Assembling the RuggedSplit Tractor Mount Log Splitter

Welcome back to RuggedMade. I'm Jared and today we're going to unbox and assemble the Rugged Split-322 24 TR Log Splitter. As you can see, this is our tractor-mount splitter. It's designed to use standard category 1 and category 2 tractor mounts and a kit comes with everything you see here. It’s got a valve with the return detent, the hydraulic hoses, a slip-on four-way blade, and category 1 and category 2 connections. So let's head back to the shop and put it together.

Connect the central tube from the subframe to the bottom of the beam. Use M12 x 40 bolts and M12 Nyloc nuts. Both the bolts and the nuts take an 18mm wrench. Mount the horizontal cross bar to the back of the tube. Use four M12 x 40 bolts and M12 Nyloc nuts. Note the orientation of the category 1 and category 2 tractor mounting pins. Don't tighten the bolts down all the way yet. Mount the vertical post on top of the crossbar using four M12 by 40 bolts and M12 Nyloc nuts. Note that the open end of the U-channel faces away from the splitter toward the tractor. Mount the two diagonal support struts between the horizontal crossbar and the vertical post. Use four M10 by 40 flange bolts and M10 Nyloc nuts. The bolt heads take a 15mm wrench and the nuts take a 16mm wrench. Don't tighten these bolts yet. Now, install the two horizontal support struts between the main tube and the rear crossbar. Start by securing each strut to the rear crossbar using two M10 x 40 flange bolts and M10 Nyloc nuts. We'll secure the front of the strut at a later step. Mount the center line support struts to the vertical post. Do this by removing the four bolts that hold the side struts to the vertical post. The center line struts should be on the inside of the side struts. Connect the center line struts and the horizontal side struts to the main tube using the two M10 by 120mm bolts. The center line struts should be touching the tube and the horizontal side struts should be on the outside.

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Tighten all of the bolts. Remove the four M10 x 35 hex bolts that hold the trunnion locking plates in place. Save these bolts for later. Remove the two long bolts, the steel plate, and the urethane pad that secure the cylinder in place during shipping. This hardware will not be needed again.

Slide the cylinder rearward until the trunnions are in the notches. The two spacers should be between the cylinder and the beam. Secure the cylinder in place using the two trunnion locking plates. Use the four M10 by 35 hex bolts with lock washer and flat washer. Remove the protective plugs from the ports on the cylinder. Install a 3/4" NPT male by 1/2" JIC 37-degree male fitting into the port on the welded end of the cylinder. Apply PTFE thread seal tape or pipe dope to the NPT end of the fitting. Install all NPT fittings securely, but do not over-tighten; it's possible to damage the female seat. When finished, this elbow fitting should be pointed towards the front of the cylinder, but slightly off of the center line.

Install the two upper centerline support struts. Use four M10 x 30 flange bolts to connect these struts to the vertical post. At the front of the struts, use the two M10 x 35 hex bolts that are already in the beam. Remove the protective plug from the port on the rod end of the cylinder. Apply thread seal tape to both ends of the 3/4" NPT male by 3/4" NPT male straight fitting. Install it in the port at the rod end of the cylinder. The A and B work ports on the valve are clearly marked with letters in the casting. The inlet and outlet ports are also marked with flow direction arrows. Mount the valve on top of the straight fitting using the B work port. Tighten the valve on top of the straight fitting so that the A work port is facing away from the blade. Install a 3/4" NPT male by 1/2" JIC 37-degree elbow into the A work port on the bottom of the valve. Install a 3/4" NPT male by 3/4" JIC 37-degree elbow into the outlet or return port of the valve. Install the remaining 3/4" NPT male by 1/2" JIC 37-degree elbow into the inlet port of the valve. The elbows in the inlet and outlet ports of the valve should point towards the rear of the splitter. Connect the elbow in the A port of the valve to the elbow at the welded end of the cylinder using the 26" long 1/2" ID high pressure hose. The swivel at the end of the hose crimp connects to the fitting using a JIC 37-degree type of connection. You can use two wrenches to prevent the hose from twisting while tightening the swivel collar. The swivel collar on a JIC 37-degree type of connection does not need to be tightened as much as an NPT connection. The return line is a 3/4" ID 1,000 PSI working pressure hose. Connect it to the fitting on the outlet port of the valve. The inlet, or supply line, is a 1/2" ID 4,000 PSI working pressure hose. Connect it to the fitting on the inlet port of the valve. Tighten the swivel collars, but do not over-tighten. Mount the control valve lever using the supplied hardware. Note that the lever should angle away from the valve toward the welded end of the cylinder. Secure the pins with cotter pins.

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Install the log cradles using the four M10 x 40 flange bolts and M10 Nyloc nuts. These bolts take a 14mm wrench and the nuts take a 15mm wrench. You can now install the slip-on four-way blade. Install the category 1 and category 2 top link pins in the vertical post. Your RuggedMade 322 24 TR Log Splitter is now ready to be attached to your tractor and connected to your tractor's hydraulic system. Thank you for watching.