I just came across your video as I just bought a Champion splitter. Your ingenuity is great and your fabrication skills are top notch. You've given me some great ideas for my new splitter.👍
Thank you scooter glad you liked it. I did have to re design the slide that runs on top of the i beam. I tried to lift a 2 1/2 foot 16 inch long round and the tubing bent letting it pop out. My Fix was to use 1/2 inch By 2 1/2 inch wide plate a 5/8 inch 10 in long square head bolt instead of the tubing. I then welded 2 5/16 pieces of keystock that runs along each side of the i beam and cut 2 pieces of the flat that would travel under top i beam keeping it from being able to raise up, the four 5/16 pieces work perfect because the flat top on the i beam is 1/4" so there is a slight clearance. Good luck if you build one not that hard feel free to call with questions.
Howdy Mr. Morris. As many already mentioned, great job on the mod and thanks for taking time to share. I'm just a couple years behind you in age so I also feel the pains of lifting and really like your set up. Many others have already asked about the "how does the table stay up" thing and I guess I lack the imagination to follow the spring, tube, latch verbal explanation. If you had time it would be great to make a video of just how that works. I currently split maybe 5 chord for myself per year but my neighbor is 85 this year and he splits at least that much so I am always there helping him haul, buck, split and stack his wood. Anyway, if you feel up to it and could make a video on the table mechanism I think you'd have a bunch of others that would really appreciate your time and wit. Thanks in advance!
Zig Zag if you want I will do a video up close on it and send it to you in a text message if that is alright with you. My cell is 337 351 6542 if you want to contact me with any questions I will be glad to help.
Brilliant stuff Mr. Morris. Adding a powered log lift without adding any extra hydraulics and the ensuing💲modification chain needed to integrate it all.
Well done William. You have solved the top issues with log splitters. My question to log splitter manufacturers is why not design and sell similar upgrades. These great value additions would make life so much easier for anyone at any age. My second point is the added value of protecting the engine and hydraulics, these are real issues. William not sure if there is some engineering in your background or just a lifetime of experience getting in the garage to make stuff work better. Either way congrats. What I would love to see is a follow up video with a closer look at how you designed each component. You video certainly passed the functionality test….but selfishly I want to add your modifications to my splitter. My compliments.
I've started shopping for a log splitter. This video is enlightening. The covers for protection of the engine and hydraulics is great advice. The log lift and return limiter are ingenious.
Thank you Zoltan for the compliment It really did come out pretty good. It has worked out great for me with my bad back. Cuts out any lifting my back likes that. It isn't hard to build if you can weld a little not to much to buy. The pillow block bearings $14.00 on Amazon and the four 5/8 inch spacers with lock Allen screws I butted 2 spacers together close to each bearing so I could weld the round rods from the spacers to the bottom of the table and a 2 foot piece of I/8 inch cable is all I had to buy I had the angle iron for the frame and the aluminum table I had from an old scraped wheel chair ramp but you could use 3/4 inch treated plywood. I had enough 5/8 inch round stock to make the ram limiter. I chose the Champion mostly because of all the good reviews and I called champion and talked to the plant Foreman he answered all my questions nice people at Champion. Also it was on sale. Hope this helps in your splitter hunt. If you have any questions email me and I will try to answer them. William Morris
Real nice, multifunction design. Very inspirational and can add a few more log splitting years to my back. I would love to see a parts list especially for pivot point and the Ram to Table engagement mechanism.
I do have pictures if you want them just contact me by my e mail listed below the viewer numbers and i would be glad to text the pictures to you just provide me you number and i will send them to you. i have had problems sending the pictures using e mail but no problems texting if you have questions email me and i will send you my phone number and i can answer them over the phone if you need me to. Thanks William
I just seen your video William, great design and well thought out improvements, I would be interested in seeing more of the table design and hydraulic limiter up close to see what parts were used, keep up the good work and great job, I am picking up one of those splitters this week
Donm if you text me or send me your phone number so i can text you pictures i will be glad to do so if you would like to talk about how and why i did something just give me a call be glad to talk to you. I will be out of town until Thursday the 14th call Thursday and i will be available. I am retired usually home.
Thank you for sharing this. I have the same splitter and was trying to figure out a way to keep the ram from going all the way back to the cylinder. That extra 5 seconds per cut saves a lot of time in the long run. Great fabricating!!!
Simplest thing that can be done with all splitters is put blocks between the base and the wood to close the gap between the splitter head and wood piece. Reduces travel, engages right away, shorter return. Some splitters have a ram on the hydraulic cylinder and push the wood into the splitter, and you would put a block between the ram and the wood. I'm looking at picking one of these up. Have been using an small electric splitter and have a long and short block, like a piece of 2x4, and a 4x4 sideways, or a knarly small end cut off fiewood.
Thanks Andy for your comment. If you have a friend that can weld a little bit you probably could build if with a little help from someone. It's not really complicated 12 feet of 1 inch angle iron. and 40 inches of 5/8 inch of round stock 5ft. of 1/8x 2 inch x 1//8 thick flat stock. 2 pillow block 5/8 in hole self aligning from amazon about $15.00 dollars. 4ft of 1/2 inch all thread rod 8 1/2 in 8 nuts and instead of aluminum wheel chair ramp for the table use 5/8 in treated plywood.
Nice job of saving your back and protecting the vulnerable machine components at the same time. I really like the return trip for different log lengths (saves time) think I’ll do that to mine soon. Thanks for posting!
The log lift is easily worth another few thousand dollars on a new machine. Great idea and well thought out build. I will need to add this top list list
Thanks Fldavestone I did have to beef up the table lifter I bent the pipe that operates the lifting of the table. I don't usually have big rounds to split but i had a Red Oak tree that was hit by lightning and it was dying and my grandson and i took it down . it had 2 and 1/2 foot rounds at 16 inches after cutting the tree up they weighed about 250 lbs or a little bit more. I replaced the travel lifter on the I beam to 3/16 inch thick and used a 5/8 inch rod welded to the travel lifter problem solved.
Ok, great video. I've seen 3 videos to use but I'm now going to use your design. I'm going to rewatch it again . I missed how you locked the table up while splitting. Thanks for making your video. I'm headed to the scrap yard for parts.
@@williammorris622 Any chance you could post a picture of the table lock that keeps it up? It must work from under the rail to keep it away from bottom Incase you had to set it up right.
I have the 27 ton model, really like your lift table for the logs. Great idea. Your yellow side shelf on the side you stand is on wrong. It should be more flat to be more of a shelf, but if you like the fall protection I'd keep as is.
I had removed the big rack where the table is now I started to put in on the other side but it kept me a little too far out not as comfortable as the short one. Short one is turned up enough to keep larger rounds for going off toward me. Thanks for posting your comment Cody.
Great job inventing the wheel, I don't have a log splitter but I do have a bad back, in the near future I will be picking one up, and hope to do this mod that you did to yours, I see in the comments, you have some pictures you might be able to send. I love the way your table drops down and picks up. Also the way your protecting all of the equipment. You did a really great job, I love doing stuff like this. It's good for the mind
Thanks for the kind words you might be right but what I like the most Orion is it saves my back and all the bending over lifting and dragging rounds over to the splitter.
I wouldn't be surprised if this becomes a new standard because you added the lift table without adding hydraulics like most currently do. I have the same concerns about back injury but I also like the big electric splitters that cut both directions but unfortunately then have no lift. Those were the exact tradeoffs but this work-around way gives you both.
That is what I have been looking for. Mine is a 27 ton Champion bought in 2019, but I was trying to rig something to keep the motor and the fenders on each wheel protected in the event a piece rolls off. This gives me some ideas on ways to fix it. Thanks.
Tom if you would like to find out more just e mail me and I will get back to you with a description on exactly how I built mine. kb5tgs@gmail.com Thank you Tom for watching my Video. I am not able to post another video right now for a while.
If you weren’t an engineer you missed your calling. Awesome job. Ditto on the requests to show more detail on how the table disconnects so it doesn’t go down with every additional split.
No the table only goes down when you pull the spring trip on the operator's side. When you lift a piece to split the spring trip latch snaps out as the bottom pushes the latch piece back and as soon as the bottom of the table passes trip latch it snaps out and you push splitting ram forward the table sits on the latch and stays level while you split the wood. Thanks Monkdad for the comment.
Cesar thanks for the comment. Looked at all the splitters across the internet and RU-vid checking the reviews Champion was at or near the top with people that have used it for several years on the reviews. I also called Champion and the employees were very nice. They answered the questions I had. They transferred me to the engineering dept. where I got the rest of my questions answered. Champion's warranty was at the top of the splitters reviewed. They also don't use automated phone service you call you talk to a Champion employee.HUGE+ There is a Australian company that builds the best Splitter I saw anywhere but the price is 5 times the price of the Champion. And add another $800.00 dollars shipping on top of that no way to justify that.
@@williammorris622 It's only my experience William and I am sure they have one off's that fail. I've had my 25 ton in the shop twice for over 3 months each time due to failures and parts not being available. The ram has been replaced once and the hydraulics were fixed another so it's been in the shop almost as half the time I have owned it. This is only my experience but I cannot recommend this product to anyone.
@@williammorris622 I've had it for 2 years. The first time it stopped working was at 6 months. The second time was around 1 1/2. I worked with Champion and they have amazing reps. I'm selling my champion and getting a Wolfe Ridge. Its about to arrive... I hope you have a great day and thank you for the great video. Good luck with that splitter.
On the lift table is there some kind of pin you pull to disconnect the lift table, You did not show this. I saw you pull something and you talked about a trip ? I hope you show this again. I have the 27 ton Champion. I think this is Great. I would like to make this for mine, Thanks for sharing.
Its a simple spring assisted 3/4 inch box tubing inside a 1inch box tubing with a notch cut about 1/2 in deep 7/8 inch wide to let the 3/4 inch pivot as the table comes up it pushes the 3/4 box tubing back into the 1 inch and when the table gets level it pops out under the table so on the split stroke the table sits on the pivot and stays up.
Genius way to lift the wood up, no need for more hydraulics. Would like to see more detail on how the table is connected, so I will email you at address you give below
David its a simple 2 piece tilt latch a 1 inch box tubing notched at the top to let the 3/4 tubing to go outward for the table to sit on. with a 3/4 inch inside the 1 inch with 1/4 inch a bolt through both in the center so it can toggle in or outward and a small coil spring between the 1 in and the 3/4 to push it outward. There is a 1/4 in rod with a 90 degree ell on one end that goes through the splitter I beam 3/4 box tubing just above the top of the 1 inch box tubing and the other straight end goes through the splitter I beam to pull the 3/4 box tubing back so the table will go down when you need to pick up more wood. Thanks for watching.
Good mods but you're still doing it the hard way with that design of horizontal log splitter. Check out the Whitlands WS150 or the SuperX3100 log splitter for some ideas and about working a log splitter with a straight back. Once I used one I now never use anything else, makes splitting firewood easy.
Really nice splitter well made. But the Price of $7950 not counting shipping to USA is pretty steep. I have about $1440 in mine with the lift and ram limiter. I don't do commercial firewood selling just my own and our son's needs so I could not justify spending that amount of money on a splitter.the only thing I can see about Superaxe WS150 Log Splitter Made by Whitlands Engineering is having to push both handles down to operate the ram. When I am slitting small kindling for my offset smoker I can lay it down and split as thin of pieces as I want and that would not work on the Wetlands splitter. A person could make a cross handle for it and use one hand to operate both levers but you would still have to hold the small pieces upright by hand. But I really like the Whitlands splitter a well built good safe design. Thanks for the link to Wetlands website and thanks for the comments on my splitter. William
@@williammorris622 The SuperX3100 is single hand operation built for the home owner /small farm at about half that price of the WS150. They are Aussie dollar prices ( currently 65c A.U.D = $1 U.S.D). I know they do ship them to New Zealand but they do have a long waiting list as they are built to order. Just a few ideas for you, you don't see this Australian design wood splitter anywhere else.
Steven there is a trip latch that is located near the front on the splitter just behind the foot that the wood rest on when you pick ii up it pushes the latch lever back and when it passes it the spring pushes it under the table. When the split stroke starts forward the table sits on it and won't go down. When you need to load more wood on the foot pull the trip lever and the split stroke will let the table down. Thanks for watching the video.
Yes it will tilt vertical with the table in place as i sat it back about an inch behind the foot for that purpose. The lines stay stationary only the splitter ram moves. Thank You Bill Morris
Michael the stop the table sits down on is located on the rigkt side nesr the foot of the splitter. If you are standing at the rear of the splitter the trip is on the right side just behind the foot attached to the channel iron. When the table raised the edge of the table pushes the trip back as it starts to get level and just as tye table passes the trip it pops out and when you go forward unless the handle is pulled to pull the trip backwards on the left side where the operator stands the table stays up resting on the trip lever or dog if you will.
The table latch is just behind the front of the table about 3 inches and the latch release handle is operated on the operator side just behind the splitter foot. I drilled a 1/4 inch hole through the I beam and ran the rod through it to operate the trip lever. If you pause the video when I walk around to the operators side to operate the splitter you can see the brass pull knob trip. Also in the video just before I walk around the slitter and the splitter table is lowered to the ground where I am putting the wood on the foot pause it and you can see the table stop just behind the splitter foot. The flat cable slide is a 2 inch flat iron 1/8 inch thick that sticks over the I beam on each side. I mounted 2 pieces of Fiberglass round stock under the 2 inch flat metal on each side . I ground the side and top of the fiber glass round stock flat so it would bolt to flat iron on each side of the I beam. This lets it slides down the beam fine. The small pipe is welded to the flat iron and there is a sharpened to a point Small bolt that is welded to the bottom of the splitter head so it can pick the table back up when more wood is needed. .I attached the short piece 1/8 inch cable to the flat slide plate and to the top of the X brace for lifting the table back up. Hope the helps. If you need a picture email me and I will take a picture up and email it to you.If you enlarge to theater mode on my RU-vid video you can probably see it ok. Thank You William Morris
Justin thanks for the comment. it would fit the Champion 25 ton models but other size I don't know if it would work the same way. Then there are all the other brands out there. But thanks for the suggestion.
Ed I did have to redesign the slide on the I beam I tried picking up a large round 16 inches long and 2.5 foot in diameter and the pipe bent and it jumped off. I don't usually have anything much over ten to 12 inches. So what i did was replace the 1/8" flat and ran a 1/2 inch plate across the top of the I beam and put one on each side under the top i beam plate and let it stick out about 2 inches on each side stooping just short of it dragging against the Vertical plate. i Used two 5/16" square steel key stock and welded it between the two flat plates on outer edge and another 5/16" key stock not quite touching the edge of the I beam leaving a slight clearance. i drilled two 5/16" holes through both 1/2 inch plates just behind the key stock and pulling the upper and lower pieces tight against the key stock. I then found a 5/8 inch bolt with a square head and welded it to the center of the 2 5/16 slide pieces and when the table goes down the cable from table to the slide lets the table follow it down put your log on the table foot and when it starts lifting the back side of the splitter head hits the bolt picking up the table and log so when the table reaches level the trip pops out and and wont let the table go down while you are slitting.
