kinetic log splitters

[Sako]

I want to see the video of a 32in or so dia oak trunk piece where a main branch was sawn off.
Do you get split wood or srap metal.
Chris

[Bucket Head]

I was thinking the same thing. Small, straight pieces of wood are not much of a workout for any machine. Another thing I noticed about the one I saw being operated was the fact that the operator had to reach back and a little upwards to pull up on the engagement lever while moving and positioning wood. Not what I would consider ergonomically friendly. The valve/lever on my splitter is right in front of the hand that operates it as I stand next to it.

Steve

[maple flats]

Bucket, I'll let you know how the ergonomics plays out. I just received my Super Split and assembled it yesterday. I saw and tried one a few years ago and found that lift knob slightly out of place. The new ones have been improved. There is now a lever that extends about 6-8" towards the work station, it should be good now. I will finish mounting the Honda engine today and start using it. Total assembly time, one person, no help about 90 minutes max., with the use of my bucket loader with forks to lift the weight.
Dave

[MapleOak]

I replied to the other post... I believe the SuperSplitter is the original... I have done a ton of research on these kinetic splitters and I have never heard a bad thing about the SuperSplitter. I see that DR power equipment is making one which is about the same price. I would put these two at the head of the class as far as durability and craftsmanship. With that said you pay for them (at least 2500)... I bought the unit from tractor supply and bought the extended warranty because I'm skeptical about the parts, but I still saved about $600-1k...
With that said there are really only three parts on these units that get wear belts, the rack, and the pinion gear... Belts are easy to replace... The rack and pinion could be expensive without a warranty...
These things will pretty much split anything a 27 ton hydraulic splitter will...

[markct]

i have to admit i like the idea of a hydraulic splitter as its a little slower when splitting, thus not so much to catch you by surprise, lets face it not all firewood is nice straight grain and cut perfectly square like in the videos! i have a homemade hydraulic splitter that i run off the hydraulics on one of our tractors, never timed the cycle but its pretty fast, also the cylinder has an oversized rod so it retracts very fast, and the valve has a detent so it can retract while you are moving the wood out of the way. i have to wonder what happens when the mechanical type splitter jambs in a log? how do you back it out? i often split wood as big as 4 ft on mine, i added a hydraulic crane to handle the wood with a set of log tongs hooked to it. when doing that i wouldnt want a fast splitter as thats alot of weight thats moving when it splits, usualy break off a section with the crane holding the other part still and work from there

[maple flats]

[QUOTE=Stamford sugarmaker;168251]I noticed the same thing Thad did- in the OP video they speeded up the film. No doubt they are faster, but it makes you wonder about the ethics of the company marketing them. I also like the option of vertical splitting with hydraulic, as well as the idea that they are less likely to sever body parts.

I assembled my new SS Thursday morning but didn't have time to try it. Then on Friday morning I used it for the first time. My impression is WOW, big time. I can see a new need for some help however. I'll need a saw man to buck logs into blocks, 2 to keep me fed with blocks and 3 or 4 to haul the wood away and stack it. Man, that is fast. I filled the back of my truck in 30 minutes, working alone. Using my old hydraulic it would be at least 2 hrs. There is no waiting. Lift the operating lever and BAM.
I don't think the video was speeded up as stated above. The cycle time is 2-3 seconds. It works great. I looked for a real knotty test piece and I did have to return the ram 2x before it split, but that was still faster than my old hydraulic (from TSC). The knotty one stopped the ram, I hit the op lever down, the ram retracted instantly, I lifted again, it penetrated about 3", retracted again and it split the 3rd time. According to the manual, the ram hits with a force of 55,000 pounds if the fly wheels are turning at 300 RPM. Retract and again it hits at 55,000 pounds. The constant force is just over 1/3 that. I will be using it tomorrow for a couple of hours. Then it is back to maple work. Lots to finish in the new lease and then do repairs in my old lease.

[CharlieVT]

Though I'd add my experience going from the splitting maul to an hydraulic splitter.

Points of post:
1)Faster split cycle time doesn't necessarily make the operation more efficient if you are working alone.
2)My modifications shown here may inspire someone to make their existing hydraulic splitter more efficient for them.

When I was researching my first (and only so far) splitter I thought I wanted a fast one and spent some time comparing cycle times of hydraulic splitters. Now having used mine a few years I realize that cycle time isn't that important. Not having to stand at the controls all the time is important. What really wastes time is having to stand at the hydraulic controls during the entire splitting cycle. If you can get away from standing at the controls, the faster stroke of kinetic machines is no advantage unless you have a helper.

I consider the slower wedge to be a safety feature. There are times when I want to hold the piece to be split in place until the wedge enters the wood so I can control where the split occurs. With a kinetic you don't want your hands anywhere near the wood or the wedge when the split cycle starts!

I also wanted a splitter that could work both horizontally and vertically for those really big pieces, and one with the power not to stall in some of the gnarly wood I prefer not to leave in the woodlot.

The speed of the kinetic splitters is amazing and for some folks it is sure to be the right tool.
As a one man operation, I learned that the speed of the splitter isn't that important as long as I didn't have to stand at the splitter and hold the hydraulic control lever all the time.

My splitter, a Northern Tool, came with a control mechanism that slows the engine rpms to idle when the splitting ram is fully retracted. Once the ram starts to move during the splitting cycle the engine throttles up. It was this throttle control mechanism that gave me the idea for a control mechanism that would allow for unattended splitting and automatic return of the hydraulic control lever to neutral at the end of the splitting stroke.

From the factory, the hydraulic control valve stays in the retract position until fully retracted and then it automatically pops into neutral. This allows the operator to take off the pieces just split without having to stay at the controls during the retract stroke. I wanted a similar feature that would allow the control lever to stay in the forward position and then self release at the end of the splitting stroke. I decided to do this modification with a control linkage similar to the throttle control rather than to modify the hydraulic control assembly itself.

With the hydraulic controls automatic during the splitting stroke as well as the retraction stroke, once the split cycle starts, I can then move about the splitter rather than just stand at the contols. Being able to work around the splitter with hands off the controls during both the split movement and the retract movement allows staging of pieces and bearing off split pieces without wasted time. Yeah, this modification is probably not Osha approved, but since the wedge movement isn't all that fast, it is more forgiving than the speed of a kinetic splitter would be. (This isn't a slow wedge movement compared to other hydraulic splitters, just slow compared to kinetic ones.)

Here are the modifications I made to my splitter which allow the operator to load a piece, start the split cycle and then work about the splitter without having to stand at the control lever.

A small metal plate serves as a catch to hold the control lever in the forward (split) position. This is pictured here first in the splitting position. A cable releases this catch when the ram reachs the end of the splitting stroke:
Log splitter 002.jpg

Here's the release mechanism that the traveler hits to release the catch at the end of the splitting stroke:
Log splitter 004.jpg
I also added a rack to hold pieces staged for the next split cycle. I use time away from the controls during the split and retract stokes to load the rack, stack the pieces just split, etc. For a one man operation, there really isn't any wasted time.
Log splitter 005.jpg

[Stamford sugarmaker]

maple flats,

If you look at the 42 second mark of the video that is 2:48 seconds long I believe you will see what I am talking about. As I posted earlier, I never doubted that the kinetic splitter was faster.

Peter

[Farmboy]

Charlievt supersplits come with the auto cycle feature that you built.
I just got my super split running friday. I put a new subaru robins engine on it. Built a outfeed table for it today. Tomorrow I am going to make it taller because I have the trailer tow package so it is lower than a regular one. Also need to change a bearing under the ram that rides on the beam. I used it the other day for a little while. Wow its fast! I will use our hydraulic splitter on the elm because it has twisted grain. It flys through everything else including oak croches.

[maple flats]

looked like the video was speeded up a little....

After using the super split I don't think the video was speeded up, but I do thing the operator was rushing to make a point, just like sawmill operators do in a head to heat sawing speed competition.
Thad, Now that I have the SuperSplit and assembled it I set them side by side and made some comparisons. The first is the main beam, while it is smaller in height and slightly narrower than my 20 ton hyd, the gauge on the steel is more than double. When I put an impossible split on the hydraulic one, the beam has a very slight flex, I put an impossible split on the SuperSplit and got no flex. (both impossible splits were a piece of hop hornbeam, set to split cross ways. The main beam is stronger. Next I studied the ram, it is more massive than the hydraulic one. The drive teeth look very heavy. The machine is very well built. I'll have to measure the flywheel shaft but I'm guessing 1.5". It looks to be a very sturdy but simple design.
Comparing the cycle times, 2.? seconds compared to 17 seconds, both with no log to split, then with a log, both from the same tree, sucessive cuts and no knots and about 18" diameter, bigger one in Supersplit. Time for ss, 2.? (too fast to be sure but under 3 seconds) and hydraulic 18 seconds. Engines- SS = 4 hp Honda, running just above 1/2 throttle, hydraulic 6.5 hp Briggs running at full throttle.
The SS is a very simple design and looks to be far easier to maintain and repair if ever needed. Another difference is on the hydraulic I need to hold the operating lever until the split is completed and then it will lock in return detent. The super split I just engage it, let go and grab another piece to split. Some say they want a multi split wedge, I have not seen one that will split the wood fine enough for my needs (wrist size). In the right application I am not adverse to hydraulics in most applications but I'm convinced that wood splitting is not one. I do now wand another piece of equipment however, I'll be looking for an old elevator to move the split wood and drop it on a wagon, to be stacked. This is so fast that moving the split wood out of the way is tiring. The hydraulic is so slow it is not an issue to stack the splits into the tractor bucket.