# Why won't my splitter split Eucalyptus??



## davidj (Jan 18, 2010)

I just finished modifying this spitter I bought about a year ago, these are old pics and don't show all the mods but I was spitting Eucalyptus with it today and was having problems splitting larger dia. logs. The edge of the splitter wedge is really dull, I haven't sharpened yet. Also I was thinking that the splitter wedge might be to wide? Or maybe eucalypyus is just too hard.


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## injun joe (Jan 18, 2010)

that is somewhat a big wedge. but i got a speeco splitter a little 24 ton and i bought some euca. from a guy he said if i didnt get it split up before it dried i could never do it but today threw a piece up there split in half no problem at all hell the splitter tries harder on wet cottonwood. i dont know if a sharp edge would help but maybe ours is all mangled up from a few pieces of hard cottonwood but it still works.


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## derwoodii (Jan 18, 2010)

A lot depends on the species of gum you got. Some just don't split easy, or at all. 
Dry Sugar gum or sometimes dry Red gum or dry Box rates high in the. No Nup no way.
I had a super axe aussie built 20 ton vertical and would just know when not to bother with some bits of gum.


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## Rudolf73 (Jan 18, 2010)

Yes you need at least a 20 ton splitter to split eucalypt from what I have experienced. We did try it on one of those little 8 ton hydraulic splitters and it broke the wedge right of it. It can be very difficult to split - sometimes it even makes that "bolt breaking" noise when I crack/split a tough piece of gum. And no fun at all splitting with an axe lol


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## logbutcher (Jan 18, 2010)

Some trees are plain mean $%@&$'s. Crotches too in all species. :censored:

American Elm, Apple, Beech are heliotropes that grow in kind of spirals following the sun. They don't have the kind of 'straight' grain of easy splits like Red Oak, Paper Birch, Pine.

Try slab splitting the tough ones: split tangentially rather than straight down the center. Don't take big bites with the wedge, go only a few inches in from the edge of the butt. ( When in doubt-- Semtex, or C-4  )

JMNSHO


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## Henry G. (Jan 18, 2010)

Yeah I have to chuckle when I hear or read someone say they split all their wood by hand, they obviously have never cut eucalytus! I cut around 6 cords of red euc this last year, the most beautiful stuff. But it does not split easily, about impossible to split with ANY ax (yes I have a fiskars). When seasoned, it literally explodes when split. When green, its a stringy mess. Great firewood though, more BTU's than just about any wood including oak.
You need a sharp wedge, I would agree 20 ton or more, and it will split easier with shorter pieces and splitting with the grain-by that I mean parallel to the wood rings when viewed from the end.


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## triptester (Jan 18, 2010)

The splitters problem is most likely lack of tonnage . Often tractor hydraulics do not produce the pressure that most stand alone pumps do. I can't tell what the bore size of the cylinder is but if it is 4" or less and with pressures of less than 2500 psi which is normal for tractors you will only be getting 12 to 16 tons out of your splitter.


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## injun joe (Jan 19, 2010)

i didnt split all the euc. i had but i did just to see how impossible it was. wasnt impossible at all after letting it sit in the sweltering nv sun it had crack in it and some of them went in about 4'' so i grabbed my mega mule maul swung it into the crack and split the round in half. after that it got kind of tough because i had a 2.5# axe but i split most of it but i wouldnt do it all year thats for sure.


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## SpiralAcacia (Jan 19, 2010)

Henry G. said:


> *Yeah I have to chuckle when I hear or read someone say they split all their wood by hand, they obviously have never cut eucalytus!* I cut around 6 cords of red euc this last year, the most beautiful stuff. But it does not split easily, about impossible to split with ANY ax (yes I have a fiskars). When seasoned, it literally explodes when split. When green, its a stringy mess. Great firewood though, more BTU's than just about any wood including oak.
> You need a sharp wedge, I would agree 20 ton or more, and it will split easier with shorter pieces and splitting with the grain-by that I mean parallel to the wood rings when viewed from the end.



Hey, that's ME! :biggrinbounce2:

I cut mostly eucs, just a few cords a year, but they do give me some real workout.
Don't have a splitter or a Fiskars. I just work my butt off and you know, nothing like whacking eucs with a maul for getting rid of aggressions !!!
Helps keeping the family intact, you know what I mean? :laugh

Usually when I split a round bigger than 40cm I'll noodle a 5cm deep X shaped groove and quarter it with a wedge n sledge.
Gives you some more chainsaw play after the wood is home, hurra!

A big shout to all ya splitter-less eucs burners out there !! 
I feel your back pain.

SA


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## kgreer (Jan 19, 2010)

triptester said:


> The splitters problem is most likely lack of tonnage . Often tractor hydraulics do not produce the pressure that most stand alone pumps do. I can't tell what the bore size of the cylinder is but if it is 4" or less and with pressures of less than 2500 psi which is normal for tractors you will only be getting 12 to 16 tons out of your splitter.



I agree. The cylinder on that pic looks to be about 3" bore at the most. probably only producing 9 tons or so max.


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## Henry G. (Jan 19, 2010)

SpiralAcacia said:


> Hey, that's ME! :biggrinbounce2:
> 
> I cut mostly eucs, just a few cords a year, but they do give me some real workout.
> Don't have a splitter or a Fiskars. I just work my butt off and you know, nothing like whacking eucs with a maul for getting rid of aggressions !!!
> ...


After almost single handedly getting out 33 1/2 cord loads of wood in 2 months plus additional cutting and gathering for next year my back finally went all the way south at Christmas. Pinched nerve, numbness down left leg, a week of walking like Groucho Marks, bottles of pain killers and motrin, 2 doctor and 7 chiropractor visits and I still hurt. I'm working smarter not harder now. Cutting block raised to waist or above height so I can cut standing up. Using a 28" B/C on my 372 means less bending over while limbing and bucking. Bought a Logrite 42" cant hook with log stand, no more lifting the ends of 800 lb logs to try and get them off the ground. I dont heal up like when I was in my 30's or 20's and I aint getting any younger....


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## jags (Jan 19, 2010)

Triptester nailed it. Looks like you are using tractor hydraulics for your power plant. Most of those are not running at the 2500+ psi that log splitter pumps run. My bet is that you are simply under powering the setup. Only two choices to fix that. Bigger cylinder or more pressure.


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## davidj (Jan 25, 2010)

Thanks for all the suggestions. I got the splitter out again this weekend and was able to split all the pieces that i couldn't last weekend. I just kept taking small bites off the edges, looking for cracks, flipping the log over, setting it on end etc. The trouble is I have a lot of 2'-3' diameter logs that I'm going to have to shorten up and I'm not sure my little Ryobi 1035 can handle it. Any suggestions on a saw under $300 that might do the work faster, easier than the Ryobi?


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## johnlvs2run (Jan 26, 2010)

davidj said:


> Any suggestions on a saw under $300 that might do the work faster, easier than the Ryobi?









http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/one-mancrosscutlogsaw.aspx


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## Rudolf73 (Jan 26, 2010)

davidj said:


> Thanks for all the suggestions. I got the splitter out again this weekend and was able to split all the pieces that i couldn't last weekend. I just kept taking small bites off the edges, looking for cracks, flipping the log over, setting it on end etc. The trouble is I have a lot of 2'-3' diameter logs that I'm going to have to shorten up and I'm not sure my little Ryobi 1035 can handle it. Any suggestions on a saw under $300 that might do the work faster, easier than the Ryobi?



For that kind of work and money i would suggest a good makita 6401 from HD (ex rental) with a 20" or 24" bar. Have a look in the Chainsaw forum - there are quite a few happy customers.


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## SpiralAcacia (Jan 26, 2010)

davidj said:


> Any suggestions on a saw under $300 that might do the work faster, easier than the Ryobi?





opcorn:opcorn:opcorn:opcorn:opcorn:opcorn:



SA


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## Gumnuts (Jan 26, 2010)

Rudolf73 said:


> For that kind of work and money i would suggest a good makita 6401 from HD (ex rental) with a 20" or 24" bar. Have a look in the Chainsaw forum - there are quite a few happy customers.



+1 / 6401.........and may I give you an early welcome you to CAD 


Henry G - 33 1/2 cord in 2 months.....tried to rep you BUT
also if you lived closer
.........I'd be in your face helping with a hydro splitter.
Hope all heals well for you.


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## davidj (Jan 26, 2010)

Gumnuts said:


> +1 / 6401.........and may I give you an early welcome you to CAD
> 
> 
> Henry G - 33 1/2 cord in 2 months.....tried to rep you BUT
> ...



Thanks I'll check if out. CAD- chainsaw addictive disorder?


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## davidj (Jan 27, 2010)

The home depots in my area have none for sale, I went in and looked at them. That's a nice looking saw!


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## Rudolf73 (Jan 27, 2010)

davidj said:


> The home depots in my area have none for sale, I went in and looked at them. That's a nice looking saw!



Keep an eye on them - sooner or later they should have some available. 

Some of the other guys have picked them up for around $205 which is a great price for a $500 - $600 saw. 

And later on you can spend around $200 on a new piston and cylinder to upgrade it from a 64cc to a 79cc. Then you would have one of the best all round saws on the market IMO. My 7900 Dolmar (exactly the same as the makita 79cc - different color) puts a smile on my face everytime i use it


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## mga (Jan 27, 2010)

*Why won't my splitter split Eucalyptus?? *

what does that smell like when it's burning?


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## MattB (Feb 2, 2011)

davidj said:


> The trouble is I have a lot of 2'-3' diameter logs that I'm going to have to shorten up and I'm not sure my little Ryobi 1035 can handle it. Any suggestions on a saw under $300 that might do the work faster, easier than the Ryobi?



I run stihl saws, but the Husky dealer in town has a sale on the "455 Rancher" for about $300-$320. It's a decent midrange model. 

With a sharp chain you should be able to quarter those 2-3' logs without too much trouble.


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## arlen (Feb 3, 2011)

*Craig's List*

Honestly I got three good deals from craig's list A big still for 200 a nice Huskavarna 272 for $150 and a few other saws. If you know what you are looking for there are deals out there. David


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## Sagetown (Feb 3, 2011)

If it doesn't have enough tonnage the ram will stop. If the tonnage is adequate and the wood is tough then something else has to give....... SEE


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## arlen (Feb 3, 2011)

sagetown Wow what a great picture


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## davidj (Feb 3, 2011)

arlen said:


> Honestly I got three good deals from craig's list A big still for 200 a nice Huskavarna 272 for $150 and a few other saws. If you know what you are looking for there are deals out there. David


 
I ended up getting a real nice Husky 262 for $250 off craigs list and it does an awesome job on the euc. I just have to cut short pieces to get it to split


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## radroy92 (Feb 4, 2011)

Sagetown said:


> If it doesn't have enough tonnage the ram will stop. If the tonnage is adequate and the wood is tough then something else has to give....... SEE


 

Those welds look bad. Was that an extension added to the beam?


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## kmcinms (Feb 5, 2011)

Sagetown said:


> If it doesn't have enough tonnage the ram will stop. If the tonnage is adequate and the wood is tough then something else has to give....... SEE


 
Ahhh, now that's mucked up as a football bat...:msp_rolleyes: :msp_laugh:

To the OP. Like was said earlier, you need 2500+ psi. to get what that cylinder is going to deliver, as far as tonnage goes. Use AW-32 10wt. in it and let her rip. An 11gpm pump will do all you need. I split Euc. all day long with a 4 1/2" cylinder using an 11 gpm two stage pump driven off a 5 hp. B&S.


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