Can you adjust the length of the firewood?
Yes, the cutting length is adjusted simply by moving the red plate shown in the middle of the picture below. The plate is fixed simply by turning a handle. The yellow tape under the plate shows measurements in inches and cm for machines sold in North America. Length can be adjusted between 6 and 24 inch.
Is there an on-line manual to help me understand how to operate the machine ?
Yes! You can see the video below.
The splitting cylinder 8 ton force seems quite low compared to log splitters
This is due to a calculation method used for the force of the cylinder. European standards for calculating the splitting force of a cylinder are different for a log splitter and a firewood processor. A cylinder of similar size of the one of the EVO36 would be rated between 18 and 20 tons if it was mounted on a log splitter.
Isn’t a conveyor more efficient to feed a firewood processor?
The older machinery manufactured by Agromaster had a conveyor and the current Pilkemaster EVO feeding system has been found a lot more efficient. As the forward and splitting movements are combined, there is a clear increase in production speed.
In addition to the increased speed, the machine is more reliable as the same cylinder now powers the log-lifter, the feeding of the log and the splitting, meaning only one maintenance point instead of 3 in older generation machines.
Why don’t you use joystick controls like some other manufacturers ?
Well, this is simply due to the fact that the Pilkemaster is so easy to use. A joystick has 2 axis for a total of 4 different movements. The control handle of the Pilkemaster needs only one axis: when you push the handle, the table moves forward, when you release it the table comes back, and when you pull the handle the saw comes down.
How much firewood can you produce before the saw-chain wears out ?
The saw-chain mounted on the Pilkemaster EVO processors is a standard Stihl saw-chain. It can be replaced with any other brand and has the same features than any saw-chain. This means that you can produce a lot of firewood without sharpening your chain as long as the logs you use are clean. But with sandy logs, the chain can wear out in minutes.