Log splitter

[jbaker]

I need a little help with this log splitter as I do not know much about hydraulics

I believe it is home made I have included photos of splitter, valve area, filter area, fill/relief area, ram area.

How do I know how much fluid should be in this, is the fill cap a relief also, and when do you replace hoses?

 

[fcurrier]

Hey, Jeff, (Frank goes to get a beer)The fill should be a relief. Did you just get that used? What's it use for fluid? I've found they can't be overfilled, they'll pee out what they don't want (and give you a warm, wet feeling on the side of your leg while you're concentrating on not getting a hand in the way of the block you're splitting). Hoses? If you think one looks bad, replace it. Otherwise, run 'er 'til one lets go!

 

[wshytle]

Jeff B.-

I have an old log splitter and the way I have always determined it full is check the reservoir when the ram is all the way retracted. When it's extended it's full of fluid and filling the reservoir then would overfill the system. As far as the hoses go let the splitter tell you what's needed. If you have leaks they'll show up when it's operating.

Good luck with it!

 

[jbaker]

Frank I am not sure what type of fluid is in there but it does work, what is the recomended fluid for a splitter also how do I know if the relief/fill cap is good.
Wayne the resivore is the back axle. So if I understand you correctly when the ram is all the way in the resivore should be almost full?

 

[proessler]

Jeff is the oil red /like ATF, what color ? Identify pump manufacturer & contact for fluid spec. The #1 fluid would be Hytran, other wise Farm & Fleet's Trans /Hydraulic fluid would be good alternative. Flush & drain system, replace filter.New oil is a cheap maintenance for longlife . Remove & clean filler/breather, can U blow air thru it? Warm oil, check oil level with each end of cylinder position. Probably need about 10-20% room for expansion when cold.(More oil in system,cooler it will run= long life.) Or check cold & hot oil level to get amount of expansion . Looks to be HD unit !

Just my $.02 Before Denny fills up another page...

 

[wshytle]

Jeff-

That's what I'm saying. When my cylinder is all the way in I have about 1- 1 1/2" from the neck of the filler down to fluid. I do remember when I got my splitter back in the early 80s the directions where wrong for hooking the lines to the valve body. When you push the handle forward the cap of the resevior would shoot straight up about 100 feet. I was lucky to have a friend who knew hydraulics and he fixed it.

One more thing, if your splitter gets low it will simply not push the ram the same but this isn't good for the pump. I check the hydraulic fluid as often as the oil in the engine.

 

[dfrisk]

Word of CAUTION here about Hydraulics. They are a wonderful labor saving device. But they can be very dangerous. Years ago when Dad was still farming, hyd. hog carts like this, https://www.proxibid.com/asp/LotDetail.asp?ahid=1792&aid=20019&lid=5620053 became popular (this is a rather small one). I never saw the tractor but someone tried to run one with the six quart capacity Lift-All belly pump on a FARMALL M. That pump was located between the engine clutch and transmission and driven off the lower shaft of the transmission and only ran when the engine clutch was engaged. Notice the two large cylinders towards the back of the cart, they took almost ALL the six quarts of oil when plumbed as a one-way cylinder, and the story I heard, this farmer wanted to raise the cart up high enough to unload 20-25 head of market weight hogs directly from a livestock truck. He raised the cart as high as it would go, then added MORE oil to raise it further. When he went to lower the cart to the ground the rush of oil under pressure ruptured the cast iron reservoir in the tractor almost breaking it in two.

Hyd oil under pressure can cut thru flesh like a water jet cutter cuts thru steel, and makes for VERY bad infections. Hyd oil is good for pumps, valves, & cylinders, Not good for the human body!

And since I don't want to fill the whole page.... PAUL gives excellent advice! PAUL - Did I keep this short enough?

LOL ;-)

 

[proessler]

Denny, you know I really do enjoy reading your posts, no matter how long they arrrrreeee....

I've only worked with a power driven splitter once, helping a friend split wood for his fireplace. He has geothermal to heat & cool his home.

 

[dfrisk]

PAUL - Thanks! Same here, About the time we bought this house Dad decided to be our firewood source! He built his own splitter from a kit from Norhtern or ??? Two stage pump, 4" x 24" cyl, valve with detent. Think it was about Christmas of '97 Dad, SON, Brother-in-law, & I split a load of wood and filled my F250 in about 20 minutes. For me that was a winter's worth of wood!

I've been around tractor hyd systems since I was small. The old '51 M with the Caswell loader was the first tractor I ever drove when I was about 4-5 yrs old. Since then I've run fork lifts, ready-mix trucks with hyd drives on the drum, dump trucks. I "ALMOST" put a PTO & hyd pump on my pickup 12-13 yrs ago so I could run a hyd. winch. If I ever converted it from a pickup to a flat bed it would have a hoist, winch, and at least one pair of remotes! Hydraulics are fun to play with!