Fold-Down Vertical-Split Log Splitter

Fold-Down Vertical-Split log Splitter WOODLOT EQUIPMENT Wood Splitters 15-4-31 There's no need to lift big wood chunks with this heavy-duty, "vertical-split" split-ter built by South Carolina farmer David Wannamaker. The splitter's two-wheel transport frame was fashioned out of an old junked nurse tank trailer. The Wisconsin Robin engine and fuel tank were salvaged from an old trailer with independent dump. The big 2-way double valve splitting cylinder, hydraulic hoses and most of the steel was bought used. The splitting wedge is made out of 1/4-in. plate steel welded onto old worn-out bulldozer roller parts that are welded together back-to-back at the base of the wedge. They provide the leverage to open the wood up wide after it cracks. The wedge is fastened to a 1/2-in. steel plate that Wannamaker bent to a 90 degree angle to attach the wedge to the I-beam runner. "I bought a new 2-stage Barnes 16 gpm hydraulic pump specifically designed for log splitters. A cylinder from a junked front-end loader lifts the splitter I-beam up vertically so you can split chunks without lifting them off the ground. You just roll them onto the splitting platform," says Wannamaker, noting that the splitter trailer has enough clearance to travel over rough, uneven terrain. "I built the splitter after a bad wind storm blew over a bunch of trees that I didn't want to split by hand. I hated to see the wood go to waste. The splitter turned out great - it made the cleanup job a lot easier," says Wannamaker. He's exploring the commercial possibilities of manufacturing the split-ter or licensing it to an existing manufacturer. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, David D. Wannamaker, Rt. 2, Box 257D, St. Matthews, S.C. 29135 (ph 803 874-1525).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.