# 3pt skidding hitch project



## thumbilly (Jun 19, 2019)

So just seeing what everybody thinks about my take on this theory. I was just skidding dead wood for firewood but last winter I took on some logging and the situation I had was not working so I built this and then improved it with a hydraulic winch. I was in a hurry so I didnt get a lot of photo documentation on the initial build.



























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## thumbilly (Jun 19, 2019)

Not a great video but it sorta demonstrates it. This tractor was light in the front for it. After it decided it only needed 5 rods and windows in the block I put it on a 4030 John Deere. It handled it much better.

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http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5d0a91cb7d4c4/Snapchat-194146918.mp4http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5d0a920357c11/Snapchat-235232681.mp4


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## thumbilly (Jun 19, 2019)

Then I wanted one better...



































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## thumbilly (Jun 19, 2019)

Some videos. I wish I would have documented properly.http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5d0a93cf91dda/Snapchat-887843249.mp4http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5d0a949669d68/Snapchat-2056486201.mp4

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## thumbilly (Jun 19, 2019)

Dont mind the mess it's been a decade in the making sadly

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## madmarksolomon (Jun 19, 2019)

Not bad at all, looks like you put some thought in to it.


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## PGK1 (Jun 20, 2019)

Awesome fab skills Man!


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## northmanlogging (Jun 21, 2019)

That looks about like the one I started with, but instead of a hydraulic winch, I bought a skidder... 


Keep the weight low with a tractor, ya run out of steering in a hurry, then pour the shifter is in a very uncomfortable place


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## thumbilly (Jun 23, 2019)

northmanlogging said:


> That looks about like the one I started with, but instead of a hydraulic winch, I bought a skidder...
> 
> 
> Keep the weight low with a tractor, ya run out of steering in a hurry, then pour the shifter is in a very uncomfortable place


Someday maybe a skidder. Or I'll just pack it in. On the right tractor, 4030 jd in this case it works really well no issues with a light nose until really big skids or when the fuel tank gets low. The tractor shifter is in exactly the same spot as it would be in a jd skidder so that's irrelevant. The release for the winch is well placed for me because usually I'm cutting and I pull the cable and hook the chokers. Clean up as we go kinda thing. Going in and cutting a big mess just makes it harder. The only time it's a real issue is if I'm cutting and skidding myself or just skidding down ash and get back on and forget to engage it. But im 6'5' so when it's up I can reach no problem from the seat. All and all for the $500 or so I have into it im more than pleased. 

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## thumbilly (Jun 23, 2019)

Also since in grenaded the one tractor the plan is to replace it hopefully. I'm planning on getting a 100hp or so fwd jd tractor so less of steering issue even. 

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## catbuster (Jun 23, 2019)

Yeah, the 4000 series JD row crop tractors built from the 1970s to the 1990s were not a small tractor. The 4030 was one of the lighter, lower horsepower ones, but you can still add a lot of counterweight on the front. Still running a 4240 & 4450 out on the farm. That fairlead looks nice, and the whole piece looks really well fabbed. 


The early 6000 series Deeres are nice. The newer ones... Not so much. They’re a fair bit lighter than your old 4030 too, depending on the setup. I feel like Agco (Challnger/Massey-Ferguson) builds the nicest new tractor at the moment. Definitely the easiest to work on and see out of.


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## birddogsrule (Jun 24, 2019)

I'd be a little concerned about that cable breaking and nothing between you and it. Nice fab work,ki_nda looks like my shop too!_


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## thumbilly (Jul 1, 2019)

birddogsrule said:


> I'd be a little concerned about that cable breaking and nothing between you and it. Nice fab work,ki_nda looks like my shop too!_


Yeah I hear you. It's still in the testing phase. Wont take much to throw a shield up in it though so minor details. Not like osha is involved

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## rwoods (Jul 19, 2019)

For NM and others with smaller skidders, do you run fluid in your tires? If so, what?

Thanks, Ron


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## thumbilly (Jul 19, 2019)

rwoods said:


> For NM and others with smaller skidders, do you run fluid in your tires? If so, what?
> 
> Thanks, Ron


They're loaded with chloride. It farms for a living normally. I wouldnt try it without weight though. Even with chains it struggles for traction sometimes. 

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## catbuster (Jul 19, 2019)

Calcium Chloride has been the standard for years. It’s cheap, non toxic & works well. You just have to fill it above the top of the rim or it will rust the rim out, and quickly. 

Glycol has been used, I’m pretty meh. It’s just barely heavier than water, and it’s a mess to clean up correctly if it’s spilled.


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## birddogsrule (Jul 19, 2019)

I've heard farmers using beet juice,supposed to save the rims?


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## thumbilly (Jul 19, 2019)

birddogsrule said:


> I've heard farmers using beet juice,supposed to save the rims?


Yeah they call it rimguard. No need for a tube its non corrosive and heavier than chloride I believe.

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## rwoods (Jul 19, 2019)

Mainly curious if skidders run fluid or have enough weight without it. AG folks have moved away from calcium chloride here due to the corrosion; that is what I have in my little firewood tractor- really rough on the rims. Some are using antifreeze. The local coop is using methanol. No one sells rim guard locally. I am fixing up a slightly larger firewood tractor, each rear tire requires 55 gallons to get over the rims - shipping two drums of rim guard would be pretty expensive - probably as much as a tote. 

I need about 1300# of ballast for the FEL. Right now I am looking at 700# on the 3 pt hitch with the rest either in or on the tires. Is there any water based fluid that is not corrosive? I would like to keep my ballast as low as practical. Axle height fluid would take care of the remaining weight I need. At a healthy price I can get 600# in wheel weights.

Ron


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## thumbilly (Jul 20, 2019)

rwoods said:


> Mainly curious if skidders run fluid or have enough weight without it. AG folks have moved away from calcium chloride here due to the corrosion; that is what I have in my little firewood tractor- really rough on the rims. Some are using antifreeze. The local coop is using methanol. No one sells rim guard locally. I am fixing up a slightly larger firewood tractor, each rear tire requires 55 gallons to get over the rims - shipping two drums of rim guard would be pretty expensive - probably as much as a tote.
> 
> I need about 1300# of ballast for the FEL. Right now I am looking at 700# on the 3 pt hitch with the rest either in or on the tires. Is there any water based fluid that is not corrosive? I would like to keep my ballast as low as practical. Axle height fluid would take care of the remaining weight I need. At a healthy price I can get 600# in wheel weights.
> 
> Ron


We still just run chloride. Cheap and easy. Takes years and years to rot the rims with a good tube. I have a 1956 farmall with the original rims and chloride in them. Put new tires on and pumped it back in. They're just now starting to get bad. 63 years is a long time to be worried about the rim rusting on tractors people only keep a handful of years. Wheel weights are way to pricey and just aren't the same. Liquid ballast puts the weight low right to the ground. If your gonna skid with it keep as much weight other than the logs off the back. Makes for a light front end and gains nothing in traction. We didnt run any ballast in our actual skidders at work maybe would've been nice in the fronts to keep them from getting light with a big load but that opens up to other issues beating through the woods. Cant just go smashing trees out of the way with a little tractor.

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## northmanlogging (Jul 20, 2019)

rwoods said:


> For NM and others with smaller skidders, do you run fluid in your tires? If so, what?
> 
> Thanks, Ron


 I don't, some do. 

on the little deere 440's it provides a huge amount of stability, but it also makes fixing a flat in the brush near impossible. There is also the concern of weight for transport, mine would probably only pack on an extra 1000#s with all 4 filled, so if I was still using the ole Ferd f600 it would have puked the trans a whole lot earlier, as well as being way overweight for CDL stuff, as it was I was dancing a fine line of legality...

Had one tire that was filled on for a few months, even with the one I could climb anything, which is good and bad, good in hey lets go over there, bad in oops I climbed this stump and rolled my machine..

I don't run chains, never needed em, and they tend to tear S up like roads and yards, leave big ruts etc


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## thumbilly (Jul 20, 2019)

Also if it's a 4wd drive tractor I would consider loading the front tires over hanging weights on the front. For in the woods anyhow. Even a 2wd maybe. Less stuff to worry about breaking off. We bought a 4440 JD from Georgia like 10 years back. It had a full set of weights and the front tires were loaded. Luckily the one blew out on us before winter. They just had straight water in all the tires. Would've been interesting come winter. 

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## birddogsrule (Jul 20, 2019)

I've never had a reason to run ballast with any of my skidders,now chains that's a different story.


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## rwoods (Jul 20, 2019)

I was guessing that skidders probably didn’t run fluid due to the extra challenges posed by in the woods flats, including environmental issues, but didn’t know so thought I would ask. It is hard to match a purpose built machine. 

The last tire I lost was not accessible to the mobile tire changers; it was pretty difficult for me to install a loaded tire that was not near as heavy as filled ones would be on my “new” tractor. I doubt I could stand one up.

I am also trying to stay tubeless and keep the weight below axle height, thus my concerns about corrosion with a half filled tire.

I don’t need weight on the front as the FEL provides more than enough. I need weight on the rear to offset the FEL and whatever I pick up with it. I will not be skidding any logs that are too heavy for the leftover lifting capacity of the 3 point hitch. Cutting firewood, I try to minimize skidding - just get it in the clear and cut to lengths that the FEL and the path can handle.

Thanks for the replies. I wish I could fabricate like thumbilly. I could get in a lot more trouble.

Ron


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## northmanlogging (Jul 22, 2019)

rwoods said:


> I was guessing that skidders probably didn’t run fluid due to the extra challenges posed by in the woods flats, including environmental issues, but didn’t know so thought I would ask. It is hard to match a purpose built machine.
> 
> The last tire I lost was not accessible to the mobile tire changers; it was pretty difficult for me to install a loaded tire that was not near as heavy as filled ones would be on my “new” tractor. I doubt I could stand one up.
> 
> ...


leverage, a hi-lift, pure stubbornness, a lot of swearing,some cribbing, and a few big pry bars changing skidder tires isn't so bad a lot easier with an excavator on hand though. 1 out of 10 would not recomend...


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## thumbilly (Nov 12, 2019)

Brought a new tractor home to skid with a couple weeks ago. Nice little road trip to pa but so far it's worth it.






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## thumbilly (Feb 24, 2020)

So I built a second one of these minus the winch. The windows to skid trees are narrow this winter so I'm running two tractors. Got me thinking if there was much market to make and sell some of these. Probably need some around 500 without the winch. It would come with the receiver hooks and all the pins. Painted whatever color is desired. Have to have over 2500 to almost 3k for it to have a winch. A new winch is 1700

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## northmanlogging (Feb 25, 2020)

thumbilly said:


> So I built a second one of these minus the winch. The windows to skid trees are narrow this winter so I'm running two tractors. Got me thinking if there was much market to make and sell some of these. Probably need some around 500 without the winch. It would come with the receiver hooks and all the pins. Painted whatever color is desired. Have to have over 2500 to almost 3k for it to have a winch. A new winch is 1700
> 
> Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk


if you sold them on the down low, you could probably do pretty good at it, the walenstien type winches are pretty expensive, though they are loaded with features...


I think the big issue with anything involving winches is liability, you build it it fails, you are on the hook literally.

now I say that just to bring up worst case scenarios, but its something you should consider before trying to sell em, Personally I think your onto something and the price point is skookum as frig, especially with the little winch. I just worry too much mostly...


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## thumbilly (Feb 25, 2020)

I hear you. I feel like a small shield in front of the winch would be sufficient. Anything can be used beyond its limits and you cant control stupidity so I'm not sure how that would work. I guess I would sell low key. With a rating and a disclaimer 

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## thumbilly (Oct 1, 2021)

So just a little update. Had to buy a brand new winch. This one functioned perfectly. Still does but the motor seal kept blowing out and pumping the winch full of hydraulic oil. Come to find out it was an obsolete model. No parts available. Can't even match one up. Brand new winch. $1700. Works awesome. Hung some weights and a front 3pt on the tractor. Hitch and winch can't take all the tractor can pull. I've thoroughly tested it. Got a few logs hung up and stood the tractor right up pulling on it. Also modified an old county plow for snow removal. Acquired a trailer and remodeled it also. Few other projects along the way as well. Been quit on here went through an almost 2 year long divorce. Had to gut and remodel an old farm house just to find somewhere to life. House market it rough here. http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/6157c416b3da9/Snapchat-700429635.mp4http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/6157c409163d7/Snapchat-1935199197.mp4http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/6157c3c175414/Snapchat-292125256.mp4http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/6157c4551fd84/Snapchat-688383348.mp4http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/6157c451640c0/Snapchat-1660776171.mp4http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/6157c43359b94/Snapchat-890519009.mp4http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/6157c4a9ac87d/Snapchat-1804338815.mp4http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/6157c772b56a0/Snapchat-238955835.mp4http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/6157c6c275cc8/Snapchat-1971429899.mp4

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## Lee192233 (Oct 1, 2021)

Nice looking build. Sorry to hear about your divorce. I built one last winter. Works great. I'd love to add a winch but can't justify the cost.


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## Huskybill (Oct 13, 2021)

I plan on loading my four 8.3x24 ag tires with windshield washer fluid on my 55 Willy’s with locking diffs. She’s a work in progress. I boxed the frame with 3/8” steel and tripled the frame in the rear. Just a yard toy skidder


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## weimedog (Oct 17, 2021)

I love this type of thing, one thing I see as an advantage is the flex in where you have the "pull" relative to the height / location of the axle. Lower than the axle, the tractor will break traction , higher it increases the chances of wheelie potentially getting someone hurt. Good stuff


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## Huskybill (Oct 17, 2021)

My front bumper is made from heavy ship n car channel. Weight wise the front end is maxed out. For the rear I fabricated a mini hydraulic rock dump steel body.


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