# Homemade Log Splitter



## HappyHack (Feb 27, 2004)

I was thinking of buying the book from Northern Hydraulics regarding, "How to build your own Log Splitter." Has anyone ever ordered this book or built a Log-Splitter from the plans in the book? If so, how much did it cost, and how did it work. 

I've been looking for a cheap one with a blown motor, but no luck. I only need it to split about 8-10 cords a year.

Oh, I love my CHAINSAWS!


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## rborist1 (Feb 27, 2004)

:Eye:


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## mbopp (Feb 27, 2004)

My brother made one out of his scrap pile. 5" X 24" cylinder off the old knuckle boom, pump & valve from a defunct concrete mixer, hydraulic tank from the old dump truck. Mounted on an I-beam & old asphalt tank trailer. PTO-driven off the John Deere. Lots of welding, and some unexpected reinforcement, he said the I-beam would flex (didn't expect that.) He's got a wood burner in the shop, but the primary heat is gas. For the few cords of scrap wood he cuts it works OK. Chainsaw - 55R.


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## tony marks (Feb 28, 2004)

anybody ever made a slitter made like a guilotine..seems to me it woold be simple say 300 lbs fallin 6-8 ft.. built with a track to keep it falling strait an control the weight..just somethin i been thinking about rather than spend 10 thousand[after insurance] to clean the spurs off my shoulder joints.


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## Crofter (Feb 28, 2004)

Tony the problem is getting the weight up in the first place! and if it doesn't quite split it but jambs in the piece it is really hard to lift for an encore.
If you have a source for used or free cylinders, valves, hose, etc and do your own welding, you can get away cheaper than buying otherwise buying all new components you have spent the price of a new one and given away your labour.

Frank.


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## NeTree (Feb 28, 2004)

Happy, pick up a copy of the WantAdvertiser. There's a few cheaper splitters in there; I think a couple were under $500.

Also, I couldn't find anything else in the shop for the Mac, FYI.

You can still have a kitty tho... (  )


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## NeTree (Feb 28, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Crofter _
> *
> If you have a source for used or free cylinders, valves, hose, etc and do your own welding, you can get away cheaper than buying otherwise buying all new components you have spent the price of a new one and given away your labour.
> 
> Frank. *




Or almost the price of a new MTD. Correct.


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## Chainsaw_Maniac (Feb 28, 2004)

I think that for the time and materials it takes you'd be better off buying a cheap wood splitter rather than building one. Unless you're an experianced welder or you wanna build it partially for the fun of building it.



> I've been looking for a cheap one with a blown motor, but no luck. I only need it to split about 8-10 cords a year.



You could rent one. Every half sized city has a rental place for that kind of thing.



> anybody ever made a slitter made like a guilotine..seems to me it woold be simple say 300 lbs fallin 6-8 ft.. built with a track to keep it falling strait an control the weight..just somethin i been thinking about rather than spend 10 thousand[after insurance] to clean the spurs off my shoulder joints.



Hahah.....I don't think that would be a good idea. First of all it would take less energy to apply force directly to the wood (like a traditional style splitter) than it would take to get the weight up there. The biggest reason why you shouldn't do that is safety probably. When that much force moves that fast that close to your hands that's a sign of trouble.

I saw a table style splitter at an autdoors show. It wasn't a "free fall" guilateen like you were suggesting. It was powered by a fast moving verticle hydrolic cyliner. Even that thing seemed to move to fast for my taste. You could get your fingers cought if you aren't paying attention for one second. (I don't get queezy that easy either. I split a lot of wood with a regular style splitter).


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## HappyHack (Mar 1, 2004)

Thanks for the replys Guys. I think I'll look around and try to find a good used one or one with a blown Motor. Thanks for looking for that Bar netree.


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## Robh (Mar 9, 2004)

I guess i count myself lucky, 2 years ago i bought a homemade splitter with a new motor for 250. The pump did go out in the first year and i wanted a different valve and a filter on it. So for 350 invested it done good by me. Just keep looking for that cheap splitter, they are always where your not looking.


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## tawilson (Mar 9, 2004)

I hear you, Rob. I bought a homemade used one for $200 last year. Because I'm doing a lot more splitting now, I thought I needed a new one. After looking and researching for a few months now, I've decided to keep the one I have, and upgrade as needed. It's not very pretty, but is very solid. I plan on replacing the old 10hp Kohler, with no recoil, with a 13hp Honda with electric start as soon as it dies, which I'm afraid will never happen.


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## tony marks (Mar 16, 2004)

10 hp kohler. afraid it will never wear out. i can relate. if u poured sand in the crank case it mite speed things up.
but the dang thing would probably just get stronger.


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