My new wood splitter: Wolfe Ridge Mfg.

[Ryan'smilling]

We've got some gear here with gearboxes on PTO mounted pumps - pretty simple setup, but I don't know what the gearboxes cost. Or maybe yours already has one? A gas engine shaft would likely turn up a lot faster RPM, than a PTO shaft would to start with.

How many trees do you tap? Have an RO?

Actually, now that you mention it, I do have a 2:1 right angle gear box laying around. Might be onto something... We'll see how much time I've got this winter and how caught up I am with everything else.

I switched from buckets to vacuum this year. Put out about 400 taps this year on a 3/16 hybrid system with a Shurflo diaphragm pump. Had our best year ever and made 180 gallons. No RO for me, not in the foreseeable future, anyway. I bought a used 4x14 Algier evaporator after the '16 season, so I have a ways to go before I'm maxed out. It was great being able to make 30 gallons of syrup in 6 hours and be done in time for dinner .

How about you?

 

[NSMaple1]

We're too big for it to be fun anymore - lol.

I'm not talking production because were almost on 2 different planets there. We can only dream about getting as much here from the same number of trees as you do down there. Different environments etc. etc. But yes, 3 - 8" membranes. A 3 year old 5x16 Lapierre piggy back. Slowly replacing 5/16 with 3/16. One Busch vac, maybe 2 for next year. 34,000 taps on 2 properties. Around 20 cords/year.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

We're too big for it to be fun anymore - lol.

I'm not talking production because were almost on 2 different planets there. We can only dream about getting as much here from the same number of trees as you do down there. Different environments etc. etc. But yes, 3 - 8" membranes. A 3 year old 5x16 Lapierre piggy back. Slowly replacing 5/16 with 3/16. One Busch vac, maybe 2 for next year. 34,000 taps on 2 properties. Around 20 cords/year.

Well, we burn a similar amount of firewood...

I've visited several operations that size, and it's definitely a whole different ball game. I want to keep expanding (shouldn't be a surprise), but I'll never be that big. I plan on pursuing another 1000 taps and seeing how far I can take my retail sales, but after that it'd be a huge step to go to there next level. I don't even have power in my sugar shack, so going beyond that many taps would really take some gumption. I sure enjoy it, though. It's by far my favorite time of year. I'd love to see some pics of your operation sometime!

 

[Sawyer Rob]

It takes close to 30hp to get full power out of those pto pumps, I think gearing one up is a BIG waste of time, unless you are running it on a quite big tractor, and most don't.

SR

 

[Hddnis]

That is a much nicer splitter than the Timberwolf.

 

[Marshy]

Doesn't look like I'll be building my own any time soon, I found this for sale locally. They are asking $400 and are even negotiable she said!

It has a PTO driven pump and reservoir. It also has a 23" stroke. I'm headed to buy Monday!!! If I could get there sooner I would but they leave for camp at 3 today and will be gone all weekend. I will go Monday at noon.

 

[muddstopper]

I bought a Bushhog brand 3pt splitter the other day for $250. Made one phone call and sold it for $300 before I even got it home. It didnt have its own pump and tank, but the buyer was glad to get it.

 

[c5rulz]

I have never understood using a $20,000 machine to do the work of a couple hundred dollar motor but that's just me.

Can't agree more on that one.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

dave_dj1 said: ↑
“I have never understood using a $20,000 machine to do the work of a couple hundred dollar motor but that's just me.

Can't agree more on that one.

Well, that's why I use a tractor I paid $3,500.00 for, that came to me with a thousand dollar Howard rotavator on the back... THAT I put 500 hours on it doing custom rotavating, of which AT LEAST 400 of those hours I got paid $40.00 per hour... SO, how much do I now have into that tractor?? Go ahead and do the math!!

Let's see YOUR splitter motor make YOU money like that!! lol

Right now THAT tractor is worth about $4,500.00 and the rotavator AT LEAST $800.00...

These days, when it's not making me money "off" the splitter, it's making me money splitting wood, purring along on cheap tax free red diesel...

NOW, how many of those little screaming POS's do you think I would have worn out by now?? OR will wear out before my diesel is worn out??

BTW, so far, repairs on that tractor have been one $5 or 6 buck fitting (I forget exactly) and a $10.00 fuel line.......everything else is original...

SR

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Well, that's why I use a tractor I paid $3,500.00 for, that came to me with a thousand dollar Howard rotavator on the back... THAT I put 500 hours on it doing custom rotavating, of which AT LEAST 400 of those hours I got paid $40.00 per hour... SO, how much do I now have into that tractor?? Go ahead and do the math!!

Let's see YOUR splitter motor make YOU money like that!! lol

Right now THAT tractor is worth about $4,500.00 and the rotavator AT LEAST $800.00...

These days, when it's not making me money "off" the splitter, it's making me money splitting wood, purring along on cheap tax free red diesel...

NOW, how many of those little screaming POS's do you think I would have worn out by now?? OR will wear out before my diesel is worn out??

BTW, so far, repairs on that tractor have been one $5 or 6 buck fitting (I forget exactly) and a $10.00 fuel line.......everything else is original...

SR

My numbers aren't quite as good as Rob's, not yet anyway, but same idea. I paid $5500 for that New Holland. It's a sweet little hydrostatic tractor that does all sorts of chores around the farm. I use to do 90% of my snow removal and the vast majority of my bush hogging, including about $300 of paid mowing to date. It also runs my tiller, does a great job with a 6' flail mower, runs my bale chopper, and moves trailers and wagons around.

That said, I probably wouldn't have opted for a three point splitter if I only had one tractor. Actually if I only had one tractor I'd be constant changing implements and I'd never get anything done. Having two saves me a lot of time. Even though I feel like I use the snot out of both of them, in reality they each only get about 100 hours/year on the clock. I don't think I'd ever split enough wood to worry about running up the hours on my tractors.

And really, the main reasons I went with a three point are the volume at the operator's station, and the price. Adding an axle and a Honda motor would have put this splitter over $5k. Still a great price, but in my case, the difference between something I could afford and something I couldn't. So, to recap, I get a fast, quiet splitter that's easy to move around and adjust the working height for less money, and it takes advantage of a piece of equipment I already own. And I never need to change the motor oil on my splitter.

 

[Marshy]

Brought home my new splitter today. Ended up taking a little risk as I asked the guy to hook it up and run the ram but it didn't have enough oil in the reservoir to run the ram. We settled on $300. Figured if I had to rebuild the pump at $300 its still a good deal. I'll drain the rest of the oil from the system, refill it and see how it does.

Any idea who the pump manufacture might be?

 

[farmer steve]

Brought home my new splitter today. Ended up taking a little risk as I asked the guy to hook it up and run the ram but it didn't have enough oil in the reservoir to run the ram. We settled on $300. Figured if I had to rebuild the pump at $300 its still a good deal. I'll drain the rest of the oil from the system, refill it and see how it does.

Any idea who the pump manufacture might be?

View attachment 580874 View attachment 580875 View attachment 580876 View attachment 580877
View attachment 580878

possibly an Eaton pump Marshy from the 73418 #. nice score on the splitter.

 

[user 122190]

Looks great. I'm surprised it did not come with wheels.

 

[Marshy]

Looks great. I'm surprised it did not come with wheels.

Thanks man. I put 10 gal of oil in it and everything works as expected. The pump could probably use a new seal at is drips out the face where the PTO goes into the pump but it's not terrible. The valve doesn't have a detent for auto return but that's ok. The cycle time seems to be respectful. Then I turned the tractor rpm up for the PTO to reach 500 rpm and could hear cavitation across the filter. I might of imploded the filter so I'll check it later. I might have ruined the filter lol. No reason to run it that fast other than to see how fast it would move, 1000-1500 rpm is plenty. Hope I didnt ruin the filter, I knew the one that I took off was imploded because it can't handle that amount of flow but I forgot about that in the moment.
It might be too late but, sorry for hyjacking the OP's thread.

The cool think about this splitter is the pump has an extra 8' of hose so you can disconnect the 3 pt hitch and park the tractor ~8' from the spkitter. The down side is now the splitter will get pushed around if you are just splitting and leaving it in a big pile. The up side is I can leave the brush hog on the tractor and get close enough to run splitter so I don't have to connect/disconnect the mower every time I want to split.

 

[NSMaple1]

Isn't the filter on the return line?

If so (I think it should be) I don't think it could implode or cause cavitation - there might be another restriction at play somewhere that would cause it.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

No worries about the hijack, Marshy! Glad you got your splitter running! Since you saved a bundle on it, maybe there's enough left in the splitter budget for an auto cycle valve. I just put another hour on my unit and i love that auto cycle!!



Here's what I got done this morning. Sure had a nice time. Not sure how much is there, but the tractor wasn't wound out, I was working alone, and certainly not rushing. Best part of all though: see that stroller in the background? Yep, my daughter was asleep in there during the whole time I was splitting. Just listening the purr of a 3 cylinder shibaura diesel. No way I'd have her anywhere near that close with an air cooled motor. I couldn't be happier!

 

[dave_dj1]

They both look like great splitters. I almost wish I had more wood to split before fall....lol

 

[Marshy]

Isn't the filter on the return line?

If so (I think it should be) I don't think it could implode or cause cavitation - there might be another restriction at play somewhere that would cause it.

It is in the return line but all filters have a flow limit before they self destruct internally and collapse the element (that's what I mean by imploding). It was making some good noise that resembled cavitation. I hear the same noise occurring in large industrial valves that have a high dp across the valve seats under high flow.

 

[NSMaple1]

Would there be a screen on the suction line? At the tank? Could be dirty?

(Random thought...)

 

[GM_Grimmy]

It is in the return line but all filters have a flow limit before they self destruct internally and collapse the element (that's what I mean by imploding). It was making some good noise that resembled cavitation. I hear the same noise occurring in large industrial valves that have a high dp across the valve seats under high flow.

Get one with a bypass. You shouldn't have that much pressure on the return line anyways. If you do, there's something wrong then.