, the sun is shining on it now..... Maybe that will work. The heater is such a pain in the a$$, the fuel line is really stiff and 15 feet long and the wood shed would require a 50 foot extension cord. AND I only have a few pieces to split, but I and kind of ocd about getting stuff I started finished

Too bad the engine is alloy, I have a magnetic block heater

 

[tadmaz]

I've come to the conclusion that it's easier to not have to split in really cold weather. If you pull the cord about 1000 times (and have a sky high heartrate) you may be able to start. I've done it once in 5F. I've decided not to do that again.

 

[Touch0Gray]

Torpedo heater, 10 minutes, fired right up. Ima teach that wood a lesson, straight into the stove!

As for over-revving the ole ticker, I am not concerned, I am an avid cyclist, so I am in reasonably good shape, (4700 miles last year)