Heavy Duty Trailer Mounted Buzz Saw Splitter Combo

Heavy duty trailer mounted buzz saw splitter combo WOODLOT EQUIPMENT Saws 15-4-31 "There's no log too big for it to handle," says Delbert Ecklund, Minnetonka, Minn., about his heavy-duty, home-built "wood processor" equipped with a buzz saw on one end and a log splitter on the other, as well as a rotating hydraulic boom and a winch with log tongs. A Ford industrial 172 cu. in. gas engine provides power for both the splitter and the 36-in. dia. saw. The saw is powered by a direct drive off the clutch end of the engine and is engaged by a clutch lever. A 30 gal. oil reservoir provides oil fora Vickers double hydraulic pump. The pump runs off the engine's crankshaft and powers a pair of hydraulic cylinders on the splitter (6 in. dia. on bottom, 4 in. dia. on top). Each cylinder has 52 in. of stroke. An 18-in. wide, 18-in. high, 2-in. thick steel plate pushes the log against a steel cutting edge made from a front-end loader bucket. The double hydraulic pump powers a hydraulic cylinder that's used to raise and lower the boom and also powers the winch. "When both hydraulic cylinders are used there's almost 100,000 lbs. of splitting pressure," says Ecklund. "I can run one or two cylinders depending on the amount of push required to split the wood. I use one cylinder most of the time because it's much faster than two. I can pull a pin out of the top cylinder and flip it over backward out of the way. The boom rotates 320 degrees and can lift loads up to 1,000 lbs. A 3-spool valve on the 20 gpm hydraulic pump lets me raise and lower the boom, rotate it, and operate the winch. If I'm not using the boom or winch I can close the flow divider valve and divert all of the oil to the log splitter so it works faster. The cutting table on the buzz saw is hinged so that I can flip it up out of the way for over-the-mad transport." Ecklund built the log splitter frame from a 10-in. I-beam that's reinforced on both sides with 3/4-in. and 1/2-in. steel plates. The frame is supported by a 5,000-lb. torsion bar axle and a pair of 8-ply tires protected by fenders made from sheet metal. Torsion bar springs keep the trailer from tipping or twisting while the boom is being used. The trailer is equipped with lights and electric brakes for over-the-road travel. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Delbert Ecklund, 3919 Evergreen Dr., Minnetonka, Minn. 55345 (ph 612 938-5449).

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