Getting logs from the ground to the trailer?

[softdown]

In line for a hydraulic bandsaw mill now. But I need to get about 70 big logs from a couple gently sloped mountain acres to my 5 acre lot. Some are about 24" at the base.

Until I can get a tractor with log grapple I will have to use a 20' landscape trailer with 12" sides. Winching them seems the way to go at the moment.

Better technique? I am not made out of money. Rather not rent a skid steer. For one thing that means over 100 miles of driving.

 

[kimosawboy]

Look at parbuckle heavy logs on youtube...https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=parbuckle+heavy+logs

 

[sean donato]

Winch and log arch. Haven't made a log arch, so I drag the logs up in a ramp in my trailer. Log arch would me stack a second or third row easier, and lifts the log off the ground when you get close to the back of the trailer.

 

[Mad Professor]

Can you get the logs to a landing where a logger could load them? Might ask a price for transport, you'd also get a nice stacked pile of logs delivered.

How far from the lot? Do you have to/can you go over roads, or is this going through the woods ?

Do you have any sort of tractor now?

 

[rwoods]

If your trailer puller is 4wd and you have plenty of room at your "landing", buy some chokers and a sufficient length of cable to drag the logs to your landing with your 4wd. Find a way to protect your trailer fenders and sides, then parbuckle the logs over the side using your 4wd. Secure the load, attach trailer to 4wd and go. You will be making a lot of trips so you will soon develop a rhythm.

If you must winch then consider hydraulic, I believe you will be disappointed with dragging a large quantity of logs any considerable distance with an electric winch given their short duty cycle.

Ron

 

[sean donato]

If your trailer puller is 4wd and you have plenty of room at your "landing", buy some chokers and a sufficient length of cable to drag the logs to your landing with your 4wd. Find a way to protect your trailer fenders and sides, then parbuckle the logs over the side using your 4wd. Secure the load, attach trailer to 4wd and go. You will be making a lot of trips so you will soon develop a rhythm.

If you must winch then consider hydraulic, I believe you will be disappointed with dragging a large quantity of logs any considerable distance with an electric winch given their short duty cycle.

Ron

Not true, I use a 12k electric winch coupled to a set of group 31 batteries, can pull to my deck overs capacity and then some. Had a pto winch powered by a 5 hp engine. What a pain to have to run and tend the controls when you need to stop and reposition the log. Remote on electric, stop and start remotely. Charge the batteries off the truck, when pulling turn off the disconnect switch to not over load the charging system. Been doing it like this for years now. Never had an issue. Let the truck run and charge in between the next round of pulls. Biggest expense was cables and connectors from the truck to winch. The batteries came out of a big truck junk yard.

 

[softdown]

Can you get the logs to a landing where a logger could load them? Might ask a price for transport, you'd also get a nice stacked pile of logs delivered.

How far from the lot? Do you have to/can you go over roads, or is this going through the woods ?

Do you have any sort of tractor now?

I have a Case DH4 trencher/small backhoe that has issues with starting. Made a few phone calls - does not seem to be a log grappler that will fit.

32 mile trip over decent roads - once the logs are on the trailer.

I talked to the local sawmill. They have nothing for sale and are, in fact, looking for a small skidsteer to deal with their logs deemed "firewood". He felt skidsteers are superior to tractors for moving logs. I suspect that could be because they turn so quickly.

I can winch the logs unto the trailer - it just won't be the least bit fast.

 

[rwoods]

Not true, I use a 12k electric winch coupled to a set of group 31 batteries, can pull to my deck overs capacity and then some. Had a pto winch powered by a 5 hp engine. What a pain to have to run and tend the controls when you need to stop and reposition the log. Remote on electric, stop and start remotely. Charge the batteries off the truck, when pulling turn off the disconnect switch to not over load the charging system. Been doing it like this for years now. Never had an issue. Let the truck run and charge in between the next round of pulls. Biggest expense was cables and connectors from the truck to winch. The batteries came out of a big truck junk yard.

Just speaking from my experience after hundreds of dollars in burned up motors and solenoids. I quickly learned that extra or big batteries are only one part of the equation. They do nothing to lengthen the short duty cycle. Your experience appears to have been better than mine.

Ron

 

[square1]

 

[sean donato]

I

Just speaking from my experience after hundreds of dollars in burned up motors and solenoids. I quickly learned that extra or big batteries are only one part of the equation. They do nothing to lengthen the short duty cycle. Your experience appears to have been better than mine.

Ron

I did have solenoid issues at first, then went to the type they use in winch competitions, and rock crawling. Haven't had issues since. The duty cycle of the winch is just as important as the weight capacity. Most don't seem to understand full pulling power is with a certain amount of wraps in the drum, 4 wraps on my winch drops the capacity down to 6800 lbs, the 12k is at 1 wrap on the drum. Heat dissipation of the motor is the next issue, the winch i have is rated at an 80% duty cycle, so it does fairly well for how I typically winch. Heat means more resistance, resistance means more amps drawn. A typical pull for me isn't greater then 5 minuets, then I get the log where I like it, un hook it and get the next log, so everything gets a chance to cool off. Having the truck rigged up to charge the batteries helps too. Not the set up for everyone but it works well for me.

 

[softdown]

A 12K winch shouldn't struggle at the least with pulling a log. I don't understand burning up solenoids by dragging logs. They used to drag logs with a couple horses - not that long ago.

Having said that it is clear that I should keep touching the winch and back off if it starts to get hot.

 

[sean donato]

A 12K winch shouldn't struggle at the least with pulling a log. I don't understand burning up solenoids by dragging logs. They used to drag logs with a couple horses - not that long ago.

Having said that it is clear that I should keep touching the winch and back off if it starts to get hot.

The solenoids is where most companies cheap out in a winch. The atlas winch I have didn't have solenoids rated to match the amp draw. Wasn't a huge deal to get a good solenoid set up, after I realized what the issue was.
I'll nearly assure you a couple of horses are more capable then a winch. Last load I was dragging 20 foot sections of oak over 100 feet and up onto the trailer. 26" -30" was average trunk size for that load. Could get 5 sections on the deck over. Smaller trees don't work the winch like bigger trees do.
Yes keep an eye on the winch motor of its too hot to touch it likely should be left to cool down a bit.

 

[Mad Professor]

A 12K winch shouldn't struggle at the least with pulling a log. I don't understand burning up solenoids by dragging logs. They used to drag logs with a couple horses - not that long ago.

Having said that it is clear that I should keep touching the winch and back off if it starts to get hot.

 

[Philbert]

LOTS of videos on YouTube. One of my favorites:



Philbert

 

[kimosawboy]

PTO or Hydraulic winch

 

[rwoods]

A 12K winch shouldn't struggle at the least with pulling a log. I don't understand burning up solenoids by dragging logs. They used to drag logs with a couple horses - not that long ago.

Having said that it is clear that I should keep touching the winch and back off if it starts to get hot.

Never underestimate a log. Last month a 3000# log on a very slight slope grenaded my 10,500# MileMarker winch.




Ron

 

[sean donato]

PTO or Hydraulic winch

Neither is a great set up on a trailer. Did the pto winch for a wile, was a straight out pain to use. Hydro just too much weight and too much to go wrong for a std trailer set up imo, although it would be the best of both worlds of the apu wasn't mounted on the trailer.

 

[sean donato]

Never underestimate a log. Last month a 3000# log on a very slight slope grenaded my 10,500# MileMarker winch.
View attachment 909219

View attachment 909220

Ron

That sucks right there brother.

 

[rwoods]

My fault. Running 2500 psi in a winch with a motor designed for 1500 psi. I had counted on the cable breaking before the winch, but failed to consider the additonal leverage the cable has when the drum is wrapped to the highest layer. I didn't take the time to investigate why the log stalled - it likely just snagged in the dirt or on something in the dirt.

Just last weekend, I got up and running with a different set up with a Warn winch. As soon as replacement parts arrive, I hope to have a twin winch set up. The old one with steel cable and roller fairlead will slide in the mount underneath the new winch for dirty work and the new one with synthetic rope will be used for tree work and cleaner skidding. I will also be installing a pressure relief valve to protect the repaired winch.





Ron

 

[softdown]

My fault. Running 2500 psi in a winch with a motor designed for 1500 psi. I had counted on the cable breaking before the winch, but failed to consider the additonal leverage the cable has when the drum is wrapped to the highest layer. I didn't take the time to investigate why the log stalled - it likely just snagged in the dirt or on something in the dirt.

Just last weekend, I got up and running with a different set up with a Warn winch. As soon as replacement parts arrive, I hope to have a twin winch set up. The old one with steel cable and roller fairlead will slide in the mount underneath the new winch for dirty work and the new one with synthetic rope will be used for tree work and cleaner skidding. I will also be installing a pressure relief valve to protect the repaired winch.

View attachment 909259

View attachment 909258

Ron

I decided to go to synthetic winch ropes last year for their obvious advantages. But have already found two potential drawbacks:
1) The rope flattens permanently under heavy load.
2) If you use the winch with the rope not tightly wound - the rope will bury itself under previous coils and be unusable until you get back home and have "resources to unbury" it. This observation is made assuming that one used the winch because they were stuck.

Right now I think synthetic may not be all it is cracked up to be. Sunlight degrades it as well. My Warn steel winch cable still looks and works great after 22 years.

* Of course one should keep the coils tightly wound. But when stuck in a swamp it may be possible to engage in imperfect behaviors.