Log haulers

[Tree Machine]

More log arch images

The reason the arches excite me so much is that they're CHEAP, compared to a crane truck, and they don't take up much space. You move them around by hand and you don't need a plate or CDL to put them legally on the road.

I ordered this big one, the T-40 tractor Arch. When the trucking company got it to town, they called. I had em bring it right to my jobsite.

OK, this next image I'm sizing to 6 x 5 to see how it comes out. This is the T-40 tractor arch, over top of a Blue Ox for size reference.

 

[Tree Machine]

Log Arch pics

This image was from a year ago when the arch was brand new. I titles the shot 'two means' because it shows two options, both of which will move a log.

Just coincidentally, I had to rent that piece of machinery a few days ago as I had to take down a massive pin oak, 52" DBH and I wanted the lower trunk sections for milling into lumber. The arch will only do 42" diameter. I rented the 'lull' and though it was fun to drive and move the logs, it cost almost $400 for the day's rental. (ps, I actually hired some help on this job!) Normally, my takedowns are less than 42" in diameter. Monster pin oak was a horse of a different color for me. Let me know if you're having problems opening these images. Tree Machine

 

[Dan Flinn]

So, Tree Machine, did I understand that you move these over the road?

As for the wheels and spindles, I found some at Northern Tool that come complete spindle, bearings, etc and you can use an automobile tire on them.

Dan

 

[Tree Machine]

Roadworthy Log Arches???

Yes, you heard it right. The big one is roadworth, highwayworthy, etc. and comes standard with a 2-5/16" ball coupling. The first day I got it last Winter I took it out logless and got it up to 70 MPH, just to see how well it towed. Then I took it into a parking lot. There was a light dusting of snow so I tried doing a bunch of power slides to see what it would take to get it to fishtail. Handled pretty well I must say. Of course you wouldn't do such things, but I'm sort of big on field-testing gear.

The middle size arch is also roadworthy, but not highway worthy; not with the tires that come on it standard, anyway. You could put trailer tires on it (standard 4 lug) and take it at higher speeds. The axle assembly is heavy-duty and oversized, and the standard, low pressure balloon-type turf tires are intended to be low impact on lawns and to be able to crawl over things like uneven terrain, root and stone protrusions, curbs, etc. I tow logs down the street with it frequently to get them to my milling site, or if someone down the street wants the firewood, I'll arch the log over to where he wants the firewood and dice it up there. The middle-size arch was originally designed to be towed behind an ATV for selective, low impact harvesting in a forest setting, and for reclaiming loggage after forest fire. It comes with a 2" ball hitch coupling, but that can be instantly removed (standard Reese hitch receiver technology) and a pintle put in its place.

The small arch, I wouldpush down the street, but even though I HAVE towed it behind my chipper short distances (got a good picture of this 'train'), I wouldn't recommend thisunless Like me that day, you're just going down the street to the next job. It'll only take a 14 or 16" diameter logs, less than 1,000 lbs. You can push that by hand with ease.

Attached is a shot of me towing severel red cedar logs down the street using the winch system, rather than the tongs.

 

[murphy4trees]

Be careful.... Trailers fishtail when they are tail heavy...
I'd like to set up a winch system and a trailer hitch for mine.
I was also thinking a hand brake would be nice and some sort of cradle system for moving brush....
Any suggestions would be appreciated. ie what kind of hand winch and where to buy it.. I was thinking Granger..
I'll post some more pics and get log measurements for wieght estimates when I get the work.
Thanks and God Bless,
Daniel

 

[Tree Machine]

Fishtailing with log arches??

Agreed, and good point about rear-heavy trailerage having the potential to fishtail. In fact I have a good buddy who was towing a trailer upon which he was transporting twenty-foot 2x 12's using an 8 foot trailer. At about 45 MPH the trailer started doing this S -action. By the time he got on the brakes (about instantly) the load had thrown his van out of control and he dove it into small ditch.

Yes, the idea to towing ANYTHING is to have tongue weight. If you're using the arches and moving logs around by hand, as you will be doing 90% of the time (exp. w/ thesmall and middle size arches) you hook up as DIRECT center middle as possible. If you hook the middle size arch up to your truck, you want to offset the tongs (or winch cable) to make the log, and hence coupler, tongue-heavy.

Since the log, once you hook the off-centered thing onto the truck, you need to then support, or cradle the log with a sling, like a whoopie sling would work well. you need to lash it down. I think he's engineered a chain support. anyway, see the attached pic to see what I'm talking about.

 

[xander9727]

What is the price range on these arches? Several people own them but no one is saying what they paid for them. I want to know who paid the least so I get the best deal as well. Makes sense to me at least. Is there a secret hand shake I need to know or a password? Somebody speak up! I want to be a cool guy too.

 

[Tree Machine]

How to get an arch or three

You ask if there is a secret handshake, or a password? Well, believe it or not there IS a secret password. Memorize this word, and then swallow your computer monitor.

The word is 'Treesome'. You're going to click on this hotlink, www.futureforestry.com and you're going to take 15 seconds to type these words:

Send me info on the fearsome treesome. Tree Machine wants me
to be cool.

This will get you on track. Make sure you provide your mailing address because you'll be getting a video, pricing info and such.

The 'Treesome' is the latest in the arch evolution. It is ALL THREE arches, big one lifting the middle one, which lifts the small one. See, the big one and the middle one each have winches, and these are used to hoist the next smaller one up into its own self. The couplers affix to one another's necks and litereally, you can roll down the road with all three, all at once, all nested together as a Family Tree(some). Very efficient storing them, too. Getting this ultraversatile rig would definitely make you cool. I saw this setup at the Paul Bunyan Show in Nelsonville, Ohio a couple months back and applauded and bowed to the arch genius as his innovation, once again, outdid itself. I just forgot to take a picture.

You can look the planet over to research other arches. There's a few, but the seasoned head engineer at Future Forestry has dedicated his life to building the most effective and bombproof log arches on the planet. You'll see what I mean.

 

[murphy4trees]

Just look yourself in the mirror and say outloud "I AM COOL"... maybe 50x/day until you really start believing it....
And in answer to the $ question...
I paid 750 + tax out the door.. no delivery.
Kinda think I paid too much.... this is a simple design... maybe $200 in materials max. and could be fabricated in less than a day .. And it needs some modifications to make it versatile....
no trailer hitch... AND no winch.. therefore all lifting must be done using the lever.. and it's heavy... One big advantage is that it breaks down and you could put 5 of them in a pick-up bed. another is that it has a hieght and width adjustment...
Probably shouldn't complain about the money seeing as how it paid for itself on the first job...
God Bless All,
Daniel

 

[Tree Machine]

Arches DO pay for themselves

Man, once I spend money on gear, I don't eventhink about it. I think about the labor saved every time I use them, about how my back will last years longer because of them and how once you pay for, and employ these devices, you never have to pay for them again. They make your human employees more effective. They shorten the worktime at jobsites, they lessen the amount of sawdust on your jobsite.

They allow you to easily move into the sawmilling of logs since YOU, Mr Treeguy, no longer need to hunk up perfectly awesome saw logs. You bring your logs to a site, stowe them and call a Woodmizer guy in twice a year. I keep getting paid back for them in sheer efficiency, time and again, but milled boards are WAY more valuable than firewood. Attached is a photo where this pile, and another thick-slabbed maple were sold to ONE GUY, whiche paid for the middle arch and the 1/2 day milling costs in cash. Best of all, I never need to feel the guilt again of bucking up a perfect log into 16" rounds.

 

[Eric E.]

Here's another idea for low impact log removal. I met a guy yesterday that lives near some Amish folk. He hired them to do some horse skidding. It reminded me of college when we did horse skidding. I thought it may be an option for certian areas.

 

[Tree Machine]

Still learning Photoshop... bear with me

hopefully, this will be a series of 4 images with some text attachhed. This is my first time doing this.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

I like the look of this attachment system:

http://www.norwoodindustries.com/multimate.htm

Being able to raise 1,500 pounds thirty six inches makes the ATV even more valuable to me.

Tom

 

[Tree Machine]

ATV gone tree-ward

Wow, will ya look at the rigs they put on ATV's! Wow, Dunlap, thanks! Look at all the cool devices we're able to share with all the readers.

 

[Tree Machine]

Gang - logging

Here's a good shot from a job a couple days ago. --TM--

 

[Crofter]

"Tree Machine You wrote that the Log Rover handles 4000 lbs-10,000 kg. Which? Those are'nt even close to equivalent.(10,000 kg is over 22,000 lb.)"

I think he just fed the figures into the wrong end of the converter....what are you guys doing with that metric stuff anyway? We Canucks have adopted it so you leave it alone.

Frank

 

[Newfie]

Frank...

We have to learn metric so we can figure out new ways to rip off Canadians!

 

[Crofter]

I will tell Jean Chretien he better watch out eh!

Frank

 

[Tree Machine]

Metric conversions.

I acknowledged that conversion mistake at the top of page 2 of this thread. Two tons, though. A metric ton is 2,200 pounds, so I imagine this log arch will do two tons either way. I do apologize for the error. Check out this pic. Oops, picture is in the next reply:

 

[Tree Machine]

Log arch picture

Here is is: