New Electric Logsplitter

[graycenphil]

I've always wanted an electric splitter. I never liked the little ones like the DRs, but I thought for a while about making a big one. Then I saw that Ramsplitters is selling 16 ton splitters. Eventually I bought one. Here's what I found:

It's pretty good. It seems a little lighter duty than most gas splitters, but it works fine (so far). I've split about three cords with it. Everything split, but the toughest logs took a bit of work - I'd have to turn them around or split smaller peices off first. But this only happened on one or two of the big, crooked pieces.

It cycles quite fast, faster than some gas splitters. Of course there are no fumes, and it's really quiet. That is by far the best part, and the main reason I wanted one.

It came wired for 110, but I couldn't run it without blowing a fuse so I switched it to 220 and it is fine. If you buy one, tell them to set it up for 220.

I also liked the fact that it is made in America, but I was disappointed to see the motor is made in China. Hope it lasts.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Here's a URL

Hard to believe they can even get a 12-sec, 16-ton split with an electric motor that runs on 110 volts.

Good Show.
http://www.ramsplitter.com/Electric%20Splitters.htm

 

[BIG BEAM]

I have one also.a 16 ton with a 3 HP motor,16 GPM pump and a 6 sec. cycle time.I also got the log cradles with mine.What a machine.Good luck with yours I love mine.
DON

Did you get the 1.5 or 2 hp motor?

 

[graycenphil]

9 amp at 220 volts; I'm not sure what HP that works out to.

 

[BIG BEAM]

That's the 2 HP one.The reason you kept tripping the breaker is that it draws 18 amps @ 110V.
DON

 

[husky455rancher]

my splitter was a ramsplitter. its quite a bit different now. ive done alot of work to make it the fine machine it is now. mine is gas i dont like having to have to plug stuff in. i can see where the quiet of the motor would be a nice plus though.

 

[triptester]

Hard to believe they can even get a 12-sec, 16-ton split with an electric motor that runs on 110 volts.

Good Show.
http://www.ramsplitter.com/Electric%20Splitters.htm

The cycle times are with in reason when you take into account that the 16 ton unit uses a 11 gpm pump with a 3 1/2" cylinder and a short 20" stroke. The volts have little to do with speed or tonnage. Lower voltage just requires higher amperage to get the same results.

 

[graycenphil]

my splitter was a ramsplitter. its quite a bit different now. ive done alot of work to make it the fine machine it is now. mine is gas i dont like having to have to plug stuff in. i can see where the quiet of the motor would be a nice plus though.

What did you do to improve it?

 

[husky455rancher]

well i raised it up to about ballsack height, added to the hydraulic tank so it holds about another 1.5 gallons. i made heat sinks and covered the top and rear of the tank with them. they seem to work really well the fins do get hot like i hoped they would. i added a 10 micron filter for the hydraulics. welded on a small table mounted to the opposide side of the operator area. also made a removeable table to go behind the wedge to catch the wood as it gets split. lastly i took some .190 steel and bent it to kinda like an a shape and welded it verticlly down the wedge. it kinda helps pop the wood open as it gets split. oh and i also changed the engine from a cheap gc series5hp honda to a 6.5hp harbor freight honda gx knockoff.

the motor required a decent amount of work to get it right. the exhaust on the opposite side of the honda. so basicly its pointed right at me. so i made a new mounting plate re routed the return like to the pump. re directed the exhaust so it shoots straight to the ground away from me and made up some heat shields.

all and all the motor made a world of difference so it was worth it. im pretty happy with it as it sits now. i dont see anymore changes in the future to this machine.

 

[graycenphil]

Sounds nice. Can you post a picture?

Maybe one with that girl from the tractor next to the modified log splitter.

 

[husky455rancher]

i actually dont have any as it sits now. ill have to take some.

i wish i knew where that girl on the tractor was. id prolly take it too far and get a restraining order slapped on me though lmao!

 

[Wood Doctor]

Short Stroke

The cycle times are within reason when you take into account that the 16-ton unit uses a 11 gpm pump with a 3 1/2" cylinder and a short 20" stroke. The volts have little to do with speed or tonnage. Lower voltage just requires higher amperage to get the same results.

I forgot about the short (20") stroke. If the splitter had to move 26", as some do, that adds a lot of distance to move both ways. So, you have to cut your logs to 20" or less. In most cases, that's not too much of a sacrifice.

 

[BIG BEAM]

A lot of woodstoves only take 18" or so wood.

BTH Doug @ Ramsplitter will build whatever you want,even a log lift on your electric or gas splitter.Great guy to deal with.If you split at home electric is the way to go.I live in town(50' wide lots)my neighbors don't even know I'm splitting
DON

 

[Wood Doctor]

A lot of woodstoves only take 18" or so wood.

BTH Doug @ Ramsplitter will build whatever you want,even a log lift on your electric or gas splitter.Great guy to deal with.If you split at home electric is the way to go.I live in town(50' wide lots)my neighbors don't even know I'm splitting
DON

Believe me, splitting at home does make a lot of sense. It's rather easy to haul the big rounds from the woods or the supplier to the splitter and stack the wood right next to it. Note this truckload of rounds that I hauled to the splitter:

If the bark falls off while you split, you can save most of that for kindling or campfires.

 

[husky455rancher]

when i got the splitter i thought the short storke was gonna bother me too. then it dawned on me. my insert will only take a 20" log. so now its easy if it splits it fits. nothing more aggrivating than when you try to jam a log into a well established fire to find out its 1" too long.

 

[trouba]

when i got the splitter i thought the short storke was gonna bother me too. then it dawned on me. my insert will only take a 20" log. so now its easy if it splits it fits. nothing more aggrivating than when you try to jam a log into a well established fire to find out its 1" too long.

:agree2:

 

[pdhowell]

I have the same splitter

I have this machine, and it works every day. It is not horsepower that drives a pump, it is torque, and 1750 rpm electric motors are good at torque, about the same as a 200cc -220cc gas engine. Instead of slowing down under load, theses motors pull more amps, thus the breaker issue.

Rewiring to 230, this motor pulls a max 10 amps. It has a service factor of 1.20, and by all posted specs is a heavy duty motor. It is a capacitor start, capacitor run type motor such as found on a heavy air compressor. On 230 volts, it starts at any temperature. I did replace the motor mounted switch with a heaver remote mounted switch.

The oil does not heat up. My understanding is that no power is wasted on internal friction or cavitation of the ATF fluid that I use. I do wish it came with a filter, but after my first season, I ran the pump, drained the oil, let the ois sit for a couple of weeks and poured the bottom gallon or so, through a coffee filter and found no metallic material. This was standard procedure for my airplane engine, so I hope it is OK for hydraulics.

The shorter stroke of the cylinder makes for OK cycle times. (Fourteen seconds, out and back.) The ram length is good for my stove which only takes 18 inch wood. I did add a quality pressure gauge at the ram , not between the pump and the valve.

My valve is adjusted for 2500 psi at the cylinder. I never see that kind of pressure. On big pieces with twisted grain it does slip momentarily to the high pressure mode. Most splits are made at or below 200 psi, occasionally up to 1500. In a couple of years, I have pounded one piece of burled walnut off the ram. (It would have been beautiful cabinet wood. I am sorry I destroyed it.)

The low noise is wonderful. In winter, I pull it into my garage to split up a tub full of kindling whenever we run low. It saves my fingers from an errant hatchet. It occupies the space of a walk behind lawn mower, and can be pushed or pulled easily on a smooth floor.

All my neighbors borrow this splitter. We move it around and share the labor. Between us we all have plenty of wood, and enjoy working together. The low noise is output means no ear protection needed, much laughter and banter back and forth.

I hope you enjoy your splitter. Ours has worked out very well.

Dave Howell, western Maryland

 

[graycenphil]

In case anyone’s interested in these splitters, I’m happy to report it is still working great. I go through about 6 cords a year, and have had no problems at all.

 

[Wood Doctor]

The only sad part about this old thread is that I've never met the gal in Husky455Rancher's avatar pic. However, I have had a chance to service and restore a Husky455 that runs well today.

One other possibility for running an electric log splitter is to build a cone splitter. Some of these designs fascinate me:

 

[graycenphil]

I keep looking for her at all the ag fairs, but she’s never there.

That splitter in the video is very interesting. Smoth and quiet. He’s splitting pretty easy wood it looks like; I wonder is it as good on tough pieces? And that is a big motor.