Been debating on buying one. Just bought under 10 acres and going to build a cabin. Definitely will be purchasing soon. Definitely like the mods you had done, think I’ll do the same
Nice Jake , I see the wedge is moving fast like mine did you can adjust he pressure to the wedge on the valve to have more control of it to be a little More precise. Guess I’ll have to get moving on my auto cycle. Looks like you may have lost some speed with the ram though. Check out your valve adjustment on it may need a little more flow. I do like what you have done with the log lift I seen Garny had done that a while back I thought about it but that’s as far as it got. All in all looks good. If anything definitely adjust that wedge valve for more control bud.
Thanks Scheib, yeah it’s pretty jerky in action. I actually got two adjustable restrictor valves from a friend today just gotta pick up the adapters tomorrow and I’ll hook them up to fix that! I also noticed the speed of the ram seemed slower... I will have to check out the adjustments on its valve. All in all I’m really happy with the way it turned out, looking forward to getting some time to put some rounds through it. Thanks for your support!
Great upgrades to the splitter. You have taken a mid-range splitter and added some high-end features. Another issue with the auto-cycle is splitting any knotty wood that tends to "pop" apart. You need to keep your eyes on that stuff. Scheib has a video where a knotty piece splits and hits him in a bad spot for a man. I bought a Fiskers pickaroon after I tore the bicep tendon at the elbow joint of my left arm over-reaching for a heavy piece of wood in the back of my truck. I saw you had a Fiskers maul, have you tried their X27 splitting axe. I think that it is as effective as the maul but a lot less weight to have to move around. Maybe a good Christmas gift from your SO.
Thanks Phil! The upgrades I’ve done to it I’ve found make a huge difference in consistency of pieces as well as a slight production increase. That “pop” is always surprising and definitely something to watch out for...I love the pickaroon, what a back saver! The Fiskars maul is great too and I also have their hatchet. Never personally tried the splitting axe but I will have to keep an eye out for one or let Sarah know for Christmas! Thanks as always for watching! 🍻
This is good stuff! Yeah you’ll find task for those idle hands soon enough! Few things I see that may need adjustment... 1) wedge valve. The flow restrictors will help with wedge ram speed. Also adjust the detent for both log lift and wedge valve out far enough so you are not feeling them. No need for detent for those operations. It will make them work a lot smoother too. You can add handle length too. This makes valve ops more precise. 2) wedge cylinder base. Yeah welding that was not a good idea. Also cylinder port position not ideal. I think you’ll come to find running the 6way is gonna cause problems even with that deflection plate. Pin cyl base and clock cyl. Ports to 12:00. 3) hinge table. Reinforce bottom of hinge as to keep metal “seats” from deforming even more causing the foot to fall out of parallel. 4) this dearly needs a dump valve!. 5) minimize the amount of machined 90*’s. Especially the one coming out of the pump. All in all nice job. Just that work alone has made this machine much more user friendly and the operator more proficient.
Thanks for the feedback Garny, a lot of great information here...I will look into all of the flow and detent adjustments today. I’ve never tried adjusting hydraulics before so it will be a learning experience! I’m hoping that the welded cylinder base doesn’t effect it too much, after some more use there seems to be enough play in the mounting sleeve on the wedge to allow ample room for it to not transfer stress to the cylinder weld itself. I tried the 6-way and was pleasantly surprised at how smooth it pushed rounds through, didn’t seem to bind up at all (even with hickory) but only time will tell...Not quite sure what part of the hinged log lift that needs reinforcement you’re referring to? Also not quite sure what a dump valve does or why I need it but I will watch your video on it again to find out! Replace the machined 90° for straight connections? Thanks again for your feedback I really appreciate it and can’t wait to get this thing dialed in and tuned up!
@@DudeRanchDIY good to hear that 6 way is working. Problem with 6 way is the bottom wedges force the bottom pieces down due to bevel location on winged wedges. Pieces may want to pinch on that deflector you friend added. Dump valve reduces amount of oil forced to return thru auto cycle valve on cylinder retract. Cylinders with big rods can return a lot of oil on retract stroke. Mine returns 54gpm. Where the foot slides in/bolts up to lift table the metal “channel” under the round is deforming making the foot hang lower than parallel. Over time it will get worse. Hydraulic fittings. Less sharp bends in high flow areas will reduce friction.
I wonder which that four way set up if you could have attach a fixed screw to the back spine. Put a knob on it. Then you turn it like chainsaw bar tensioner. Obviously it would have to have a coarse thread to get height or drop without turning your hand off your wrist.
I have the same splitter, was debating on adding a Auto-cycle and Dump-Valve or just getting a new machine with all these upgrades. I see the links to the Auto-cycle and Dump-Valve, but would you happen to have the actual part numbers you went with?
Thanks Timothy! I got the valves from James at SplitEZ I will add the link to the video description... all I can say is that their customer service is top notch and extremely knowledgeable. I will be talking about my experience with them in my next video!
I don’t have an actual list, I just got the cylinder from a friend and went from there. I believe the cylinder was from surpluscenter.com and was 8” stroke with a 1” rod.
I can try to include this in an upcoming video, the plumbing diagram for the auto cycle valve can also be found on the Prince Manufacturing website however this doesn’t include the dump valve I’ve installed.
It’s definitely a great splitter for the cost! Now that I’ve done some modifications it’s really changed it’s productivity. The restriction plate is great, saves unnecessary travel distance and cuts down on stroke time. Haven’t had any issues with it whatsoever!
I’m looking to get the same splitter and seeing your mods I am very excited. How did you learn to do all them or did someone do it for you.?do you feel it is easy for a layman to complete? Is there some site that detailed it all for you? Do you have a list of every part you punched with their cost (hoses, fittings, valves, detects, I mean everything)? How much time did it take for completion? How much extra money do you figure you’ve invested to get it in tip top shape? Sorry for a million questions but truly appreciate all your responses. Thank you
I knew about the features just based on other high production log splitters on the market and figured I'd be able to add those features onto the RuggedMade. "Outside with Schieb" and "Garny" have the same machines but newer and have some of the same mods done. All of the modifications were done through trial and error. Nothing crazy complicated but there was a substantial amount of cutting, grinding, and welding in order to make everything work properly. My good friend who is a welder helped me do the mods. No website to go off of and no list of parts. I got my dump valve as well as the auto cycle valve from James at splitez.com I highly recommend buying parts from them, they are are great small business and do have diagrams for plumbing in the dump and auto cycle valve but I quickly learned that each scenario is different and I changed it up to fit my needs. I probably invested another $700 or so for parts and labor from my friend. I bought the machine used so I'm about $2,900 into it total.
I don’t really have a parts list, just kinda figured it all out, got the cylinder from surpluscenter.com and the auto cycle and dump valves from James over at splitez.com.
My ❤ is set on a Eastonmade 9-16. Alot more than the ruggedmade but love all ur mods. The link idea is awesome. Scheib will love it too. Seems like the pressure needs to b lower on the wedge lift. Its fast lol. How much did u invest in the mods, material n labor?
Thanks man! I love Eastonmade products as well and was talking with them about potentially getting one in the future but for now modifying what I already had made a lot more sense. Yeah wedge lift needs to be slower I haven’t gotten around to adjusting it yet. Got a dump valve on the way as well. Total for the mods is right around $700.
@@DudeRanchDIY sweet! Thanks for the reply back. Appreciate all the info uve given 👍🏽. Yeah I'm hoping by next fall I'll b picking mine up. Need to sell all my wood first lol.
Just got mine a week ago, what a PIA trying to get it together. The only thing I can't figure out is the metal bar with the 2 thread like I guess thumb bolts
@@zakfisher4271 hmm not quite sure which bolts you’re referring to, happy to help if I can...still haven’t really gotten to use mine much. Getting the final hose made for my dump valve tomorrow.
Hello, I live in western mass, work in CT. I have the same splitter would your buddy be interested in doing the same mods on mine hat he did on urs? Great channel have been enjoying!
Back to the shop. Reduce the oil flow to the wedge lift, washers or needle valves. The return stroke is working the motor to empty the cylinder, to add a pilot operated Dump valve, another 3/4 inch oil port welded to the cylinder plumed to the tank. yes the cylinder needs to be opened up on the bench. Looks like he went a bit heavy on the pipe dope. Cut off the strap on the 6 way so it can go lower. What a shame a splitter needs so many up grades to get it the way it needs to be..
Yeah I have a needle valve on the wedge lift works much better now, also installed a 25gpm dump valve. Pipe dope was plentiful haha, the upgrades are the fun part!
Hi names Robert live in pa near harrisburg. Have had my rugged splitt little over a year,works great never an issue. I was thinking of upgrades also definitely wanted a hydraulic wedge but the price of what other splitters with one is alot. Seen video older guy extended tongue by 3 feet and put hand crank lift wheel cause splitter is so heavy to lift to put on ball hitch. One thing I want to do is make it more safe to towe down road. Was thinking of some kind of suspension like off of a single ski do trailer, just can't figure out quite how to do it. It would raise it up some Wich is ok and leg stand would need extended a bit for suspension no problem there. Wander if your buddy that helped with fabrication would have any good ideas. I don't wanna trailer it. So some kind of suspension would be a great advantage for me. You ever see peaple towing the small cement mixer ER behind there truck ,no suspension and lots of bounce and dangerous to towe. Let me know any ideas you have or anyone seeing this.
@@robertclark2181 Simplest way I can think of is like you said, fabricating up a mounting point for a small torsion axle of some kind on the hydraulic tank and going from there!
The key to any good log splitter is to start the thing and let the splitter speak for its self. 10 minutes in and its still not running!!. Vid was putting me to sleep.
Been debating on buying one. Just bought under 10 acres and going to build a cabin. Definitely will be purchasing soon. Definitely like the mods you had done, think I’ll do the same
It’s a very good machine for the price!
Nice Jake ,
I see the wedge is moving fast like mine did you can adjust he pressure to the wedge on the valve to have more control of it to be a little More precise. Guess I’ll have to get moving on my auto cycle. Looks like you may have lost some speed with the ram though. Check out your valve adjustment on it may need a little more flow. I do like what you have done with the log lift I seen Garny had done that a while back I thought about it but that’s as far as it got. All in all looks good. If anything definitely adjust that wedge valve for more control bud.
Thanks Scheib, yeah it’s pretty jerky in action. I actually got two adjustable restrictor valves from a friend today just gotta pick up the adapters tomorrow and I’ll hook them up to fix that! I also noticed the speed of the ram seemed slower... I will have to check out the adjustments on its valve. All in all I’m really happy with the way it turned out, looking forward to getting some time to put some rounds through it. Thanks for your support!
Dude Ranch DIY no need for the restrictor valves you can adjust it on the valve itself.
Outside with Scheib oh that’s great, didn’t realize those adjustments would do the trick, I’ll try that first tomorrow thanks bud 👍🏼🍻
Dude Ranch DIY just make sure you adjust the valve and not the detent💪🏻💪🏻🍺🍺
Dude Ranch DIY if I remember correctly the detent is in the back the pressure is in the front under the cap.
Nice job , Instal only pressure regulator or something to restrict oil flow to Your lift cylinder . Nice upgrade !!!
Thanks Robert! Funny you mention that, I actually installed a flow restrictor valve yesterday for that exact reason. Works great!
if you install a restrictors in the wedge cyld. ports it will slow the operation down, look into that
Just a little slower /more precise hydraulic on wedge adjustment is all I can see . Great job.
I’ve since added needle valves to the cylinder adjustment valves which fixes this!
Great upgrades to the splitter. You have taken a mid-range splitter and added some high-end features. Another issue with the auto-cycle is splitting any knotty wood that tends to "pop" apart. You need to keep your eyes on that stuff. Scheib has a video where a knotty piece splits and hits him in a bad spot for a man. I bought a Fiskers pickaroon after I tore the bicep tendon at the elbow joint of my left arm over-reaching for a heavy piece of wood in the back of my truck. I saw you had a Fiskers maul, have you tried their X27 splitting axe. I think that it is as effective as the maul but a lot less weight to have to move around. Maybe a good Christmas gift from your SO.
Thanks Phil! The upgrades I’ve done to it I’ve found make a huge difference in consistency of pieces as well as a slight production increase. That “pop” is always surprising and definitely something to watch out for...I love the pickaroon, what a back saver! The Fiskars maul is great too and I also have their hatchet. Never personally tried the splitting axe but I will have to keep an eye out for one or let Sarah know for Christmas! Thanks as always for watching! 🍻
Could you please send me a link or tell me what cylinder u have for the wedge lift?
I found it in a dumpster. I believe it’s a 2” cylinder, 1” rod, with a 8” throw
Great job with the modifications to the splitter. If you add larger return lines to the reservoir tank the faster your cycle time will be! Good Luck 👍
The return lines are already 3/4” I believe, the dump valve helped a lot on the return stroke time!
@@DudeRanchDIY do you have a single stage pump or do you have a two stage pump? I was told that a two stage pump would increase it as well too?
This is good stuff! Yeah you’ll find task for those idle hands soon enough! Few things I see that may need adjustment...
1) wedge valve. The flow restrictors will help with wedge ram speed. Also adjust the detent for both log lift and wedge valve out far enough so you are not feeling them. No need for detent for those operations. It will make them work a lot smoother too. You can add handle length too. This makes valve ops more precise.
2) wedge cylinder base. Yeah welding that was not a good idea. Also cylinder port position not ideal. I think you’ll come to find running the 6way is gonna cause problems even with that deflection plate. Pin cyl base and clock cyl. Ports to 12:00.
3) hinge table. Reinforce bottom of hinge as to keep metal “seats” from deforming even more causing the foot to fall out of parallel.
4) this dearly needs a dump valve!.
5) minimize the amount of machined 90*’s. Especially the one coming out of the pump.
All in all nice job. Just that work alone has made this machine much more user friendly and the operator more proficient.
Thanks for the feedback Garny, a lot of great information here...I will look into all of the flow and detent adjustments today. I’ve never tried adjusting hydraulics before so it will be a learning experience! I’m hoping that the welded cylinder base doesn’t effect it too much, after some more use there seems to be enough play in the mounting sleeve on the wedge to allow ample room for it to not transfer stress to the cylinder weld itself. I tried the 6-way and was pleasantly surprised at how smooth it pushed rounds through, didn’t seem to bind up at all (even with hickory) but only time will tell...Not quite sure what part of the hinged log lift that needs reinforcement you’re referring to? Also not quite sure what a dump valve does or why I need it but I will watch your video on it again to find out! Replace the machined 90° for straight connections? Thanks again for your feedback I really appreciate it and can’t wait to get this thing dialed in and tuned up!
@@DudeRanchDIY good to hear that 6 way is working. Problem with 6 way is the bottom wedges force the bottom pieces down due to bevel location on winged wedges. Pieces may want to pinch on that deflector you friend added.
Dump valve reduces amount of oil forced to return thru auto cycle valve on cylinder retract. Cylinders with big rods can return a lot of oil on retract stroke. Mine returns 54gpm.
Where the foot slides in/bolts up to lift table the metal “channel” under the round is deforming making the foot hang lower than parallel. Over time it will get worse. Hydraulic fittings. Less sharp bends in high flow areas will reduce friction.
Garny Gotcha, I’ll look into the above. I like the idea of reinforcement on the log lift and reduction of 90° fittings
@@garny3766 Ordered a dump valve today off splitez. Cant wait to get it hooked up
Dude Ranch DIY awesome! I just ordered one from there yesterday.
I wonder which that four way set up if you could have attach a fixed screw to the back spine. Put a knob on it. Then you turn it like chainsaw bar tensioner. Obviously it would have to have a coarse thread to get height or drop without turning your hand off your wrist.
I think the newer versions have that
Add a couple flow control adjusters ( basically restrictors) to the wedge lines to be able to slow it down.
Yes I have since added those
Got a video of how much they worked?
All of my recent videos have the flow controls on the wedge lift.
I have the same splitter, was debating on adding a Auto-cycle and Dump-Valve or just getting a new machine with all these upgrades. I see the links to the Auto-cycle and Dump-Valve, but would you happen to have the actual part numbers you went with?
RD525MMEE5A4B1
m.splitez.com/dump-valve.html
Great video of some great mods. Can you provide links for where to get the auto cycle and dump valves?
Thanks!
Thanks Timothy! I got the valves from James at SplitEZ I will add the link to the video description... all I can say is that their customer service is top notch and extremely knowledgeable. I will be talking about my experience with them in my next video!
you should look into getting a dump valve on it would double your return speed! Looking good they deff work good!
I’m actually working on installing the dump valve this weekend! Be sure to subscribe to see it in action on the next video!
Do you have the information on the parts you used for the adjustable wedge?
I don’t have an actual list, I just got the cylinder from a friend and went from there. I believe the cylinder was from surpluscenter.com and was 8” stroke with a 1” rod.
a restrictor .031" in the lines for the wedge lift. It will slow the volume of oil through the line.
Hello DR DIY, are you still happy with the splitez parts? . Have they held up? . Would you / Do you still buy their parts? . Thanks in Advance!
Yes they work great
Could u show more detail on how the lines r run for the auto cycle value
I can try to include this in an upcoming video, the plumbing diagram for the auto cycle valve can also be found on the Prince Manufacturing website however this doesn’t include the dump valve I’ve installed.
Thanks for the help..
Would u have the link of the diagram for auto cycle..
Lota thought turned into good ideas.
It sure did take some figuring! Well worth the time and money in my opinion 👍
Like shieb you could trim off the bottom of the 4 way wedge so the bottom pieces aren’t so large.
Yes I've considered doing this but haven't gotten around to it yet!
Nice hey man I just got the same splitter and would like to do the same mod. You got a part number for the wedge lift cylinder. Thanks
No part number as I got it off a friend but I believe it’s a 6” stroke, 2” cylinder, and 1” rod. I then extended the rod and mounting to fit my needs
@@DudeRanchDIY ok thanks that will help me alot wasn't sure on the size. Thanks again
I just picked up the same splitter and I love it. How do like using the short stop plate? Have you had any problem using it?
It’s definitely a great splitter for the cost! Now that I’ve done some modifications it’s really changed it’s productivity. The restriction plate is great, saves unnecessary travel distance and cuts down on stroke time. Haven’t had any issues with it whatsoever!
I’m looking to get the same splitter and seeing your mods I am very excited. How did you learn to do all them or did someone do it for you.?do you feel it is easy for a layman to complete? Is there some site that detailed it all for you? Do you have a list of every part you punched with their cost (hoses, fittings, valves, detects, I mean everything)? How much time did it take for completion? How much extra money do you figure you’ve invested to get it in tip top shape? Sorry for a million questions but truly appreciate all your responses. Thank you
I knew about the features just based on other high production log splitters on the market and figured I'd be able to add those features onto the RuggedMade. "Outside with Schieb" and "Garny" have the same machines but newer and have some of the same mods done. All of the modifications were done through trial and error. Nothing crazy complicated but there was a substantial amount of cutting, grinding, and welding in order to make everything work properly. My good friend who is a welder helped me do the mods. No website to go off of and no list of parts. I got my dump valve as well as the auto cycle valve from James at splitez.com I highly recommend buying parts from them, they are are great small business and do have diagrams for plumbing in the dump and auto cycle valve but I quickly learned that each scenario is different and I changed it up to fit my needs. I probably invested another $700 or so for parts and labor from my friend. I bought the machine used so I'm about $2,900 into it total.
@@DudeRanchDIY thanks for the info. You really scored on the cost for the unit. Chris really had to be a good friend. Thanks again for the reply.
Can you send parts list for your modification and vendor
I don’t really have a parts list, just kinda figured it all out, got the cylinder from surpluscenter.com and the auto cycle and dump valves from James over at splitez.com.
What cylinder are you using for your wedge?
It’s a 5” OD cylinder with a 3.5” shaft.
@@DudeRanchDIY I mean for your hydraulic wedge up and down
@@toddtravis4710 Honestly I don’t really remember which one I got, I believe its a 2.5”cylinder, had an 8” stroke and 3/4” shaft.
My ❤ is set on a Eastonmade 9-16. Alot more than the ruggedmade but love all ur mods. The link idea is awesome. Scheib will love it too. Seems like the pressure needs to b lower on the wedge lift. Its fast lol. How much did u invest in the mods, material n labor?
Thanks man! I love Eastonmade products as well and was talking with them about potentially getting one in the future but for now modifying what I already had made a lot more sense. Yeah wedge lift needs to be slower I haven’t gotten around to adjusting it yet. Got a dump valve on the way as well. Total for the mods is right around $700.
@@DudeRanchDIY sweet! Thanks for the reply back. Appreciate all the info uve given 👍🏽. Yeah I'm hoping by next fall I'll b picking mine up. Need to sell all my wood first lol.
You need a flow control on your wedge cylinder to make it easier to control.
Yeah I actually have one on there for the up stroke and another for down, just haven’t had time to put it on.
Got a link to that auto cycle valve?
Check the link in the description!
Just got mine a week ago, what a PIA trying to get it together. The only thing I can't figure out is the metal bar with the 2 thread like I guess thumb bolts
@@zakfisher4271 hmm not quite sure which bolts you’re referring to, happy to help if I can...still haven’t really gotten to use mine much. Getting the final hose made for my dump valve tomorrow.
Its like a metal bar maybe 8 inches long by a inch or so thick. With 2 bolts os on.it
Why did you not just get an disappearing wedge? That splitter is slow..
They don’t make a wedge like that… it’s slow compared to my Eastonmade, fast compared to a lot of other splitters.
Hello,
I live in western mass, work in CT.
I have the same splitter would your buddy be interested in doing the same mods on mine hat he did on urs?
Great channel have been enjoying!
Hey Michael, glad you’ve been liking the channel. I don’t think he would, he just takes on my crazy projects for fun 😂
You need to slow down the flow to that wedge so it’s easier to put it where you want it.
Yeah I had added on flow restriction valves after I made this video.
Back to the shop. Reduce the oil flow to the wedge lift, washers or needle valves. The return stroke is working the motor to empty the cylinder, to add a pilot operated Dump valve, another 3/4 inch oil port welded to the cylinder plumed to the tank. yes the cylinder needs to be opened up on the bench. Looks like he went a bit heavy on the pipe dope. Cut off the strap on the 6 way so it can go lower. What a shame a splitter needs so many up grades to get it the way it needs to be..
Yeah I have a needle valve on the wedge lift works much better now, also installed a 25gpm dump valve. Pipe dope was plentiful haha, the upgrades are the fun part!
Hi names Robert live in pa near harrisburg. Have had my rugged splitt little over a year,works great never an issue. I was thinking of upgrades also definitely wanted a hydraulic wedge but the price of what other splitters with one is alot. Seen video older guy extended tongue by 3 feet and put hand crank lift wheel cause splitter is so heavy to lift to put on ball hitch. One thing I want to do is make it more safe to towe down road. Was thinking of some kind of suspension like off of a single ski do trailer, just can't figure out quite how to do it. It would raise it up some Wich is ok and leg stand would need extended a bit for suspension no problem there. Wander if your buddy that helped with fabrication would have any good ideas. I don't wanna trailer it. So some kind of suspension would be a great advantage for me. You ever see peaple towing the small cement mixer ER behind there truck ,no suspension and lots of bounce and dangerous to towe. Let me know any ideas you have or anyone seeing this.
@@robertclark2181 Simplest way I can think of is like you said, fabricating up a mounting point for a small torsion axle of some kind on the hydraulic tank and going from there!
yeah chris' design was robbed. nonetheless that is a much better explanation really nice channel new sub!
Glad you found it useful!
The key to any good log splitter is to start the thing and let the splitter speak for its self. 10 minutes in and its still not running!!. Vid was putting me to sleep.
That’s what the fast forward button is for.
I'm with ya brother. Dude talks more than a 13 year old school girl
Hey genius, they got the hitch on the wrong end ! !
Hitches on both sides!!