Logging with 2 Wheel Drive Tractor

[ArtB]

As far as 2 wheel farm tractor vs crawler, :

Once you've had tracks, you'll never go back!



BTW, that paraphrases the controversy over use of firewood vs. coal in steam engines <G>

 

[hseII]

As far as 2 wheel farm tractor vs crawler, :

Once you've had tracks, you'll never go back!



BTW, that paraphrases the controversy over use of firewood vs. coal in steam engines <G>

My Youngest on my Grandfather's 8.

 

[JTM]

A skidding winch IS a good investment...

My Wallenstein has been very good to me, allowing me to pull some quite big sticks up out of ravines that would have been very hard to get out, without it,

To me, adding a skidding winch is a huge step in making "skidding with a tractor" much safer.

SR

I want one.

 

[northmanlogging]

As far as 2 wheel farm tractor vs crawler, :

Once you've had tracks, you'll never go back!



BTW, that paraphrases the controversy over use of firewood vs. coal in steam engines <G>

completely off topic...

many years ago I desperately wanted to be a professional black smith tried every thing I could think of or hack together to get fire wood to burn hot enough to forge with.

Spent a good 9 years (from age 11 to roughly 20) off and on hammering on an old digger bar to turn it into a sword (nerd...) then one day I acquired a bag of coal...

2 hours and some BSing later the whole thing was nearly done. Later that day I finally figured out forge welding...

I haven't messed with anything but coal in the forge since. tried some coal coke but meh... coal is cheaper and cokes up just fine anyway.

The moral of this story is that that particular project has yet to be finished, mostly from lack of time or interest (its art whatya want wicker), But get the right tools and feed them proper...

 

[rwoods]

Those 3 point tractor winches look pretty slick but bigger ones seem pretty pricey. Couldn't find one today but occasionally little Deeres similar to your Missy show up in the same price range. Of course they require some wrenching and something bigger to haul it on than a small tractor needs unless your wood is in your backyard.

Ron

 

[northmanlogging]

On the way home yesterday, some good ole boy had a mini tractor with back blade crammed into the bed of an F150 back blade hanging out into oncoming traffic...

They at least where not on the freeway.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Yeaaa, every body and their brother makes a tinker toy tractor now...

The amazing part is, they cost as much as a "farm" tractor, but ya gotta keep up with the Jones', don't ya know!

SR

 

[chucker]

Yeaaa, every body and their brother makes a tinker toy tractor now...

The amazing part is, they cost as much as a "farm" tractor, but ya gotta keep up with the Jones', don't ya know!

SR

I am keeping up! but just not as fast as the jones' or any one else .... but still faster then the one lagging behind me! lol

 

[Ted Jenkins]

Tractors of any kind do not go up and down hills well. I have tried all kinds of skidders and they need flat ground just like all tractors. I am not referring to gentle grades as being a hill or slope. I bought a IH crawler with a 4 in 1 bucket a number of years ago thinking this thing would really get the job done wrong. It weighed about 20,000 lbs and could maybe come up a hill not too steep with 5 or 6,000 lbs. When it got to rocky ground just sparks. In dirt it would just spin out and dig holes. A rubber tired rig was not as good. That thing nearly killed me several times. I built a horse shoe type frame with some trailer wheels to get the front end of logs out of the dirt and wow. With my winch pulling logs out of canyons I could pull up to 20,000 per load straight up banks that were not too soft. My winch is comfortable at about 8,000 at a dead pull. If you are going to load logs on a truck or fifth wheel then the tractor is necessary, but winches get done what tractors can not. I built my winch starting with a 3 1/2 HP small gas engine then went to 10 HP and some mods. I use 600 feet of aircraft cable and I have a few sizes up to 7/16''. If you only need to go 100 to 150 feet down a hill then the tractor skidders should work well. Or set up a high lead providing that you have enough logs at one setting. A two wheel tractor get get plenty of work even if you need to add weights. Thanks

 

[hseII]

Tractors of any kind do not go up and down hills well. I have tried all kinds of skidders and they need flat ground just like all tractors. I am not referring to gentle grades as being a hill or slope. I bought a IH crawler with a 4 in 1 bucket a number of years ago thinking this thing would really get the job done wrong. It weighed about 20,000 lbs and could maybe come up a hill not too steep with 5 or 6,000 lbs. When it got to rocky ground just sparks. In dirt it would just spin out and dig holes. A rubber tired rig was not as good. That thing nearly killed me several times. I built a horse shoe type frame with some trailer wheels to get the front end of logs out of the dirt and wow. With my winch pulling logs out of canyons I could pull up to 20,000 per load straight up banks that were not too soft. My winch is comfortable at about 8,000 at a dead pull. If you are going to load logs on a truck or fifth wheel then the tractor is necessary, but winches get done what tractors can not. I built my winch starting with a 3 1/2 HP small gas engine then went to 10 HP and some mods. I use 600 feet of aircraft cable and I have a few sizes up to 7/16''. If you only need to go 100 to 150 feet down a hill then the tractor skidders should work well. Or set up a high lead providing that you have enough logs at one setting. A two wheel tractor get get plenty of work even if you need to add weights. Thanks

Pics of the Horse Shoe Frame please.

 

[Brian72]

Pics of the Horse Shoe Frame please.

Here you go hsell. I can't get pics right now but this will give you an idea. My buddy has one we hitch up to a 4 wheeler or side by side and it works great. The center bar angles up soon it lifts the front up as you pull forward. Sorry for the crappy drawing. Thanks for bringing this up Ted.

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[Brian72]

Pics of the Horse Shoe Frame please.

Something like this hsell. The center bar angles up so it lifts the front of the log as you pull forward. We hook it to a 4 wheeler or side by side and it works great. My buddy has one. I'll get pics when I can but this gives you an idea.

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[hseII]

Something like this hsell. The center bar angles up so it lifts the front of the log as you pull forward. We hook it to a 4 wheeler or side by side and it works great. My buddy has one. I'll get pics when I can but this gives you an idea.

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Thank You.

 

[Brian72]

Anytime. I'll get pics the next time I visit him.

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[Sawyer Rob]

Norwood makes/sells or use to make something like that, it lifted one of the log when you took off, with a chain slipping up a slanted bar...

Not a bad idea, you just back up to set the log back down...

SR

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Logging arch. That's what they're called. Logrite makes some excellent ones. They can be made from parts laying around also.

 

[Brian72]

They really are a great tool. Getting the front of the log off the ground makes a huge difference.

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[mesupra]

Check out the Norse/Igland Brand winches. Very good quality and just happen to be about the cheapest out there. Labonville our of NH carries them along with many other dealers. I have a older model Igland 501 and its every bit the winch as any other brand out there. Picked it up on craigs list like new for $2000.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

As far as Logging Arches goes it does not matter what you use. Anything that will get the upper end of a log out of the dirt to be able to pull. I have used a trailer axle and it worked fine. The issue with a axle is that it must be able to be chained under the log in a secure manner so that it does not move around. The deal with a arch is that it is a little easier to raise the log with some sort of cable and a winch. I have worked with logs that were about 10,000 lbs and have set a snatch block to increase capacity only to find that they could not be moved because of some obstruction. In some severe cases have set two snatch blocks and still could not move some logs with out repositioning them. Even with 25,000 lbs of force could not move a 10,000 lb log. So if one end of the log is clear or off the ground smooth sailing. Thanks

 

[Catfish Hunter]

I looked at a 10 year old wallenstein fx120 its in decent shape guy wants 3700 for it. Is that worth it?


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