Log Splitter issue

[bwssr]

i am going to look at one Saturday. the owners says it will push/split, but you have to manually return the ram to the rest/ready position...this is a gas, stand alone set up...the owner say it needs new fluid....and some internal flushing...

What does the TBH folks say?..simple and cheap fix?

[Brazos Hunter]

I bet if you rebuilt the ram Bruce it would work just fine (and not leak) and yes, it does not cost much at all.

[bwssr]

cool.....I'll know more Saturday....this is a must ahve at my place...BTW..if ya need some oak, I got ya covered!

[OBU13DAD]

I bought a splitter a couple years ago wish I would have bought one a long time ago great investment

[bwssr]

I bought a splitter a couple years ago wish I would have bought one a long time ago great investment

at my age, the wedge and sledge, don't get along to well.....

[bwssr]

bump to see if we have others that concur with B.Her......the more input the better!

[Bowtech38]

Only takes about 20 min to rebuild a cylinder and the kits are cheap.

[drewjunr]

Its probably the hydraulic lever spool assembly. If the ram goes up and down manually then the ram is fine. If you have to hold the lever then the auto return is not working, Northern Tools has a specific log splitter spool.
As far as fluid I use ATF in mine, the cheap stuff from dollar stores. Regular hydraulic fluid in the winter is too thick. I would drain the old fluid put in new run it a while get the fluid warm and dump it it was dirty, if it was clean then I would't worry about it and keep working.

[BTLowry]

On mine you have to hold the lever in position to split and then push it the opposite way and it will catch until it reaches home and then the lever will kick back to neutral.


Even if you have to manually return the ram to home every time it beats a splitting wedge and sledge, splitting maul or axe

[bwssr]

Thanks Drew...
BT...I truly believe you!

[one2bowhunt]

Some splitters require you hold the leaver in both directions. Kind of like a dead man switch I guess.

[Brazos Hunter]

cool.....I'll know more Saturday....this is a must ahve at my place...BTW..if ya need some oak, I got ya covered!

That would be awesome! I can trade you out some pecan if you want to. We have a splitter in Kurten but it is a pos. I have resorted to breaking out the maul now that my back is healed.

[drewjunr]

I have resorted to breaking out the maul now that my back is healed.

The wood we split was 100+ yr old oak that was twisted and hard as a rock. It would give the best splitters a run for the money. We would end up breaking the rental ones pins, they finally put a dozer track pin and it didn't bend. A full force swing with an axe would not even stick the axe it would leave a little dent. The best part of that wood is ONCE you got it started to burn it would burn long and hot.

I would use a gas log splitter any day over doing it by hand. Not only faster but on mine I built I can work at standing height to break up the logs with almost no effort. Can be worked with one person but faster with 2+ just have to watch your fingers if someone else is running the ram.