Log Splitter Mounts On Front Of Tractor

Log Splitter Mounts On Front Of Tractor WOODLOT EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous Gary Gradek Ukiah Calif can split logs without tying up the back of his tractor thanks to the front-mounted splitter he built for it
    The splitter attaches to a 3-pt mounting bracket that bolts onto the tractor’s frame and operates off the loader’s hydraulics It’s built on an 8 by 6-in I-beam that folds up vertically out of the way when not in use
    “I use it on my Ford New Holland 4630 4-WD 60 hp tractor with a 3-pt mounted 9-in Valby wood chipper on back ” says Gradek “I go into the woods and back up to a felled tree to grind up the limbs Then I cut it into chunks and use the splitter to make firewood It can split up to 24-in long wood The end of the splitter beam can rest on a log chunk for support or I can lay the beam on the ground if the log is really heavy ”
    When folded vertically the splitter locks in place at the top of the 3-pt hitch “It weighs about the same as the tractor’s factory counterweights so I can leave the splitter on the tractor permanently ” says Gradek “After working in the woods I can replace the wood chipper with a rototiller and till our garden and then go back and split wood again ”
    A 2-in hydraulic cylinder is used to raise or lower the I-beam and a diverter valve is used to activate the splitting cylinder “The entire unit has just 2 hydraulic lines that connect to the tractor’s rear ports ” says Gradek
    The splitter is equipped with 2 removable wedges “One is a standard wedge for halving larger logs and the other is a 4-way wedge for quartering smaller logs ” says Gradek “The top of the 4-way wedge has serrations ground into the knife in order to keep the wood from sliding up when I only want to split it in half ”
    Gradek says he spent about $400 to build the splitter
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Gary Gradek Ukiah Calif ph 707 695-6040; Gradekconcepts@gmail com