Very cool splitter

[SWNH]

It has a mechanical log loader *AND* built-in generator to run attached floodlights. Personally, I'd add another fluid circuit to run a hydrostatic drive to make it self propelled.

http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/showthread.php?t=36840

 

[Skier76]

That's a pretty serious setup! I like your idea of setting up a hydro drive. Instead of moving the pile...move to the pile. :coolsmirk:

 

[Gooserider]

I've been dreaming about a hydro drive as well, just not sure what sort of power it would take for a motor... I mostly split around the house, so my splitter moving is just around the yard - I've never even bothered to put the trailer hitch on my splitter - I figure that makes it slightly more theft resistant automatically...

Right now, I just pick up the tongue and drag it around, but that can get hefty after a while, and it would be a pain to hook up to the lawn tractor. OTOH, I've got a 9hp engine and a 16gpm hydraulic pump, I'd think it would be possible to put a Tee and valve to run a hydraulic motor w/ a friction roller on one splitter wheel just to give a power assist when moving around... Surplus sales looks like they have hydro motors for a couple hundred $'s not sure what the rest would cost, though it probably wouldn't be cheap considering that it would have to be all high pressure plumbing and such...

Gooserider

 

[LLigetfa]

it would be a pain to hook up to the lawn tractor.

You're joking, right? No mas, no mas!

Get one of those trailer moving dollies or a unicycle and replace the jack stand with it. A friend built himself a battery powered dolly to tractor his plane in and out of the hangar. It went under the front wheel.

 

[smokinj]

it would be a pain to hook up to the lawn tractor.

You're joking, right? No mas, no mas!

Get one of those trailer moving dollies or a unicycle and replace the jack stand with it. A friend built himself a battery powered dolly to tractor his plane in and out of the hangar. It went under the front wheel.

you have a close up on your 2 in. ball set up?

 

[SolarAndWood]

Instead of moving the pile...move to the pile.

This is the only way to split wood. My little electric horizontal splitter is light enough that it is easy to pull around, the big vertical splitter sits in the three point of the tractor and gets backed into the pile. Now, if the horizontal had a 6 way wedge and the tractor put out more than 8.6 gpm, I would be all set.

 

[LLigetfa]

you have a close up on your 2 in. ball set up?

Here you go.

 

[smokinj]

nice work I am trying to set mine up

 

[Gooserider]

it would be a pain to hook up to the lawn tractor.

You're joking, right? No mas, no mas!

Get one of those trailer moving dollies or a unicycle and replace the jack stand with it. A friend built himself a battery powered dolly to tractor his plane in and out of the hangar. It went under the front wheel.

Didn't say it couldn't be done, just that it would be a PITA... Remember my splitter doesn't have a separate tongue like yours does, but puts the hitch on the beam. This has advantages for storage, but makes the hithch higher... The current hitch point on the LT is down near the ground, I'd have to come up with a new hitch on the LT, or mod the beam to make a lower mounted hitch.

Then it would be almost as much of a nusiance to USE the LT - right now I just drop the beam to horizontal, pick up the end, to waist height, which gets the tank mounted prop stand off the ground, (so I don't have to put it up) and walk. I just stick the pin in enough to hold the beam down. With the LT I'd have to start it up, get it out of the shed, put the beam down and pin it securely, put up the prop stand, hook to the LT, move, unhook, put the prop stand back down, and put the LT away... It would take longer than just moving it by hand... OTOH some kind of trailer dolly might not be to bad.

Gooserider

 

[LLigetfa]

Gee, you make it sound so difficult. I wonder how manage to get out of bed in the morning.

If you mounted a hitch up high enough, you could hook up to it without having to raise the jack stand. I contemplated doing mine that way but I often use the splitter while hitched to my tractor and wanted it to operate level. I realize your hitch on beam wouldn't allow that.

If you use your tractor to tow a trailer when out splitting, you could put a ball on the back of the trailer and form a train. I'm considering adding a hitch to the back of my splitter to hook my trailer to and tow them together as a train. If I'm trailering the splits right away, I unhook the splitter but then I have to move it by hand closer to the wood as the pile diminishes. I considered adding a ball to my P-handle dolly to make it into a convertible trailer dolly. I usually take my dolly out with me when splitting to move the larger rounds.

BTW, here is an adjustable trailer dolly from Norther Tool.