What size home-made log splitter for 254 Jinma

Don L, where did you get your GPM numbers from ? The standard E314L hydraulic pumps  on the Yangdong or Liadong 385 engines are around 8.8 GPM ?  I have a E320 Upgraded High output pump, or you can you with a PTO pump and tank kit.

Tommy

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For a log splitter, the bigger the cylinder the better. However, you don't want to exceed your systems oil capacity. Most log splitter cylinders are single acting with an internal spring return and a single acting valve. Is this your plan, or are you going to use a double acting cylinder and double acting valve?

You might want to consider Tommy's recommendations about the independent pump and reservoir system.

I just looked up the GPM on your Pump and its 7.40GPM

 CBN-E314L

Tommy

Affordable Tractor Sales

“Your Jinma Parts Superstore”

http://www.affordabletractorsalesco.com

The decision will come down to how patient you are.  That small pump will make a log splitter pretty sow to operate and that may drive you nuts.  The guys I know who slit a lot of wood usually opt for a two-stage hydraulic pump that will move the ram quickly to reach the log and then develop more power for doing the actual splitting.   These are on splitters that they trailer and that use a separate engine to drive a hydraulic pump. 

For a  tractor splitter, I'd recommend a PTO pump to get the flow you need to move a big ram reasonably quickly.

My splitter runs in a loop on my existing pump on my JM 284. It works well,and has plenty of power,  but it is a little slow to cycle. I work alone and only split for my own use so this setup works well for me. And the price was right since I got it in a trade for rebuilding & recovering a computer for someone! If i were starting from scratch I would buy one with a gas engine , just for the convenience . Just my 2 cents. BG

depending on where you are make sure you get one that has good power we have sycamore and hackberry,elm and some other hardwoods that are tuff to split cause the grain swirls thru the log. I have a splitter that is rated at 27 ton and splits it but it dont like it when it is around 12 inchs or so. But it is free to me so I use it and the above woods burn well,nice btu's.If all you have is like maple, oak, hickory they split easier.but I do not think I would fool around with aything rated less than 20 ton.

I have built many hydraulic items over the years.  I can't give you an exact answer because there are too many vacant variables.  All the wood I split comes from my own land and I know what I have.  You may not be in that situation and might not be sure of what you will split in the future.

Most home wood splitters use either a 3” or 4” cylinder.  There is a “significant” difference in the two.  A 3” cylinder has around 7” of piston surface area where a 4” has over 12”.  So for example at 2500 psi a 3” cylinder will produce 7×2500 = 17,500 lbs of force.  A 4” cylinder at 2500 psi will produce 12×2500=30,000 lbs of force.  Of course the higher the pressure the more you get out of it.  One is far more powerful than the other in any case.  The trade off is cycle time.  

If you consider that most are 24” stroke cylinders you can calculate how much volume each cylinder will hold.   Each cubic foot holds 7.48 gal of liquid.  A 24” cylinder with a 4” diameter has 301.7 cubic inches of volume where the 3” has 169.7”.

Calculate your real flow….not just what the pump puts out.  Make sure the valve and hoses you use provide sufficient flow.  Speaking of valves I would go to some place such as surplus center and get a real valve for a wood splitter.  They have a detent so you don't have to hold it in the retract position manually.   This frees you up to grab more wood while the cylinder is returning.

I used a PTO driven backhoe pump/tank kit that I had laying around for mine.  It works very well.  Really faster than I want to work.

Good Luck

If yoiu use a PTO pump you most assuredly will need a reservoir.  You could theoretically operate with just the fluid in the cylinder volume, but you'd have to “rest” the machine after every second log to let the oil cool back down.  Maybe every log, if they're tough.   A reservoir is cheap and fluid is not consumed, so get a  decent-sized one.

Yes you will need a reservoir if you go the PTO pump route. Rule of thumb is one gallon of reservoir size for every GPM of the pump, so if you have a 7 GPM pump you will need a 7 gallon (minimum) reservoir. You HAVE to have a reservoir because the pump continues to run even when the valve is closed. You would have a simple open center hydraulic system.

Using Spring Valley's calculations, make sure your tractors hydraulic reservoir is large enough to handle that 4.5″ cylinder. Hate to see you run out of oil.