firewood processor

[Dorset Logger]

Hi guys thinking of upgrading my log processor, I have a Palax combi mk 2 and was thinking of chainsaw type that can take bigger wood. Going to go second hand I reckon whats people's thoughts on whats best? cheers

[MattyF]

I'd go circular saw every time over chain saw .. markets good for secondhand machines I would of thought at the minute.

[gdh]

Tajfun 400 is a very good machine. 16inch cut with a chainsaw and plenty of splitting force. Kilworth might have some in stock.

 

 

 

 

[andy cobb]

As gdh has said the tajfun is a hell off a machine, I would have loved to have been able to afford 1, as it is I opted for a lightly used Dunn 420 from Wilson's.

Although it doesnt have the splitting force of the tajfun it very rearly fails on anything with the 6 way wedge, it can cope with bent and awkward timber and has a few useful qualities, swinging outfeed conveyor with a grid in it to filter out small bits, adjustable splitting chamber between 400 and 600mm and a really strong hydraulic log clamp that secures the last log.

Downside would be having to almost constantly adjust bar drop speed to get the best production but that becomes almost second nature after a while.

[renewablejohn]

On 14/12/2021 at 00:22, Dorset Logger said:

Hi guys thinking of upgrading my log processor, I have a Palax combi mk 2 and was thinking of chainsaw type that can take bigger wood. Going to go second hand I reckon whats people's thoughts on whats best? cheers

How big is the wood you want to process. A palax combi mk 2 is good for upto 36 inches you just need to know how to use it and get into the habit of making billets.

[Justme]

On 27/12/2021 at 12:34, andy cobb said:

Downside would be having to almost constantly adjust bar drop speed to get the best production but that becomes almost second nature after a while.

That def does need a redesign so that it drops fast to where it hits the log & then adjusts speed / pressure to suit log diameter & hardness automatically.

[Firewooddan]

On 28/12/2021 at 12:38, renewablejohn said:

How big is the wood you want to process. A palax combi mk 2 is good for upto 36 inches you just need to know how to use it and get into the habit of making billets.

Do you have a mk2? 

How can you do 36inches? 

I have seen one locally for sale, 

They said the blade has never been sharpened as not done much. How often do they need doing 

[renewablejohn]

54 minutes ago, Firewooddan said:

Do you have a mk2? 

How can you do 36inches? 

I have seen one locally for sale, 

They said the blade has never been sharpened as not done much. How often do they need doing 

Have had a Mk2 for approx 10 years and only just sold it due to retiring. A very good machine and so well made. Although the saw cut is 12 inches the splitter will take wood upto 36 inch so if you cut the stem 3 inch shorter than the splitting chamber  you can split the stem into two and keep splitting until you have billets of the right size to process through the blade. The blade being a TCT keeps very sharp and I have never needed to sharpen although I have only ever processed virgin timber. TCT blades do not like nails or stones. I also have a Browns sliding top sawbench with steel blade which gets professionally resharpened every six months as by then its blunt.

[Billhook]

On 31/12/2021 at 21:49, renewablejohn said:

Have had a Mk2 for approx 10 years and only just sold it due to retiring. A very good machine and so well made. Although the saw cut is 12 inches the splitter will take wood upto 36 inch so if you cut the stem 3 inch shorter than the splitting chamber  you can split the stem into two and keep splitting until you have billets of the right size to process through the blade. The blade being a TCT keeps very sharp and I have never needed to sharpen although I have only ever processed virgin timber. TCT blades do not like nails or stones. I also have a Browns sliding top sawbench with steel blade which gets professionally resharpened every six months as by then its blunt.

Have you a video to show the 36 inch log being processed in this way?

[renewablejohn]

13 hours ago, Billhook said:

Have you a video to show the 36 inch log being processed in this way?

Unfortunately not but there is plenty on youtube showing how billets can be made using a long log splitter.  Its easy enough to do with a 2way blade. If you want I could put up instructions. Basically a 36 inch log would end up as 16 billets.