The hardest component to find for a wood splitter is the I-beam. All the other parts are easily obtained --most of'm from Northern Hydrolics. Try findin a piece of Railroad Rail for the I-beam. Turn it upside down and use the "foot" for the bed holdin the slidin ram. The rail may bendc bow and warp under extreme pressure but will not be ruined. Upon releasin the pressure the rail will go back to the original shape. A 5 hp briggs engine works fine for the free standin units. Old Jeep built one and it will split ANYTHING! Well almost anything--if it won't split it--it'll CUT it in two. I'm fixin to take pictures of it and send'm to Countryside Magazine so they can print it if they want. With all splitters---Be Extremely Careful! A man can get killed workin around'm if the wood flys out. Matt. 24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), November 17, 2000

Answers

hoot, i work at a recycling center (a dump),where i've pick up a few things.one of'em was a log splitter, with a bad engine.still waitin' for someone to throw out a perfectly good 5h.p. briggs engine(with a horizontal shaft).well always like your threads, can't wait to see the article your fixin' to submit!!!!!!!!!!

-- fred m in wi (sixuvusmeyers@aol.com), November 18, 2000.

p.s.still gotta get that stew recipe!!!!!!!!!

-- fred m in wi (sixuvusmeyers@aol.com), November 18, 2000.

hoot, I was wonderin' if Jeep geared down the hydraulic pump? And if so, could you put the ratio in with your article? My neighbor had one with a briggs and it didn't even come close to splittin' what our tractor mounted one would. I never wanted to get close to a unit with it's own power source after that, but the guy I work with says one of his former neighbors had a self-contained unit that would split anything, and he thought that the neighbor geared something down on the pump somehow to give it more pressure and hence more splittin' power. So my interest in self-contained splitters is renewed! thanks

-- dave (tidman@midiowa.net), November 21, 2000.

Dave! Yes Jeep geared it down but I can't tell ya right now how much. I did take the picts today and will include all the info needed with the article. I did notice a chain runnin from the Briggs to the pump. That dude will split about anything--and if it won't--it'll CUT it! I never seen anything like it. It's not very purty but boy does it work! He is fixin to install a lift table on one side to help lift those big chunks but hasn't had time to do it yet. Matt. 24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), November 21, 2000.