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Log Splitter Mods Part III: Seeking a 5-Second Cycle Time

Log Splitter Mods Part III: Seeking a 5-Second Cycle Time
February 2, 2024

In our third video in this series, we modify a RuggedMade RS-322 log splitter to achieve a 5-second cycle time. In the first video, we increased the pump and engine sizes, and in the second video, we upgraded the hydraulic hose size to match. But we haven't quite gotten the results we're looking for.

This time, we made a big change to the cylinder rod by increasing the outer diameter to a much bigger 3 inches, but we kept the inner diameter the same. We also moved to a larger, 12-gallon tank. Did our changes give us that magic number? Watch and see!

Does Cylinder Rod Size Affect Cycle Time?

Our cylinder modification aims to speed up the retracting stroke when operating the log splitter. The quicker the rod retracts, the quicker you will be ready to position the next round for splitting.

By increasing the rod end's outer diameter (OD) from 2.25 inches to 3 inches, the pump will have to push a lot less volume of fluid. Thus, the 3" rod will retract faster than the 2.25" rod.

Measuring the 3" (OD) RodMeasuring the 3" (OD) Rod

The Modifications

We started with a RuggedMade RS-322 log splitter and made the following modifications:

With all these modifications, watch the video to see how close we get to a 5-second cycle time!

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