Splitter opinions

[SpaceBus]

I’m anxious to get your review on this one, as I don’t see how it’s possible to get a 7 second cycle on a 4” x 24” cylinder with a 160cc motor. That’s normally 400cc motor territory, since you need about 20 GPM to hit those speeds. I almost wonder if they’re just counting the up-stroke time, and calling it “cycle time”.

I guarantee that's how they claim those speeds. The shop owner says he uses one to split about 100 cords/year and he's sold 25 and never gets complaints. I'm a little anxious about it not having a vertical splitting option, but it's so light. If I have rounds too heavy to lift up to 28", they will wait in a pile until it's large enough to warrant using the tractor to lift them.

The price was right (less than $1,500) and I'll have product support for years to come. I'm also getting a discount on the rest of the equipment since I am buying so much.

 

[SpaceBus]

Congratulations on getting everything before the big one hits.

Indeed, I saw the snow coming and decided I need to pull the trigger.

 

[thewoodlands]

Indeed, I saw the snow coming and decided I need to pull the trigger.

What are your first jobs you'll be doing with the tractor, snow work doesn't count.

 

[SpaceBus]

What are your first jobs you'll be doing with the tractor, snow work doesn't count.

Stump grinding most likely.

 

[thewoodlands]

Stump grinding most likely.

Is that powered by the pto or hydraulics?

 

[SpaceBus]

Is that powered by the pto or hydraulics?

I'm pretty sure it's from the PTO.

 

[kevin j]

I was going to comment on the rod spacers/broken rod end issue but forgot.
I should follow up for other readers.
There is a youtube guy who pulled the rod threads off and the vendor would not warranty it. They claimed the spacers caused the issue. Total BS. I designed hydraulics for 35 years. Cylinders are designed for maximum push or pull forces at rated pressures. He had a poorly designed cylinder, or bad threads and should have gotten a warranty replacement for free.
What the spacers can do is hit the seal area but I mentioned that.

man would I love to have the gear you have coming. pics please when you get going.
I am especially curious how the two way splitting works out. Neat concept, just need to hear from first hand operator.

kcj

 

[SpaceBus]

I was going to comment on the rod spacers/broken rod end issue but forgot.
I should follow up for other readers.
There is a youtube guy who pulled the rod threads off and the vendor would not warranty it. They claimed the spacers caused the issue. Total BS. I designed hydraulics for 35 years. Cylinders are designed for maximum push or pull forces at rated pressures. He had a poorly designed cylinder, or bad threads and should have gotten a warranty replacement for free.
What the spacers can do is hit the seal area but I mentioned that.

man would I love to have the gear you have coming. pics please when you get going.
I am especially curious how the two way splitting works out. Neat concept, just need to hear from first hand operator.

kcj

I was, and still am, nervous about the splitter. It apparently gets rave reviews and the price is about to creep up $300 for that model. I don't know if it's worth it at $1,800, but at less than $1,500 it seems to be a good deal.

 

[maple1]

Just make sure you fully assess the chances of a split getting away & landing on the engine. Might be worth it to come up with some kind of extra protection for it, that wouldn't take much to do.

 

[SpaceBus]

Just make sure you fully assess the chances of a split getting away & landing on the engine. Might be worth it to come up with some kind of extra protection for it, that wouldn't take much to do.

Yes, I I had considered splits falling on the engine. If it becomes an issue, I'll have to fabricate or pay someone to fabricate a sheet metal engine shield. I don't think it will be too bad.

 

[salecker]

. If I have rounds too heavy to lift up to 28", they will wait in a pile until it's large enough to warrant using the tractor to lift them.

Just Noodle them with the 395,makes a bunch of good fire starter doing that as well.

 

[SpaceBus]

Just Noodle them with the 395,makes a bunch of good fire starter doing that as well.

Ha, it will be easy with the mill when it gets here. Just need to clear some space when this ice melts.

 

[Ashful]

Ha, it will be easy with the mill when it gets here. Just need to clear some space when this ice melts.

Not sure if you’ve ever done any milling, but the ripping cut required for milling is about the hardest and slowest way of getting thru a log. With noodling, the bar is parallel to the grain, and you pull out long shavings with impressive speed. In ripping (milling), you’re completely across the grain, not even transverse as you are with bucking, but completely across-grain. It takes a lot of time, a lot of horsepower, and a lot of chain.

I have posted my method of dealing with large rounds (eg. over 500 lb.) here a few times, let me see if I can find and link to it.

 

[Ashful]

Check my post in this thread:

Are large DBH trees worth it?
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...om/talk/index.php?posts/2166482/&share_type=t

 

[SpaceBus]

Not sure if you’ve ever done any milling, but the ripping cut required for milling is about the hardest and slowest way of getting thru a log. With noodling, the bar is parallel to the grain, and you pull out long shavings with impressive speed. In ripping (milling), you’re completely across the grain, not even transverse as you are with bucking, but completely across-grain. It takes a lot of time, a lot of horsepower, and a lot of chain.

I have posted my method of dealing with large rounds (eg. over 500 lb.) here a few times, let me see if I can find and link to it.

Thanks for the tip, I know ripping is inefficient, but I didn't realize going parallel would be that much easier. I guess the 28" Bar included with my 395 could see some use after all. The dealer is going to order me a couple of ripping chains and a 24" bar for the 395 specifically for the Logosol mill. Once it warms up I'll be able to build some equipment sheds and covered parking finally. I actually held off on the stump grinder until the ice melts. The dealer should be pulling up with the equipment any moment.

 

[maple1]

I would definitely get a ripping chain for use on a chainsaw mill. There is a difference.

And yes noodling is much different than ripping, if you study how the bar is oriented to the grain & wood with each. Some call ripping noodling & vice versa - big difference if you try each with a standard saw chain.

 

[TreePointer]

Short explanation I like to use:

Noodling a log = cutting from bark to bark

Ripping a log = cutting from butt to butt

You can noodle with any saw, but larger saws have more room under the clutch cover to clear the "spaghetti." You'll quickly learn that slightly changing your attack angle will help the noodles to flow more easily.

 

[SpaceBus]

Well, everything but the splitter arrived today. The delivery trailer was out of room with the tractor and blower. I'm about to make a thread to showcase my new toys.

 

[rowerwet]

This is what I ended up deciding on: https://www.braveproducts.com/logsplitters/brave20tondualsplit.html

I had the predator 20 ton splitter that worked the same way. They are a nice design, the only downside being the lack of vertical splitting. The wedge is narrower than most splitters, but that allows it to go through just about anything. I ran mine for three years and sold it for more than I bought it. ($600 with coupon at HF, sold it for $700, which is $50 cheaper than the current HF price)
The work table design is great, and I got around lifting the big stuff onto the splitter by clipping an equipment ramp into the table, the folding ones like used to get a tractor into a truck bed. Using a hookaroon and a ramp saved a lot of wear and tear on my back.
I can't say I ever dropped a round on the motor, I have already busted the air filter cover on my DHT 22 ton.
The trick to getting the fastest cycling out of the dual split is to run the wedge into the wood until the trailing edge is an inch or two into the round, stop the ram, grab the splits, and most of then time a solid pull will finish the splitting. Drop the next round/last round on the other side of the wedge and and return, stopping when the wedge is an inch or two into the round.
Most of the time, my wedge was only going about a foot in each direction, right in the middle, with 17" rounds.