PTO log splitter

[BrentD]

I'm about to give up on splitting all of our
heating wood with a hand maul. My shoulders
cannot take the beating they used to.

So, I got to looking for a splitter and find that
there are many that run off of tractor hydraulics
which are not very useful for a guy with an 8N. I
could go with a gas stand-alone deal, but is there
anyone that makes a splitter that would run off
the PTO shaft of the 8N? Something where the PTO
turned a hydraulic pump that was integral to the
splitter. I'm probably barking up a barren tree,
but thought I would try.

If that won't go, anyone recommend gas powdered
splitters to buy or steer clear of?

Any used ones in central Iowa would be of
interest. I've been surfing Craig's list but
perhaps there are others.

Brent

 

[CJ in Michigan]

Here's a link to a pto splitter. I have a gas powered one with the Honda 5.5 hp engine and it runs great and does not take a lot of gas.
TSC PTO splitter

 

[CJ in Michigan]

Dang- I was wrong, it's a non-pto splitter- sorry. I thought for sure I saw one at TSC last time I was there.

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 22:35:43 11/09/10) I'm about to give up on splitting all of our
heating wood with a hand maul. My shoulders
cannot take the beating they used to.

So, I got to looking for a splitter and find that
there are many that run off of tractor hydraulics
which are not very useful for a guy with an 8N. I
could go with a gas stand-alone deal, but is there
anyone that makes a splitter that would run off
the PTO shaft of the 8N? Something where the PTO
turned a hydraulic pump that was integral to the
splitter. I'm probably barking up a barren tree,
but thought I would try.

If that won't go, anyone recommend gas powdered
splitters to buy or steer clear of?

Any used ones in central Iowa would be of
interest. I've been surfing Craig's list but
perhaps there are others.

Brent

on't even think about one run off the tractor. Pump volume far too little (s-l-o-w) & even if it were a newer high volume tractor, you sure don't need 4 cylinders & all that time on the tractor.
Single cylinder engine log splitter with good cycle time will run circles around the tractor hyd powered units.

 

[mhb@ufe]

Timberwolf makes a nice one but it is $2000.

Mark
TW3 splitter

 

[Ultradog MN]

One of the reasons I like these tractors is that they are capable of so many tasks and suitable for so many uses.
But alas, good wood splitting machines they do not make. Running a 23 hp tractor to do the work a 6 hp Briggs or Honda will do is not efficient.
Plus, all the hydraulics etc are already worked out on a store bought splitter where as, on the N you're pretty much reinventing the wheel to build it yourself. I'm sure there are 3 point, pto driven splitters just as your describe that are comercially available. They would keep you from having to own and maintain another infernal combustion engine.
But pound for pound and dollar for dollar I would go with an engine powered rig.
On the other hand...
With a high volume pto driven pump and a Sherman Overdrive tranny, and the engine not far above idle, you might meet the efficiancy of a Honda powered splitter. And it would be cooler...

 

[dlplost]

Guys are right, unless your gonna make your own you're best bet is a self powered splitter.

It can be done, burns about 1 gal of gas per hour and will split most anything just as fast as you can put it in. (but the faster it splits the faster you have to work to feed it)

Over all I think the best ones are the self powered tip up (horizontal/verticle) ones.
1952 8n and pto driven wood splitter

 

[TheOldHokie]

(quoted from post at 22:35:43 11/09/10) I'm about to give up on splitting all of our
heating wood with a hand maul. My shoulders
cannot take the beating they used to.

So, I got to looking for a splitter and find that
there are many that run off of tractor hydraulics
which are not very useful for a guy with an 8N. I
could go with a gas stand-alone deal, but is there
anyone that makes a splitter that would run off
the PTO shaft of the 8N? Something where the PTO
turned a hydraulic pump that was integral to the
splitter. I'm probably barking up a barren tree,
but thought I would try.

If that won't go, anyone recommend gas powdered
splitters to buy or steer clear of?

Any used ones in central Iowa would be of
interest. I've been surfing Craig's list but
perhaps there are others.

Brent

Just combine a common ordinary PTO pump with a conventional 3pt splitter. A 540 RPM PTO driven hydraulic pump will run you about $500 dollars. That will get you 13 GPM @ 2000 PSI which is about the max an N can push. Combine that with an ordinary 3pt splitter and an external 5G reservoir and you are good to go.

It was this very application that lead me to develop my Hokie Hydrauulics fluid power upgrade for the N-series. Gives the N's live hydraulics and a set of remotes capable of running a log splitter or any other hydraulic implement for roughly the cost of a PTO pump. It is fully integrated with the tractor hydraulics, doesn't tie up the PTO, and makes the 3pt so much nicer to use.

Here is a link to the info: [u:6e0b5759b0]Hokie Hydraulics[/u:6e0b5759b0]

There are many who think that a 3pt splitter is a poor idea. There are also many (me included) that use them and like them. I've had mine for almost 20 years and it's still going great. It's a Brave Horizontal/Vertical model that I bought at Central Tractor for something like $375.

YMMV,

TOH
301.655.0631

 

[Piker]

I have a stand-alone splitter made by Super Split. Google it to watch a video. I can tow it with the tractor or ATV. No hydraulics (sorry Hokie, we've exchanged views on this before), just 2 large belt-driven flywheels & governor on the 5hp B&S hardly ever has to kick in. Has split everything for our home & cottage for the last 5 years & a few friends. Much better than conventional hydraulic units I rented in the past.

 

[TheOldHokie]

(quoted from post at 07:43:06 11/10/10) I have a stand-alone splitter made by Super Split. Google it to watch a video. I can tow it with the tractor or ATV. No hydraulics (sorry Hokie, we've exchanged views on this before), just 2 large belt-driven flywheels & governor on the 5hp B&S hardly ever has to kick in. Has split everything for our home & cottage for the last 5 years & a few friends. Much better than conventional hydraulic units I rented in the past.

I figured you'd weigh in If I had to fire 4 homes and had $2500++ to dedicate to a log splitter I might take a second look....

TOH

 

[soder33]

Not a pto driven splitter, but it was the best one I ever used. My Father made it from parts and used it for years. We had to sell it at an estate auction due to family things.<a href="http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e291/soder33/farm%20pics/?action=view¤t=7-16-2008_031.jpg" target="_blank">

</a>
Estate auction

 

[Michael Williams]

TSC sells a splitter ran off the PTO of your tractor.. Its made by speeCO..

Here's the link

http://www.speeco.com/products/#Log%20Splitters,3%2DPoint%20Hitch

 

[D Squared]

Back in the mid 90s I rented one a couple times a year for $65/day. One day I went to Sam's Club and their 24 ton floor model was on sale for $625. The rest is history. With a towable you can take it where the wood is if you want to or loan it to family/friends.

 

[Piker]

Been waiting for you to chime in . You're right, not cheap to buy, but talk about split wood! Compact & light enough to move around by hand. Mine is 2nd or 3rd hand, & I built a Pine Harvest Table for my BIL to swap for it. Only reason he got rid of it was he couldn't understand how the thing worked (not mechanically inclined) & he couldn't brag about having a hydraulic splitter at the coffee shop! Still waiting to win the Lottery (or sell my Massey Harris Pacer) to order one of your live hydraulics kits for my '47 8N. E-mail me as I have a few questions not answered from the info on your website.

 

[oros35]

We have a Bark Buster auger-screw style that mounts on the 3 point and the screw is driven by the PTO.

I've split a bunch of wood with it. It's fast, but can be a wild ride at times.

Search for Bark Buster log splitter

 

[TheOldHokie]

(quoted from post at 12:59:49 11/10/10) Been waiting for you to chime in . You're right, not cheap to buy, but talk about split wood! Compact &amp; light enough to move around by hand. Mine is 2nd or 3rd hand, &amp; I built a Pine Harvest Table for my BIL to swap for it. Only reason he got rid of it was he couldn't understand how the thing worked (not mechanically inclined) &amp; he couldn't brag about having a hydraulic splitter at the coffee shop! Still waiting to win the Lottery (or sell my Massey Harris Pacer) to order one of your live hydraulics kits for my '47 8N. E-mail me as I have a few questions not answered from the info on your website.

Email sent via YT - you don't have an email address listed in your profile. Sometimes that works and other times not so much. If you don't get it just email me - [email protected].

TOH

 

[Woodchuck]

In late August I picked up a used less than 1 year old Huskee sold by TSC.
35 ton, horizontal shaft B&amp;S 15.5 HP. Two tanks of gas runs it all day. $1300.00

Craigslist is your freind!

http://www.external_link/huskee-reg-35-ton-log-splitter-1083946

 

[lha]

I've seen a few of them working,and the self powered ones look to be a better deal to me.My cousin is a farmer and has plenty of mid and large size tractors,and he has one[self powered],so I guess instead of tying up a machine,he chose the splitter.---lha

 

[BrentD]

Thanks for all the replies!

Lots of help. I have been cruising Craigslist. Lots of stuff there, not always real clear what is what. One guy is selling a logsplitter made with a 4000w generator. Interesting.

But I can see where the stand-alones have an advantage. I would like to drag it out in the timber behind the house and use on the spot. I could drag it with the garden mower if I wanted, instead of the N which is often hooked up to blades or mowers.

I really like the flywheel splitter, but dang, they are expensive!

TOH, I don't see a message for me in my message box. My profile shows me my email but I don't see an email button below my post for some reason.

Anyway, it is [email protected].

I'm going to rent one - actually friends are renting one, and I'm "assisting". So I'll get to try one and see how it does. It will give me some idea of what I prefer and then I can continue to shop around this winter for a good deal. That Huskee 35ton job looks like the real deal.

Brent

 

[Bob Jones]

I looked at that super splitter and the videos appeared to work the man to death IMHO. I split wood for an outdoor wood furnace that's 26 inches long and 24 to 36 inches in diameter. I don't think this splitter would touch that size of wood. In the video they seemed to have a lot of trouble with the 18 inches or less long wood that was more than 12 inches in diameter. I have to use a verticle splitter for most of my wood. I dont think this high doillar baby does anything in the verticle direction. How come it costs two or three times what a real splitter does?

 

[CJ in Michigan]

These come in real handy around the yard-
Trailer dolly