Home made log splitter

[Shepp]

12176I just bought this hydraulic cylinder. I think it came off a back hoe. I am having trouble sourcing the proper hydraulic connectors for this cylinder. Not sure what kind they are. I have attached a picture.12175

[unc23win]

Hard to to tell from the picture, but if they are threaded you can change them to what you want at TSC or if they are threaded on the cylinder change the hose and get the fittings that will work for you. But you should be able to adapt them to whatever you need they just look like 1/2 fittings with no end to me so you can make them male or female or whatever you need.

[Jim Brown]

Kind of look like quik couples off of a skid steer
JIM

[Shepp]

Hard to to tell from the picture, but if they are threaded you can change them to what you want at TSC or if they are threaded on the cylinder change the hose and get the fittings that will work for you. But you should be able to adapt them to whatever you need they just look like 1/2 fittings with no end to me so you can make them male or female or whatever you need.

1217712177I
They are some kind of threaded connectors with a recessed end where perhaps an O ring might have been

[WESTMAPLES]

thats a male ring boss or oring boss fitting most likely from a case backhoe it has a o ring that goes in the end and a tension cap (that was on the other line ) i bet where it threads into the cylinder is most likely NPT national pipe thread it would be easier to start over with new hoses from there. or i would cut those end off and weld pipe thread or jic ends on the steel lines it works ive done it many times building anything hydro and matching fitting can be a pain if your going to be welding new fitting on the steel line test fit and then torch heat the fitting it will weld easier without turning up the welder much to much heat and youll melt away the steel line good luck i love building splitters right now im building a full on chainsaw firewood processor out of collected parts and ive started collecting parts for a second processor with slasher saw powered by a variable piston pump both are modeled after CRD woodbine processors

[unc23win]

Yea the are just ends without the male or female connector so from there you can get whatever end you need or hose or whatever. One is smaller than the other which is not uncommon on older cylinders. TSC sells hose in lengths with threaded ends then you just put the fitting on with plumbers putty and your good. A lot of machinery uses pipe like that and then runs hoses to tractor or pump. You could also eliminate the pipe and use all hose. I don't think TSCs prices are bad you can pretty build it however you want they have all the fittings.

[CharlieVT]

That looks like an ORFS (O-ring Face Seal) connector.
I've used DiscountHydraulicHose .com online for custom fabricated hose to replace hoses on my equipment. Also have bought fittings and adaptors from them. You just have to learn how to identify connectors and sizing of them.
(I have no affiliation with this business, just found them easier to use than driving around to local shops that fabricate hoses. Around here, not every shop has a big inventory of parts.)

This may help:
http://www.discounthydraulichose.com/Steel_Fittings_and_Adapters_s/21.htm

Page 8 in this pdf shows sizes of ORFS connectors:
https://www.discounthydraulichose.com/v/vspfiles/downloadables/thread_guide.pdf

[Shepp]

thats a male ring boss or oring boss fitting most likely from a case backhoe it has a o ring that goes in the end and a tension cap (that was on the other line ) i bet where it threads into the cylinder is most likely NPT national pipe thread it would be easier to start over with new hoses from there. or i would cut those end off and weld pipe thread or jic ends on the steel lines it works ive done it many times building anything hydro and matching fitting can be a pain if your going to be welding new fitting on the steel line test fit and then torch heat the fitting it will weld easier without turning up the welder much to much heat and youll melt away the steel line good luck i love building splitters right now im building a full on chainsaw firewood processor out of collected parts and ive started collecting parts for a second processor with slasher saw powered by a variable piston pump both are modeled after CRD woodbine processors

Thanks Westmaple. That sounds like a good idea. I think I will remove the old lines and see if I can use a NPT fitting right on the cylinder with new lines. If not, I can weld new JIC fittings on although my arc welding skills are limited.:) Might be a good test for that MIG welder I asked for Christmas.
Im going to use this splitter with a Prince regen valve hooked up to my old Ford 3000 tractor.

[Shepp]

Thanks CharlieVT I will check them out.

[Shepp]

2 ORFS to JIC couplers $6. Shipping to Toronto. $41. Wow. I think I will try to get them locally, but at least I know what I am looking for now:)

[WESTMAPLES]

shepp just be careful with how hard you push the splitter. alot of the old tractors will put out a good amount of pressure and volume just don`t lug it down to far because alot of the old cessena hydro pumps will take a beating but have no bypass valve, and aren`t made to keep pumping when nothing is moving under a load , so either set the bypass on your splitter valve alittle lower than the way it came ( prine valves usually state what the pre set bypass pressure is out of the box ) or just use your better judgement when splitting. ive built and setup a handful of tractor splitters, 2 used the backhoe outrigger pistons.

[Shepp]

shepp just be careful with how hard you push the splitter. alot of the old tractors will put out a good amount of pressure and volume just don`t lug it down to far because alot of the old cessena hydro pumps will take a beating but have no bypass valve, and aren`t made to keep pumping when nothing is moving under a load , so either set the bypass on your splitter valve alittle lower than the way it came ( prine valves usually state what the pre set bypass pressure is out of the box ) or just use your better judgement when splitting. ive built and setup a handful of tractor splitters, 2 used the backhoe outrigger pistons.

Thanks Westmaple I will take your advise.

[MikeV]

2 ORFS to JIC couplers $6. Shipping to Toronto. $41. Wow. I think I will try to get them locally, but at least I know what I am looking for now:)

If your in or near Toronto go to Princess Auto. They have locations in Whitby, Scarborough, Markham and Mississauga or online at: http://www.princessauto.com/ Great hydraulic shop with lots of inventory and no charge hose making if you buy components from them. Long hours and open 7 days a week.

[Helicopter Seeds]

Good luck with this, interested in how it works, what tonnage you get.
I Just got an old 1978 massey fergusson backhoe, and thought about fabricating a special splitter where the digging bucket goes, without messing at all with the hydraulics. I have not looked at the specs yet for the cylinder, but with a bit of mechanical advantage rigging I think I could get some decent tonnage. beauty also would be to sit and reach and grab lightly, pick up move and squeeze split right into the pile.
Some other hillbilly blood must have tried this before.

[Big_Eddy]

Thanks Westmaple. .... If not, I can weld new JIC fittings on although my arc welding skills are limited.:) Might be a good test for that MIG welder I asked for Christmas.
......

My 5 cents worth - If your welding skills are anything less than excellent, I don't recommend practicing on a hydraulic system. It may be nothing for westmaple with his skills and experience, but 2000+psi hydraulic circuits are not the place to start.

[MaxJ]

shepp just be careful with how hard you push the splitter. alot of the old tractors will put out a good amount of pressure and volume just don`t lug it down to far because alot of the old cessena hydro pumps will take a beating but have no bypass valve, and aren`t made to keep pumping when nothing is moving under a load , so either set the bypass on your splitter valve alittle lower than the way it came ( prine valves usually state what the pre set bypass pressure is out of the box ) or just use your better judgement when splitting. ive built and setup a handful of tractor splitters, 2 used the backhoe outrigger pistons.

Question on the bypass valve. I bought a beast in an auction a few years back, I happen to meet the previous owner a while back and he told the history of the splitter. He mentioned that he opened up the bypass valve a bit to prevent the 10hp Briggs from stalling, is this a good thing?

[Big_Eddy]

Question on the bypass valve. I bought a beast in an auction a few years back, I happen to meet the previous owner a while back and he told the history of the splitter. He mentioned that he opened up the bypass valve a bit to prevent the 10hp Briggs from stalling, is this a good thing?

Hydraulic pumps are typically sized to match a given engine horsepower. Sounds like the previous owner didn't match the pump to the motor (i.e.put a larger pump on the motor than recommended.)

The splitting force of a splitter is determined by the pressure setting and cylinder size. Higher pressure / larger cylinder, more splitting force. The speed of the splitter is controlled by the size of the pump (and the inverse of cylinder size). The horsepower needed to run the splitter is determined by pressure x speed. If the previous owner oversized the pump to get a faster cycle time, then when you try to split a really tough piece it can exceed the power available from the motor and stall. Turning down the maximum pressure keeps the power available under the stalling load of the the engine.

It won't hurt anything. Your splitter may be faster than the typical 10HP splitter, but it will make less splitting force than the typical 4" or 5" cylinder splitter.

[MaxJ]

Hydraulic pumps are typically sized to match a given engine horsepower. Sounds like the previous owner didn't match the pump to the motor (i.e.put a larger pump on the motor than recommended.)

The splitting force of a splitter is determined by the pressure setting and cylinder size. Higher pressure / larger cylinder, more splitting force. The speed of the splitter is controlled by the size of the pump (and the inverse of cylinder size). The horsepower needed to run the splitter is determined by pressure x speed. If the previous owner oversized the pump to get a faster cycle time, then when you try to split a really tough piece it can exceed the power available from the motor and stall. Turning down the maximum pressure keeps the power available under the stalling load of the the engine.

It won't hurt anything. Your splitter may be faster than the typical 10HP splitter, but it will make less splitting force than the typical 4" or 5" cylinder splitter.

Thanks for taking the time to explain all of that Big_Eddy.

It was going to the bone yard then it was saved many years ago so who knows what is the right set up, the mechanic thought the engine was a early 70's model, rope start, fires up on the first or second pull. It looks like a 5" barrel on the cylinder, 36" stroke so a nice pieces can be split. I went to use it today and discovered the hydraulics were contaminated with water so it was another trip to buy a filter and 5 gallons of oil. So tomorrow it'll be back in business I hope and I'll see if it has the same power it did a few years ago, it would crosscut a twisted piece without too much problem. I post up the outcome of the oil change and how it split some blocks.