Homemade firewood processor - Big changes

[@randywendel]

Awesome job building your processor. Hydraulic motor for chainsaw and a small conveyor belt to remove split wood would be nice. Good job

[@jakebredthauer5100]

Have you considered using the main cylinder to move the uncut log as Halverson does? The upper log cradle is attached to the main cylinder. As the block is split the log comes under the saw. Prongs/teeth grip the log so it doesn't return. The cradle slips back to start position. Cut log, and so forth. It seems to me, a "V" shape cradle would be best, made of sheet steel. Support for the cradle could be wood planks, well greased to minimize friction and wear.

[@skeets6060]

I wouldnt think twice about pulling that back to the woods and cutting wood all day,, looks good

[@adammoggysawmilling5164]

I really like the splitter wedge design extremely strong

[@vulcan5678]

Nice upgrades. I like how the saw is mounted. Hope to see more videos from you.

[@olduhfguy]

I like the use of available parts to make your processor. From the pitch of the motor I think a little more HP would help you, and maybe down the road a hydraulicly driven saw ?

[@figgeberglund4145]

Impressive machine. Maybe my head is a bit slow. But I’d need a tour on this i Doug Demuro style. You’re humble to not brag about all the chains and shafts.

[@littlejoeypeakdistrict7546]

Another one just found looking good every little modification little helps

[@skeets6060]

For a home grown set up,Ya done good yep real good !

[@tt600pch]

Nice job. Simple and effective. The Stihl chainsaw is faster than a comparable hydraulic motor/bar unit. I built mine a couple years ago from mostly junk/ I used a 2 stage splitter pump on a 12 hp Northern tool engine. It will handle logs up to 30 feet long. Mine is just a bucksaw as I burn rounds up to 8 inches diameter (no splitter attached). I have a short video of it on YT before I put on the 18 hp motor. All I know is it beats bending over and sawing.

[@Z-Bart]

I like your boat seat. 👍 Seriously though, nice machine.

[@hayman41350]

That is slick!! Problem I saw is, you have a dandy way to raise and lower your splitter, but it is jammed up with logs that you just split!!! Thinking of how you could fix that, and I can't think of anything!! Also, have you ever just cut a bunch of those smaller logs, and let them fill up the space before the splitter, and send them all thru at once??? How does that work!!! Again very, very nice!! I would be proud to own that thing!!!

[@oby-1607]

How about making the saw chain hydraulic and mounting it on the opposite side so you aren't taking a sawdust shower? You would also only have one engine running at once. Nice job otherwise. Looks like you will be warm this winter.

[@andreaslarink]

Qe

[@6.8SuperDutyDriver]

That things pretty neat!

[@IndependenceIron]

Nice machine and well thought out. One thing i would comment on is be carefull on having that battery charger hanging against the hyd oil cooler. Vibrations from the engine and movements of the machine will cause the charger to rub thru the rad over time. Use some foam spacers at the corners to space it out and you will be good.

[@heythere9999]

Great idea. Rad is too close to the saw and picking up too much saw dust. I'm going to add a furnace filter on the front, that should add some protection for the charger.

[@bparker86]

Wouldn't it be easier to run the chainsaw off the hydraulics? Not just the cutting movement but the actual chain itself could be run off hydraulics and you would only need the bar and chain and a hydraulic motor... Some gearing to make if fast enough. Just a thought I only ask because I'm learning to build one myself and more asking for my reference, great fabrication my friend, greetings from the cold state of Maine. The land of the eastern white pine

[@staffordshires2]

Awesome machine, I thought those bags hold 1/3 of a cord each. A cord of wood stacked is 4’Wx4’Hx8’L.

[@heythere9999]

Each bag is 1 face cord, not a full cord. 16" x 4' x 8'.

[@staffordshires2]

Ken Wilson OK, so what I know is correct, each bag is 1/3 cord.. thanks, I never heard of a face cord..

[@jacklarson1498]

@@staffordshires2 In our nick of the woods, a face cord is a 4'x8' pile looking from the face, length is a non factor, could be 12" , 14", 18" etc. In other words you would say you have "a face cord of 18" wood" (example). A single cord is 4'X8' and 16" deep, and then of course there is 3 singles in a full cord which is 4'x8' and 48" deep. (3 singles to make a full cord).

[@sammosher1812]

That pile certainly isn't 3 full cords; face cords maybe?

[@jamorg2306]

Looks great. Seems to work good, my only comment would be some kind of guard so the sawdust from the chainsaw is deflected away from the operator. :) I hate getting covered in sawdust.

[@heythere9999]

I agree, I tried adding a little guard but it just got in the way. I'm just finishing a big upgrade and I need to get it back up and running soon so I'll have to live with it for a little longer.

[@Gus1966-c9o]

Very nice job sir . Would love to see a hydraulic saw on there . Either way a very effective machine .

[@heythere9999]

Stay tuned... Should be ready to repaint the machine after some big changes. No hydraulic saw though, that would require a much bigger motor and improved hydraulics. I'd do a saw blade if I ever got rid of the chainsaw.

[@danielgronbergpersson8051]

Everything looks great except that 2 stroke chainsaw 😄. Doesn't look very comfortable. But I admire you for your work. Many hours of cutting and welding 😉

[@jakebredthauer5100]

If the chainsaw is difficult to handle, a longer handle would help, with a remote throttle on the longer handle.

[@mikegroat7732]

Very nice. I see you are running the saw off it's original motor.....have you looked into using hydraulic to power it? I have seen those....however, I know nothing about them. Thanks for sharing.

[@heythere9999]

Adding a hydraulic saw would require a much bigger engine. The hydraulic motor for the saw is also very expensive. It may be a future enhancement but this whole project started as an "inexpensive" DYI processor... turned out a little differently!!

[@mikegroat7732]

@@heythere9999 Do you know much about the hydraulic saws? I have seen people convert a normal chain saw to hydraulic...however, I can't find much info on them. Like, how to get the RPM's up there. I have made a nice, big splitter, and am finishing up a conveyor....maybe one day, I could convert it all to something like you have.

[@heythere9999]

@@mikegroat7732 You need to buy a high speed hydraulic motor. They're very expensive, even for the knock offs. You also need enough flow and cooling from you hydraulics. I'm using a 2 stage log spliter pump, which wouldn't work. You'd need multiple pumps (or multi segment pumps), one for each function, and a pretty big engine to power them. www.parker.com/literature/Literature%20Files/hydraulicpump/cat/english/F11-F12_HY17-8249-US.pdf

[@rowdyharris3688]

1. What type of wood are you cutting and is it green or seasoned? 2. Do you think it cuts easier with the saw mounted or by hand and does it being mounted make it less quick to get dull? 3. What HP engine are you using and what are the specs on the pump? I mean, how many GPM, PSI and RPM is it? 4. I'm going to build one pretty soon. About how much did you spend on this? Your videos are great.

[@heythere9999]

Thanks! I'm cutting green, mixed, hardwood. This time, there was Ash, Maple, Ironwood, Birch and Oak for sure, probably a few others thrown in. The saw needs to be mounted. It would take far too long to put the saw down after each cut to run the machine and deal with the wood. Mounting the saw makes it safer and faster to operate. I order wood in the winter so it's not skidded through the mud, that's what's going to make a difference in how fast the saw dulls. I do a touch up on the saw with every tank of gas, I never need take it off the machine to sharpen it between tanks. The engine is only 15hp (probably less, it's a cheap Honda knock off!). You need a bigger motor, my machine should be around 40 hp. Here's the pump, it's a 28 GPM, 2 stage pump: www.surpluscenter.com/Hydraulics/Hydraulic-Pumps/2-Stage-Log-Splitter-Pumps/28-GPM-Dynamic-2-Stage-Pump-9-7971.axd I wanted to build something simple and cheap. I didn't meet either goal! Count on $10K for a basic machine like mine. Much more if you want a hydraulic saw, live deck etc.

[@rowdyharris3688]

@@heythere9999, thanks. I'm patterning my future machine after yours. See how it works is awesome, but seeing what doesn't work and what fixes it is absolutely freaking priceless. I'm looking forward to see how you fix the conveyor. I sincerely appreciate it. 1. Are you satisfied with the pump? If you had it to do differently would you be buy the same pump or a different pump? 2. Where do you order logs from? 3. Do you think having the saw mounted makes it quicker/easier to cut through the logs? I see you using just one hand on most logs. 4. What diameter logs can your processor accept?

[@heythere9999]

@@rowdyharris3688 1. The pump is dictated by the engine size. Like I say, my machine needs to be about 40-50 hp. The pump is a 2 stage and the biggest I could get for the engine, actually a little over sized. You REALLY want to get multi segment pumps and keep the 2 stage pump for the ram cylinder only. You'll see in my vids that the pusher plate stops retracting when I advance logs because the flow is all going to the hydraulic motor. You won't have that issue with a multi segment pump. Also, I'm using a 5" main cylinder. Had I gone with a 4", that pump would be great but the machine wouldn't be able to do 6 way splits nearly as well. 2. Local supplier. Call land clearing companies or look on kijiji. 3. No doubt. Faster, straighter, more consistent, easier and safer. Not even an option not to mount a saw or have a hydraulic saw. 4. Perfect logs, maybe 20". Technically 24" but I doubt it would work. This is an area I would change. I made the cutting head out of 1" steel. I should have used 3/4" and/or 1/2". The larger steel makes a bigger deflection angle and means it is more prone to jamming. I would also make the cutting head a little wider if I had it to do over again.

[@rowdyharris5535]

@@heythere9999, I'm talking to a rep with Permco which is where Wolf Ridge gets their pumps. That's actually who turned me onto them. My phone number is 417-312-7766 if you ever text folks about wood and all I would really like to have your phone number to run ideas across for processors to get your input. How did you design the mount to attach the chainsaw to your processor?

[@jtthill5475]

Not sure, but I think you said you bag one cord per bag. A cord, by definition, is stacked wood measuring 4'x4'x8'. How big a bag would you use to possibly fit a cord? If not what were you saying about bags? Great machine. Real ingenuity and ability. I guess this is a Canadian creation. There is apparently some law that prohibits the word RADIATOR. Thanks for sharing.

[@heythere9999]

Sorry, I meant a face cord which is 1/3 of a full cord or 4' x 8' x 16"

[@danielhilden7181]

Nice. Add a trailer with hitch to receive the split wood to haul to wood shed would be great. Won't have to pick the split wood off of the ground, Just saying.

[@joelfortin9856]

Great job

[@brianwheway1933]

nice bit of kit m8, it will give some commercial made stuff a run for there money, just one thing, the chain is very close to your head, and on occasions your arm almost touches the chain, for your safety you need to get this fixed. 4.38,

[@nobody4634]

Nice peace of equipment u got there!!! One suggestion some kind of chain guard ...

[@heythere9999]

LOL, it's certainly not CSA approved! You're right, I should start adding guards!

[@blixtkrig]

Nice but why dont you split at the same thime you cut

[@mikestuart3531]

I’m building one right now, I like the design of your splitter knife. Do you think you could give me the dimensions & ram size. Thanks

[@reinhardschmid4067]

I think, cut the wood ist better with e-motor. Is not so loud, and electric is here.

[@BLACKOAKJAREKDURA]

Piękna maszyna jak się nazywa gdzie taką można kupić ?

[@tocarli53]

La sierra de cadena se puede hacer hidraulica. imagino como le queda el hombro en una jornada de trabaja. Pobre operario ...

[@jot9979]

Mahtavaa DIY 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@douglasmichel6361]

Still awesome, I think I would put a trey on top of the splitter ram, the fresh cut will then drop on top of ram hood so to speak ( for lack of a better name), as the ram retracts, the freshly cut bolt would then drop down for splitting. No wasted time/ motion. Good luck, stay safe and keep building awesome things.

[@aaronplaza5822]

where did you get the hour glass rollers for your log trough? Every time i search the internet, all i get are hair rollers!

[@johnbarwick3125]

Do you have the specs on the hydraulic infeed motor and infeed sprocket gearing specs?

[@sootie620]

Cant understand why you would impede the wood leaving the splitting head by having the chute design like \ / instead of / \ 🤔

[@heythere9999]

It's funneled to a conveyor system.

[@daniellyon7904]

That might be a cord. Full cord is 4x4x8. That might be 3 face cords.

[@outdoorswithlarryrobin]

Good job, Almost there, maybe a little more HP, Nice Design. Just subscribed, Take care🚜🪵👍🏼🇺🇸

[@flyslinger2]

Missing are two things: 1. Cup holder 2. Large screen T.V. Maybe have a beefier chainsaw?

[@clayguinard3651]

Needs a bigger motor for that the run that thing you know the gas engine for the processor

[@clayguinard3651]

I definitely nice processor are you going to build them and sell them

[@bobw7066]

f Fit a hydraulic motor with a fan attached into the return line going back to the tank. From Australia

[@nathanduckeorth806]

Put it up on car ramps an park a wagon Underneeth the shute👍

[@GREGORY69420]

Run an alternator off of your hydraulics to charge your battery

[@nicholashollow9410]

Should add some assistance to that chainsaw to get it to cut faster and less wear on you.

[@heythere9999]

I actually mangled the chain in that video, took a little too much off the rakers and it didn't cut well after that.

[@jamespatton2975]

That’s awful large pieces.?? Re split most of it ?

[@dirklyssens8936]

Amazing

[@haroldpetersen5584]

Looks great now make the chainsaw hydraulic, nothing else is in motion while its cutting!

[@connorhopkinson7265]

Where do you get those bags from bud?

[@heythere9999]

bagsupplies.ca/

[@coburnlowman]

@@heythere9999 I just checked the website. They wanted me to submit a request from. If you don't mind. What do they charge for the bags? I don't want to start getting a bunch not email from them. But if it economic enough I'd like to start using these to store and move wood with.

[@heythere9999]

@@coburnlowman $15.75 CND + tax (13%) and shipping (1 year ago). They're a little pricey but worth it. I've reused a few of them 3 times now and they're still good as new. You won't get a bunch of emails from them if you inquire, I've never got one.

[@josealmaraz848]

Hello,I have a question, how did you mount the chainsaw to the frame?

[@heythere9999]

I'm putting a new video up shortly. I'll show off the chainsaw mount in it for you

[@jasonpike810]

Only 2 things I see missing. A elevator to move split wood and most importantly the coffee pot.

[@backriverfirewood4335]

I'm interested could/would you build me one .

[@kevinc3925]

What you call a cord is a face cord.

[@billwoehl3051]

Not sure what you call a chord, but a chord is 4ft by 4 ft by 8 ft. That pile definitely ain't no 3 chords.

[@heythere9999]

Face cord = 1/3 cord

[@JakeMakesProductions]

Looks quick, but no way that is 3 cord

[@heythere9999]

Face cord

[@rowdyharris3688]

Where do you get the bags?

[@heythere9999]

I added the link to the video description. The bags are awesome, I'll do a separate video about them soon. You need a machine that can lift at least 2500 lbs though, they're pretty heavy filled with green hardwood.

[@getonlygotonly]

nice

[@giorgiobassi5727]

Troppo. Complicata. Ma. Bravo. Lo. Stesso!!!!!

[@RHASH7]

what guage and size metal did you make the frame from? i was thinking 1/4"x2x2?

[@heythere9999]

Various gauges and sizes. Everything from 1" thick to .100

[@андрейстолыпин-г1г]

Super

[@clayguinard3651]

First thing I do is get rid of that chair that is at an awkward position and really no need for it

[@bhermon265]

👍

[@heythere9999]

Thanks!

[@danyddd09]

in your next update hydraulic chainsaw kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHbLY5eYjN18mZY

[@hectorcatalan1032]

Very good machine, you do not get tired, you get fat ... It takes a long time, oh the operator is very slow?

[@chelseawilson5690]

very rude!

[@codywalters8234]

@@chelseawilson5690 he's just jealous because he lacks the brain capacity to make something remotely close to this

[@firewoodprovidersnorthwest]

Way underpowered.

[@heythere9999]

Yup, can't argue that. This started as a "simple" version of a processor and grew into what it is today (it just grew a whole lot more... new video soon). One day, I'll have to do something about it but I'm honestly leaning towards going electric...