I like the fact that you put enough thought into the build to support your personal needs as opposed to the biggest fastest badass machine that might not fit your particular needs. Great job!
I grew up splitting wood and have seen several different configurations over the years. You have the best design I think. I want one just like it! Nice log splitter!
Would you build one for me? How much? I was just thinking a hydraulic lift on the table that dumps it in a wheel barrel. Maybe im being greedy lol awesome splitter.
This is the first splitter that I've seen in several years that makes perfect sense. I would agree that having a faster cycle time would be the icing on the cake. I've split my share of wood over the last 30 years and would have loved to have had this machine. Very good job ! Would love plans if available .
If you're cutting that pile in the background into firewood, you're missing the boat on lumber. Buy a small bandmill and make lumber out of what will make lumber, and use the slabwood/small stuff for firewood. That pretty red oak at head height in the opening is a near perfect saw log from appearances....you'd get 150-200bdft of nice lumber out of it.
Very nice work!!! You've obviously done ALL the correct research on the proper use of hydraulics. Being a mechanic for our local Sanitation district,,,if your gang valve has replaceable brass orifices,,you may be able to speed up cycling times by replacing orifice nozzles. Check with your hydraulics supplier or call Tram Way Compactor Supply in NY. Google them. That's where we buy our valves and get our hoses made for all the garbage trucks. Faster cycle times could just be a 5 minute orifice change out. GREAT JOB,,,,AWESOME MACHINE,,,,SUPERB BUILD QUALITY. Dude,,,,,you know your shit!!!!!!
Thank you! I may look into that. I will say that If I am running the rpms all the way up the cycle speed is just about at the highest speed I am comfortable working. I wonder if my engine would support a 28 gallon per minute pump. Some people run them but most of what I read said it would struggle. I like not having to run the engine all the way up especially if it is just me. The valves themselves are the same ones that would be used if I did have a 28gpm pump. Not sure if I have restrictive flow With me running a 22gpm pump. Something to be looked into for sure.
Great splitter. I built mine to attach to a skid steer. For some reason I am seeing a bunch of splitter videos today. The one thing that I have noticed about all of them is that nobody has tried to muffle the engine for a peaceful splitting experience. I was thinking about a long pipe, or car muffler mounted under the beam.
I have seen the block lifter on rental ones and one side plate to keep your wood on but the plate behind the wedge is a good idea and I love the automatic forward,,all in all a very impressive well built splitter nice job!!
Best one I've ever seen. Great Job on Engineering and Building. Want to buy my CNC machine shop?? You would be a perfect owner operator!!! Gregg Foster, Northern Ca.
Haha that is the shortest interview I have ever had! Thank you, a lot of time and research went into it. Used it today and will be using it tomorrow. Roughly 600 cords split since I made it.
Nice Damn Splitter, glad you didn’t forget the out feed table. Big splitters can split big wood and if you don’t have table then then you still handling heavy pieces of wood.
You DID make a good call with the 5" cylinder. The pushing power is proportional to the pressure x the square inches of the piston, and the square inches of the piston is proportional to the radius squared. So a 4" piston = 2" radius. 2 squared is 4. The 5 inch piston is 2.5 squared = 6.25. So you would need to go to more than 50 percent higher pressure to get the same splitting power from a 4 inch cylinder compared to a 5 inch. Now, maybe less power is perfectly OK, and the 4 inch at higher pressure would be faster.
Nice job, a little math says a 5in diameter cylinder is 1.5 times the area of a 4in diameter cylinder . In other words it will push 1.5 times harder than a 4 in but it is 1.5 times slower than a 4 in in cycle times
I did not after doing some lifting tests. The machine weighs 1600lbs and I have picked up 800-1000 pound oak round with no stability issues. My axle is wider then a normal splitter to give it more stability.
Hi, Great looking log splitter! I made a somewhat similar one, a little smaller and ran by the tractor, and I am adding a lifting table this year. Can I ask how you made it so that the lift table doesn't lift too fast, since the cylinder there is much smaller in diameter?
Thank you! I have the hydraulics run from the pump into the main valve that has the auto cycle that runs the main cylinder, it has a pass through on the auto cycle valve that runs through an adjustable flow control valve before it goes into the valve that runs the lift table and 4 way ram.
I see you added 4 bolts to the back of your 4 way wedge. I assume this was to keep the wedge from tipping forward or back and locking in place as you raised the 4 way wedge? I built mine but cannot get It to slide up and down without cocking forward or back and locking on the main wedge
tfhummer Yes it was to reduce slop. I had to make the 4 way exactly right, to tight it binds to loose it binds. I also lube it when I lube the main beam. A quick spray with chain lube for my bronze sliders, about every hour of operation.
I there was cams back in the day I buil a wood spliter it would make you jealous. 7 second cycle, 2.0 4 cylinder. 35 gal min pump, 4in ram, 80,000 pound push, split 6 ways.
Hi Graham Schuld, I'm an Italian boy; in my life I am a gardener and I also delight in DIY tools. I saw your video and I was fascinated by the hydraulics lifting system and the structure of the structure. I started designing a similar machine starting from the hydraulic piston of my van (scrapped) that is able to lift 10.5 quintals added to the weight of the tipper body. Would you be willing to compare and make suggestions on the construction?
It is an autocycle valve from prince hydraulics. They have one with a power beyond (for a lift table, power 4-way etc) and one without the power beyond. I ordered mine from splitez online.
I ordered the hydraulics from splitez.com. James is very knowledgeable and can help with any questions. I have never timed the cycle time. Takes me and a helper 1 hour to turn a pile of logs into one cord of firewood 16" long 4-6" diameter.
You can adjust the pressure at the auto cycle control valve up to 3100 psi. 1/2 " wrench and 3/16 Allen and turn cw 1 1/2 turns. 4.5" cylinder you will see approx 8 sec cycle times.
Jamie Bonjour thank you for the suggestion. I did adjust it to 2500psi I did that because I I am able to be picky about what I split if it too hard to split I throw into my burn pit. I would rather not put more pressure on all the parts. Longevity is my goal. I also was not revving the engine up for the example. It does move quick enough for me not to be able to keep up unless I have another guy helping
What kind of dump valve do you have on it? Also, what is the purpose of it? I am building a similar unit and I am having a issue of understanding the return dump valve rather than just returning both those lines like the rest. Thanks.
Hello I got my information from James at PJ log splitters. It helps from forcing unnecessary fluids through areas to keep hydraulic heat down. The dump valve I use is from Sun Hydraulics.
The dump valve allows the fluid that is being forced out of the cylinder on the return to go into the reservoir. Rather than back feeding through the valve.
Next time Shut it off then talk no one can hear you I'm surprised you built such a awesome splitter but didn't think can anyone hear me while this is running 😂😂😂 awesome machine though
I am not sure exactly what you mean basically I got a cable throttle kit and mounted it in between my hydraulic valves over the main cylinder so it is accessible from both sides of the machine while operating or loading.
@@ixcel83 What is the approximate spacing on centres of the pin mount for the lift cylinder, and pivot mount for the lift table? Made our splitter quite a few years ago , but want to put a lift table on it, thanks
@@Michael-dn4fy the cylinder is a prince royal plate 12" stroke 2" bore. The mounts on the machine are dependant on the height of machine and length of table. The table pins are about 19 1/4" center to center. My table is 20" wide
The beam is an 8in 40lb a foot H-beam. Though if I were to do it again I would either up it to 48lb a foot or the look into using a 6in square tube and put a 1inx8in on top for increased torsional Strength. It twists some under full load. Gussests on the inside of the beam would have helped but the underlip of my push block goes in deep enough to make the gussests less effective. Good luck on your build!
@@ixcel83 would you be interested in selling me a blue print? There is a boy in an FFA class who is going to build me one and this is absolutely the ideal splitter I've been looking for.
I don't, I'm retired. just a Local logging accident I heard of, me being a volunteer fireman I come across a lot makes me a little bit more safety conscientious. Safety first, Take Care.
Nice job and well design. Could it be possible to get more information about the log lift and how the cyl. is mounted. I having some issues with this and need some guidance. Thanks
@@ixcel83 Thanks for replying. I'm a little confused about mounting the hyd. cyl. . Does the mounting need to be lower than the pushing end. or does it matter since both ends pivot.
Yea, hate to say this but. I think a California desert turtle could walk to Texas watch several rodeos and eat at serval dozen barbeque and walk back to California. For that splitter do one cycle.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU BUDDY, TRULY ONE OF THE NICEST THOUGH OUT SPLITTERS I HAVE SEEN TO DATE NICE. HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO CLONE ME ONE ? PROBABLY LIKE MY SELF YOU DON'T HAVE THE TIME BUT I FIGURED I WOULD ASK ANYWAY COULD NOT HURT. NICE MACHINE BE WELL BUDDY PERIOD.
Thank you for your concern. I was not working on those logs at the time I used them as a backdrop. They had been sitting there for over a year at the time of the filming.
I was a bit worried with a large number of fake reviews but I am very pleased with the results. Bit of background, ru-vid.comUgkxmKn8dCAXovWn8_cLYoosGLVrVrpwlIMc I need to split approximately 1.5 cords of wood and didn't feel like destroying my back. I purchased this anticipating to have a few issues splitting wood but have only come across a few logs of elm where the stringy nature of elm made it more difficult to split. Overall its not a necessarily fast process but it also isn't a very arduous one either. I came and went fairly often to do different tasks but once I stayed and got into a system I could easily split my pieces in a fairly timely manner.
