#232 Part #1 Speeding up my log splitter cycle time! Tractor supply log splitter

I absolutely agree with Richard Browne below: DEFINITELY better to move the stop-plate FORWARD - with a big ol' hunk of wood? - preventing eventual (expensive!) damage to both your movable joints and hydraulics in the process! Come on, Kelly, THIS IS GREAT ADVICE! 😀👍👍

Drop the steel tubing down lower, close to where the hydraulic arm attaches to the maul. That will probably reduce the amount of leverage on the top of the maul, which would reduce the amount of pivot at the attachment point.

Mr.Kelly you could back off the detent just a bit so the Handle kicks out at a lesser pressure. Now there is probably a fine line so small adjustment could make a big difference. I think you will eventually wear out the hole in the rod of the cylinder. Just my 2 cents but probably worth looking at.💪🏻💪🏻🍺🍺

Love it! Got the original, saw how small it was, returned it for the XL. It splits my ~7x16" firewood into smallwood and kindling in a flash. youtube.com/post/UgkxSRemO77LrM90rx_It_Wh6ZnKAS0H2… Good for debarking too. It's so fun I now have too much kindling and have to fight the urge to split the big pieces. I usually split dried cedar, but I've split dried oak too. The edge on mine has stayed razor sharp. I mounted it on a couple pieces of pressure treated 4x4 to hold it steady and quiet the ringing. Several reviews and videos show people having trouble keeping the wood straight. How do I put this gently?... You have to be smarter than the wood. Don't try to split knots, or badly curved grain. And hold the wood (with leather gloves) and tap it once to set it on the blade before giving it a good whack. And you have to know how to swing a hammer. If you don't know what wood grain or knots are, and you can't swing a hammer without hitting yourself or things around you, I suggest buying firewood and kindling pre-split. But if you're smarter than a log, this beautiful tool will make splitting firewood into kindling safer, faster and way more funner! I highly recommend it, and get the XL.

I have built a bunch of splitters. I would drill holes in the top flange of the Ibeam and put a 1/2 bolt where it would contact the heel of the wedge guide @ 18" opening. No failures in thousands of cycles.

Love the ingenuity! I decided on a kinetic splitter and ordered a Generac 10 ton electric. My plan is to buy several split cords to start off ( 180 a cord around here, and they're chunky pieces) and split those down a bit. I own a landscaping business so dont have a ton of time to get logs, buck them up then split so pre split, seasoned wood is the way to go for me right now.

Good video man!!! Thanks for telling us at the start that you weren't going to mod the hydraulics or engine. I watched the whole video because you took the time to do that and not lie to us. The only thing I'll say you could do to speed up is once it cracks the wood you don't have to run the splitter all the way down to the end, your Wood is already split and there is just a little piece of bark or sliver of wood holding it on which you can break away easy. it'll save you a bunch of time in the long run. Anyway great video and thanks!!!

Excellent video and great idea, mine drives me nuts when it does that I never actually measured the time like you did, but I think I’ll just both of 2 x 4 on there and call it good. Thank you for the good video

Had never thought of doing something like that. Pretty ingenious idea Andrew. Looks like it makes a real difference for you too. Am thinking of buying a tractor supply splitter and will see how things hold up for you. Enjoyed it! Side note, working this weekend so might miss the live stream, hate working every other weekend but have to pay those bills! Will try to pop in for a minute and say hi on my way to work. Thanks, Doug

You like your wood split more or thinner than me. Thats the pleasure of having your own splitter isn't it. I used to do it all with a monster maul I bought in the eighties. I'm 61 and its just taking to long now. I bought 4 acres and had to clear out a bunch of trees. They wanted 10,000 dollars for this. I said no. Guess who did it. His name was me, myself and I. I'm way the duck ahead. I bought a 30 ton county line at tractor supply. I love this mother Rucker. It sure is better than swinging my 18 pound monster maul from all those years. Hey thats nice of you showing us how you did something to better your situation. What I was doing was after I split a piece of wood. I would throw it into my little tractor garden trailer. Then when the piston went back. I would tap the handle so it wouldn't retract all the way in. But I was taking the wood to another stack and not stacking it right next to where I was splitting the wood at. Anyway I'm happy as hell. My problem is lifting these heaving rounds onto the splitter. So I took one of my ramps and put it onto my splitter. Then I roll the heavy ass round up the ramp. This has helped my back out a lot. Meanwhile I'm working on a swingarm for the splitter. It will have a battery operated winch on the top of the swing arm with a 50 foot cable . My back will be very happy after I get this swing arm done. Yea your idea is good man. Keep thinking Guy. Cause its good for the mind and the body.

In my opinion from watching this video. It may help the splitter if you added tw 4x4 blocks stacked to the end of the splitter since you are already stopping the wedge once it breaks the wood apart . It would do about the same thing but help the splitter from wear

I like the 4 was splitter that drops over steel wedge. Helps speed up cuts and protects original wedge. Worst case if I ruin it can pull off and only 59 bucks. Thanks for sharing.. Same splitter and great machine!

Great video! Well done.

That is pretty neat idea. I have the same machine. we usually split with two people. I usually handle all wood moving and loading on the splitter. The other just runs hydraulics. We slam through the wood. It is really time comsuming by yourself. By the end of the day we are tired. That machine wares us out lol.We usually load the rounds in the loader. It seems alot easier on the back. Nice to have the larger ones elivated to put on the splitter. Then we load into the side by side and the loader bucket as it empties. Then i stack and just keep moving the wood. It really seems all in the setup and what works for you. Also somehow we always seem to have a round on the ground near the rack of the splitter to set wood for spliting. Usually a place to set the halves of larger rounds awaiting the final split. If you dont enjoy it soon it is just like work. So be safe and keep all your fingers!

I have a smaller splitter. I also made a limiter and it saves time and I have extra convenience. Have a good time!

The easy speed-up hack is to put the block of wood at the butt plate end. This way you still get the benefit of the dislodging bars.

I have an different opinion your putting extra load on the cylinder seals. It would be beneficial to put the 4 x 4 at the other end and you’re shorting the stroke in the same manner without exerting any unnecessary loads on your hydraulic cylinder. But I do like it.

You are now putting all the pressure and torque at the tops off the log kickers, with time and many cycles it will affect the welds or bolts holding these down. Would suggest to you that you have an equivalent steel or wood bar at the bottom in order to spread it out more evenly.

hi there real good idea i have done something similar but with a different splitter . on yours i believe i would drill a large whole threw those two up rights and use a pin . then if you happen to get a large round just pull the pin out . it also gives you the ability to pull the pin and let the cyd go all the way back to the original parking spot . just dropping another idea good job john

Thats funny, i just watched a YouTube video the other day where a guy hose clamped a long rod to the big part of the ram so it stuck past the distance he needed. I can see where that would save time. Thanks for sharing Andrew.