Best way for ME to move logs?

[Haywire Haywood]

Go to the junk yard and get a hood of a little econobox, preferably one like the old VW bug that has a lot of curve in the hood toward the front. Poor Man's skidding cone. You could rig a block or something in the hood to get the front a little higher to keep as much of it from dragging. Or, get one off a great big car and use it like a sled for cut wood. That would work better on snow though.

Ian

 

[Intheswamp]

If you do not have any money DO NOT borrow his tractor. If you poke a staub through a tire and ruin it.. You would be the one expected to replace it.if you break something you would be expected to replace it.
I suggest just making many trips with your four wheeler and wagon.

+1 on borrowed equipment being expensive at times.

Ed

 

[wudpirat]

Move Logs

A pick up bed liner would act as a stone sled to skid those logs.
I had one laid aside but my kids cut it up to protect the bed of a snow plow truck.
Now I'm looking for a heavy piece of plastic to roll the log onto to pull with the ATV.

Give the hardest job to the lazyest man and he'll find the easyest way to do it.

Always lookin to score a load of free firewood

FREDM

 

[freemind]

If you do not have any money DO NOT borrow his tractor. If you poke a staub through a tire and ruin it.. You would be the one expected to replace it.if you break something you would be expected to replace it.
I suggest just making many trips with your four wheeler and wagon.

+100

A tire can EASILY run you 500. Tubes may run up to 100 and whatever they charge to break down and patch (boot) a tire.

This is assuming they are not even filled tires.

I just plain make it a habit to NEVER borrow other people's things. You are allways money ahead this way.

Have you looked for a older hay wagon or a 2 ton gear? This may be a solution for you.

I am presently looking for one myself.

 

[c5rulz]

Many times I have had the logging crew make 3-4 turns with the skidder and pull down tops. The bluffs here are so steep you wouldn't consider any kind of tractor. A case of pop has gone a long ways in meeting my firewood needs.

 

[larman]

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/deaton0601.html heres a yarder setup
larry

 

[fields_mj]

If you do not have any money DO NOT borrow his tractor. If you poke a staub through a tire and ruin it.. You would be the one expected to replace it.if you break something you would be expected to replace it.
I suggest just making many trips with your four wheeler and wagon.

I should clarify this a little better as I completely agree with this statement. By "borrow" I mean that we cut together. He sells his, and I burn mine. I have more cutting equipment (saws, axes, mauls, wedges, chains, and such). He got rid of most of his years ago and no longer burns firewood (retired). I would be more than willing to only take half of what I buck up and split. He could drag it out, or I could buck it up on the spot and together we could load it into the bucket and then dump it into my truck, or onto a trailer that is not far away.

The weather doesn't look like it's going to be all that favorable for me getting back to the wood any time soon. Thawing out (good for getting rid of this freaking ice), but I don't think it's going to give us a good freeze again this winter. I'll get the plow off the quad this week and then go take a better look at where I think I'll be able to drive when it dries out, and where I'm going to have to drag/haul.

 

[mhyme71]

Get on craigslist and find you a cheap 4 x 8 or 4x6 trailer ( i have seen many in your price range) and fill it up. I pull at least 600 lbs of wood out every load with my 500cc suzuki and my 4 x 6 trailer. Chains dont get dull that fast as long as you keep em out of the dirt. All you need to do is cut all the small brances that are sticking up off with your saw if some are on the ground use a sharp axe to knock em off usually 2 or 3 swings will do it. Make your cuts into the main log the use a spud bar or buy a cant hook and turn the log over and cut the other side when it is out of the mud. If you undercut your existing cuts it throws the majority of the dirt off the chain with the saw chips. I have 4 chains and process more than 10 cords a wood a year and only sharpen once a year. The harbor freight chain sharpeners do a great job for only 40 bucks and takes about 10- 15 mins to sharpen a chain up good.

 

[jcappe]

log arch

Up your budget a couple hundred $ and build one of these if you have the resources. Best thing I've done for helping me get logs up and out to where I can cut them.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Not in the $150. range but a possible build project. This is a Thule 1600. Cost was about $1150. Very useful if you already have a quad. As mentioned before, you would have to be careful on the down hill runs.

 

[Junkfxr]

A good alternative to one of the expensive plastic skidding cones is to use a plastic 55 gallon barrel in the same way. They're readily available and cheap. Cut the top out, poke a couple holes in the other end for the chain and have at it.

 

[headleyj]

Try this or better yet, make your own.
http://www.montanajacks.com/montanajacksquadskidderwchainkit.aspx

or

http://www.logsled.com/

Had a buddy make me one of these - works very well - more labor intensive to hook up than anticipated and when the log rolls over - it's worthless. WOrked well on nice straight round logs though.

 

[headleyj]

I should clarify this a little better as I completely agree with this statement. By "borrow" I mean that we cut together. He sells his, and I burn mine. I have more cutting equipment (saws, axes, mauls, wedges, chains, and such). He got rid of most of his years ago and no longer burns firewood (retired). I would be more than willing to only take half of what I buck up and split. He could drag it out, or I could buck it up on the spot and together we could load it into the bucket and then dump it into my truck, or onto a trailer that is not far away.

The weather doesn't look like it's going to be all that favorable for me getting back to the wood any time soon. Thawing out (good for getting rid of this freaking ice), but I don't think it's going to give us a good freeze again this winter. I'll get the plow off the quad this week and then go take a better look at where I think I'll be able to drive when it dries out, and where I'm going to have to drag/haul.

If he can drag and you could be cutting/ splitting - that would work out great IMO. Now whether it's a 1:1, or 1:2 ratio on what he:you get is b/t u2. I know I LOVE skidding logs all day cause it's the "easy" day

 

[fields_mj]

Had a buddy make me one of these - works very well - more labor intensive to hook up than anticipated and when the log rolls over - it's worthless. WOrked well on nice straight round logs though.

That's exactly what I was afraid of. They make it look real easy in the video when they roll that little 8" log over with a timber jack, but then never bother showing how they got the big log on there that they are dragging STRAIGHT DOWN the hill. They also don't bother trying to drag anything at an angle across the hill to show stability. I can see where it could be usefull for skidding small quantites of timber, but I'm not sure it's going to do very well on dragging parts of tree tops across ravines. Still up in the air on it. I spoke with a local shop, and they can fab one up for me for $120. I don't have the ability to bend 1/4" plate, and I'm not convinced that 3/16 will be thick enough. I've got another local shop that I'm goign to get a price from also. At the end of the day, I'm thinking that a 3K winch with a few 50' sections of cable might be the best bet. Limb the tree top, and then winch it over to the truck.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[headleyj]

That's exactly what I was afraid of. They make it look real easy in the video when they roll that little 8" log over with a timber jack, but then never bother showing how they got the big log on there that they are dragging STRAIGHT DOWN the hill. They also don't bother trying to drag anything at an angle across the hill to show stability. I can see where it could be usefull for skidding small quantites of timber, but I'm not sure it's going to do very well on dragging parts of tree tops across ravines. Still up in the air on it. I spoke with a local shop, and they can fab one up for me for $120. I don't have the ability to bend 1/4" plate, and I'm not convinced that 3/16 will be thick enough. I've got another local shop that I'm goign to get a price from also. At the end of the day, I'm thinking that a 3K winch with a few 50' sections of cable might be the best bet. Limb the tree top, and then winch it over to the truck.

Thanks,
Mark

where ru in Indiana?

I've got a Warn 8k winch and it struggles quite a bit. - I basically quit using it to skid.

 

[Indycuts]

I loaded this little stash with the small trailer you see in the pic and it will pull well over 1000LB a load. Just picked that trailer up for 250 and put the sides on. It cost me almost as much to title and plate it as it was to buy it!

IMG]

So if yer near me I'll chip in and help :msp_laugh: always looking for trade labor!

 

[fields_mj]

I'm just east of Brazil IN, about 30 min East of Terre Haute.

The trailer is also an idea that keeps running around in my mind. Honestly I like it the most. The farm I cut on is about 5 miles from the house. It would be very easy to hook a trailer up to the quad, throw a slow moving triangle on the back, and run it out to the woods. I just need to find one that's wide enough that it will be stable with 500~1000 pounds of wood on it. From what I've seen so far, the paths that the skidder made should make hauling a small trailer out with a quad safe and easy. Plus, it would be easier to use a small trailer like that around the house for moving the wood in the winter time. I could also park the truck up by the high way when the ground is soft (like now) and still bring the quad and trailer back into the woods and cut a load. This farm has a lot of soft spots, so this would be pretty handy.

 

[headleyj]

I'm just east of Brazil IN, about 30 min East of Terre Haute.

The trailer is also an idea that keeps running around in my mind. Honestly I like it the most. The farm I cut on is about 5 miles from the house. It would be very easy to hook a trailer up to the quad, throw a slow moving triangle on the back, and run it out to the woods. I just need to find one that's wide enough that it will be stable with 500~1000 pounds of wood on it. From what I've seen so far, the paths that the skidder made should make hauling a small trailer out with a quad safe and easy. Plus, it would be easier to use a small trailer like that around the house for moving the wood in the winter time. I could also park the truck up by the high way when the ground is soft (like now) and still bring the quad and trailer back into the woods and cut a load. This farm has a lot of soft spots, so this would be pretty handy.

I work in Spencer. If u want to borrow that skider sled thing my buddy made you're more than welcome to.

 

[Intheswamp]

Borrowed equipment...

http://www.grouchyoldcripple.com/archives/001574.html

 

[TMFARM 2009]

Borrowed equipment...

http://www.grouchyoldcripple.com/archives/001574.html

sorry man, but i just added you to my dont let him borrow anything list...:haha::haha: