How to transport both firewood and a tractor?

[fields_mj]

I do most of my cutting at a farm close to my folks which is about 50 miles from my front door. It's mostly hickory, and I have a heavy duty 6x16 trailer that allows me to haul 2 cord at a time with makes the trip worth while. As my body gets older, I'm realizing that manhandling 10K lbs of firewood for 10+ hours probably isn't the best thing for my knees and back. Add to it that I'm in a remote location, alone, and I decided it would be best to add a tractor to the mix to cut down on my wear and tear (and fatigue). I found a good deal on a heavily used 1983 Ford 1710 with a 770B loader, which is now sitting behind my garage. The question is how do I get both the tractor and the firewood back home at the end of the day?

I'm considering 2 options for the firewood. One is bringing it home in logs. Use the loader to get the logs on trailer. I can cut the logs shorter and load them on the front of the trailer with the loader on the rear. I'm not sure how well I'd be able to secure either of them. The other option is to build firewood racks that I will fill as I cut the firewood to length. Then load those onto the trailer with the tractor. Again, I could load the trailer the same way but I'm not sure how I'm going to secure either of them.

Are there any other options out there that I'm not thinking of?

 

[farmer steve]

if your pulling the trailer with a pick-up i would just load that,stack a row or two of rounds across the front of the trailer and fill the bucket up and put it back on the trailer. i know the 770B bucket isn't that big.

 

[rwoods]

Sounds to me that there will be multiple trips required due to weight. I suggest you consider trailer length logs or width logs whichever is easier and can be handled by your tractor. Load the trailer full, leave tractor at farm. Unload logs with a chain by driving trailer out from under them. Return to farm to fetch the tractor after last load of logs.

Ron

 

[captjack]

thats easy - you get a buddy that needs wood and get him to tow one trailer and you tow another -

 

[macattack_ga]

I think my l245dt kubota will fit in the bed of a truck...

 

[fields_mj]

The issue with putting both firewood and the tractor on the trailer is the weight distribution. The axles are centered 2/3 of the way back which is great for a heavy uniform load. However, if I put 5K on the front 6' and the tractor (3K) on the back 10', that's going to put a LOT of weight on the tongue. It uses a pintlle hitch, so the trailer and hitch will take the weight. My receiver is rated for around 11K lbs, so it's probably okay, but the rusty frame that it's attached too is questionable... All joking aside, I'm not sure that having that much weight on the tongue is a good idea.

I'm fighting the idea of spending money on a 2nd trailer because I could almost buy an old 2wd tractor and leave ti at the farm for the same price as a used trailer.

 

[macattack_ga]

or get a bigger trailer. gooseneck. partition the front for wood w/ 3ft rails/sides leaving the rear for the tractor.

 

[lknchoppers]

Advertise being a wood dump on craigslist and have tree services dump the wood you need on your property. Forget about travelling to get firewood. It may take a couple years to catch on but eventually you can save the time and expense of having to go get firewood for processing.

 

[sirbuildalot]

How often are you going there per year? What sized truck are you using? I would bring the tractor there minimal times per year and get a larger trailer if your vehicle will tow it. 50 miles each way is a long ways to travel to a woodlot. You would likely be only getting 10 mph on the loaded return trip with a 2 cord load, so about 5 gallons that way and maybe 4 gallons the empty way. For about $25 in gas 2 cords is worthwhile, but its also what, an hour drive each way? Are you able to fully load more than 2 cords before heading home?

I think in the interest of money, I'd leave the tractor there until I was done wooding for the year.

 

[Marshy]

Only one trip option I can see is get a large enough truck to either carry the wood or the tractor and put the opposite on the trailer. You can't fit both the tractor and a reasonable amount of wood on the trailer to make the trip worth while by the sounds of what you have now. You also won't be able to haul the tractor on the trailer, put a little wood in the bed of the truck and on the trailer to make it worth while if it's a pickup. I'd search for an old car hauler truck to load the tractor on and pull the trailer behind. That or get a big rollback truck with like a 24' bed. Cut logs the width if the bed and stack between tractor and cab rack.

Only real question is, how much weight with the tractor can you add before you are overloaded. The vehicle will be your limiting factor.

https://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/cto/d/1993-ford-f350-car-hauler-tow/6455340329.html

 

[deerehunter]

Its a pain and I hate loosing the capacity but this is what I normally do for log length stuff. This year I am experimenting with my dump trailer and possibly leaving the tractor at the farm I cut at since I don't need it to unload when I get home.

 

[fields_mj]

We're up there visiting my folks several times a year. I deer hunt that same woods as well, but I don't generally cut during deer season. Most of the woods is back across a creek, and the ground needs to be in pretty good shape for me to get the trailer out of there when it's loaded. Conversly, the farmer who leases the farming rights has done a lot of work to the lane on this side of the creek. Ideally, I'd be able to trailer wood/logs to this side of the creek and unload and repeat. Taking the last load home. Then I'd be able to go back during less than ideal conditions and load up what was left on this side of the creek.

I pull the trailer with a 2001 F350 4wd crew cab, 7.3 powerstroke and an automatic transmission. Its my daily driver, and its bone stock. I drive it 30 miles a day each way to work and back. I can't get another vehicle until I get rid of my '93 IDI, and even then its questionable as to whether or not the wife will let me put something else in the drive way. We live on the edge of town on a 1.5 acre lot, so I'm limited in what kind of eye sores I can hide.

So far it sounds like my options are:
1. Get a bigger vehicle that will haul 10K in the bed while pulling a 3K trailer with 3K of equipment on it. Cost: Aprox $5K-$10K
Not cost effective
No where to put such a vehicle.

2. Get a noticeably bigger trailer (+25') that can haul both the tractor and the firewood. Cost: $3K-$5K
-Still not cost effective
-Can't get a trailer that long back into the woods while the crops are in.
-Nowhere to store a trailer that long at the house
-Very limited on what can pull the trailer, even when its empty or barely loaded.

3. Get a second trailer. Tandem pull the empty trailer up and make a second trip back to bring the tractor home so I can unload the first trailer. Cost: $1K-$2K
+May be cost effective if I can find a REALLY good deal.
-Would double my fuel cost, and burn up a good chunk of a second day.
+Could figure out a way to use the tractor to load half a cord in the truck bed to make the trip a little more useful.

4: Buy a second tractor so that one can be left at the farm. Cost: $2K - $10K
-The tractor in the woods need to have a loader which increases the cost.
+Due to the 40+ year relationship that I've had with the family, I'm comfortable leaving a piece of equipment with them.
+Maybe the most cost effective way of avoiding a 2nd trip.
+Property owners may be interested in acquiring a machine anyway for property maintenance.
-No mechanical aptitude on property owners part makes cheap, heavily used equipment less attractive.

5: Figure out another way to unload the wood from the trailer once it's home. Cost: ??? Less than the others.
+ Likely the lowest cost option, even if I buy an old garden tractor to skid the logs off.
+Use old 4wd ATV to skid the logs off one at a time.
-ATV has limited capacity
-Hard on the machine
-Only cost effective if I don't tear up other equipment in the process.
+Cut logs to firewood length and remove them one pc at a time.
-Tractor is stranded in the woods for sevaral days/weeks
-May need/want it for other tasks in the mean time
-Still have to make a 2nd trip to pick the tractor back up.

 

[fields_mj]

Its a pain and I hate loosing the capacity but this is what I normally do for log length stuff. This year I am experimenting with my dump trailer and possibly leaving the tractor at the farm I cut at since I don't need it to unload when I get home.View attachment 627505

That would be similar to my set up only my trailer isn't a deck over and it has a pintle hitch instead of a goose neck. Have you considered adding some stake holes and steel posts to the side so that you can stack them higher? I don't think it's a good idea for a bumper pull, but for a goose neck, it would allow you to make more use of your capacity.

 

[sb47]

The issue with putting both firewood and the tractor on the trailer is the weight distribution. The axles are centered 2/3 of the way back which is great for a heavy uniform load. However, if I put 5K on the front 6' and the tractor (3K) on the back 10', that's going to put a LOT of weight on the tongue. It uses a pintlle hitch, so the trailer and hitch will take the weight. My receiver is rated for around 11K lbs, so it's probably okay, but the rusty frame that it's attached too is questionable... All joking aside, I'm not sure that having that much weight on the tongue is a good idea.

I'm fighting the idea of spending money on a 2nd trailer because I could almost buy an old 2wd tractor and leave ti at the farm for the same price as a used trailer.

Why drag a tractor back and forth when you can be dragging more wood?

 

[Marshy]

How much wood are we talking here? IMO the most economical thing would be to call a local log truck driver and ask if he would move a load of logs and pay him. A log truck holds 6 cord. It shouldn't cost more than 2-300 depending distance.

Take your tractor up to the farm with your trailer and cut logs and drag them out and pile them up with your FEL. Once you have a full load arrange for delivery back home.

Sounds like you have a secure spot to store your tractor there when not cutting.

Do you have the room at home for a log truck to drop 6 cord?

 

[deerehunter]

Yes, I was planning on adding some bunks for holding more logs but I then got a good deal on a dump trailer so I have been working on getting that set up this winter and the gooseneck got put on the to do list.

 

[lknchoppers]

Honestly you need something like a skid steer you can leave at your parents place so you eliminate having to trailer the tractor. I picked up a Case 1835B diesel with 2000 hours for $4500 and had to put a little work into it. I think it's a much better investment than another trailer or a bigger truck plus you will find a bunch of uses for it at your hunting property.

 

[rarefish383]

You guys make life hard, the fix is easy, get another tractor and leave it on the farm. A Massey 35 with loader, clean and running, sold for $1500 at our local farm and equipment action last spring, Joe.

 

[NSMaple1]

What about an ATV & trailer, left at your folks? Drive that right to where you are cutting. Throw rounds in the trailer. Drive ATV to truck/trailer, throw rounds on that. You can scoot over distances pretty quick with an ATV. And doesn't take up as much room if you do need to trailer it to/from home - you could leave the ATV trailer at the folks all the time. I can haul 1/4 cord with mine at a time.

Even better would be if you B-train a splitter to the ATV/trailer, and ATV all that right to where you are cutting trees up. Then you process all in place, toss onto ATV trailer right off the splitter which takes no added effort. And bring home spit wood ready to stack.

Not sure about all your situation specifics or how big a stuff you are working up.

 

[Dscooterman]

I do most of my cutting at a farm close to my folks which is about 50 miles from my front door. It's mostly hickory, and I have a heavy duty 6x16 trailer that allows me to haul 2 cord at a time with makes the trip worth while. As my body gets older, I'm realizing that manhandling 10K lbs of firewood for 10+ hours probably isn't the best thing for my knees and back. Add to it that I'm in a remote location, alone, and I decided it would be best to add a tractor to the mix to cut down on my wear and tear (and fatigue). I found a good deal on a heavily used 1983 Ford 1710 with a 770B loader, which is now sitting behind my garage. The question is how do I get both the tractor and the firewood back home at the end of the day?

I'm considering 2 options for the firewood. One is bringing it home in logs. Use the loader to get the logs on trailer. I can cut the logs shorter and load them on the front of the trailer with the loader on the rear. I'm not sure how well I'd be able to secure either of them. The other option is to build firewood racks that I will fill as I cut the firewood to length. Then load those onto the trailer with the tractor. Again, I could load the trailer the same way but I'm not sure how I'm going to secure either of them.

Are there any other options out there that I'm not thinking of?