log handling advice

[the village idiot]

Has anyone out there had much experience with excavator screw splitters? My plan is to hire one in to help with log handling and initial processing.

 

I am crosscutting stems to 4mtrs at stump and want to find a good way to further crosscut to 10 inch rings off the ground, leaving all the rings ride side.

 

Some of the lengths (pretty much all Ash) are quite fat and could do with splitting down the middle before crosscutting into half rings, hence the screw splitter. I was thinking I could then pick up all 4 mtr lengths(split and unsplit) with the screw, slew over to ride side (we are felling along ride edges) and then whilst held at a comfortable height, crosscut from both ends to 10 inches.

 

Can anyone who has used these machines see any potential problems with this system? I know it seems crazy to crosscut at stump, but there are a number of reasons why we do this that I won't bore you with now.

 

Muchas gracias in advance.  TVI.

[Woodworks]

Saw a clip of a chap using a pecker on a digger and did a lovely job. Every video I have seen of screw splitters they are making a gnarly mess. Splinters everywhere.

[the village idiot]

Just now, Woodworks said:

Saw a clip of a chap using a pecker on a digger and did a lovely job. Every video I have seen of screw splitters they are making a gnarly mess. Splinters everywhere.

What's a pecker?

[Woodworks]

6 minutes ago, the village idiot said:

What's a pecker?

 

The clip was on a facebook. If you do facebook I will dig it out. I dont know what wood they were splitting but it was but it was very neat

Edited January 14, 2018 by Woodworks

[the village idiot]

Just now, Woodworks said:

 

The clip was on a facebook. If you do facebook I will dig it out

Ah. Not quite so good for the picking up and holding side of things.

 

I'm not too bothered about splintering. I'll probably only need to split about 5% of the lengths. The main task will be to pick up the 4mtr lengths, slew them around, and hold them off the ground for crosscutting. A traditional timber grab will have too much sway, and I am struggling to find a fixed grab machine to hire. Also the fixed grab would not have any splitting capability.

[openspaceman]

We had something like this but it was on a 12 tonne 360

 

 

[the village idiot]

5 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

We had something like this but it was on a 12 tonne 360

 

 

Nice, but slightly overkill for my requirements. I was thinking more along these lines:

 

 

[openspaceman]

13 minutes ago, the village idiot said:

Nice, but slightly overkill for my requirements. I was thinking more along these lines:

 

 

I've not tried one on a digger but not impressed with my tractor pto one and those logs look straight grained

[Woodworks]

So are you using the machine to get them ride side? Last lot of oversized wood we got in I held up off the ground with a grab on forestry trailer. To start with you cut off each end and then drop the last bit on the pile and just cut it lose on the pile. I just got a got a fast cutting saw and cut them into halves or quarters from there. Tractor with forks holds the lengths off the ground pretty well. Also spoilt with a splitter with a winch so most things can be got up onto the table anyway

 

I just have an aversion to screw splitters of any kind after owning a Hycrack 

 

This was just done with a saw and forestry grab 

Edited January 15, 2018 by Woodworks