Didier splitter cyclinder?

[fields_mj]

I've searced the forum, and while I've found some info on this splitter, I haven't found what I'm looking for so here goes.

My BIL gave me an old didier splitter. He gave $150 for it, and I used it with him one day. It's a decent little splitter. He had some work done to the 5hp BS engine on it, and then loaned it out to one of his buddies. As is typical with his "buddies", the guy left it out in the rain with the ram extended out. The ram pitted, and the cylinder started leaking pretty bad. He had some shop try to rebuild the cylinder (for another $150) but apparently that didn't work so he bought another splitter off of his neighbor who had just purchased a brand new splitter. If I were him, I would have borrowed or rented the neighbors splitter twice a year instead, but to each their own. He gave me the didier in order to get it out of his garage.

So, my question is what are my options on the cylinder? I'll have to take a close look at the ram when I get home, but I think that the shop must have turned/ground/pollished the pits out, but I'm not sure. The ram is currently out of the unit. Am I going to need to put a new cylinder on it? I've stumbled across one website that sells a 4" maxium welded cyclinder for under $200, but I'm not sure if that price is current or not. If the cylinder can be fixed, where do I go to have it repaired?

Thanks,
Mark

 

[blades]

Just replace the cylinder, as by the time a shop would regrind it and re-chrome it it likely would cost more than a new one based on your statement of $200. Around here the cylinder repair shops get $75/hr for labor plus parts. Check in your phone book or google hyd. cylinder repair for your area or possibly heavy equipment repair.
The piston fit in the cylinder is very close tolerance and any pitting on the ram tends to ruin the the seals and packing at its exit point. Just for grins check to make sure the packing nut is tight. If it is loose that will cause a leak also. Hope this is of some help,Chris
Ps. Shari might chime in, she has a bunch of info on these.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

Hey, Blades, I don't repair them I just put them back together after others take them apart.

Mark - I sent you the manuals already, didn't I? If not pm me your email address.

As to repairing or replacing the cylinder ours turned into a geyser one day when the front seal let go. Family members took it apart and I chased around for parts and ended up at a farm equipment repair shop. They were able to replace the seals. I'm fairly certain my cylinder is original to my splitter. The ram on mine is a bit pitted but has not needed to be ground down during our ownership (7+ yrs. or so).

Shari

 

[blades]

Hey, I did not say repair, just info. But then again maybe you could get a little side business going. Seems to be a lot of these poping up lately. I had an neighbor that did just that with old snowmobiles started out as just a repair parts source and mushroomed from there, lost track of him over the years though. I was doing something similar with old outboards 30 years ago, sold the business for a small down payment on a bigger house as the family was out growing what we had. Never can tell, little niches can be kind of fun and sometimes even profitable. Chris

 

[fields_mj]

Thanks for the info guys. Shari - you have a PM You probably sent them to some other Mark.

I'll check around and see what I can find locally. I'd really like to get something going by the end of the month. Otherwise I'm afraid that it will just be another project that I have that doesn't get done. I honestly haven't ever had much of a need for a splitter. My 064 can noodle anything that I can't split with a few hits with an axe, and it can do it in about the same amount of time that it would take to do on a splitter. Plus, it's normally easier to carry the 064 to the wood, than it is to try to get the wood up out of a ravine to the splitter. Having said that, I generally cut stuff that's been dead for a year or so, and the woods that I normally cut in was logged this winter so I have a lot of oak tops to cut on, and they were not dead when they were cut, so the splitter might come in very handy this year.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

PS Mark, in case you missed it - check out the modifications Triptester just did to my Didier: http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/168359.htm

Awesome!

Shari

 

[triptester]

Mark,
If you decide to replace the cylinder on your Didier make sure the bore size is no bigger than what is presently on the machine. The original cylinder bore size is the maximum the beam can handle, any increase in tonnage will probably permently damage the beam.

Jerry

 

[fields_mj]

Not only that, but it would be a big pain in the rear trying to fit a bigger cylinder to it....

I can get a 4"x24" tie rod cylinder locally for $150, but even if it costs twice that (which it won't) I'd put another 4" welded cylinder on so that I can just mount it on there and go. By the time I grind off the current mounts, buy what ever steel I need to mount something else on, and spend the time welding it all up, it's not worth the money.

I figured that little I beam was being pushed about as hard as it could. I could always weld more to it to make it stronger, but why bother. I'd rather have the cycle time than more tonnage. If I need more power, then it's a good reason to break out the 064.

 

[triptester]

The Didier cylinders are usually just held in place by 2 U-bolts. No welding should be required. Just that the cylinder O.D. matches the U-bolts and saddles.


Jerry

 

[fields_mj]

The Didier cylinders are usually just held in place by 2 U-bolts. No welding should be required. Just that the cylinder O.D. matches the U-bolts and saddles.


Jerry

Yup. What I meant was if I was to try to put a tie rod cylinder on instead. Then I wouldn't be able to use the U-bolts. I'd have to weld up a mounting system for the tie rod cyclinder. Might be fun, but I don't have the time. It's worth a little extra money for me to buy a welded cyclinder and put it in there so that I can just continue to use the U-bolts.

 

[fields_mj]

Just pulled the trigger on a Maxim 24" welded cylinder from Spliteze. $261 to my door, but it will take a week for them to process the order. No big deal since I don't have time to work on it right now anyway. That was about the best price I could find on the net. Shipping was a little high at $76, but no one else could come very close to the total price. I'll have to cut the clevis mount off the rear, and I'll probably cut the nut off the existing push plate and then grind the yolk off the clevis on the rod end of the cylinder and weld that to the back of the push plate. Over all, it should be pretty quick and hopefully painless.

 

[JerryDinNC]

Hey, Blades, I don't repair them I just put them back together after others take them apart.

Mark - I sent you the manuals already, didn't I? If not pm me your email address.

As to repairing or replacing the cylinder ours turned into a geyser one day when the front seal let go. Family members took it apart and I chased around for parts and ended up at a farm equipment repair shop. They were able to replace the seals. I'm fairly certain my cylinder is original to my splitter. The ram on mine is a bit pitted but has not needed to be ground down during our ownership (7+ yrs. or so).

Shari

I would love to get those manuals. [email protected]