3 point splitter hydraulics?

[KyleBH]

Hi everyone,

Newbie here, enjoying my new BX1870 and have lots of questions, but first things first. Picked up a used Ramsplitter 3 point splitter and have a question on the hydraulics. The previous owner used the rear hydraulics on his BX22, but I only have connections on the front. So in addition to needing new longer hoses, I have two questions:

1- Which pair should I use? A (white) and D (yellow), or B (blue) and C (red)

2 - what position should the lever be in while operating the splitter? I'm guessing Neutral, but want to be sure.

Any other advice in running a 3 point splitter is appreciated.

Thanks,

Kyle

 

[lilguy]

I added a splitter to my stable of implements, tried running it off tractor hydraulics. Painfully slow due to cylinder size. Built in a Prince rear pto pump
and it will split as fast as I can go on either tractor. Unit has been bulletproof proof for almost 30 years.

 

[ShaunBlake]

KyleBH, welcome to the OTT!

Do you have a WSM (WorkShop Manual) for your BX1870? (It's a critical asset for folks in your position, interested in expanding or repairing their tractor's functionality.)

I don't know anything about BXs, but I expect your tractor will have a place to tap into the hydraulics much closer than your "front" connections (maybe off the 3PH hydro), resulting in shorter, far less expensive hoses.

And yes, if you tapped into your front hydraulics, you would leave the levers in the neutral position.

I expect that you will discover that the tractor's hydraulics won't power your Ramsplitter to your satisfaction, yet if you are like me, you will want to rule that out before taking lilguy's route and adding a PTO pump. So my recommendation is to add rear hydraulics with QC (Quick Connect) couplings so if you don't use the tractor hydros, your plumbing can be used for future attachments.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Yea KyleBH you wouldn't want to hook it up front where you are talking about (off of the loader valves) and the valve would have to be locked into a active position, they are not setup to do that.

You could tap into the PB (power beyond) line but again I think you will find it extremely slow and doggy.

 

[KyleBH]

And the winner is North Idaho Wolfman! I hooked it up to the B & C connectors and it works fine ... when the lever is held in the active R1 or R2 position. I have long arms so I was able to test it. Looks like I have 3 options:

1. Bungee the lever in the active position. Risks with the approach?
   
2. Tap into the PB line (probably quite involved and beyond my abilities).
   
3. Get a PTO pump.

Shoulda done more research before buying....

Thanks,

Kyle

 

[KyleBH]

For those whom this is keeping up at night...

So I jammed a board between the steering wheel and the control rod, holding it in the R2 detent position, and the splitter works like a champ. It's only a 16 ton with a 3.5 inch cylinder, so I get cycle times I'm happy with when running at about 2500 RPM.

So unless someone tells me I'm destroying my tractor by doing this, I'm off to the races and happy I don't have to mess with anything else. the reason I went with a 3-point unit is simplicity.

I did lose some hydraulic fluid as it had to fill the two 8 ft. hoses and whatever leaked out of the splitter. I'm still in the good zone of the dipstick but on the low side. Should I top it off?

Thanks again,

Kyle

 

[coachgeo]

....
I did lose some hydraulic fluid as it had to fill the two 8 ft. hoses and whatever leaked out of the splitter. I'm still in the good zone of the dipstick but on the low side. Should I top it off?

Thanks again,

Kyle

Yes top it off. Hydraulic fluids cool better when at full capacity. Hotter it gets the less thick it is..... which reduces it's ability to do the task at hand. Also it raises temperatures of other components that reduces their life's as well.

 

[D2Cat]

Yes, fill it as Coachgeo mentioned, because the volume of oil that went into the splitter system including hoses will stay there when you disconnect the lines.

 

[notnew2diy]

And the winner is North Idaho Wolfman! I hooked it up to the B & C connectors and it works fine ... when the lever is held in the active R1 or R2 position. I have long arms so I was able to test it. Looks like I have 3 options:

1. Bungee the lever in the active position. Risks with the approach?
   
2. Tap into the PB line (probably quite involved and beyond my abilities).
   
3. Get a PTO pump.

Shoulda done more research before buying....

Thanks,

Kyle

I have a B7610, w/a FEL and no power beyond ports.
I bought a home made 3ph splitter, nothing fancy by any means.
I plug the 2 hydraulic lines into the FEL ports that curl up and down the bucket.
Start tractor, ~1500 rpm, bungee FEL lever to activate the "curl".
I try to keep the splitter as active as possible.
Been doing this for ~ 5 years, split 10+ full cords of hardwood.

Awhile back, on this site, my understanding was this is not a good thing to do. Potential FEL pump problems when the splitter is not in use but tractor/FEL pump are idling away.

FWIW....notnew....