Hello All - I have a Cat 303.5 mini excavator which is around 8000 lbs. I'm looking for a wood splitter to attach to it. The only commercially made one I have seen is the "Log Dog". Does anyone have any experience with that splitter of know of another one? Thanks.
Here's one I built for my case cx36, have yet to have anything it could not split!
Yair . . . I saw one on the net somewhere where the small excavator drove a rotating threaded cone . . . it pulled itself into the log and busted it apart. It seemed to work well and the bloke reckoned it was good for busting up cut off at ground level stumps. One shot down the middle and it made them easier to get out with the bucket later. There are quite a few bench cone splitters shown on youtube to give an idea of what I mean. That looks a handy setup you have there PAdigger Cheers.
I was going to build one like PADigger, these make the most sense to me because you can pick the log up and split it over your trailer/truck box etc... They can be built relatively cheap if you can find the cylinder and frame from an old splitter. I may still build one in the future depending on how much wood I'll need at our new location.
When you have the pumps that an excavator has, there is no reason you cant be using a multi way wedge.... unless 1/2 is all the smaller you need your wood. I thought about building one for awhile, then I thought about building a processor, then I just caved and bought a processor! This after noon I cut, split, loaded and stacked 2 full cord into my dump in an hour and a half. No bad for doing it almost by myself, I had someone stacking up in the truck is all.
I actually have a 4 way slip on and have been thinkin about making a 6 way because your right, with these hydraulics you can split about anything that fits in the splitter!
Hey PADigger, I also have been thinking about something like what you built there we have a CX36B so I am curious how fast the cycle time is for your setup?
Here is one we made for our Cat 303, we made it out of some I beams and a spare ASV RC-100 lift arm cylinder. It has a max opening of 28"-30", can't remember off the top of my head haha http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFLctNaqR0A
Nice looking attachment. It would be great for making the monster sized pieces into pieces we could lift. I use a Timberwolf Tw-5 currently for splitting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DweOo0VRXmM made this a few yrs back. since then added a 24x4inch cyl. works slick
I have a short video clip of me splitting a 30"+ round piece of pin oak and it doesn't even make the splitter break a sweat. Just not sure how to post it here?? Deer archer that's pretty much all I use it for is to make the big gnarly stuff no one wants to deal with into smaller manageable pieces.
PAdigger, I really like the idea. I might take an old Husky splitter with bad motor and convert. Any mounting suggestions? Should I lengthen the wedge?
Ronsii... Never really clocked my cycle time but I am using a 6" cyl so its def not a speed demon, maybe 20 sec round trip. Its just about enuf time to reach back into the cooler behind the seat and grab a cold uhhhhh soda, ya that's it soda!! ) Deer Archer... I considered doing the same thing using an old worn out splitter but didn't have one avail, I actually built a splitter for my skid steer a few years back with the same setup your thinking about. Not sure if a standard splitter would take the abuse of banging around on the end of an mini ex or not. Find yourself an I-beam and build her up, I actually bought my wedge of ebay, a guy here in PA makes em from 6" to 18" I believe.
Men I was searching for ideas and came across Tempest splitters out of MN. That thing looks like a beast. The towable splitters have a "unique" setup. What are your thoughts? Pros or cons.
I have an idea for a strictly mechanical device you could put in the bucket and just start splitting wood.....not an attachment. Anyone done something like this?
mudnducs, I've seen a guy split a pickup load of blocks up in 10 minutes maybe with a 30 ton excavator. He just opened up the bucket and used the teeth for wedges. I can't say as it was an efficient use of a case 330, but it was fast.
(beer):drinkup
Now you guys have me thinking about this! I'd love to use my remote hydraulics on my TB125 to split wood! I have access to a spare hydraulic ram and splitter setup for a decent price, so looks like I have a project ahead of me! Can't wait to see how it works!
My neighbor has an old limber attachment for his excavator. He made a few adjustments to it, so it cuts and splits the logs as well as limbing/peeling them. Works great for logs over 6" diameter. Watched him on full length spruce trees. Was crazy fast. Will try to get a picture if I can get over there.
I want the attachment that picks up the entire log, cuts it into pieces and then splits it... I saw it on a skidsteer and it was awesome. this site says it works with exc.... http://www.hahnmachinery.com/firewood-processor/
look at the 3rd video
That looks expensive.
Split a bunch of wood once with the jack hammer on the bobcat... looked like a herd of elephants walked threw but worked great lol.
Hi guys, i can offer you wood splitter, it could be connected to PTO shaft http://www.ebay.com/itm/log-wood-sp...d-steel-/151636199749?ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EJdxQBsd9k Got around to making one!
http://youtu.be/KxVz-CZZxxs
Nice!! Billdog350, what size cylinder did you go with? It looks like the cycle time wasn't too slow, was the one big round just to knotty to get through or some other reason it wouldn't split it?
Hi Ronsii, my excavator has a 15.4 gpm flow which is similar to the high volume side of most log splitters so cycle time is great. The whole splitter was already premade setup, I think its an american splitter, and I think its a 5" cylinder but I can measure and confirm. The big log I have no idea why it stalled, seemed knotty. I have split larger logs and it went though everything without even hesitating. That was the first log that has stalled it, but I will check my gas splitter against it and see if that can split it or not. the excavator is set to ~3000psi so its going to be similar to any gas splitter.
nice job, did you use quick connects off of your thumb circuit ? and now that you have used it a while would you do any thing different with the angle that the wain -roy couple is attached to the splitter. As you may have guessed I have wanted to do this same thing for my tb-135 for some time now. Most of my firewood is black oak and doug fir, I assume that the thumb circuit has enough psi to do the job ? or did you use the bucket cly circuit?
BMCKENZIE, the splitter works great, I think the coupler is welded at a good location because I can curl the bucket all the way back and it will flip the splitter "right side up" for normal splitting, or I can use it inverted to grab and split larger logs. The Aux circuit on the TB125 is factory set at ~3000psi, which is similar to most log splitters so it has plenty of power. I have found sometimes the detent seems to pop on a big log but if I try a few times, it will split it anyway. I haven't had a chance to test my hydraulics, the detent might be popping early. I have it plumbed into the thumb circuit, and definitely need the curl still working since I use that to help position the splitter and also to "shake" the log off the splitter once its split.