# Loading logs up into a pick up



## HuskyMike (Feb 13, 2009)

So I am gonna be cutting a bunch of wood for heating on some property. I want to leave it in log length and do the sizing and splitting at home. As I am only one person, are there any tools/ways to load logs into a pickup. The pick up will be borrowed so I can't go beating it up!

Thanks


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## rdbrumfield (Feb 13, 2009)

If you are borrowing someone's pickup, I would cut them so I could load by hand. As sure as you try to load with a machine, either it will be into the side or something will drop across the bed. you have heard of murphy's law, multiply it by a hundred when you borrow.


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## HuskyMike (Feb 13, 2009)

it will all be hand loading from me, I was thinking of getting a pulp hook but don't know if it would be a big help or not.


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## ouachita (Feb 13, 2009)

i have put tons of billets in a pickup. just cut em 4' and end over end. you can get a lot of wood like that real quick but its hard on the back. probly get a quard or so a load. 8' woorks good to.


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## A. Stanton (Feb 13, 2009)

If you got an ATV ramp: cut em the width of the gate and roll em up. Use chocks to stop em on the ramp, if you have to change up on your grip.
This sounds good on paper.


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## 056 kid (Feb 13, 2009)

2 straight poles and some cant hooks.



a good hill helps too..


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## sILlogger (Feb 13, 2009)

why handle and cut them so many times. 

look at it your way: cut them into lengths, wrestle them around(they better be small or you are gonna have a heck of a time loading them) them you are gonna have to unload them, cut them up and then split them. 

bucking on the spot: cut into chunks where ever they are, load the small and manageable pieces onto the truck (you can prolly actually get more on the truck because it will be easier to handle) and then unload them, they are ready for the splitter. to me it is so much easier to buck them up where they are....btw...if you are loading poles...it is almost inevitable that something is gonna bet beat up..


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## Gologit (Feb 13, 2009)

*First question*

How big are the logs?


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## 046 (Feb 13, 2009)

don't be a hero.. buck em up.. cut em down to size. 
otherwise you must have mechanical help. either with a pickup truck winch or liftgate. since this is not your truck.. 

harbor freight has a lift cart, but doesn't look too strong ($275)
was admiring a motorcyle lift at Steve's wholesale, that's plenty stout. but your talking $350+ and not too portable. 

bucking em up should start to looking better and better...



sILlogger said:


> why handle and cut them so many times.
> 
> look at it your way: cut them into lengths, wrestle them around(they better be small or you are gonna have a heck of a time loading them) them you are gonna have to unload them, cut them up and then split them.
> 
> bucking on the spot: cut into chunks where ever they are, load the small and manageable pieces onto the truck (you can prolly actually get more on the truck because it will be easier to handle) and then unload them, they are ready for the splitter. to me it is so much easier to buck them up where they are....btw...if you are loading poles...it is almost inevitable that something is gonna bet beat up..


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## 2dogs (Feb 13, 2009)

HuskyMike said:


> So I am gonna be cutting a bunch of wood for heating on some property. I want to leave it in log length and do the sizing and splitting at home. As I am only one person, are there any tools/ways to load logs into a pickup. The pick up will be borrowed so I can't go beating it up!
> 
> Thanks



You ain't borrowing my truck. :greenchainsaw:Wood is hard on a pickup truck no matter what length.


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## rdbee (Feb 13, 2009)

Quard??


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## ak4195 (Feb 13, 2009)

I do em the hard way,6' 4" fits in the Ford short box,borrowed truck would be a drag,one more thing to worry about.ANY kind of hill advantage,even mere inches, makes a big difference.Mostly birch around here,I prefer 6-10",proly 80-110 lbs.I yard out tree length,with block n tackle with truck,then buck to 6'4" to fit the box.
I hate the big b*st*rds,2 days ago couldnt say no to 12-14",they're easily 180lb+,but as a deceased family friend once told me"Dave you've got to strike while the irons hot"(depression era missouri farm boy twang required).
when it comes to muscling around,i use a trick I learned from halibut fishing,what we used to call a tail strap for moving the big mommas.Short piece(6' including the 1 loop end) of 3/8" line,although I think 1/2 or 5/8 would be easier to grip.
Ya got to think egyptian tech:rollers,gravity,tail strap,whatever it takes to get it to the truck.When Im close to the truck I like to pick up the end of the log(closest to the truck and slide it over a small roller,park one end of the log right before the tailgate.Leave your tail strap on that end,walk over to the other end of the log,which is now sitting on the roller(4-5 inch diam short section of log).
That lil 5" will give you a BIG advantage,stand up the log on end,balance,grab the tail strap @ the other end,get down close to the loop end,stand up/flop the top down/pick up on the strap.Log is pretty much over the 1/2 way point and in your truck.
Work smarter,not harder.Big ones on the bottom,lighter on top,birch is fairly heavy,but probably lighter than your hardwoods.When you get to any spruce,smile and throw them around like toothpicks.
Cant wait to afford a 35-40 horse tractor,oh man living will get good.
Id rather throw logs around twice(loading/unloading) than bucking everything up to firebox length at the work site and loading into the truck.Thats a whole lot of up-n- down for a load of wood,prefer to split the work over other days,but thats just me.

ak4195


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## forestryworks (Feb 13, 2009)

ak4195 said:


> I do em the hard way,6' 4" fits in the Ford short box,borrowed truck would be a drag,one more thing to worry about.ANY kind of hill advantage,even mere inches, makes a big difference.Mostly birch around here,I prefer 6-10",proly 80-110 lbs. ak4195



i've been there before. but it was oak and in the summer.

it'll make you [stronger] or break you.

use good form if you do it the hard way.


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## ak4195 (Feb 14, 2009)

forestryworks said:


> i've been there before. but it was oak and in the summer.
> 
> it'll make you [stronger] or break you.
> 
> use good form if you do it the hard way.



Absolutely!!,your body only has so much juice in it,Im 48 this year and dont have any illusions about feeling 30 in my 60's,BUT I do expect(hope) to run circles around most 30 yr olds then.I dont mind and actually like hard work,but at the same time,prefer to maximize my efforts.As I was told years ago,"kid..old age and experience always overcome youthfullness and exuberance."
Take care of your bod,work smarter not harder.And by god if you got hydraulics/hp use em to your advantage.

ak4195


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## chevytaHOE5674 (Feb 14, 2009)

You will get more wood on any given pickup load by cutting it to short lengths. Short pieces stack into the bed tighter. Not to mention it will be much easier on the body. 

If you want to do long lengths, I suggest getting a low to the ground trailer. Then you can beat it up as much as you like, and the logs are easier to get in.


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## EzTrbo (Feb 14, 2009)

If at all possible and if you have the time for it I alway try to cut, buck and split at the site, then when you load its in split pieces and all of the mess is at the site and all you have to do is manage it one time into the truck. You can also get more wood in being slpit than any other way cause all them small pieces can fit into the lil gaps easier. Due to time, location and other things you might not be able to do this. I would say at least buck them down to spliting size if all you hvae is a truck to move them with. Just my 2cents worth.

Trbo


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## HuskyMike (Feb 14, 2009)

chevytaHOE5674 said:


> If you want to do long lengths, I suggest getting a low to the ground trailer. Then you can beat it up as much as you like, and the logs are easier to get in.




I am looking into getting a utility trailer, I have a two place snow mobile trailer that I might sell to get a utility.


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## Zodiac45 (Feb 14, 2009)

Mike,

A pulp hook is always handy for handling wood. Buck too length and toss them on. When I get home it's a pickeroon that gets the most use taking them off. Gives you some reach from the back too grab them.


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## husky455rancher (Feb 14, 2009)

sILlogger said:


> why handle and cut them so many times.
> 
> look at it your way: cut them into lengths, wrestle them around(they better be small or you are gonna have a heck of a time loading them) them you are gonna have to unload them, cut them up and then split them.
> 
> bucking on the spot: cut into chunks where ever they are, load the small and manageable pieces onto the truck (you can prolly actually get more on the truck because it will be easier to handle) and then unload them, they are ready for the splitter. to me it is so much easier to buck them up where they are....btw...if you are loading poles...it is almost inevitable that something is gonna bet beat up..





thats exacty my opinion of it. it took me a few times doing 4 ft lenght before i said this is stupid. now it dosent go in the truck unless its been bucked to a splittable size. it saves me from cleaning up a big mess in the yard too


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## tfsiii (Feb 18, 2009)

As zodiac45 says above, pulp hook sure is handy for "human" skidding. Been cutting firewood for many years, and for moving logs, rounds, poles, any kind of log wood to where you want it, nothing else non-mechanical beats the hook imho. I truck my wood from lot to home for splitting, and only the biggest pieces from the butt get cut down to rounds, simply because they are too heavy to heft into pickup bed. 
I split the wood at my leisure, I knock down trees and gather firewood whenever it is available, and when it is, I cant waste that time splitting and stacking! 
As soon as I am cutting/working wood less than 1 ft diameter, shoot for 3 lengths of round (usually 48-54" long) . You can literally skid these mini logs to the pickup with the hook. When you get to the truck, lean against tail gate, and hook the bottom and lift up and slide in. The beauty of using the hook is much less bending deeply over and some added leverage. I have actually modified my hook, with the handle covered by a soft rubber garden hose to make it cushioned. The hook works with branch poles also , and I also use to pick up and carry the big single rounds. Not easy work mind you, but if you are going to do it manually, definitely try it. As noted above, unloading is much easier also. Just reach in with hook, and slide out. Can't imagine cutting or loading/unloading without it. They also are good for knocking bark off older , larger dead stuff . Good luck.


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## HuskyMike (Feb 21, 2009)

Got myself a "landscape" trailer. I will leave them as long in length as I can manage them because I may not have to buck and split them for next burn season. Easier to store and pile when they are longer I think.


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## Raymond (Feb 21, 2009)

HuskyMike said:


> So I am gonna be cutting a bunch of wood for heating on some property. I want to leave it in log length and do the sizing and splitting at home. As I am only one person, are there any tools/ways to load logs into a pickup. The pick up will be borrowed so I can't go beating it up!
> 
> Thanks


Dude, get a truck...every man needs a truck.


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## fsfcks (Feb 21, 2009)

And if you get a truck get LineX in the bed. The bed metal in the new trucks is pretty thin and the LineX really stiffens it up and adds a lot of protection.


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