# what pressure do you run on your log splitter?



## walkerdogman85 (Feb 7, 2013)

i built a splitter and i am curious as to what pressure yours runs at. We have ours set on 2000 psi and it still wont solit the hickory we have not sure of our pump size but the hydraulic place here said that with my 20 horse motor i need a 11-13 gpm pump to acheive 2500 psi. i asked about a bigger gpm pump and he said we wont get that kind of pressure with our 4 inch cylinder. So i am asking you guys what your splitter run and how big of a pump you use thank you


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## mga (Feb 7, 2013)

not sure where you would "set" your pressure, except at the control valve and that has nothing to do with ram pressure. 

your ram pressure is determined by your pump, cyl, ram size. 

put your numbers in here:

Hydraulic Cylinder Calculator


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## walkerdogman85 (Feb 7, 2013)

I know it's controlled by the valve but he told me a big pump couldn't handle it? I am looking at a new pump just not sure what size I should go with


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## xcr440 (Feb 7, 2013)

I run a dueer log splitter. 5.5 hp Briggs, 11 gm pump set to 2500 psi running this ram Delavan 4" x 24" x 2.00" Hydraulic Cylinder at Blain's Farm & Fleet


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## mga (Feb 7, 2013)

i run a 5 inch cyl, 2 inch ram, and a 11/22 gpm pump and a little 15 hp motor.

nothing...nothing has stopped it yet.

buy a 2 stage pump!!!


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## Patrick62 (Feb 7, 2013)

*I see you're having problems...*

View attachment 277848


5 inch cylinder, 24 inch stroke, 22 gallon per minute 2 stage pump driven by a 15HP Kohler engine.
Unload pressure is set to 2250 pounds, that gives me 44,167.5 pounds of force (22 tons). At that point my beam has bent about 1/2 an inch down... It will split, rocks, bowling balls, brake drums, almost anything I can drop in there :hmm3grin2orange: Rarely does the pump ever shift into 1/4 flow mode which means that darn near all the time it is splitting with less than 500 psi.

The only stuff I have ever had troubles with is some Piñon Pine, stringy cottonwood, and some imported mullberry. The mullberry stalled it. The cottonwood is just evil, and the Piñon requires a fair ooomph to get it to crack.

That gigantic kohler you got would pull a 22 gpm two stage pump with ease. I would not be afraid to pull a 28 gpm with it. The problem is the price, and do you really need the fast (dangerous?) speed it would provide?


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## xcr440 (Feb 7, 2013)

Are log splitter ratings way off? Reason I ask is my old ram stated 20 to. with 5.5 Briggs, 11/13 gpm pump, with 4" X 2" ram which comes in the 15 ton range.


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## nathon918 (Feb 7, 2013)

walkerdogman85 said:


> i built a splitter and i am curious as to what pressure yours runs at. We have ours set on 2000 psi and it still wont solit the hickory we have not sure of our pump size but the hydraulic place here said that with my 20 horse motor i need a 11-13 gpm pump to acheive 2500 psi. i asked about a bigger gpm pump and he said we wont get that kind of pressure with our 4 inch cylinder. So i am asking you guys what your splitter run and how big of a pump you use thank you



the GPM of a pump does not dictate pressure output, and the size of the cylinder has nothing to do with how much pressure the pump can make, 

with a 20 hp motor you can easily run a 28 gpm 2 stage pump with a max output of 3000 psi, 
i would go with a Barnes 28 gpm 2 stage pump, made in USA $400-500
i know surplus center has chinese 28 gpm pumps, under $300 but you get what you pay for...

before you replace the pump just turn up the relief valve on the spool to see what kind of pressure the pump can put out, most will put out somewhere around 3000 psi if in good condition...


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## Fifelaker (Feb 7, 2013)

If this were mine I would get a 16 gpm two stage pump. If it that combo wont split it my saw would noodle it but I bet I wouldn't have to noodle much.


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## walkerdogman85 (Feb 7, 2013)

Ok thanks guys I have a cross valve and I have it at 2000 psi now. I called cross company and they said I should be able to get 2500 psi out of it by shimming the relief spring. I will buy a pump soon I think I am going to but either a 22 or 28 gallon pump from surplus center. That way we can use our mount and coupling. I just hope it works but you guys k ow more than I do and I appreciate the help. It says on pump 7 gpm high press and 28 gpm low press, unloading pressure at 400-900 psi and minimum of 16 horse. It says dynamic cycle time will be like 8 seconds! I just wondering why the hydraulic place told me not to use a big pump?


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## walkerdogman85 (Feb 7, 2013)

Patrick62 said:


> View attachment 277848
> 
> 
> 5 inch cylinder, 24 inch stroke, 22 gallon per minute 2 stage pump driven by a 15HP Kohler engine.
> ...




Do you have any pics you can post?


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## walkerdogman85 (Feb 7, 2013)

Sorry I meant videos


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## origionalrebel (Feb 7, 2013)

walkerdogman85 said:


> i built a splitter and i am curious as to what pressure yours runs at. We have ours set on 2000 psi and it still wont solit the hickory we have not sure of our pump size but the hydraulic place here said that with my 20 horse motor i need a 11-13 gpm pump to acheive 2500 psi. i asked about a bigger gpm pump and he said we wont get that kind of pressure with our 4 inch cylinder. So i am asking you guys what your splitter run and how big of a pump you use thank you



dogman, it doesn't matter which 2 stage pump you run as far as pressure is concerned. (provided they are all rated for 3000psi) the low volume pump simply takes longer to fill the cylinder and build that pressure. an 11gpm will build the same pressure as the 28gpm, just take a while longer. when you use a pump bigger than your system needs all you do is create a lot of heat and unnecessary wear and tear on components. most likely you have no bigger than 1/2" hoses and fittings on your splitter so a 16 gpm would be about as big a pump as you'd want and it should give a decent cycle time. JMHO


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## Patrick62 (Feb 7, 2013)

origionalrebel said:


> ... so a 16 gpm would be about as big a pump as you'd want and it should give a decent cycle time. JMHO



Which would look a little silly connected to a 20HP 2 cylinder Kohler..:msp_confused:

This splitter build ( I finally read most of the threads ) is a wonderful example of use what ya got, and is cheap. I think this is going smashingly well all things considered. The only oddity is the 30 inch cylinder. Not often do ya need such a long stroke... but for a hundred bucks? I would have jumped on it just like they did!

The 22 gpm pump would get these fella's a 7.8 second cycle time.
2500 psi would get then 15.7 tons (which ain't that much)

My recommendation for Walker is to run the 4 inch cylinder for now. Don't put a 4 way on it, you ain't got the tonnage to push it.
A single thin blade will be fine with that fast cycle time with a 22 gpm pump. (my pump came from surplus center, works fine btw)
Then next year you can look for a suitable sized 5 inch cylinder and decide if you really need that 30 inch stroke. Then you will have the honest 22 tons at a reasonable 2250 pressure.

Caveat emptor regarding factory ratings on log splitters..


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## walkerdogman85 (Feb 7, 2013)

we have the 30" stroke cause our outdoor wood burners can take a 30" log but it was also cheap! i am thinking about getting the 28 gpm and hoping it works. I hope our lines wont cause and issue the 22 gpm is also being considered


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## walkerdogman85 (Feb 7, 2013)

thanks for the comments we just decided one day to build this and my buddy that is helping me build it needs one also we have the same wood burners and he had alot of the metal just laying around so it only makes sense to build it cheap. Its also alot of fun just scrounging around. My other buddy built his also and he bought everything new and has like 3000 dollars in it thats where the cylinder came from he didnt like the trunion mount.


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## Patrick62 (Feb 7, 2013)

*That explains the 30" stroke*

Okay, this sounds like a fun machine to build 

The speed calculator came up with a 6.1 second cycle time using the 28 gpm pump (that sucker is quick)
What you could do, is turn the engine down to 3200 and still get 24.92 gpm, and a 6.8 second cycle time (plenty quick)

The only issue I see with the 28gpm pump is heat. The 3/4 hoses are gonna be marginal, and is the cross valve rated to that flow?
The tank you guys got isn't even close. When the hoses are too hot to hang onto, shut it down for a couple hours.

IF you swap to a 5" cylinder the 28 pump gets ya a not half shabby 10 second cycle time...


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## Whitespider (Feb 7, 2013)

Mine runs 8000 PSI... yes, that's correct, _8000_ PSI.



> *Numerous advanced engineering breakthroughs such as the hydraulic booster and special aluminum ally all metal ram seals, made possible the use of very high 8000 p.s.i. operating pressures, a full 5000 ps.i. higher than standard off the shelf components common to other log splitters.*


*

Here's the link to the web page.*http://logbossmfg.com/woodsplitter/page2.html


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## Tiewire (Feb 7, 2013)

6.5 horse Briggs,13 gpm 2 stage pump, 4" diam. cylinder @ 2000 psi has split 99% of my wood.


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## walkerdogman85 (Feb 7, 2013)

We are going to start by buying a pump run it and test it, then we will change the tank he has a beer keg 16 gallon is that big enough? I will do some research on the cross valve handling it not sure if it can even make 3000 psi I just bought the hoses last week so I hope to use them but make the suction larger. I have really enjoyed this and have learned a lot both of us have. If you guys have anymore suggestion please keep them coming it really helps we also plan on making a job crane with a 12 volt winch but it has to split before we need that! I found two 5x30 cylinders on Craigslist for 150.00 really thinking about snagging them.


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## triptester (Feb 9, 2013)

All 2-stage log splitter pumps are capable of producing 3000 psi which is what they are rated at. Ratings are for safe continuois operation. The pumps are capable of much higher pressures with enough hp. to power them but possible damage increases rapidly


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## WoodTick007 (Feb 9, 2013)

You need to set the pressures with your valve. The max pressure should not exceed the lowest PSI rated component. I run my system @ 3000psi max


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## walkerdogman85 (Feb 9, 2013)

Ok we will see what our valve can take and go from there


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