Adding Oil Fail - 10 Ton Manual Harbor Freight Hydraulic Log Splitter

Has anyone tried to add oil successfully? If so, please share what you did differently.

[@FoxMan777]

You extend the ram, pull the plug, and then open the valve as fast as you can before you ever top off the oil. :) The idea is to get rid of the air, after a set and reset. Once that occurs then you top off oil. You may have to do the set and reset several times to get rid of the air in the piston. Seals can go bad too though.

[@diannemarsh8704]

Thanks for the info. I haven't ever bleed mine and I was getting ready to do so, but the directions did not sound right. Tomorrow I will. Btw, I heard you can add any kind of, like SAE 30, for cars. I don't think mines very low, I do have a little leak around the seal at the pumps. So is it ok to add motor oil? Actually I have some hydraulic fluid from when I rebuilt our 91 Miata gear shift boots and it says W75-90? Is this ok to do? Actually it's says in the documentation use oil, but I called and they said no, use hydraulic oil. Always great to have good documentation!

[@robertdiaz4962]

Thanks for the tip...just bought one.

[@user-jj2fl4vs3r]

I would have thought the cylinder should be closed/ into fill.

[@polok890]

i have this wood splitter and had to replace a seal. to refill the fluid, i took the cylinder return springs off, pumped or pulled the cylinder out, added fluid, pumped the splitter handles and the pulled the cylinder back and pumped the handles again. i did this over and over for 2 hrs until it was full and working properly

[@kentmerrill8925]

Good video. Going to do mine soon warning is a big plus. Thanks

[@caseykittel]

Warning! The directions they give are wrong in my opinion! Bloody hell. You have to fill it with the ram all the back inside the unit. Great video showing that the directions are simply wrong. And dangerous!!!

[@Redtab33]

Leave it horizontal, don't pump it up, pull plug and fill. Doesn't even have to be totally full and can use ATF if you don't have hydraulic fluid.

[@caseykittel]

Yeah. I think all the people working on these who are playing with the plug are mistaken. But the directions the company provides are totally wrong too. WTF.

[@beebob1279]

@@caseykittel There's another video that explains the Harbor Freight directions to fill and bleed the system is wrong and don't do it that way. He showed a much better way to do it. This video was ridiculous

[@timritchie1124]

Tried same thing and exact same e results. Except the cylinder didn't pump any better afterwards.

[@charliebrown4007]

whats the longest size it would split

[@eustacesamson3877]

Same as what i did it doesnt pump

[@tekparasite]

same thing happened to me

[@MrBayfresh]

did it get fixed?

[@ghostwavewrider]

Despite the mess this made on my driveway, it did actually work better after this.

[@ghostwavewrider]

And, just to update everyone, it's still working pretty good over a year later.