Log Splitter Fitted With Press, Extra Hydraulic Outlets

2013 - Volume #37, Issue #4, Page #43

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Ross St. John and his son Kevin, recently built a wood splitter that doubles as a hydraulic press. It’s fitted with a double spool valve that provides a pair of extra hydraulic outlets.
    “The press and the hydraulic outlets let me do work and make repairs anywhere, without having to make a trip back home,” says St. John.
    The 2-wheeled machine is powered by an 8 hp Honda engine. It shaft-drives a high volume hydraulic pump that powers a 24-in. long splitting cylinder. A single control valve is used to extend or retract the wedge, which slides back and forth on a 7-in. steel beam. He made the V-shaped wedge out of two 3/8-in. thick steel plates, grinding the edges sharp and then welding them together. The stop is made from 1-in. thick metal.
    “I’ve used the splitter to handle blocks up to 24 in. long. In fact, I haven’t found a block yet that it couldn’t split,” says St. John.
    The splitter’s wheels and hubs are the donut spare tires off old cars. St. John welded spindles to the hubs and then welded the spindles to both sides of a big hydraulic reservoir, which serves as the axle.
    The splitter is equipped with a 2-in. receiver ball hitch on front, which is welded to a length of 2-in. sq. tubing that’s welded to the bottom side of the I-beam. By removing a pair of cotter pins, a free-standing metal leg can be swung down and used to keep the splitter upright whenever it isn’t hooked up.
    St. John fitted the machine with a double spool valve and Pioneer couplings to provide the extra hydraulics. “The hydraulic outlets are surprisingly handy,” says St. John. “I use them any time I need to operate hydraulic motors and pumps for various jobs. For example, let’s say I want to move an implement between fields but don’t have a tractor. I can pull the splitter behind my pickup to the field and use it there to raise the implement so I can hook it up to the pickup. I also use the extra outlets to operate a hydraulic-operated attachment that screws grain bin anchors down into the ground.”
    The press measures 18 in. high by 8 in. wide and is welded to the back end of the splitter. It’s operated by a 3-in. dia. cylinder with a 6-in. stroke. The operator sets the object to be bent underneath the press on a metal bar.
    “I use the press when I’m in the field mending fences and want to weld a horizontal pipe onto a vertical post. I can flatten the end of a length of oilfield pipe into an oval shape so it fits tightly onto the post for welding,” says St. John.
    He says he saved money and is happy with the way the splitter turned out. “I had most of the material that I used to build it. My only expense was the $500 I paid for the hydraulic pump. Comparable commercial splitters sell for $1,500 to $1,900 and don’t have extra hydraulic outlets or a hydraulic press,” he notes.
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ross St. John, P.O. Box 36, Ebenezer, Sask., Canada S0A 0T0 (ph 306 783-5639 or 306 641-4255; stjohnross@yahoo.ca).

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Log Splitter Fitted With Press Extra Hydraulic Outlets WOODLOT EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous Ross St John and his son Kevin recently built a wood splitter that doubles as a hydraulic press It’s fitted with a double spool valve that provides a pair of extra hydraulic outlets “The press and the hydraulic outlets let me do work and make repairs anywhere without having to make a trip back home ” says St John The 2-wheeled machine is powered by an 8 hp Honda engine It shaft-drives a high volume hydraulic pump that powers a 24-in long splitting cylinder A single control valve is used to extend or retract the wedge which slides back and forth on a 7-in steel beam He made the V-shaped wedge out of two 3/8-in thick steel plates grinding the edges sharp and then welding them together The stop is made from 1-in thick metal “I’ve used the splitter to handle blocks up to 24 in long In fact I haven’t found a block yet that it couldn’t split ” says St John The splitter’s wheels and hubs are the donut spare tires off old cars St John welded spindles to the hubs and then welded the spindles to both sides of a big hydraulic reservoir which serves as the axle The splitter is equipped with a 2-in receiver ball hitch on front which is welded to a length of 2-in sq tubing that’s welded to the bottom side of the I-beam By removing a pair of cotter pins a free-standing metal leg can be swung down and used to keep the splitter upright whenever it isn’t hooked up St John fitted the machine with a double spool valve and Pioneer couplings to provide the extra hydraulics “The hydraulic outlets are surprisingly handy ” says St John “I use them any time I need to operate hydraulic motors and pumps for various jobs For example let’s say I want to move an implement between fields but don’t have a tractor I can pull the splitter behind my pickup to the field and use it there to raise the implement so I can hook it up to the pickup I also use the extra outlets to operate a hydraulic-operated attachment that screws grain bin anchors down into the ground ” The press measures 18 in high by 8 in wide and is welded to the back end of the splitter It’s operated by a 3-in dia cylinder with a 6-in stroke The operator sets the object to be bent underneath the press on a metal bar “I use the press when I’m in the field mending fences and want to weld a horizontal pipe onto a vertical post I can flatten the end of a length of oilfield pipe into an oval shape so it fits tightly onto the post for welding ” says St John He says he saved money and is happy with the way the splitter turned out “I had most of the material that I used to build it My only expense was the $500 I paid for the hydraulic pump Comparable commercial splitters sell for $1 500 to $1 900 and don’t have extra hydraulic outlets or a hydraulic press ” he notes Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Ross St John P O Box 36 Ebenezer Sask Canada S0A 0T0 ph 306 783-5639 or 306 641-4255; stjohnross@yahoo ca

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