splitting hardwood into billets; what tonnage splitter?

[riverdog]

Hi,

 

I'm sure we've been through this already but I can't find it so humour me please...

 

If a fellow wanted to split 1m lengths of 35-50cm diameter hardwood (cordwood) into billets, on a horizontal splitter, how many tonnes of force would he want to get the job done in reasonable time?

 

If he had available to him a good tractor, would he be better off with a hydraulic or pto run one?

 

Thanks.

[farmer_ben]

Hi,

 

I'm sure we've been through this already but I can't find it so humour me please...

 

If a fellow wanted to split 1m lengths of 35-50cm diameter hardwood (cordwood) into billets, on a horizontal splitter, how many tonnes of force would he want to get the job done in reasonable time?

 

If he had available to him a good tractor, would he be better off with a hydraulic or pto run one?

 

Thanks.

 

we use a browns splitter, works well...think its ten ton

[difflock]

15-18 tonne/PTO pump driven

[treequip]

Hi,

 

I'm sure we've been through this already but I can't find it so humour me please...

 

If a fellow wanted to split 1m lengths of 35-50cm diameter hardwood (cordwood) into billets, on a horizontal splitter, how many tonnes of force would he want to get the job done in reasonable time?

 

If he had available to him a good tractor, would he be better off with a hydraulic or pto run one?

 

Thanks.

 

You are asking about tonnage and speed but the two aren't related, tonnage (force) will be able to split larger timber.

 

For speed what you need to look at is the flow, which gives you the cycle time.

 

Look at the flow output on the tractor and the flow requirement of the prospect machine.

[Tom D]

Ram pressure is a function of oil pressure and the surface area of the ram piston, so a fat ram with a wider piston will have much more power than a thin 'pencil' ram. the flipside is that a fat ram holds a lot of oil and therefore needs a lot of oil flow to fill it.

 

This is where the cheap ebay splitters fall down, plenty of oil pressure and a decent sized ram but no flow, therefore painfully slow. I have a 30 ton posch splitter for exactly the use that you describe, it will split anything, it has its own pump and hydraulics so is reasonably quick too. nowhere near as quick as the 11 ton ram on the processor though.

[difflock]

15-18 tonne POWERED by a tractor PTO hydraulic pump.

unless a newer tractor with high flow hydraulics (and at low engine rpm's)

Then use tractor hydraulics.

but a PTO pump version will run at tickover revs on the 1000 shaft setting.

Even on an older tractor without the better hydraulics.

[Mortimer Firewood]

I managed with a 13t thor and it would split anything that i could get underneath it just a case of looking at what your splitting and finding the easyest way. If i had the money at the time i would of bought a big horizantal like the one Tom d mentioned if it does not split it it has the power to just cut it.

[hawthornheavyhorses]

I've got a Riko 16t trailed splitter with 9hp engine to split my billets - has split everything I've put on it so far including some pretty nasty twisty hornbeam butts.

[slack ma girdle]

Can't fault my 13t thor, yet to find anything that it won't split. It would be better/faster if it was run off the PTO with its own hydraulics, but the benefit does not outweigh the additional cost.