# Load Trailer with Logging Winch



## FLRA_Dave (Apr 11, 2014)

I was thinking about how my 3032e is limited to how much weight it can lift on the 3pt and how this effects getting wood moved out to the landing. I was thinking that I could take a trailer / wagon and hook it up to the winch's drawbar and use the logging winch to pull logs out and directly up onto the trailer. When I get to the landing I would unhook and use the grapple to load the logs onto the road worthy trailer. Or if i was splitting at the landing, then I would buck them right on the trailer. 

What does everyone think? Has anyone on here done this before? I saw many videos of people using electric winches to load trailers, but they were painfully slow.

Here is the rough idea (remember, don't take the simple model too literally - I know people do!).


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## mainewoods (Apr 11, 2014)

I have seen some trailers with an arch mounted on the rear of it, something like this one. Lifting logs with the aid of an arch allows you to stack them on top of each other relatively easy.


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## FLRA_Dave (Apr 11, 2014)

mainewoods said:


> I have seen some trailers with an arch mounted on the rear of it, something like this one. Lifting logs with the aid of an arch allows you to stack them on top of each other relatively easy.View attachment 344001


Yes, that was my plan. It was just a tad more work to add it in to the model than I was up do doing at the moment. I was also thinking that I could use the winch and snatch block to load my dump trailer (while bed is raised a bit?) in the same way for logs that are too heavy for my tractor to pick up.


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## cat-face timber (Apr 11, 2014)

You do not have any tread on your tires, in read life you will right 
Just kidding..

I do wonder how the logs will pull up the ramp though, I would be worried they would get hung up, what surface are you going to use on the ramp?


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## FLRA_Dave (Apr 11, 2014)

cat-face timber said:


> You do not have any tread on your tires, in read life you will right
> Just kidding..
> 
> I do wonder how the logs will pull up the ramp though, I would be worried they would get hung up, what surface are you going to use on the ramp?


I was thinking more like the other trailers that I've seen that use an electric winch... like posted above. Thought that a beaver tail on the end would be nice to have, but may not really be necessary.


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## nathon918 (Apr 11, 2014)

maybe something more like this? 
personally i think it would be faster to just skid them, even at a shorter length if theyre too big for the tractor,
also if you to the trailer deal, you would still need 3 point capacity for tounge weight on the trailer, if the axle is too far foward then your likely to have traction issues when it wants to lift the rear of the tractor, so your going to need tounge weight, and looks like your hitch is on the winch frame... i dont think you would gain anything, you may be able to haul more wood per trip, but hitching the trailer, then pulling the logs on, drive to the landing, unhook trailer, unload with loader, re hook trailer. no real gains...


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## midwest_170 (Apr 11, 2014)

That arch looks real safe.........


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## nathon918 (Apr 11, 2014)

midwest_170 said:


> That arch looks real safe.........


 which one?...


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## Sawyer Rob (Apr 11, 2014)

Yes it's been done before, I've done that and parbuckled them on, many times, by myself.

IF, you have a skidding winch on your tractor even better, you are 75% there!

SR


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## FLRA_Dave (Apr 11, 2014)

I was up in the air on whether or not it would be worth it. Might try it sometime just to experience it first-hand. 

I will most likely winch everything (cut to length) to the edge of the trails, then switch over to the grapple (LX5100) and skid them out. Drop them at the landing and load with FEL.

Not sure if that will be better either. Right now with the winch I can get 4 runs in about 2 hours (with a guy limbing in the woods so I just have to hook up and go).


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## mainewoods (Apr 11, 2014)

If it's speed you're looking for, you would be better off to skip the trailer and skid log length.


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## FLRA_Dave (Apr 11, 2014)

mainewoods said:


> If it's speed you're looking for, you would be better off to skip the trailer and skid log length.


Yeah, trying to get more out faster. I'm skidding it out now, but at nearly 30 minutes a cycle it feels like it takes forever. On the heavier loads I actually try to raise the 3pt, but end up getting off and pushing up the winch to get it off the ground.


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## FLRA_Dave (Apr 11, 2014)

My goal is moving out 2 cord in 2 hours. May not be feasible.


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## nathon918 (Apr 11, 2014)

FLRA_Dave said:


> Yeah, trying to get more out faster. I'm skidding it out now, but at nearly 30 minutes a cycle it feels like it takes forever. On the heavier loads I actually try to raise the 3pt, but end up getting off and pushing up the winch to get it off the ground.


 do you winch the logs off the ground then lift the 3 point?
you can winch to the tractor, then drop the logs, lift the 3 point, then winch the logs back up... it really only needs to be on the ground while winching to keep from being dragged back...


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## nathon918 (Apr 11, 2014)

if it takes you 30 minutes a turn, you should be moving your landing closer to the wood.


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## FLRA_Dave (Apr 11, 2014)

nathon918 said:


> if it takes you 30 minutes a turn, you should be moving your landing closer to the wood.


It would be nice if I could, but my truck doesn't stand a chance of getting back very far. A lot of the trails are too narrow. I think many of the trails I'm using are atv trails.


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## FLRA_Dave (Apr 11, 2014)

nathon918 said:


> do you winch the logs off the ground then lift the 3 point?
> you can winch to the tractor, then drop the logs, lift the 3 point, then winch the logs back up... it really only needs to be on the ground while winching to keep from being dragged back...


I was winching the logs in and unhooking to set the chains in the grabs on the winch, then lifting... or trying to. I have a ball on the tow bar which renders the lower pulley useless. When skidding by the top pulley the logs wander all over and the front tires like to come off the ground. I usually carry all of my gear in the bucket so I don't put anything in it.

I like what you are saying though. I think that will help me out a bit. I'm new to winching and I'm learning a lot about it on here.


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## Oliver1655 (Apr 11, 2014)

How about about using a log arch? It would keep your logs cleaner, decrease the work load on the winch potentially speeding it up. If you have an atv & can use it in combination with a log arch, it might be more effective, providing you have the ground clearance.

Another thing I do is to use short chains & hook several logs together & pull a group at a time. This really works well if you have trunks with several large branches to be able to cut them loose then chain them to the trunk. It is like folding up the tree & really decreases the drag & hang-up potential.


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## FLRA_Dave (Apr 11, 2014)

Oliver1655 said:


> How about about using a log arch? It would keep your logs cleaner, decrease the work load on the winch potentially speeding it up. If you have an atv & can use it in combination with a log arch, it might be more effective, providing you have the ground clearance.
> 
> Another thing I do is to use short chains & hook several logs together & pull a group at a time. This really works well if you have trunks with several large branches to be able to cut them loose then chain them to the trunk. It is like folding up the tree & really decreases the drag & hang-up potential.


I don't have an atv. I've thought about an arch for behind the tractor. There is something kind of like an arch, but looks like it could lift a full log, at the edge off a farmer's field in the next town over. It hadn't moved in the 6 years I've lived here. Total length has to be at least 20 ft.

The problem I run into isn't getting enough hooked to skid, but rather it doesn't take a lot for the tractor to be over loaded and not be able to lift the 3 pt to get the butts off the ground (or the winch off the ground if I try using the cable).


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## Oliver1655 (Apr 11, 2014)

I have seen folks use a skid plate where the butt rests on it & the front is angled up to keep it from digging in. There is a hole in the front of the plate for a chain to go through.


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## FLRA_Dave (Apr 11, 2014)

This is probably the best balanced load that my tractor will carry. This is not at the site that I'm having trouble getting wood out at in a timely manner.


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## zogger (Apr 11, 2014)

FLRA_Dave said:


> I don't have an atv. I've thought about an arch for behind the tractor. There is something kind of like an arch, but looks like it could lift a full log, at the edge off a farmer's field in the next town over. It hadn't moved in the 6 years I've lived here. Total length has to be at least 20 ft.
> 
> The problem I run into isn't getting enough hooked to skid, but rather it doesn't take a lot for the tractor to be over loaded and not be able to lift the 3 pt to get the butts off the ground (or the winch off the ground if I try using the cable).



well, I guess you now know why they make dedicated skidders, when you want to move mass quantities fast. If you hit the limit of your tractor rig, you hit the limit, have to live with that and just keep plugging away at it.

There's tradeoffs every which way you go, want cheaper and be able to fit down real narrow trails, what you have now seems good. 

That winching to trailer then unloading and reloading etc is gonna take time and back and forth out of the tractor seat etc, proly wind up taking you just as long and be more complicated.


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## Oliver1655 (Apr 12, 2014)

Dave I didn't realize you had a loader with a grapple. If that is your grapple on the tractor, I don't understand why you would be having problems loading the trailer. If it is a large trunk, just cut shorter lengths. 

To speed up unloading, lay 4 or 5 lengths of pipe across the bed before loading the logs. Strap/chain logs in place for transport. To unload after unstrapping/chaining, you can drive backwards, the hit the brakes, & let the load roll off the back.


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## FLRA_Dave (Apr 12, 2014)

Oliver1655 said:


> Dave I didn't realize you had a loader with a grapple. If that is your grapple on the tractor, I don't understand why you would be having problems loading the trailer. If it is a large trunk, just cut shorter lengths.
> 
> To speed up unloading, lay 4 or 5 lengths of pipe across the bed before loading the logs. Strap/chain logs in place for transport. To unload after unstrapping/chaining, you can drive backwards, the hit the brakes, & let the load roll off the back.


Yes, it is my grapple.

The only time I would really have any trouble loading the trailer is when I come across a log that I want to have milled. Before I load my current trailer, I bring logs to the landing, then buck into 4 ft lengths so I can unload them by hand (carry or roll). I like the pipe idea though. In the next week or two I get my dump trailer and that should take care of the unloading.


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## mike047 (Apr 12, 2014)

I had a logging wench that loaded my trailer for a time.

She quit and divorced me


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## jcl (Apr 13, 2014)

How about making a log landing in the woods! Drag logs to one spot with winch& tractor then take winch off and drag logs to landing with out the winch on tractor it will give you more 3pt hitch lifting capability

Or do what i did and buy a bigger tractor.


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## FLRA_Dave (Apr 13, 2014)

jcl said:


> How about making a log landing in the woods! Drag logs to one spot with winch& tractor then take winch off and drag logs to landing with out the winch on tractor it will give you more 3pt hitch lifting capability
> 
> Or do what i did and buy a bigger tractor.


That's essentially what I had mentioned before. Winch them to the trail so I can put on the 3pt grapple (250 lbs?) and skid them out and load on the trailer.

A larger tractor would be nice, but I haven't even had this one for a year yet (about 92 hours on it). I got a price for a 5045E and it was about $29k. Not sure what a 4044M goes for yet. I don't think a larger tractor is going to be able to happen for a while.


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## FLRA_Dave (Apr 23, 2014)

This past weekend I used the winch to get all of the wood to an open area and then swapped the winch for the grapple. I think it worked much better this way. With the logs easily accessible to the 3pt grapple I was able to make trips within 15 minutes. This way also allowed the two of us to work together to get everything winched out, then my brother in law rode back to the trailer to begin bucking, and then I just made runs until I had all of the wood out for the day and helped get it finished being cut to length and loaded on the trailer.

Here is a video I put together:


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## steved (Apr 23, 2014)

Oliver1655 said:


> I have seen folks use a skid plate where the butt rests on it & the front is angled up to keep it from digging in. There is a hole in the front of the plate for a chain to go through.



Yeah, we did this with garden tractors before, a 3x5 sheet of 1/16" or 1/8" with a hoop of 1/2 bar for a tongue. Worked great...its amazing what you could move when it slides, just the tension pulling on it from the drawbar will make it twist up off the ground in the front. 

We also welded a rack on the back at one point to put rounds against, you could pull more on that skid plate than you could on a trailer sunk to the axle.


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## zogger (Apr 23, 2014)

cool vid!

Nice quality ruts, too! HAHAHAHAHA!

Really, you have a nice setup now.


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## rwoods (Apr 23, 2014)

I wish my little Deere could go that fast, but I'm not sure I could handle the bee buzzing. Just kidding. Nice set up. Long haul. Ron


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## FLRA_Dave (Apr 23, 2014)

rwoods said:


> I wish my little Deere could go that fast, but I'm not sure I could handle the bee buzzing. Just kidding. Nice set up. Long haul. Ron


Just watched out for the first time with sound. I need to republish the video without sound for the sped up section. That was horrendous.


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## FLRA_Dave (May 2, 2014)

OK, I was finally able to update the video with a much reduced volume for the sped up section.


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## pete_86 (Jul 26, 2014)

FLRA_Dave said:


> I was thinking about how my 3032e is limited to how much weight it can lift on the 3pt and how this effects getting wood moved out to the landing. I was thinking that I could take a trailer / wagon and hook it up to the winch's drawbar and use the logging winch to pull logs out and directly up onto the trailer. When I get to the landing I would unhook and use the grapple to load the logs onto the road worthy trailer. Or if i was splitting at the landing, then I would buck them right on the trailer.
> 
> What does everyone think? Has anyone on here done this before? I saw many videos of people using electric winches to load trailers, but they were painfully slow.
> 
> Here is the rough idea (remember, don't take the simple model too literally - I know people do!).



Just curious what kind of software you using? Wish I had something like this for projects. I never took autocad in school and those programs are pricey.


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## dave_dj1 (Jul 26, 2014)

nathon918 said:


> maybe something more like this?
> personally i think it would be faster to just skid them, even at a shorter length if theyre too big for the tractor,
> also if you to the trailer deal, you would still need 3 point capacity for tounge weight on the trailer, if the axle is too far foward then your likely to have traction issues when it wants to lift the rear of the tractor, so your going to need tounge weight, and looks like your hitch is on the winch frame... i dont think you would gain anything, you may be able to haul more wood per trip, but hitching the trailer, then pulling the logs on, drive to the landing, unhook trailer, unload with loader, re hook trailer. no real gains...



If you built the arch in the center of the trailer and tall enough to reach the ends you could load in one motion.
I like the grapple better though!
dave


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## FLRA_Dave (Jul 26, 2014)

pete_86 said:


> Just curious what kind of software you using? Wish I had something like this for projects. I never took autocad in school and those programs are pricey.


It's Autodesk Inventor 2014.


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## rarefish383 (Jul 26, 2014)

I built this out of extra 4X4's laying around the house. If it worked I planned on building one out of steel. It worked great. I hung a snatch block on the 4X4 and pulled one log up with the winch. It was sllooowwww. So, I unhooked the trailer and pulled them up with the truck. Trailer showed no sign of tipping or sliding forward. Soon as I get a chance I'm making a gantry out of steel that I can break down and take off when needed, Joe.


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## FLRA_Dave (Jul 26, 2014)

Since this thread is up again, here is my new trailer if I didn't show it already.


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## dave_dj1 (Jul 27, 2014)

Nice trailer!


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