scup, "...there will be a 3-5 HP single phase 240 volt farm duty (totally enclosed) electric motor in its future." That would trip any circuit breaker that we have, and probably cost more than your gas splitter. If we went to 220 three phase, we would have to hire an electrician to add the circuit to our garage. I hope to stay within the limits of a 20-amp 110-volt breaker, and tolerate a longer cycle time. I requested dealer and price information from American CLS. It seems to me that you may have to wait quite some time to accumulate enough budget to purchase a "top of the line electric splitter" from them. An electric splitter with a 24-ton capacity really would be "top of the line". It would probably cost considerably more than I would want to spend. It seems logical to me that DR would not allow continued purchase of the extended service contracts, because as the machine gets older and more worn, the probability of needed major service would increase to the point where it would be a losing proposition for them. It's odd that DR could not fix the hydraulic leak. It may have been as simple as a fitting that needed tightening. Quite a few people find that the 4-Ton electric splitters from Home Depot are adequate for their needs. I think they are made in China. I probably will be satisfied with a 12-Ton electric splitter. Like you, I would prefer American made. MM

I'm in Germany. Only difference is that mine is powered w/ 230 volts, but makes no difference to the splitting capability. I've (actually my wife did it for me a couple Christmas' ago) discovered a whole new world. Little extra handling but doesn't drain you as much as swing a sledge. Especially nice if you set it up at work bench height. I clamp mine to a plank, set 2 sawhorses up on either side of a container on back of my tractor and let the split wood drop in (do the same for a wheelbarrow, wood box, etc). Wife likes to use it too (big plus cause I can set the heavy stuff up the first time and she can split it as many times as she wants). Knock out a pile in a hurry when you don't get a backache from bending and it's small enough to take inside and work out of the weather. Hope that helps. Dave

1. gator_rider2, Did you ever rate the HP on log splitters that you built? If so, what formula or etc did you use? My splitter is doing more than I ever expected and feel it would be rated 12-16 tons from charts and info I have seen. This is an interest vs a need. I guess my need is getting a filter in the system and a rate to charge my friends that need wood split at my expense (250.00 on the seal rebuild and the cost of a filter and etc) LOL. 2. Your example: Take pressure times bore size = total divided by 2,000 = tonnage. Like 3 1/2 inch bore times 2,000 psi = 7,000 divide by 2,000 = 3 1/2 tons. Seems similar to my unit but my unit will split 12"-16" dia oak wood w/o a hesitation. 3. How would I figure the tonnage if the cyl is 4" dia(3.5" inside), 24" long, and a 2" piston? Pump's #1300356 led me to it being a Haldex, gear type, 3,000 psi discharge, 11.000 GPM low flow (is this flow a lot and correct?). I'm seeing approx 2,000 psi of line pressure splitting 12-16" dia oak. My splitter is simular to the H16 Ramsplitter in this thread (close to the top). http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tools/msg082307312313.html?77 4. Would you think I have 12-16 ton unit and need to ck my figures again (since I know it does a good job on 12-16" dia oak wood (green or seasoned)? I Hope You Are Well And Thanks In Advance! loger

"alphonse, Please explain more on your statement." Sorry for a late reply, I was out of town. You have the gist of my comments though. Bigger cylinders and heavier steel tolerate the higher system pressures or the developed pressure and racking from any misalignment between cylinder mounting and the tracking during extension. The larger the cylinder diameter (force area of the piston) the lower the system pressure, though that equates to slower flow. "I felt the bypass at 2,500 on the 3,000 psi gauge basically showed built-in protection in the hydraulic system." Yes, you need a pressure relief valve. On the splitter I built which has a 5" bore piston, the relief is set at about 60% of the cylinder rating which is plenty of force but conservative of all components. Some reliefs can be adjusted to give greater pressures but without knowing any ratings bumping pressure up can be playing with fire. "When needed I run the 1 HP motor on a 25' 12-3 (12 gauge) extension w/o feeling the extention getting warm, is that heavy enough?" Should be. The longer the cord, the greater the voltage drop which will "starve" the motor, causing overheating and possible failure. 220V gives an advantage there, the transmission wire can be smaller though consumption is unchanged. Tangential splitting and the ramp are good ideas. My splitter has a table that the ramp hooks to and allows big stuff to be repositioned without having to pick anything back up off the ground.