# How hot should hydraulic fluid get in a splitter?



## PA Dan (Jun 14, 2013)

View attachment 300157
View attachment 300155
I'm running a homemade splitter and I think the fluid is getting pretty hot. The splitter was given to me after sitting in the woods for 12 years. I tore it completely apart and rebuilt it. It has a 6.5hp Honda GX 200 and a 4x24 cylinder. I have no idea who made the pump or how many gpm it is. I believe I need a larger reservoir and that might help its only 4.75 gallons. The splitter is doing a great job and has split a ton of wood since I got it together. I fired it up today and split some cherry nd locust. After running for about 45 minutes I stuck a thermometer in the tank and it went up to 195* degrees! Is this normal or am I running hot? Outside temps were in the upper 70's today.


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## greenskeeper (Jun 14, 2013)

sounds normal to me, you're only a little above ambient+100 degrees. My Huskee 23-ton holds 4-gal of fluid, never bothered to measure the temp. 

what makes you think the temp is too high? puking fluid? leaks?

if everything is working then keep on splittin'


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## cantoo (Jun 14, 2013)

When I split with my Speeco 28 ton, after 45 minutes or so you don't dare touch the cylinder or metal fittings unless you want a permanent tattoo.


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## captjack (Jun 14, 2013)

I have a timber wolf tw-5 and it holds 15 gal. Gets hot as hell when we are running it hard


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## PA Dan (Jun 14, 2013)

I did have a couple leeks only on the NPT connections! All of my JIC fittings are good! I used a Teflon paste product good for 10,000psi and rated to 500*. If I doubled the size of my reservoir would it run much cooler? Anyone recognize my pump and know what brand it is? Let me know.


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## boda65 (Jun 14, 2013)

Ideally, temps should be below 160 degrees. Temps above 180 will damage seals due to heat and can damage the pump due to viscosity breakdown. My speeco 35 ton holds about 6 or 7 gallons. The cylinder gets hot enough it is uncomfortable to hold your hand on it, but not blister your hand hot. Never stuck a thermometer in it. I believe I would go with a bigger reservoir if you are hitting those kind of temps. 
Jim


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## sb47 (Jun 14, 2013)

My husky 22 ton splitter gets pretty hot in the summer time. It has a 4.50 gallon capacity on the tank. 190 sounds a little high, I don’t think mine gets that hot.
Other hydraulic machines I’ve used have always gotten pretty hot after extended use, much more so in the summer time of course.
If you’re handy you could make a cooler, out of a transmission oil cooler on the return side.


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## apn73 (Jun 14, 2013)

I've got a 27 ton Troy-Bilt and it gets pretty hot, can tell you it's not 190 or even 160, but maybe 150 at the most. I may be wrong about this, but it seems like Barnes has the corner of hydraulic log splitter pump and control valve market and my splitter is no exception to that rule. The manual for my slitter specifically calls out an anti-wear straight SAE 10 weight hydraulic fluid, which is AW 32. Most decent auto parts stores (Napa, CarQuest) have it in five gallon pails.


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## triptester (Jun 14, 2013)

The pump looks like a Delta brand.

Optimum hydraulic fluid temperature is usually 120-140 degrees. Max temp of 180 degrees.


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## blades (Jun 15, 2013)

Restricted fittings at your ports are causing excessive friction hence the heat rise. Using Hi-flow fittings at the cylinder and valve will greatly reduce friction. 45 deg. fittings instead of the 90 deg also make a world of difference. There is another thread from a couple days ago same thing. There was an excellent picture posted of various 1/2" fittings showing just how restrictive some of the fittings are. The other area that is a possible culprit is the return line port in relation the the fill level in your tank it must be below the fill level a couple inches to prevent air entrainment in the oil. 
Before I rebuilt my unit it ran so hot, even winter, that you did not want to come in contact with the cylinder as you would get a burn blister.
Employing the above principals you can now run the unit on a 98 deg day , all day, and still put your bare hand on cylinder with out receiving an injury. In other words the heat rise is within acceptable limits.
Repositioning the return line port is not usually an option, so I added a smaller tank above the main one. This is now the fill/expansion/breather tank and adds another couple gallons to the system. Keeps the main tank completely full so no air entrainment can occur. Night and day difference. Unit is apx 12 years old on same pump and cylinder splitting a minimum of 10 cords a year. Just running AW32 from the farm store.


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## deutzman (Jun 15, 2013)

I work at a OSB mill and we program all hydraulic units to shut down at 165F. Once it shuts down then we go in the program and start back up after coolers are blown out and cleaned. If the temp doesn't start to fall in 10 to 15 minutes then we know we have a problem. I've seen one unit that didn't have a temp sensor turn the hydraulic oil to a black goo. Then the parts replacement begins.


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## Festus (Jun 15, 2013)

My 22 ton North Star has an 8 gallon capacity. It gets pretty warm, but you can still hold your hand on it. Although I agree you should make sure all the fittings and hoses are big enough, the 4.75 oil capacity is very likely the culprit.


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## Billy_Bob (Jun 16, 2013)

The instructions for my splitter say to use a certain specification hydraulic fluid which is "high heat".

So yes they do get to be quite hot.


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## PA Dan (Jun 16, 2013)

I believe the fluid in this splitter is AW-46. Is that and ok fluid or could it also be contributing to the higher temps? I am looking for a larger reservoir now and will look into what 90's I can swap out to 45's. I plan on rebuilding again and raising the beam up whenever I can find the parts. My pump and valve have 1/2" ports and ill go to 3/4" on the new ones. That should also help.


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## blades (Jun 16, 2013)

I am only running 1/2" lines all over, just no 90 deg corners. My valve has 3/4" ports so they are stepped down to 1/2". I haven't seen a pump listed with 3/4" ports of the commonly available units. I did find a Ram with 3/4" ports quite expensive. I do not think the add cost of 3/4" line is warranted. AW46 is fine works better in cold temps, thinner viscosity. The 90 deg corners and restrictive fittings are 98% of the heat rise problem.


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## boda65 (Jun 25, 2013)

You made my curious about my splitter's temps. I split for about an hour and fifteen minutes. The cylinder was quite warm, I couldn't hold my hand on it for very long. The reservoir was much cooler, I stuck a thermometer in it and it only showed about 120 degrees. It has the factory 90 degree fittings and I am running Eaton/Valvoline AW46 oil. Now, to clean the thermometer before the wife finds out I had it in hydraulic oil.
Jim


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## ChoppyChoppy (Jun 25, 2013)

JM Huber?




deutzman said:


> I work at a OSB mill and we program all hydraulic units to shut down at 165F. Once it shuts down then we go in the program and start back up after coolers are blown out and cleaned. If the temp doesn't start to fall in 10 to 15 minutes then we know we have a problem. I've seen one unit that didn't have a temp sensor turn the hydraulic oil to a black goo. Then the parts replacement begins.


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## nspolar (Jul 6, 2013)

*Is 195 F Too Hot?*

I work on various industrial equipment including gas turbines, lube oil systems, hydraulic systems, etc.

We generally use these days an ISO 32 hydraulic oil for the ambient conditions you have, or maybe an ISO 46. Sounds like you are using an ISO 46. The ISO and 32 or 46 designate the viscosity in centistokes at 104 F, i.e. 32 and 46 respectively. 

Given the fluid temperature you have you could use ISO 68 oil. But I don't think you really need to.

As all of these oils heat up the viscosities of each come closer together, at hotter temperature. At 212 F the difference in viscosity from ISO 32 to ISO 46 to ISO 68 might be something like 5.4 to 6.8 to 8.7 centistokes; but it would depend on actual oil make up. Synthetics and mineral base oils do act a bit different, over wide ranges in temperature. 

But as you can see the viscosity drops a lot as the temperature rises to 212 F, and the differences become less. Much less. 

As a point of fact I do not use 'hydraulic oil' in my splitter, I use Mobil 1 synthetic ATF. I live in AK where it gets cold, as well as warm in summer. Mobil 1 synthetic ATF is a very good all around hydraulic oil, for most applications, and since it is a synthetic it can work well over a very wide range of temperatures.

Your reservoir is not really too small. One negative it has is that it is a square of sorts, thus the surface area is minimal for the amount of oil it holds. If it was long and narrow, there would be more surface area. The one you have thus does not afford much in the way for natural cooling. 

On most of the equipment I work with we like any oil to be in say the 130 F range, before it enters bearings, pumps, and those sorts of components. If we use shutdowns for the high side, they are often in the 165 F area. We like the oil to flow easily, if it does it actually lubricates better. Thicker is not always better, in fact in my career thicker has been found to lead to failure more than the opposite. When the oil is loaded in films, as it goes through bearings, pumps and such, the peak temperature can get well over 200 F. Maybe even up to 300 F. About the hottest we allow babbit coated bearings to run at the surface is in the 260 F area, because this is where the babbit melt temperature is approached. 

So is 195 F at the reservoir too hot? It is decently warm but I don't think it is going to lead to direct and immediate failure of any components. The items most suspect to degradation would be orings, seals and such. Some are made to take 195 F, but I would not know for sure what the ones you have are made of. Would in general doubt they were chosen to tolerate high temperatures. Assuming not they just won't last as long as they would if operated at cooler temperatures. Not really like a line that one crosses. 

Many standard orings and seals are made of Buna N, it will take 195 F, but that is getting a bit high. Viton on the other hand is more high temperature tolerant. 

If you want to make some improvements a larger reservoir would help, because you would increase the surface area for cooling. A poor mans method, if you only operated in warmer temps now and then, might be to run a garden hose and run water over your reservoir, but be sure you don't get water in your reservoir. Anther option might be to look for a small natural air fin type of cooler, and install on the return side. These are generally of SS tubing, with fins attached, with a single inlet and outlet. They can be oriented and made to get some decent cooling with just natural air convection type air flow. 

One could make one as well, they really don't need to be that large. 

I do not have a cooler on mine, my reservoir is long and narrow, has decent surface area. Most of time when I use mine it is cold out so never had any heating issues.

There are some charts at this link you might want to look at.

Hydraulic Fluid Chart Hydraulic Oil Table and Cross Reference

As a point of reference I figure I can hold my hand on 130 F. At 150 F, no too hot, really to the point of getting a burn. Maybe 140 F but that too would be pretty uncomfortable after a spell.

nspolar


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## Oliver1655 (Jul 27, 2013)

“Hydraulic fluid temperatures above 180F (82C) damage most seal compounds and accelerate degradation of the oil”. (From Brendan Casey - Author of 'Hydraulics Made Easy')

Does an oil cooler make much of a difference? You Bet!!!
- I live in central Missouri & do a lot of splitting in the upper 90-105F temperatures. Using a $25 Harbor Freight infrared thermometer did several temperature checks on all the components in the hydraulic circuit. 
- Splitting in the shade average temperature was 175F (outside temperature was 98F).
- I added an oil cooler, 20x20", & the temperature dropped to around 130F. 
- Added a box fan between the oil cooler and the hydraulic cylinder. (Pulls air across the cylinder & blows it through the oil cooler.) Temperature dropped to the low 120s F. 
- The fan is powered with a 200 watt inverter connected to the battery for the electric start of the engine. Fan is a $2 yard sale special.

I have 3/4" lines between the valves (x4), the return lines / oil cooler inlet-outlets / filter / tank inlet & use ISO 46 hydraulic fluid. The pump is a Haldex/Barnes 16 gpm 2 stage.

For a breather on my tank, I have 1-1/4" pipe coming up, over, then pointed downward. I stuffed bronze wool in the down pipe for a filter & to keep little critters out.

John


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## hammerhead 5410 (Jul 28, 2013)

Did you notice that a turkey photo bombed your pic showing the ram? Upper right! lol


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## Tall Oaks (Aug 8, 2019)

PA Dan said:


> View attachment 300157
> View attachment 300155
> I'm running a homemade splitter and I think the fluid is getting pretty hot. The splitter was given to me after sitting in the woods for 12 years. I tore it completely apart and rebuilt it. It has a 6.5hp Honda GX 200 and a 4x24 cylinder. I have no idea who made the pump or how many gpm it is. I believe I need a larger reservoir and that might help its only 4.75 gallons. The splitter is doing a great job and has split a ton of wood since I got it together. I fired it up today and split some cherry nd locust. After running for about 45 minutes I stuck a thermometer in the tank and it went up to 195* degrees! Is this normal or am I running hot? Outside temps were in the upper 70's today.





PA Dan said:


> View attachment 300157
> View attachment 300155
> I'm running a homemade splitter and I think the fluid is getting pretty hot. The splitter was given to me after sitting in the woods for 12 years. I tore it completely apart and rebuilt it. It has a 6.5hp Honda GX 200 and a 4x24 cylinder. I have no idea who made the pump or how many gpm it is. I believe I need a larger reservoir and that might help its only 4.75 gallons. The splitter is doing a great job and has split a ton of wood since I got it together. I fired it up today and split some cherry nd locust. After running for about 45 minutes I stuck a thermometer in the tank and it went up to 195* degrees! Is this normal or am I running hot? Outside temps were in the upper 70's today.


I’ve never measured the temp but I found that a beer break is a very good way to cool down the hydraulic oil .


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## sb47 (Aug 8, 2019)

Think of it this way. Your hydraulic transmission in your car or truck can run as high as 220+ degrees and it does this with no issues at all. When you compress air or fluids they get hot, it's normal. Thats why your cylinder is hotter then the oil tank, it's being compressed in the cylinder causing heat build up. I would suspect that hydraulic cylinders are built to resist heat because heat is a given when you compress a fluid. My air compressor also gets very hot and will burn you if you touch it after it has run for awhile. When that pressure is released it cools back down.


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## Del_ (Aug 8, 2019)

sb47 said:


> Think of it this way. Your hydraulic transmission in your car or truck can run as high as 220+ degrees and it does this with no issues at all. When you compress air or fluids they get hot, it's normal. Thats why your cylinder is hotter then the oil tank, it's being compressed in the cylinder causing heat build up. I would suspect that hydraulic cylinders are built to resist heat because heat is a given when you compress a fluid. My air compressor also gets very hot and will burn you if you touch it after it has run for awhile. When that pressure is released it cools back down.



I don't agree with all of your physics but I love your gusto!


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## sb47 (Aug 8, 2019)

Del_ said:


> I don't agree with all of your physics but I love your gusto!




When you compress hydraulic fluid it heats up, thats a known fact.


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## Del_ (Aug 8, 2019)

sb47 said:


> When you compress hydraulic fluid it heats up, thats a known fact.



Liquids don't compress. Hydraulic fluid doesn't compress.

It gets hot from friction though!


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## Gugi47 (Aug 8, 2019)

*Can Engine Oils Replace Hydraulic Oils?*
Noria news wires 
_




"It is a common practice in the construction and mining industries to use engine oil SAE 10, SAE 20 or SAE 30 with the lowest API rating as a substitute for hydraulic oil ISO 32, ISO 46 or ISO 68, respectively for hydraulic systems of heavy equipment. Is it a problem to use these? What integrity or lack of it does it give to the machine and to the people working around the site?"_

This is dependent on the equipment and manufacturer. There is a class of hydraulic fluids (DIN 51524) that contains dispersive and detersive additives much like engine oils. The use of these fluids is approved by many manufacturers and can offer several advantages in mobile equipment such as preventing varnish and sludge.

However, these detergents and dispersants can cause the fluid to emulsify any water that is present, rather than shedding water as you would want in a standard hydraulic system. The water is kept in suspension, which can cause a reduction in both lubricity and filterability, leading to the potential for corrosion and cavitation.

These problems can be avoided if the water content is maintained below 0.1 percent. Hydraulic fluid with the ability to emulsify small amounts of water can be beneficial in mobile applications. In some cases, the original equipment manufacturer even recommends using multi-grade engine oil rather than a single viscosity fluid.

Obviously, SAE and ISO use two different scales to measure viscosity. SAE 10W is equivalent to ISO 32, SAE 20 is equivalent to ISO 46 and 68, and SAE 30 is equivalent to ISO 100. As you can see, there is a bit of a difference between ISO 68 and SAE 30.

The viscosity of the fluid largely determines the oil temperatures within which the hydraulic system can safely operate. So if you use oil with too high a viscosity for the conditions in which the machine must operate, the oil won’t flow properly or lubricate adequately during a cold start. Likewise, if you use oil with too low a viscosity for the conditions, it won’t maintain the required minimum viscosity, and therefore adequate lubrication, on the hottest days of the year.

Some equipment manufacturers recommend using multi-grade engine oil in hydraulic systems for their mobile equipment. Viscosity index (VI) improvers extend the operating temperature range for the fluids. Just keep in mind that over time these VI improvers will "shear down," which will cause a change in the viscosity of the fluid at a given temperature. This will have an impact on the performance of the system.


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## Gugi47 (Aug 8, 2019)

Stephen Bogert, former hs teacher at NYC DOE
Answered Feb 17, 2018 · Author has 1.2k answers and 466.3k answer views
Engine oil has additives to handle the higher temperatures, to maintain viscosity over a range of temperature, to suspend dirt-especially carbon particles, etc. Engine oil is marked with standardized symbols to define its function, the reliability of an engine depends on the function of actual engine oil of the correct specification.

There are many specialized types of hydraulic oil too, but the basic oil is a simple lubricant. Many engine oils will function in a basic hydraulic application, such as hand operated jacks, but basic hydraulic oil would not protect an engine.


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## PA Dan (Aug 8, 2019)

It's awesome that my 6 year old thread that I forgot about is back alive! Here's a little update! I still dont have a larger reservoir. I did get new hydraulic lines with high flow 90's but haven't installed them yet. I found I dont like to split wood in the summer so I have only been using the splitter in cooler weather. I also dont split for more than an hour or so.


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## Ted Jenkins (Aug 8, 2019)

Right now I have about 6 to 10 cords to split with about half of it is Oak. Weather being in the 90's is going to create some heat in the splitter and make me wilt faster. When my helper shows up we will go as long as we can. I touch some of the fittings to see what kind of temps we are dealing with. When I dribble some water on some of the hotter fittings and they immediately start to bubble then I know it is time for some breaks. I boxed some of the I beam so oil can flow through it to dissipate more heat. The splitter that I am starting on a new build will have two larger heavy wall tubing as the back bone allowing the oil to flow through two six foot tubes to control the temperature. What was a concern for me was what about when its cold out side. Then I figured all that was needed was to limit the air flowing over the tubing. Thanks


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## sb47 (Aug 9, 2019)

Del_ said:


> Liquids don't compress. Hydraulic fluid doesn't compress.
> 
> It gets hot from friction though!




It does pressurize though,


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## Del_ (Aug 9, 2019)

sb47 said:


> It does pressurize though.



Yes it does!


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## bigbadbob (Aug 9, 2019)

Heat,, its why I put a 15 gallon tank on my splitter.


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## PA Dan (Aug 9, 2019)

bigbadbob said:


> Heat,, its why I put a 15 gallon tank on my splitter.
> View attachment 752204


Where did you get the tank? I have been looking and would like to find one!


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## bigbadbob (Aug 9, 2019)

Fone co I worked at was scrapping one of these, so I got it for $15, then had it cut in 1/2. So it had all the fittings etc. Used to have a gauge for level and heat on the side but it got broked, that the three bolts.


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## GM_Grimmy (Aug 13, 2019)

sb47 said:


> Think of it this way. Your hydraulic transmission in your car or truck can run as high as 220+ degrees and it does this with no issues at all. When you compress air or fluids they get hot, it's normal. Thats why your cylinder is hotter then the oil tank, it's being compressed in the cylinder causing heat build up. I would suspect that hydraulic cylinders are built to resist heat because heat is a given when you compress a fluid. My air compressor also gets very hot and will burn you if you touch it after it has run for awhile. When that pressure is released it cools back down.


Typical seals are rated for 180 degrees. You car has special seals that can take higher temps. Your cylinder is hot because that's where the inefficiencies in flow are. You can't compress liquids.


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## Chris moss (Oct 20, 2019)

apn73 said:


> I've got a 27 ton Troy-Bilt and it gets pretty hot, can tell you it's not 190 or even 160, but maybe 150 at the most. I may be wrong about this, but it seems like Barnes has the corner of hydraulic log splitter pump and control valve market and my splitter is no exception to that rule. The manual for my slitter specifically calls out an anti-wear straight SAE 10 weight hydraulic fluid, which is AW 32. Most decent auto parts stores (Napa, CarQuest) have it in five gallon pails.


I have the same splitter and after about a hour the cylinder get hot to the touch , i have a question for you about the 27 ton troy built you have , mine has the 160cc honda motor on it , the fuel tank is something like .3 of a gallon , is yours the same? I get maybe around 45 mins run time before i have to refill , yours the same? Im thinking about putting a 2 or 3 gallon on it so i dont have to stop so much during the day to refuel


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## Chris moss (Oct 20, 2019)

Oliver1655 said:


> “Hydraulic fluid temperatures above 180F (82C) damage most seal compounds and accelerate degradation of the oil”. (From Brendan Casey - Author of 'Hydraulics Made Easy')
> 
> Does an oil cooler make much of a difference? You Bet!!!
> - I live in central Missouri & do a lot of splitting in the upper 90-105F temperatures. Using a $25 Harbor Freight infrared thermometer did several temperature checks on all the components in the hydraulic circuit.
> ...


You have My pics of that setup ? Id like to install something like this to my splitter


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## Patrick62 (Oct 22, 2019)

cooler the better. Someone said "if the hoses are too hot to hang onto, then it is too hot. You could hang onto the heater hoses in your truck for a few moments, that is a bit too hot.
I like the 165 or a 150 temp a lot better. Hot enough to drive condensation out of the system. Makes a nice finger warmer on cool days.
Put on a giant tank, avoid 90 deg fittings.


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## kevin j (Oct 22, 2019)

What ‘feels hot to the touch’ is not likely hot in hydraulics world.
Minimum 120F, Max 160. 
I like 140F, usually picked controls for cooler on 120 or so, warn at 160F, alarm at 180F. Never had auto shutdown because system functions were critical and lot of expensive damage if it shut down by itself.


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## Brufab (Oct 8, 2022)

PA Dan said:


> It's awesome that my 6 year old thread that I forgot about is back alive! Here's a little update! I still dont have a larger reservoir. I did get new hydraulic lines with high flow 90's but haven't installed them yet. I found I dont like to split wood in the summer so I have only been using the splitter in cooler weather. I also dont split for more than an hour or so.


Still going strong dan. I'm reading it all now as I have a 25t County line splitter and am worried about heat. It says 11 sec cycle time and I can run it as fast as it can go.


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## sb47 (Oct 8, 2022)

Brufab said:


> Still going strong dan. I'm reading it all now as I have a 25t County line splitter and am worried about heat. It says 11 sec cycle time and I can run it as fast as it can go.


I have 2 Countyline 40 ton splitters and they both run about 140 degrees even when the air temp is in the 90's. The hottest point is the cylinder. The oil tank runs about 110 degrees. Thats splitting some live oak witch is very hard to split. 
Most hydraulic systems can handle up 200 degrees with no issues. If your getting temps over 200 degrees I would look into adding a oil cooler.


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## Brufab (Oct 8, 2022)

Thanks @sb47 were splitting dry maple and popple, barely any knots, splitter splits with ease, 11 sec cycle time it says. We're goin to take some temp readings tomorrow and see where we're at. This is our first splitter, we bought it awhile back on sale for 699 or 799 now same splitter going for 1699  so we don't want to break it . Thanks again for the knowledge!


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## Sportfury70 (Oct 9, 2022)

Industrial hyd tech here. A properly running system shouldn’t get that hot, even with regular cyclic use all day. It’s not so much the high pressure that causes heat, but the pressure differential when going from high to low pressure (without doing useful work) that causes heat to build. There should be a relief valve on the system that is used to protect the pump and/or cylinder against spikes and if it’s improperly set or faulty can cause heat. Internal bypassing of the pump can cause excess heat too. As long as your not running in the direct sunshine on a hot summer day, heat shouldn’t be an issue. 

Make sure you pause in neutral on your spool valve when going from extend to retract too. Shifting too quick can cause pressure intensification that will blow seals and pumps quick, and can also cause heat.

Yes a larger reservoir helps, as will a conditioning loop or heat exchanger, but heat shouldn’t really be a problem if it’s set up correctly. When I build an hpu, I try to make sure the reservoir is at least 66% larger than the capacity of the rest of the system. Also, avoid streamlining the fluid in the reservoir, where the pickup and tank line are close together or pointed at each other. 

There’s a lot of good info and knowledge from the previous posters. If your splitter is a commercial unit, it should be designed correctly (I have yet to see one that isn’t). The home made ones though, they are often very incorrect in their design.

If anyone needs help troubleshooting or dialing in your system, shoot me a pm and I can give you some pointers.


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## sb47 (Oct 9, 2022)

Brufab said:


> Still going strong dan. I'm reading it all now as I have a 25t County line splitter and am worried about heat. It says 11 sec cycle time and I can run it as fast as it can go.


Those laser thermometers are great for taking surface temps of just about anything. If you look at any car or truck's running temps, they all run about 200+ degrees. Same with any automatic transmission. They are all hydraulic systems running ATF or any type of hydraulic oil. Engine oil and automatic transmission runs around 200 degrees once they get up to operating temps. Once you get over 200 degrees most any oil will start to cook. 
Mine runs about 140 and will burn the crap out of you if you touch the cylinder for more then a few seconds. 
Any of the log splitters that you buy at most hardware stores should run all day every day with no heat issues. I stop splitting when temps get over 100 degrees. Not because it will hurt the splitter but because it's just to hot for me at that point.
I will take some more readings tomorrow when I get mine up to running temperature. Air temps here are about in the upper 80's right now.


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## sb47 (Oct 15, 2022)

Today was a good day to get good working temps on my splitter. I ran it for about 4 hours so it was as hot as was going to get.
The air temp was 95*
The I beam was 111.8*
The oil pump was137.6*
The oil tank was129.2*
the cylinder was143.6*
The crank case on the motor was 176.1*
My steel trailer just sitting in the sun was 105.2


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## Sportfury70 (Oct 15, 2022)

sb47 said:


> Today was a good day to get good working temps on my splitter. I ran it for about 4 hours so it was as hot as was going to get.
> The air temp was 95*
> The I beam was 111.8*
> The oil pump was137.6*
> ...



Those are great temps, looks healthy


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## Brufab (Oct 15, 2022)

We did get our cylinder up to 160 the other day, the wood splits easily but I am short cycling it. The wood splits easily usually only 6" of stroke necessary to split. Most of the time it would get 140-145° the tank would stay around 110-120° the shaft of cylinder never got above 100° it was probly 37-50° outside temp when splitting. The splitter says fast 11 sec cycle time on the side, county line 25t. That day we probly ran 2 tanks of gas thru it. Normally a full tank we get between 3-4hrs of splitting on. There's 2 of us I'm splitting and my dad is taking the splits away, I'm next to the rounds so there isn't any downtime. We did put the box fan blowing on the tank pump and engine, that decreased the tank temps around 10° and the cylinder about 5°. The day we got the cylinder up to 160 the tank was in the mid 120's and no fan, it was the longest/most we ran it in one day. Usually we run 1 tank and that's it for the day.


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## Brufab (Oct 15, 2022)

@sb47 What kind of splitter do you have? Yours runs the same temps as ours does when it's 45° out and your splitting in the 90's


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## sb47 (Oct 15, 2022)

Brufab said:


> @sb47 What kind of splitter do you have? Yours runs the same temps as ours does when it's 45° out and your splitting in the 90's


I have 2 of the Countline 40 ton units. I bought the first one about 5 years ago when the first came out with the 40 ton. My old splitter was a Husky 25 ton unit and it would split ok but it struggled and wouldn't split live oak at all. Live oak would make it just stop and it never split a single round.
When Tractor supply came out with the 40 ton unit I looked it over and I liked every thing about it.
My 40 ton splits live oak like it not even there.
I also liked the 10'' wedge and the 9.5 cycle times. Every thing on the 40 is bigger and more heavy duty.
I put a hour meter on it the day I bought it, and it has 1264.6 hours and my newer one has 186.3 hours.
I was so impress with the first one I bought another one as a back up and so I can have two splitting stations. It splits forks and knots like butter. It doesn't mater how you orient the forked round it just bust it open with ease. I paid 1, for around seventeen hundred. The new one I paid eighteen hundred.
I had to search for the second one and I finally found one about 80 miles away. It was a long drive but I got exactly what I wanted.

Here is a link to TS log splitters
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/countyline-40-ton-log-splitter


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## sean donato (Oct 15, 2022)

Just out of curiosity, have you ever had a pressure Guage on it, and what brand and model of pump it on it? Tsc doesn't list any real details about the hydraulics other then 5 ¹/⁸" cylinder and a max operating pressure of 3800psi. No pump details.


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

Brufab said:


> @sb47 What kind of splitter do you have? Yours runs the same temps as ours does when it's 45° out and your splitting in the 90's


I did have to make a small modification to it. The back stop where the wood rest against. Wood would slip off the back stop and come flying with a lot of force. So I welded a piece of flat bar and now the wood never slips off.


sean donato said:


> Just out of curiosity, have you ever had a pressure Guage on it, and what brand and model of pump it on it? Tsc doesn't list any real details about the hydraulics other then 5 ¹/⁸" cylinder and a max operating pressure of 3800psi. No pump details.


Go to the link I will put in for you and look up along the top right under the first heading and you will see some boxes.* (Revues. questions and answers), (Product details), (Specifications,) (documents.) *Click on those boxes and you will fins all the details you need.
Try this link then click on the boxes.


https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/countyline-40-ton-log-splitter


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

sean donato said:


> Just out of curiosity, have you ever had a pressure Guage on it, and what brand and model of pump it on it? Tsc doesn't list any real details about the hydraulics other then 5 ¹/⁸" cylinder and a max operating pressure of 3800psi. No pump details.


No I have never put a gauge on it, but its pretty tuff and splits every thing I have thrown at it. Forks, knots, it doesn't mater. It splits everything I have put on it.


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## sean donato (Oct 16, 2022)

sb47 said:


> I did have to make a small modification to it. The back stop where the wood rest against. Wood would slip off the back stop and come flying with a lot of force. So I welded a piece of flat bar and now the wood never slips off.
> 
> Go to the link I will put in for you and look up along the top right under the first heading and you will see some boxes. Revues. questions and answers, Product details, Specifications, documents. Click on those boxes and you will fins all the details you need.
> Try this link then click on the boxes.
> ...


I did, downloaded the manuals as well. Less then helpful. There was an email address for parts. Sent then a question about the brand of pump and pressure ratings. Thanks!


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## sean donato (Oct 16, 2022)

sb47 said:


> No I have never put a gauge on it, but its pretty tuff and splits every thing I have thrown at it. Forks, knots, it doesn't mater. It splits everything I have put on it.


Yeah I understand that, I have the same sized cylinder on my splitter. I'm just running lower pressure. Just wanted to know who makes a aluminum cased hydraulic pump thats good for 3800 psi max. Hence why I asked specifics since it isn't listed. I sent an email to see what they say.


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

sean donato said:


> Just out of curiosity, have you ever had a pressure Guage on it, and what brand and model of pump it on it? Tsc doesn't list any real details about the hydraulics other then 5 ¹/⁸" cylinder and a max operating pressure of 3800psi. No pump details.


All It said is it has a 25GPM pump but no brand name.


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## sean donato (Oct 16, 2022)

sb47 said:


> All It said is it has a 25GPM pump but no brand name.


Roger that. I found a part number in the manual. Tried a Google search and kept coming up with a generic pump max rated at 3000 psi. Hence the email to them.


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

sean donato said:


> Yeah I understand that, I have the same sized cylinder on my splitter. I'm just running lower pressure. Just wanted to know who makes a aluminum cased hydraulic pump thats good for 3800 psi max. Hence why I asked specifics since it isn't listed. I sent an email to see what they say.


Always be very careful with power equipment. I cut the end of my finger off at the first knuckle right off. I wasn't paying attention and it took my finger off like it was never there. It happen so fast I pulled my hand out thinking I just pinched it, but when I looked at my hand my finger was gone.
It's weird feeling when you look at nasty stub with blood squirting out of it and your finger is gone.
My first thought was "oh ****, a band aid aint gonna fix this one. My next thought is I will never get to plat the guitar anymore. It sucks but it is what it is. Just adapt and over come.


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

sean donato said:


> Roger that. I found a part number in the manual. Tried a Google search and kept coming up with a generic pump max rated at 3000 psi. Hence the email to them.


Like all these type of splitters most all of them are imported. 
I have had mine for 5 years and it has never failed to split anything I can put on it.
I even has a electric lift on it to pick the big heavy rounds without breaking my back.


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## sean donato (Oct 16, 2022)

sb47 said:


> Always be very caerful with power equipment. I cut the end of my finger at the first knuckle right off. I wasn't paying attention and it took my finger off like it was never there. It happend so fast I pulled my hand out thing I just pinched it, but when I looked at my hand my finger was gone.


 Thats the reason my wedding ring is a tattoo. Ring almost ripped my finger off. Been working heavy duty diesel most my life, now work on roller coasters. I know my way around hydraulics pretty well. Thats why I was interested to know what pump they are running that's rated for 3800psi. That's 800 psi higher then 99% of 2 stage pumps, and also higher psi then most cylinders are rated to continuously handle. Also explains the 40 ton rating. That extra 800 psi bumps it up to nearly 40tons. (78k psi actually, 39 tons of force.) Over winter I'll be building my next log splitter, I was planning on going with a 6 inch cylinder to get my splitting force up, but if I can match a pump and cylinder and have that same rating then I wouldn't need to go with the larger cylinder. 
So this information has been very valuable to me. Thanks a bunch!


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

sean donato said:


> Thats the reason my wedding ring is a tattoo. Ring almost ripped my finger off. Been working heavy duty diesel most my life, now work on roller coasters. I know my way around hydraulics pretty well. Thats why I was interested to know what pump they are running that's rated for 3800psi. That's 800 psi higher then 99% of 2 stage pumps, and also higher psi then most cylinders are rated to continuously handle. Also explains the 40 ton rating. That extra 800 psi bumps it up to nearly 40tons. (78k psi actually, 39 tons of force.) Over winter I'll be building my next log splitter, I was planning on going with a 6 inch cylinder to get my splitting force up, but if I can match a pump and cylinder and have that same rating then I wouldn't need to go with the larger cylinder.
> So this information has been very valuable to me. Thanks a bunch!


I don't run my splitter wide open, just for speed. I run it just above idle. I think it is safer going a little slower. It makes everything last longer as well.


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## Brufab (Oct 16, 2022)

sb47 said:


> I have 2 of the Countline 40 ton units. I bought the first one about 5 years ago when the first came out with the 40 ton. My old splitter was a Husky 25 ton unit and it would split ok but it struggled and wouldn't split live oak at all. Live oak would make it just stop and it never split a single round.
> When Tractor supply came out with the 40 ton unit I looked it over and I liked every thing about it.
> My 40 ton splits live oak like it not even there.
> I also liked the 10'' wedge and the 9.5 cycle times. Every thing on the 40 is bigger and more heavy duty.
> ...


That's awesome sb47, yea the price of splitters went into the stratosphere. 2-3 years ago we got ours for 699 or 799$ its now $1699  which has probably priced alot of guys out from buying one. My dad will appreciate the info you shared. Thanks!


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

Brufab said:


> That's awesome sb47, yea the price of splitters went into the stratosphere. 2-3 years ago we got ours for 699 or 799$ its now $1699  which has probably priced alot of guys out from buying one. My dad will appreciate the info you shared. Thanks!


No problem, Im always ready to help if I can.
Well the sun is coming up so I gues I should getstarted before the heat sets in.


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## lone wolf (Oct 16, 2022)

PA Dan said:


> I did have a couple leeks only on the NPT connections! All of my JIC fittings are good! I used a Teflon paste product good for 10,000psi and rated to 500*. If I doubled the size of my reservoir would it run much cooler? Anyone recognize my pump and know what brand it is? Let me know.


Aluminum res with fins would help.


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## JRM (Oct 16, 2022)

You would have to significantly increase your resevoir size to make a worthy difference in operating temps. Otherwise all your doing is (slightly) prolonging the length of time it takes to get the oil up to temperature. 
It's kinda like the gimmick deep sump transmission pans and differential covers they sell for pickup trucks. If your actually working your truck they do nothing to decrease operating temperatures. It may just take a little longer to get there. 
A cooler would be much more effective, and likely cheaper too.


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

Hydraulics and cold weather don't mix well. When I was driving a tree spade in the winter it would take awhile for the hydraulic oil to worm up before it worked like it should. It would be slow and not have near the power until it got wormed up.
The tree spade had 12 cylinders and the oil res held about 60 gallons so it took awhile to get it wormed up. Same thing with the skid steer, in the cold it would take awhile to worm up and work like it should.
Any temp up to about 200 I would say it's normal. When you get above 200 you start cooking the oil and can start blowing seals.


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## c5rulz (Oct 16, 2022)

I've got the opposite problem most have with splitters and that is it runs too cold. I split in the Winter and the garage is a minimum of 45 degrees. After 4 hours of running the fluid was at best 60 degrees. 

I ended up insulating the tank and now the fluid gets up to close too 90 which is still a little cool.


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## Brufab (Oct 16, 2022)

c5rulz said:


> I've got the opposite problem most have with splitters and that is it runs too cold. I split in the Winter and the garage is a minimum of 45 degrees. After 4 hours of running the fluid was at best 60 degrees.
> 
> I ended up insulating the tank and now the fluid gets up to close too 90 which is still a little cool.


Dang that's that's mean looking splitter, the cylinder shaft is huge Holy cow!


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

c5rulz said:


> I've got the opposite problem most have with splitters and that is it runs too cold. I split in the Winter and the garage is a minimum of 45 degrees. After 4 hours of running the fluid was at best 60 degrees.
> 
> I ended up insulating the tank and now the fluid gets up to close too 90 which is still a little cool.


Looks like a pretty big oil tank. Have you tried using less oil and not filling it all the way up? That would decrease the amount of fluid and may make it heat up better on cold days. Or you could look for an oil designed for cold weather and be a little thinner. That might help.


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

Brufab said:


> Dang that's that's mean looking splitter, the cylinder shaft is huge Holy cow!


The cylinder on my 40 ton unit is a 5'' with a 3'' rod.
Here is a picture of the mod I did on the push plate. I simply took some 1 1/2 flat bar and bent it around the sides and top to keep the rounds from slipping off.




Here is the winch lift I put on it. It picks up some pretty big rounds. The best part is I can bust a big round in half and just swing the half that is still on the hook out of the way. Then I work one half at a time. I think it's called the Gorilla back log lift. It works great for not blowing my back out.





Here is the splitter back plate before I moded it. The edges are smooth and the rounds would slip off the edge and come flying out like a cannon ball.


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## cookies (Oct 16, 2022)

If your having low temp problems weld a bung or a few nuts lined up so a110v block heater can be installed to preheat the system. I got the 25 ton from tractor supply, it has all the power I need for the wood I can physically move to split. I did have to modify the carb's main jet because it was running lean at midrange rpms reducing power. I can now split most things I throw in it below 3/4 throttle saving fuel and it powers through large rounds at a higher engine rpm under max load.


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## sean donato (Oct 16, 2022)

sb47 said:


> I don't run my splitter wide open, just for speed. I run it just above idle. I think it is safer going a little slower. It makes everything last longer as well.


Mine is fairly slow with an 18gpm pump, at least it's fast enough I can work it by myself at a nice pace and not be waiting on the cylinder. The engine is run at around 3/4 throttle. More so because it's not balanced that well (not a counter shaft single cylinder) and it doesn't make a lot of difference in cycle times. 


c5rulz said:


> I've got the opposite problem most have with splitters and that is it runs too cold. I split in the Winter and the garage is a minimum of 45 degrees. After 4 hours of running the fluid was at best 60 degrees.
> 
> I ended up insulating the tank and now the fluid gets up to close too 90 which is still a little cool.


Whats the make and model of your splitter?


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

cookies said:


> If your having low temp problems weld a bung or a few nuts lined up so a110v block heater can be installed to preheat the system. I got the 25 ton from tractor supply, it has all the power I need for the wood I can physically move to split. I did have to modify the carb's main jet because it was running lean at midrange rpms reducing power. I can now split most things I throw in it below 3/4 throttle saving fuel and it powers through large rounds at a higher engine rpm under max load.


I think the biggest reason my 40 ton unit works so well is the desin of the wedge. My first Husky splitters wedge was wider and more blunt. I had pieces of wood come flying out of it like a bomb going off. My 40's wedge is much thinner and is razer sharp and if the wood wont split it just cuts right through it. It was so sharp I had to dull it a little bit cause every time I bumped it, it cut me. I have never had a piece of wood fly out of this splitter. Here a picture of my 40's wedge. See how thin it is before it gets wider at the back of it. That narrow point is only about a half inch thick and the wider part doesn't start for about 4'' back from the point. Plus it's 10'' tall so it helps cut the stringy stuff so I don't have to flip the round over like my old one did with a shorter wedge..


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## JRM (Oct 16, 2022)

sb47 said:


> I think the biggest reason my 40 ton unit works so well is the desin of the wedge. My first Husky splitters wedge was wider and more blunt. I had pieces of wood come flying out of it like a bomb going off. My 40's wedge is much thinner and is razer sharp and if the wood wont split it just cuts right through it. It was so sharp I had to dull it a little bit cause every time I bumped it, it cut me. I have never had a piece of wood fly out of this splitter. Here a picture of my 40's wedge. See how thin it is before it gets wider at the back of it. That narrow point is only about a half inch thick and the wider part doesn't start for about 4'' back from the point. Plus it's 10'' tall so it helps cut the stringy stuff so I don't have to flip the round over like my old one did with a shorter wedge..View attachment 1024642


 Can you grab a measurement on the height of that wedge when you get a chance? No hurry at all, thanks.


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

Here is how I am set up right now. I have the splitter rite next to the log pile. I cut the logs and role them to the splitter and use my log lift to pick up the heavier ones. This is the first 40 I bought.






Here is the newer one that I don't use as often. Here some good pics of the wedge and pump.


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

JRM said:


> Can you grab a measurement on the height of that wedge when you get a chance? No hurry at all, thanks.


It's 10'' tall.


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## cookies (Oct 16, 2022)

The only weird complaint about the tractor supply splitters is if a chunk of log gets behind the wedge during the return stroke it will bend the piss out of the legs that push the log off the wedge.


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

JRM said:


> Can you grab a measurement on the height of that wedge when you get a chance? No hurry at all, thanks.


Here is the best I could do.


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## sean donato (Oct 16, 2022)

cookies said:


> The only weird complaint about the tractor supply splitters is if a chunk of log gets behind the wedge during the return stroke it will bend the piss out of the legs that push the log off the wedge.


I've used a few of those tip and tilt splitters and much prefer a log lift. Much easier on the back imo.


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## Brufab (Oct 16, 2022)

sb47 said:


> The cylinder on my 40 ton unit is a 5'' with a 3'' rod.
> Here is a picture of the mod I did on the push plate. I simply took some 1 1/2 flat bar and bent it around the sides and top to keep the rounds from slipping off.
> 
> View attachment 1024604
> ...


Awesome mods, equipment, and work . My dad has a small electric winch he attaches to a county line boom pole on our tractor for big rounds. The last stuff we split were 20-24" I quartered them in the vertical position so he could handle them easier by himself in the horizontal position. We were going to make a helper table or whatever but can buy one from tsc for a ddecent price.


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

cookies said:


> The only weird complaint about the tractor supply splitters is if a chunk of log gets behind the wedge during the return stroke it will bend the piss out of the legs that push the log off the wedge.


I had that happen and it hit my valve handle and bent it. The ram was still retracting and because the wood was holding the valve open I had no way to stop it. I had to sit there and watch it and felling helpless. No time to shut the motor down.
I already lost the end of one of my fingers with this splitter. So I'm not putting any part of my body in harms way. If it F;s up something I will just have to fix it.


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## sean donato (Oct 16, 2022)

Amen brother! Welder and a torch some swear words later the splitter will be fixed.


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

sean donato said:


> I've used a few of those tip and tilt splitters and much prefer a log lift. Much easier on the back imo.


I agree, trying to get a heavy round on the splitter in the vertical is to much work and hard on my back staying bent over all day. This gorilla log lift works great, but it is limited to 200 lbs. I would like to fab one up that is way more beefy then this one. The winch is not the problem, it's the light steel tubing that will bend if you over load it.


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## JRM (Oct 16, 2022)

sb47 said:


> Here is the best I could do.
> 
> View attachment 1024669
> View attachment 1024670
> ...





sb47 said:


> View attachment 1024675




Can you grab me 1 more pls, the width of the plate the wedge is welded to, the one that is captured in the beam. My huskee 35 is set up identical to yours except the wedge height is less than 7" tall. I'd really like a taller wedge, much of what I split is large diameter and doesn't split all the way through on the first pass. 

I am working on setting mine up to split horizontal instead of vertical. Problem is picking up many of these big rounds i get. I recently built a large bench the same height of my splitter to stack my rounds on with my tractor. A few minutes with the tractor will supply me with a Good hours worth of splitting horizontal without killing my back. But it becomes a real pita when the round doesn't split all the way in half, hence my search for a taller wedge.


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

I think I'll go out and run a tank of fuel through my saw and get some rounds cut so I can split some more when it cools down the afternoon. Catch ya in a little while.


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## sean donato (Oct 16, 2022)

JRM said:


> Can you grab me 1 more pls, the width of the plate the wedge is welded to, the one that is captured in the beam. My huskee 35 is set up identical to yours except the wedge height is less than 7" tall. I'd really like a taller wedge, much of what I split is large diameter and doesn't split all the way through on the first pass.
> 
> I am working on setting mine up to split horizontal instead of vertical. Problem is picking up many of these big rounds i get. I recently built a large bench the same height of my splitter to stack my rounds on with my tractor. A few minutes with the tractor will supply me with a Good hours worth of splitting horizontal without killing my back. But it becomes a real pita when the round doesn't split all the way in half, hence my search for a taller wedge.


So the simple solution it to add a wedge piece above and just behind your current wedge. This give the original wedge the chance to start the cut then the added height can just slice through. Sorry bad picture. I'm on call at work...


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## c5rulz (Oct 16, 2022)

Brufab said:


> Dang that's that's mean looking splitter, the cylinder shaft is huge Holy cow!





sb47 said:


> Looks like a pretty big oil tank. Have you tried using less oil and not filling it all the way up? That would decrease the amount of fluid and may make it heat up better on cold days. Or you could look for an oil designed for cold weather and be a little thinner. That might help.




The builder also suggested using less oil, but I didn't want to drain it.

2nd, the tank holds 35 gallons, it has a port for a threaded heater if I want to install one but the cooler temps really don't hurt anything. 

The insulation does help some.

I am thinking the hottest the splitter ever got was 120 degrees on day that was in the upper 90s after running several hours. That day the pavement was 130 and the side of my house which is dark blue got to 160.


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## JRM (Oct 16, 2022)

sean donato said:


> So the simple solution it to add a wedge piece above and just behind your current wedge. This give the original wedge the chance to start the cut then the added height can just slice through. Sorry bad picture. I'm on call at work...


That's actually the plan but will take away the ability to use a 4 way which I am also going to try on smaller stuff. The plan is to buy another wedge and make one taller and one into a 4 way. But if the taller wedge on sb's splitter will fit my machine I'll be further ahead buying that one vs another 7" tall wedge like I have now.


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

JRM said:


> That's actually the plan but will take away the ability to use a 4 way which I am also going to try on smaller stuff. The plan is to buy another wedge and make one taller and one into a 4 way. But if the taller wedge on sb's splitter will fit my machine I'll be further ahead buying that one vs another 7" tall wedge like I have now.


You might be able to order that wedge from TS. I can get you some mesurments if you want. Might be awhile, I just got through running 2 tanks of gas through my saw and it's in the mid 90's today, so I need a little break.


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## JRM (Oct 16, 2022)

sb47 said:


> You might be able to order that wedge from TS. I can get you some mesurments if you want. Might be awhile, I just got through running 2 tanks of gas through my saw and it's in the mid 90's today, so I need a little break.


No hurry, whenever you get back out is great. I do appreciate you taking the time to help me out with this.


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

I noodled up some 48'' rounds with my little MS261C with a 20'' bar.
I'm not trying to hijack this thread but I took some pics today. Might be pic heavy.

The ol MS261C with a 20'' bar ready for some light work

Some 48'' rounds I noodled up



Gettin it done



Some big wood in this pile.



Can forget about my old Kubota 5200 I bought new in 1985 and she is still a solid work horse.



Some big rounds fixin to get noodled.





Those big rounds 15 min later all noodled up.


Stacks of smoking wood all bagged up.



More bagged smoking wood.



One of my 7 little trailers I use around the wood lot.


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## c5rulz (Oct 16, 2022)

sean donato said:


> Mine is fairly slow with an 18gpm pump, at least it's fast enough I can work it by myself at a nice pace and not be waiting on the cylinder. The engine is run at around 3/4 throttle. More so because it's not balanced that well (not a counter shaft single cylinder) and it doesn't make a lot of difference in cycle times.
> 
> Whats the make and model of your splitter?




It was custom made by Alex of A.E. Metalwerx.

There are a ton of features that aren't obvious. 
30" stroke with limiter for rounds of 19"-30"
Dump valve
Auto cycle
Very high capacity filter rated for 125GPM
Large rod for faster retract

BTW, you can see the port for the heater.


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## sb47 (Oct 16, 2022)

JRM said:


> No hurry, whenever you get back out is great. I do appreciate you taking the time to help me out with this.


The I beam is 8 1/2'' at the back. Then the working part of the beam has some plates welded on for the wedge to slide through and that part is 11 1/2''
The bottom of the wedge is 11 1/2 '' long and 8 1/2'' wide and the thickness of the wedge plate is 3/4''
I hope that helps I took a few pics for you.


JRM said:


> No hurry, whenever you get back out is great. I do appreciate you taking the time to help me out with this.


The bottom plate that slides on the beam is 11 1/2'' long by 8 1/2 wide by 3/4'' thick.


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## JRM (Oct 16, 2022)

Perfect! Same dimensions as mine. The hunt is on....


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## sean donato (Oct 16, 2022)

c5rulz said:


> It was custom made by Alex of A.E. Metalwerx.
> 
> There are a ton of features that aren't obvious.
> 30" stroke with limiter for rounds of 19"-30"
> ...


I worked on a wood processor down in Maryland made by Daubs weld shop. Real big thing, live deck, conveyer, hydraulic saw yanmar diesel on it. They had a smaller unit made by the same company they used for nasty rounds. Looks darn close to yours from what I can remember. Why I was interested. It's a solid design from the pictures. I'm a bit envious lol.


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## miller755 (Oct 16, 2022)

So I read through most of the comments and I saw the ones that talk about the things that are causing the friction which in turn causes the heat. Adding capacity would mean adding a bigger reservoir which would give you more surface area to cool the fluid, which would help if reducing restrictions doesn't, you could also weld some pieces of flat steel onto your reservoir to act as fins that would add surface area if you do do this position the fins vertically because that would encourage natural convection on the fence which would promote more heat loss.


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## sean donato (Oct 16, 2022)

miller755 said:


> So I read through most of the comments and I saw the ones that talk about the things that are causing the friction which in turn causes the heat. Adding capacity would mean adding a bigger reservoir which would give you more surface area to cool the fluid, which would help if reducing restrictions doesn't, you could also weld some pieces of flat steel onto your reservoir to act as fins that would add surface area if you do do this position the fins vertically because that would encourage natural convection on the fence which would promote more heat loss.


Would be just as easy to loop in a return side cooler imo.


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## sundance (Oct 16, 2022)

sean donato said:


> Would be just as easy to loop in a return side cooler imo.


@sean donato any info you can share on a cooler? I've thought about adding one to my splitter but haven't had a lot of luck finding an appropriate one.


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## sean donato (Oct 17, 2022)

I have one one I found at a junk yard off a piece of equipment. 3/4" inlet and outlet. It's a aluminum tube and fin style. My original thought was to tie it into the return side after the return filter before the tank. Just let it act like a radiant heater. Adding a fan would have been a bit expensive as the Subaru doesn't have a charging system, and buying the stator and a new flywheel would have been pretty expensive. I monitored my fluid temperature and found I never exceeded 150* in the tank, and ran around 180 at the cylinder. Just didn't make sense to add it. 
There are commercial coolers available. that you could do the same thing with. Doesn't really have to stand up to much pressure on the return side. Just find a good place to mount it and run hoses to it. Add a fan for forced cooling is need be and wire a thermostatic control into it.


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## cookies (Oct 17, 2022)

Simply leaving the ram fully extended so its full of oil to help radiate heat when you walk away to reload helps drop temps. When I got my splitter I did the usual engine oil change after the first tank of gas then after the 10th I changed the hyro oil to a full syn and the filter to a lower micron higher flow rated filter. Before changing the hydro oil it would cause a welt if you leaned against the cylinder but now its hot enough to hurt but not blister the skin. I recently changed the muffler outlet size and its internal baffle to flow better and added magnetic dipsticks and drain plugs. Re jetting the carb and muffler mod added about 250 rpm during maximum load scenarios like these 24" hickory rounds with huge knots it has to cut through.
If I was after cooling I would look for a oil filter mount that had a internal heat exchanger and ports to run coolant or water through it then simply using a garden hose and water.


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## kevin j (Oct 21, 2022)

sean donato said:


> So the simple solution it to add a wedge piece above and just behind your current wedge. This give the original wedge the chance to start the cut then the added height can just slice through. Sorry bad picture. I'm on call at work...


I’ve done this to several, when we were getting a lot of stringy elm. Works wonderfully without adding much stress on the machine

Personally I don’t like these strippers that are supposed to push off a piece of wood stuck on the wedge. They seem like a safety issue pinchpoints so you could get your arm in there somehow. I just have a little short block of 2 x 4 stored on the splitter and if one gets stuck grab that piece and put it in between the cylinder tube and the piece stuck on the wdege and then retract the rod. My cylinder is pretty tiny, but if you read the wood correctly I only use the 2x4 half a dozen times a day


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## sean donato (Oct 21, 2022)

I don't care for the splitters with the wedge mounted on the ram for that reason. I mean, I get they have to be like that on the tip and tilt splitters, just seems like an accident waiting to happen.


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## Brufab (Nov 6, 2022)

sb47 said:


> The I beam is 8 1/2'' at the back. Then the working part of the beam has some plates welded on for the wedge to slide through and that part is 11 1/2''
> The bottom of the wedge is 11 1/2 '' long and 8 1/2'' wide and the thickness of the wedge plate is 3/4''
> I hope that helps I took a few pics for you.
> 
> ...


My dad and I are saving up for the TSC 40t. All the information you shared on yours made it an easy decision. The 25t we have is nice but that 40t is on another level. Just sucks that both splitters are 1000$ more each than a year ago


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## sb47 (Nov 6, 2022)

Brufab said:


> My dad and I are saving up for the TSC 40t. All the information you shared on yours made it an easy decision. The 25t we have is nice but that 40t is on another level. Just sucks that both splitters are 1000$ more each than a year ago


I saw how much they went up and I'm glad I bought the second one when I did. I paid right at 1,900 for mine and that was the most expensive one they had at the time. The only thing I can recomend is to change out the hydraulic tank vent cap to a water proof vent cap. Also when you store it away always retract the ram so it doesn't rust. I run mine just above idle and thats plenty fast enough for my splitting needs. You will be glad you got the 40t, it's a great splitter. It's solid and dependable.
I was at TS the other day and they were asking $1,599 for the 30t. The 30t is nice but you will love the taller wedge on the 40t.


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## Brufab (Nov 6, 2022)

Thanks @sb47 , yea crazy the jump in prices over the last 12-18mo. My dad really appreciated the detailed information you shared on that model.


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## JRM (Nov 6, 2022)

Are the Tractor Supply brands still made by Speeco? They're good units for the money. My Huskee brand is 12-14 years old now, no problems aside from routine maintenance. Split 10-12 cords per year.


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## sb47 (Nov 6, 2022)

JRM said:


> Are the Tractor Supply brands still made by Speeco? They're good units for the money. My Huskee brand is 12-14 years old now, no problems aside from routine maintenance. Split 10-12 cords per year.


I think all TS splitters are imported. Not sure from where though. There site just says imported.


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## pasc1947 (Nov 6, 2022)

sb47 said:


> I saw how much they went up and I'm glad I bought the second one when I did. I paid right at 1,900 for mine and that was the most expensive one they had at the time. The only thing I can recomend is to change out the hydraulic tank vent cap to a water proof vent cap. Also when you store it away always retract the ram so it doesn't rust. I run mine just above idle and thats plenty fast enough for my splitting needs. You will be glad you got the 40t, it's a great splitter. It's solid and dependable.
> I was at TS the other day and they were asking $1,599 for the 30t. The 30t is nice but you will love the taller wedge on the 40t.


Ram storage. Mine will drift down if left in vertical.


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## sb47 (Nov 18, 2022)

Brufab said:


> My dad and I are saving up for the TSC 40t. All the information you shared on yours made it an easy decision. The 25t we have is nice but that 40t is on another level. Just sucks that both splitters are 1000$ more each than a year ago


Let us know when you get the 40t and let us know how ya like it. It would be interesting to hear from someone else what they think.


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