# Best way to move logs- ideas, anyone?



## maxburton

I just bought a flatbed trailer and am toying around with the idea of putting logs on it to move them rather than hiring a log truck. Here are ideas I've had of how to get the on the the trailer. I'm hoping the community has tried and proven (or disproven) some of these or has better ideas. Thanks in advance, guys!

1: Cutting them up and using a log dolly. (I don't know a local place to buy them, though)

2: Using a winch to drag them up. (will the winch bend the frame?)

3: Using some kind of wheeled log-end-holder at one or both ends.

4: Combinations of 2 and 3.

5: Rolling them up the side. (tough for the big ones!)

5: Give up and get a log trailer.


----------



## dekandgord

I generally get Dek and the kids to carry them ! person power "it's clean, and its green!!!" 
I feel like a Brit Al Gore !!!!:rockn: :rockn:


----------



## sawinredneck

You left out some crucial information.

Are the logs easily accesable, can you just back the trailer up to them?

Is there a lot of hills and wooded area around to get in the way?

Is this wood for milling or firewood?

My thoughts are for an electric winch on the trailer, mounted on the tounge, or a chainsaw winch, both expensive, or the cheap hard way, is a manul winch and drag them on the trailer that way.

If it is for firewood cut the pieces up with a saw and throw them on!!!
Andy


----------



## Grace Tree

Log dolly works OK if you're on improved ground but if you're hauling stuff out of the woods or on rough ground it gets pretty tough. I took down 3 silver maples and 11 30' cherry trees out of a mowed field in the rain this week with a log dolly. Worked OK but it was a long slight uphill grade and my legs are shot. I felt like I should be wearing a harness and a feed bag. I have one from Northern Tool and it looks cheap but we haven't broken it yet. If you're looking for a good one the Sherrill truck looks good but I never used one. Do an online search and try to find a maker or nursery supply close to you. If you buy one and have it shipped the shipping will kill you.
Phil


----------



## maxburton

Good questions from the redneck.

I can usually get right up to my logs. I'm lucky like that. I also usually cut them into firewood. Maybe I should just toss the stuff on after I cut it on site. I just like to cut logs at my shop on my own time rather than on the job. And a lot of the time I'm dumping the wood, so the less cutting the better.

As far as the winching goes, I saw some cheap ones today at Pep boys. I suspect they won't have nearly the power I'll need. I have a couple rope come-alongs, but that would be a lot of cranking. I'm thinking for loading logs whole, I would have to roll them up the side and onto the bed that way.


----------



## sawinredneck

If that is the case, cut them just small enough to handle them, use the ramps on the trailer, or make some for it, and roll them on. I have done it both ways, I prefer to cut to lenght on site and then come home and split it at my liesure. This is my primary income in the winter and the less I hadle the wood, the better for me!!!
Andy


----------



## TimberJack_7

Well, here is what I used to do. Using a half ton Ramcharger, a 6x12 dual axle trailer rated for 7000lbs, a cant hook, four wheel chocks and a chain and a towing strap, I was always able to load whatever logs I ran across when hauling something to the sawmill or taking it back to my place for firewood.

Be warned, this is the cooter method, but it works. First I would line the logs up that were to be dragged onto the trailer. Next the wheels on the trailer would be chocked, and the trailer ramp dropped onto the ground to allow 12 ft. logs to be pulled on (at this point, trailer is disconnected from the truck). Then I would hook chain to the log, then connect chain to the tow strap which in turn would be hooked to a heavy duty D ring on the front bumper of the Ramcharger, which for easier pulling (in reverse) is in four low. Here is the tricky part. The ramp had a 2 inch lip that the log would have to overcome before it could slide up the ramp and onto the trailer. Once it is on the ramp and in the bed of the trailer, the friction coefficient is very minimal, thus making for easy loading. I found the trick to overcoming this two inch lip was to put the truck in reverse, drag the log to the lip of the trailer until it made contact and then add a fair amount of tension. Once the tension is there, get out of the truck, take the cant hook and gently roll the log. It would always, without fail come right over the lip and onto the ramp. Once that part was done, resume pulling until log gets to the front of the trailer.


Using the above method, I was always able to load anywhere between 3 and six logs onto my trailer. So what happens if I needed to load more than 3 to 6 logs? That is where the hi-lift jack comes in! I'll explain if anybody is interested. The above method of log loading comes from doing too many tree jobs by myself and having to be one resourceful S.O.B.


----------



## vctree

i have the log dolly from sherrill. works great for all wood. large logs upright or allot of smaller logs across. cheap winches break over time. this dolly will be a great addition to your trailer.


----------



## ozy365

We cut everyting into two or three firewood size lengths and then use a dolly form tractor supply co ($20/ 600# rating/perseason) and ramp them up on a trailer. Bungie cord the top or short rope prussiked by biner to keep the log steady for rough terrain. Over pump the tires a smidge.


----------



## vctree

i am not familar with the one from tractor supply, if it works well....great. i just think it would be a waste of money to use a winch. plus, you won't mark up the ground nearly as much.


----------



## beowulf343

A peavey and a couple of ramps.


----------



## vctree

the combo of my log dolly and log carrier, there isn't much more you use. next step is a mini skid steer.


----------



## TheTreeSpyder

Ride a parbuckle "knot"/rig up the side or over ramps. This can give better than 2x truck pull effect 'cuz the way the log 'walks' to it's destination.


----------



## John Ellison

I agree with Spyder, parbuckle up ramps over the side would be the only way to easily load the bigger logs and will not rut the ground up. Easy and fairly fast once you get set up for it.


----------



## Tree Machine

The problem with a peavy and ramps is that you are downhill of the log being rolled up the ramp. Smaller log, not so much an issue. Bigger log, one slip of the peavy, well, you can imagine what might happen there.

I ran into this just last week on vacation, taking out a cabbage palm. Last job of the day. Dad's trailer is full and we just needed to get the 16" diameter trunk sections (3 at 8 feet each) and then the blasted top, which is heavy as heck, covered in frond stubs and if you cut into the meat of the thing its soakin wet, fibrous, mushy and pinches the bar almost immediately. I'd popped the top out first, then the next upper section and worked my way down (felling it at once would have put it into a pond). The base cut trashed my chain, but the tree was down.

The logs we moved by attaching the fatter end to a dolly with a cam-strap. Two choker slings near the front, a man on each side and we were moving them out, the rear on wheels and the front floating just a little above ground. We had three next to the trailer with relative ease. Then came the palm head.

This sucker was odd-shaped for the dolly, clumsy and very, _very_ heavy. We balanced it on the dolly and with Dad pushin and me pullin we got it to the other logs at the side of the trailer. Then the task of getting them up onto the already packed trailer. Coming in from the backside was not really an option. We had to get em up and over the side. It was chin-height.

Granted, we could have re-sharpened the chain right there, made 9 or 12 pieces where there were only three, making a mess where there was no mess and humped them on and clean up the new mess, or we could get creative, get the four pieces on in 4 attempts and go home.

"So what'cha gonna do now, Kid?" Dad asks me. "We're gonna Parbuckle them on." I knew of, and had used the method before but had only recently learned of the term from a cool little book I came across at Amazon, titled _Moving Heavy Things._ It was under 12 bucks. It describes in good detail how heavy things were moved before the advent of power winches and hydraulics. Moving logs, barrels, boats, blocks of granite, engines, etc. Here is the link to that book.

Like Spidey and Ellison have brought up, parbuckling is using 2 means of mechanical advantage at once; an incline plane (ramp) and a pully to create a 2:1 mechanical advantage. In parbuckling you're rolling a round object up a hill whereby the round object you're rolling _becomes_ the pully.

Set the ramps. Anchor the rope or ropes (we used two) to the far side of the trailer and run them down the ramps. Roll the log over the ropes to the base of the ramps. Run the free ends of the ropes back over the logs, up the ramps to the top of the trailer. Both men get up top, each takes a ropena and you both pull, hand-over-hand as the log rolls up the slope to the top. We were amazed how simple and easy this ended up being, until the clumsy, heavy palm top. For this we hooked both slings together to make one long sling, chokered the thing, set the ramps close together, hooked both ropes to the sling through a biner and skidded the thing up the ramp. There was added frictionm of the rope through the biner and of the palm head skidding up the ramps, but it was still surprisingly easy-and safe- we were not lifting, we were pulling and we were up above the load. And we were outta there.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

mini-skid or tractor grapple period,either that or hand load...


----------



## beowulf343

Tree-machine, can this method be used with one guy. True, the peavey and ramps can be dangerous but it is easy to find the center of the log and roll it with one guy. Of course I wouldn't try getting a log up chin high with a peavey either.


----------



## Tree Machine

Yea, I pretty much always work alone and have to figure this stuff out. I used to do a lot more of this kinda stuff using McGuiver methods. It really depends how heavy the load and how steep the incline. if you use the two lines you have to keep them even or one end or the other of the log will go up, or down.

Log arches are another really simple, effective and relatively affordable solution, not to getting them on a trailer, but the arch _becomes_ the trailer.

This slideshow is 71 meg. I posted it to a server so it'll stream. I've never posted anything so large, but there's a slew of images from moving big logs, multiple smaller logs, boulders, rolls of chain-link fence, transplanting a tree, pulling roots out of the ground, lifting stumps off a cap cut and a few others. Hope it works. Give it a try. Click here for the video slideshow.


----------



## beowulf343

Hmm, thanks t-m. Love to learn something new and am looking forward to giving this a try. I'm kinda spoiled I guess-dad owns a logging company and mill so when I need logs loaded, I just whistle up a truck.


----------



## jmcguiretree

A corner mounted crane with an extendable boom would work great! Try to find one from an old tire co. truck and mount it near the right rear corner of your trailer.You would be surprised how well this works.


----------



## sawinredneck

I have one on my truck, it's like an engine hoist, works great for a lot of things, but I can see somebody getting killed using it to lift a log, seen too many round things go wrong!!!
Andy


----------



## TheTreeSpyder

We back a truck up to trailer side and parbuckle up a spar from other side of trailer with parbuckle. Let bight ride thru spread hooks on truck. The spread gives more stability than bight coming to point at hitch; the bight laced thru hooks (instead of tied to them) allows self adjustment by the parbuckle system.

The rope shape gives a force flow of 2/1 ; "U" shape around the spar; like if rope ran thru pulley that dragged spar with 2/1; rope would be in same U shape; thus give 2/1. But; going around spar makes the spar 'walk' up ramp and or/ over side; instead of being dragged by 2/1 pulley.

Parbuckle is generally referred to as a knot; rather than rig for some reason; like for drawing barrels up a ramp onto ship.

i've often thought this pic could be of a parbuckle; perhaps drawn by animals; or by men shown!


----------



## Schultzz

*Loading Logs On Trailer*



maxburton said:


> I just bought a flatbed trailer and am toying around with the idea of putting logs on it to move them rather than hiring a log truck. Here are ideas I've had of how to get the on the the trailer. I'm hoping the community has tried and proven (or disproven) some of these or has better ideas. Thanks in advance, guys!
> 
> 1: Cutting them up and using a log dolly. (I don't know a local place to buy them, though)
> 
> 2: Using a winch to drag them up. (will the winch bend the frame?)
> 
> 3: Using some kind of wheeled log-end-holder at one or both ends.
> 
> 4: Combinations of 2 and 3.
> 
> 5: Rolling them up the side. (tough for the big ones!)
> 
> 5: Give up and get a log trailer.



Bought a roller conveyor (salvage) 10 ft $50. Bought new Warn Winch 3700 on Ebay, $239. Anchor winch plate to trailer, use roller conveyor as a ramp,
winch logs up. Depending on length of trailer you might want to use guard rail poles (sideways) to lessen friction, also helps in getting the poles off the ramp. The less friction, (drag), the easy for the winch to pull the logs up.


----------



## gumneck

maxburton said:


> I just bought a flatbed trailer and am toying around with the idea of putting logs on it to move them rather than hiring a log truck. Here are ideas I've had of how to get the on the the trailer. I'm hoping the community has tried and proven (or disproven) some of these or has better ideas. Thanks in advance, guys!
> 
> 1: Cutting them up and using a log dolly. (I don't know a local place to buy them, though)
> 
> 2: Using a winch to drag them up. (will the winch bend the frame?)
> 
> 3: Using some kind of wheeled log-end-holder at one or both ends.
> 
> 4: Combinations of 2 and 3.
> 
> 5: Rolling them up the side. (tough for the big ones!)
> 
> 5: Give up and get a log trailer.




I have a old rearengine rider frame with the rear wheels still on it. Has held some pretty large wood for me. I put one end of the log on the frame and pick the other end up with a 3pt hitch and move logs where ever I want. 

I dont see why you couldn't do similar to load up on your trailer ramps with a winch pulling the front end of log and the rear on some kind of wheeled dolly.


----------



## Adkpk

Lewis winch is a good way to get logs way back in the woods. Baileys has them. 
Do a google search for it and check out how they work. I have one, don't use it much but I will verify they work like they say. Wish I had some pics or a video but I don't.


----------



## buzz sawyer

TimberJack_7 said:


> Well, here is what I used to do. Using a half ton Ramcharger, a 6x12 dual axle trailer rated for 7000lbs, a cant hook, four wheel chocks and a chain and a towing strap, I was always able to load whatever logs I ran across when hauling something to the sawmill or taking it back to my place for firewood.
> 
> Be warned, this is the cooter method, but it works. First I would line the logs up that were to be dragged onto the trailer. Next the wheels on the trailer would be chocked, and the trailer ramp dropped onto the ground to allow 12 ft. logs to be pulled on (at this point, trailer is disconnected from the truck). Then I would hook chain to the log, then connect chain to the tow strap which in turn would be hooked to a heavy duty D ring on the front bumper of the Ramcharger, which for easier pulling (in reverse) is in four low. Here is the tricky part. The ramp had a 2 inch lip that the log would have to overcome before it could slide up the ramp and onto the trailer. Once it is on the ramp and in the bed of the trailer, the friction coefficient is very minimal, thus making for easy loading. I found the trick to overcoming this two inch lip was to put the truck in reverse, drag the log to the lip of the trailer until it made contact and then add a fair amount of tension. Once the tension is there, get out of the truck, take the cant hook and gently roll the log. It would always, without fail come right over the lip and onto the ramp. Once that part was done, resume pulling until log gets to the front of the trailer.
> 
> 
> Using the above method, I was always able to load anywhere between 3 and six logs onto my trailer. So what happens if I needed to load more than 3 to 6 logs? That is where the hi-lift jack comes in! I'll explain if anybody is interested. The above method of log loading comes from doing too many tree jobs by myself and having to be one resourceful S.O.B.



Good description TimberJack. I've used this same method many times with a single axle trailer. Works very well. Can this be done with a double axle?


----------



## treemendous

*log hauling*

This is something I've thought, talked and worked on a lot.

I've moved logs by hand myself or with help. A log carrier works or two peaveys to give you a good handle and something to lift and push with. The way to go is with a log arch or skidding arch. These can be moved by hand or with winch/ rope etc. There are a few made commercially around $500 and up. I'm still working on mine from an old small utility trailer. 

A lewis winch (chainsaw winch) or any other winch can skid logs but it really helps to have some lift for the leading end of the log, hence the log arch. lift can be achieved with a pulley in a tree or a crane or, my original idea a tripod mounted to the front of trailer with a pulley at top. 

I bought a pickup truck crane with a hand winch online for $100. mounted that to a steel plate and 2"tubular post to go in post holes of trailer. Two D rings are welded to sides of trailer(frame) and a cable clipped to both. Log is positioned over cable in a "V". the crane winch grabs the cable at the "V" point and when you crank it up the log rolls and lifts up over the tires and onto the deck. I nailed some chocks to prevent the log from going all the way over the otherside and killing me! The cable system also provides some mechanical advantage with lift.

Large logs can be moved this way. The crane can lift smaller logs on its own with the winch and the little hydraulic jack lift. It can then swivel the crane to place on the trailer, but I can use mine on either side, so I use the cable. 

I'm spoiled at home and have a backhoe with 4 in 1 front bucket to grab and lift logs, but they could be peaveyed right onto sawmill bunks.

I use a set of lifting tongs when skidding with cables and pulleys, its fast and you don't have to reach under log.

Another method I discovered online was for a trailer with hinged equipment ramps. The ramps were dropped down either side of log and cable attached with choker (I think). Then the log was wiched forward. The ramps with their strong hinges lift the log end up and forward onto the trailer. The picture I saw was of a massive log. Trailer was overloaded of course.

Just be careful, slow is fast. Get a trailer with brakes.


----------



## Tree Machine

treemendous said:


> I bought a *pickup truck crane with a hand winch* online for $100. mounted that to a steel plate and 2" tubular post to go in post holes of trailer. Two D rings are welded to sides of trailer(frame) and a cable clipped to both. Log is positioned over cable in a "V". the crane winch grabs the cable at the "V" point and when you crank it up the log rolls and lifts up over the tires and onto the deck. I nailed some chocks to prevent the log from going all the way over the otherside and killing me! The cable system also provides some mechanical advantage with lift.
> 
> Large logs can be moved this way. The crane can lift smaller logs on its own with the winch and the little hydraulic jack lift. It can then swivel the crane to place on the trailer, but I can use mine on either side, so I use the cable.


Tell me if I've got you right so far. I think this is brilliant. Which direction does the crane point? How long is the boom arm? what is the pulley attachment at the crane tip like? Can this pic be corrected in any way? it's clear treemendous has multiple excellent ways to move logs and you wouldn't keep employing a method unless it worked better than anything else you could come up with. You just take your excellent system, share it with us, and we can see how to improve upon it further. heh heh.


----------



## treemendous

*moving logs*

The picture is almost right.

The crane I have is available at many places. Northern tool, Harbor freight, Princess auto. Some have electric winches, mine is hand, like a boat trailer.
I think they all can swivel, but even greased up its a little hard with a log.

I mount my crane to one of the post - holes on the trailer. I only use it in between the tandem wheels not at the front. I use a bolt to pin it and I have a steel plate welded onto the bottom to distribute the load. At its max height it's about six feet, but I use it at a 45 deg angle, controlled by the little hydraulic cyl.

I got the idea from a commercially available a.t.v. trailer, watched the video and modified it. 

They also had a big cone thing that would go over the front of the log for smoother skidding with a lewis winch. Never tried that, just use plywood and pvc pipe when I'm in someone's yard.


----------



## Tree Machine

I think I bought one of those for my Dad from Harbor Freight. It was like a hundred twenty five, orange, swivel, bottle jack to raise and lower the arm and an extension boom. A cable boat winch is attached to the crane itself. The whole thing seemed really solid, and i was surprised at this because the price was really, really affordable. His chip trailer needed a floor to be lifted at one end for a box dump to get rid of chips. He had a come-along attached to a bar up above the floor, but he bent it, and the winch hung down into where the chips were coming up.

I got him that crane a few months ago and put it together for him, but he wanted to reinforce the underside of the trailer before he mounts the crane.

Doing a search...... here it is!


----------



## smcowboy1974

*Massey Harris 55 Gas tractor*

I just hook up a heavy 3/8" chain to the log, and the other end to my Massey Harris 55 tractor. It has 18-4-34 rear tires with chains. Put her in 1st gear and let her go. You can drag out a pretty good sized log, on snow or frozen ground.


----------



## PTS

Recently we worked a large land clearing project for housing development in which customer wanted every sapling to mature tree removed. The project took place on the side of an "Iowa Mountain" (side hill you could barley walk up and down on going down to the river. We had to get it down and up the hill because the customer couldn't wait till winter to take it down hill to the ice so we used a large wrecker to winch it up. The wrecker had two winches on board so while one was coming up the other was going down and hooking the next. I own three different winches with the biggest being 12,000 lbs I think. The problem is they are too slow and you get guys standing around waiting for the winch to move. plus small personal winches on long pulls in excess of 50 feet cause you to add extra cable so you pull till the hook is at the winch, un-hook extend out take out a piece of cable re-hook and drag the next section. After two or three or four times of this on each one. Get a wrecker, cause they have 250-300 foot of cable. Saves a ton of time and you can get on to the next job. As far as loading the logs... If you are going to do this job professionally, in my opinion you can't go wrong with purchasing a loader whether it be a skid loader, log loader, or my next purchase a dump trailer with a front mount log loader. Our New Holland LS 190 will lift just about anything but driving it on yards is an issue not neccessarily because of weight but the turning and tearing up the yards. The trailer loader could could be driven on the yard with little damage other than ground compaction. For the most part the trailer loader can lift the majority of what we are removing and you don't need a trailer to haul the skid and a trailer to put the logs it is all one and only one truck to pull it. I like the dump option because unloading takes time. On the big logs an 80-100 hp skid with at least 3500 lb lifting capacity will save you a lot of headaches and make sure you have a grapple bucket for it. Its a major investment but you will wonder what you did without it. On in-town projects we don't skid anything. Too much ground damage. We invested in a little 4 ft by 8 ft four wheeled trailer and we will cut logs to managable size so that one or two guys can load. We then role it to the curb and load it onto or dump trailer. Keeps us off the grass with equipment and faster then a log dolly because you could do the equivalent of two or three in one trip.


----------



## TimberJack_7

buzz sawyer said:


> Good description TimberJack. I've used this same method many times with a single axle trailer. Works very well. Can this be done with a double axle?




Yep. It is conducive to use four chocks and to raise the tongue of the trailer as to the highest angle possible. The trailer jack I have is pretty sturdy and I have never broken it. The trick is getting that log onto the actual trailer bed. Once that part is done, the friction problem is minimal.


----------



## John Paul Sanborn

As to size logs and transport, it depends on safety. Open sided trailers, the longer the better. The more mass the better.

One problem with the low cost electric winches is that they are not desiged for long term use, they overheat. 

I've talked to a guy who uses a parbuckle on an old rim mounted to the drive axle of a truck or jeep in tight areas. Jacks the vehical up, takes off one wheel and mounts the "winch rim" (for lack of a better term). Gotta really trust yourself there. (It came up at a convention when I mentione a guy wheo has a lathe running off an old pickup drive axle. Has the throttle run out the door...)

I've used the GRCS to winch logs into a truck when there is a sturdy rigpoint one can get a block into. Natural crotch causes too much friction on big logs, but long narrow ones works well.

The log dolly is the most cost effective in that it allows you to operate on minimal capital in the bordest varieties of landscapes.

Though we will allwasy run into those jobs where cut and carry is needed.


----------



## TheTreeSpyder

When just wenching up i think capacity(taking wench and not boom as weak link) and safety are increased by hitching s-lightly off center. Whereby, part of the weight is on the ground as you lift one end. Get load into position; then lean on light/ lifted end; to pick up heavier end and spirit it up and around onto trailer.

On stump/ not log stuff; i've seen many try to roll up a ramp (2 x 12 pair etc.); when just sliding on smooth sawed end will do nicely; will hold itself and not try to roll down etc. Especially when just balancing on 1 of the smooth ramps; to reduce friction/ contact area/ drag.

When having to just manhandle up try to use shape size, texture and weight against itself like some kind of tree karate. If 6' piece try to lift light end and then use it as lever on side of trailer to lift heavy end. If shorter; tilt and rock up onto a step maid out of scrap; then lever rest. Once you get it moving and rock onto step; dance with it, keep the force moving and smoothly get it onto trailer using inertia on your side; rather than stopping on step and fighting inertia. Some shorts it is easier to lift heavy end; then lever rest onto trailer, because there is not enough leverage on your side you place weight high to use it. Sometimes we have rolled stumps up side; press into trailer and let bark texture fit like a gear into trailer edge; then roll up. Trying to just lift or roll up can be less efficient; remember to get bite of gear effect by pressing into trailer firmly first; then leveraging up with rolling motion on this gear tooth. Sometimes cut notch that will just catch trailer edge right and by wide enough to not resist forward roll once it does; then pro-ceed with same gear effect. Can also use this 'gear/lever' effect by cutting 'tooth' out of spar and standing on end. This gives leverage up ability of working spar like discussed earlier; but also A) gives positive 'catch' to fight slip while leveraging and B) as the trailer sets into wood and not just on edge; it allows more of spar weight to get passed pivot of trailer; taking away weight that must be lifted past pivot and putting it on your side to help lift. Get confident and kinda throw the spar/lever at trailer; to use inertia movement to help you; and dance with the motion/ don't let it stop until load is on. Throw it into trailer, pull it down, and then lean on it/get on top of it and pivot it around; all in one smooth motion/dance. Arc-ing into an arc motion is a compund lever action; each arc a leverage force; multiplying the other as they work together.


----------



## TimberJack_7

John Paul Sanborn said:


> I've talked to a guy who uses a parbuckle on an old rim mounted to the drive axle of a truck or jeep in tight areas. Jacks the vehical up, takes off one wheel and mounts the "winch rim" (for lack of a better term). Gotta really trust yourself there. (It came up at a convention when I mentione a guy wheo has a lathe running off an old pickup drive axle. Has the throttle run out the door...)
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> 
> I'm assuming that this would require either posi traction or perhaps some aftermarket differential locker such as an ARB air locker or a Detroit locker?


----------



## Tree Machine

TheTreeSpyder said:


> When having to just manhandle up try to use shape size, texture and weight against itself like some kind of tree karate. If 6' piece try to lift light end and then use it as lever on side of trailer to lift heavy end. If shorter; tilt and rock up onto a step maid out of scrap; then lever rest. Once you get it moving and rock onto step; dance with it, keep the force moving and smoothly get it onto trailer using inertia on your side; rather than stopping on step and fighting inertia. Some shorts it is easier to lift heavy end; then lever rest onto trailer, because there is not enough leverage on your side you place weight high to use it. Sometimes we have rolled stumps up side; press into trailer and let bark texture fit like a gear into trailer edge; then roll up. Trying to just lift or roll up can be less efficient; remember to get bite of gear effect by pressing into trailer firmly first; then leveraging up with rolling motion on this gear tooth. Sometimes cut notch that will just catch trailer edge right and by wide enough to not resist forward roll once it does; then pro-ceed with same gear effect. Can also use this 'gear/lever' effect by cutting 'tooth' out of spar and standing on end. This gives leverage up ability of working spar like discussed earlier; but also A) gives positive 'catch' to fight slip while leveraging and B) as the trailer sets into wood and not just on edge; it allows more of spar weight to get passed pivot of trailer; taking away weight that must be lifted past pivot and putting it on your side to help lift. Get confident and kinda throw the spar/lever at trailer; to use inertia movement to help you; and dance with the motion/ don't let it stop until load is on. Throw it into trailer, pull it down, and then lean on it/get on top of it and pivot it around; all in one smooth motion/dance. Arc-ing into an arc motion is a compund lever action; each arc a leverage force; multiplying the other as they work together.



Mang, that was poetic.

Something that isn't in _Lifting Heavy Things_, nor have we touched on it yet in this thread, one of the simplest of all lifting tools, the *Gin Poles*; two upright poles, lashed at the top, rope, cable or chain hanging down. Tag lines at the top, going forward and back. You set the gin poles up over top of the log, upright, at an angle. Attach log, raise gin poles with the tag line(s), you have lifted log. A simple z-rig pully system (basic block and tackle) to make the line length adjustable, as well as give you a 2:1, its not hard to see how you could get a log to 'walk' lengthwise onto the back of a trailer.

Anybody of you ever used these? I haven't. I would just think if you had poles long enough to span the full width of your trailer, you could do some impressive static lifts.


----------



## TimberJack_7

Tree Machine said:


> Mang, that was poetic.
> 
> Something that isn't in _Lifting Heavy Things_, nor have we touched on it yet in this thread, one of the simplest of all lifting tools, the *Gin Poles*; two upright poles, lashed at the top, rope, cable or chain hanging down. Tag lines at the top, going forward and back. You set the gin poles up over top of the log, upright, at an angle. Attach log, raise gin poles with the tag line(s), you have lifted log. A simple z-rig pully system (basic block and tackle) to make the line length adjustable, as well as give you a 2:1, its not hard to see how you could get a log to 'walk' lengthwise onto the back of a trailer.
> 
> Anybody of you ever used these? I haven't. I would just think if you had poles long enough to span the full width of your trailer, you could do some impressive static lifts.




You mean like this?

http://photos.imageevent.com/moparnorm/flatfenderpowerwagons/websize/gin pole.jpg


----------



## Tree Machine

I would have to say that image pretty much sums it up.


----------



## John Ellison

I have used a single gin pole to pull truck engines a couple of times. 
Here is a wood A-frame.


----------



## Adkpk

Tree Machine said:


> I would have to say that image pretty much sums it up.



Oh my dios. I have got to have one of those. Does that beauty belong to you, tree?


----------



## TimberJack_7

The truck in the pics above is an old Dodge Power Wagon. They built them almost exactly the same from 1946 to 1968 and continued to build them for export from 1968 all the way up to 1978. You could order a myriad of options for the Power Wagon including a gin pole setup. 

Makes you wonder why they don't make trucks like this anymore!!!


Check out this link to an old Dodge Power Wagon brochure:

http://tocmp.com/brochures/Dodge/PowerWagon/pages/scan00_jpg.htm


----------



## TheTreeSpyder

The Zrig gives 2x on 1 end and 3x on the other. So; if used to compress a line in pretightening by piggybacking onto a rig line and pulling into Porty; we have 3x on Load (rig line) and 2x on support/anchor. So if tension direction is same as tale/ pull input direction we get 3x.

But, as you say on a Gin pole, we would be pulling down on tail to pick up; so tail is moving opposite direction; so we have to use part of Z for a redirect. So we get 2x on Load and 3x on support/ anchor. Cuz we need the redirect function of the Z, to be able to pull down to lift up. Solution: place line through overhead pulley/ redirect (so we don't need Z's redirect function) and then piggyback Z (and it is now like we pre-tighten into Porty) onto it. Now we pull down and get 3x on Load.

Even better, learn to 2Hand properly. 2Handing will give 4x 1 Hand in either scenario. It will be better in piggy back position, as that will be 4x 1 Hand (but using 2) + 3x body weight used. 2Handing a Z, but using the redirect function (tail is pulled in opposite direction than work output/ tail is pulled down to move load up without a separate redirect pulley that piggybacking a redirected rigging line gives) will give 4x 1Hand (but using 2) + 2x bodyweight used. 2Handing properly will all ways give 2x the redirect / 2x the end tail points too; but on both ends instead of anchor end pulling differently than load end of jig. Now the 'circuit' of the flow of force is a closed circle; and anchor pull = load pull when you pull the tail.

With a foot cam, we can use bodyweight and leg lift force (instead of bodyweight and arm lift force) as force inputs. Done properly, you can use 2Handing for doubling leg lift input force
 to up the ante even more on your side. 

Piggy backing one jig on another multiplies their forces(as a Z-rig pulling on a lift lever will multiply thier forces together to hoist Load), insetting one inside the other is essentially letting the inner rig 2Hand the outer, or use both outputs of the inner jig/ neither pulling on anchor directly; 'wasting' that force by not applying it to work on Load. 2Handing captures the promised equal and opposite force and redirects it to pull on the load; instead of running away the equal and opposite direction.

2Handing a non-flexable device like a log on pivot(as opposed to 2Handing a flexible/ rope type device) is similar; but also more apparent on how it can help save weak back. By A) giving more force output on Load for same effort; therefore less effort needed per same Load and B) by routing the equal and opposite resistance through your chest to your other arm; to work on the load rather than equal and opposite force flowing thru back to get to legs.




Oooooooooops; guess my turn is up!:taped:


----------



## Adkpk

TimberJack_7 said:


> The truck in the pics above is an old Dodge Power Wagon. They built them almost exactly the same from 1946 to 1968 and continued to build them for export from 1968 all the way up to 1978. You could order a myriad of options for the Power Wagon including a gin pole setup.
> 
> Makes you wonder why they don't make trucks like this anymore!!!
> 
> 
> Check out this link to an old Dodge Power Wagon brochure:
> 
> http://tocmp.com/brochures/Dodge/PowerWagon/pages/scan00_jpg.htm




That is some brochure. Thanks


----------



## jpt

*the best way*

Hey there, get yourself a Cat 287 tracked skid-steer with a grapple bucket, and a heavy duty dump trailer that the cat fits in. Makes moving logs and other debris from the jobsite super easy. One guy can run this outfit while the rest of the crew moves on to the next one. This set up can be pulled with a 3/4 or 1-ton truck (as long as it is not a ford).


----------



## (WLL)

maxburton said:


> I just bought a flatbed trailer and am toying around with the idea of putting logs on it to move them rather than hiring a log truck. Here are ideas I've had of how to get the on the the trailer. I'm hoping the community has tried and proven (or disproven) some of these or has better ideas. Thanks in advance, guys!
> 
> 1: Cutting them up and using a log dolly. (I don't know a local place to buy them, though)
> 
> 2: Using a winch to drag them up. (will the winch bend the frame?)
> 
> 3: Using some kind of wheeled log-end-holder at one or both ends.
> 
> 4: Combinations of 2 and 3.
> 
> 5: Rolling them up the side. (tough for the big ones!)
> 
> 5: Give up and get a log trailer.


:biggrinbounce2: 2 WINCHES AND SOME FABRICATION OF A PULL OUT RAMP AND A STRONG CAGE WITH AN OVERHEAD PULLEY SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRAILER UP HIGH. DRAG LOG WITH WINCH 1 UP 2 MIDDLE OVERHEAD PULLEY. CONNECT WINCH 2. DISCONNECT WINCH 1 AND DRAG THE REST OF WAY UP. REPEAT UNTIL TRAILER IS FULL. PUSH IN PULLOUT RAMP SECURE LOAD AND HIT THE ROAD


----------



## treemendous

*log loading on the cheap*

I just submitted a post with pictures in Milling called log loading on the cheap


----------



## outdoor images

maxburton said:


> Good questions from the redneck.
> 
> I can usually get right up to my logs. I'm lucky like that. I also usually cut them into firewood. Maybe I should just toss the stuff on after I cut it on site. I just like to cut logs at my shop on my own time rather than on the job. And a lot of the time I'm dumping the wood, so the less cutting the better.
> 
> As far as the winching goes, I saw some cheap ones today at Pep boys. I suspect they won't have nearly the power I'll need. I have a couple rope come-alongs, but that would be a lot of cranking. I'm thinking for loading logs whole, I would have to roll them up the side and onto the bed that way.


verrmer makes a neat machine i cant remember the #and letter name but i call it a mini skider with a graple on trackes they come in deisel or gas i have used them they are great verry powerful and fit in a32 inch gate will lift almoast 1000 lb six feet off the `ground $25,000


----------



## Stihl Guy

We had lot's of room and some free time. This worked great, we moved 6 logs and transported them 15 miles one way in about half day being careful. Had them milled for us.


----------



## Jumper

I daresay one of these would also work for logs-here it is hauling pipe.


----------



## 04superduty

in the first picture that stihl guy posted they have the chain around a hitch ball. NEVER NEVER DO THIS, the ball can and will snap off which can and has caused death.


----------



## Stihl Guy

04superduty said:


> in the first picture that stihl guy posted they have the chain around a hitch ball. NEVER NEVER DO THIS, the ball can and will snap off which can and has caused death.



Dude, there was barely tension on the thing. besides, why wouldnt you be worried about the 2 small chains hooked together first, that is where we thought it would break  I grew up on a farm, and pulled lots of things with chains including tractors, never lost one. But worry not, we were using caution. I also have a winch that goes in my front Grill Guard that we used, not as good of a picture though. :rockn:


----------



## okietreedude1

outdoor images said:


> verrmer makes a neat machine i cant remember the #and letter name but i call it a mini skider with a graple on trackes they come in deisel or gas i have used them they are great verry powerful and fit in a32 inch gate will lift almoast 1000 lb six feet off the `ground $25,000



Its a S600TX. I have one and its awesome. It will actually pick up close to 1200#. Gate size is 36".


----------

