Skid Steer Splitter Handles Giant Logs

Skid Steer Splitter Handles Giant Logs TRACTORS Skid Steer Loaders 27-3-16 "It lets me use my skid steer loader to split logs up to 46 in. long and any diameter. Works fast and you never have to get out of the cab," says David Miller, Pickett, Wis., about his hydraulic-operated log splitter. It quick-taches to universal mounting brackets and operates off the loader's hydraulics. The splitter consists of a 10-ft. long steel I-beam with a fixed push plate at one end. A splitting wedge slides back and forth on a pair of steel rollers, powered by a big 6-in. dia., 3-ft. stroke hydraulic cylinder. A 10-in. wide, 14-in. high "spacer block" at one end of the beam can be used to split shorter pieces of wood. The metal block reduces the opening to 36 in. The block is hinged at the bottom and rests at an angle behind the I-beam. He can flip it up into place by tipping the loader arms. After splitting the wood, Miller can also use the machine to pick up the split pieces and haul them away. If he wants he can remove the splitter from the skid loader and set it on steel legs or on a wagon rack or truck bed. He hooks up the splitter hoses to any hydraulic source and uses a separate valve to operate the cylinder. "It has a lot of power. I've used it to split logs up to 5 ft. in diameter with no problems using a New Holland skid loader equipped with a 65 hp diesel engine," says Miller. "I built it because I have a home-built wood stove that's 4 ft. wide and will take a 50-in. long log. I triple plated each side of the I-beam with 1/4-in. thick steel for extra strength. "It didn't cost a lot to build. The I-beam was scrap metal, and the cylinder came off an old garbage truck. I spent about $70 on hydraulic hoses and valves. My total cost was only about $300." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, David Miller, W11215 Zoar Rd., Pickett, Wis. 54964 (ph 920 589-6936).

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