New Winch

[Marky Mark]

I just took delivery of a Farmi 351,to use on my Kubota tractor, I have a picture of the end of the cable. Do I use chain to pull the logs or should I purchase the cables that I see John Lambert use.
Does each log get a chain or do I hitch each log with it's own chain??? If I use the cables do I change the end of the cable?

Or do I purchase Choke sliders. Or do I use choker chains. I am trying to do this with minimal impact.

 

[Marky Mark]

Here's a pic of the choke chain system.

 

[Gypo Logger]

Hi Mark, I have been using a 6 ft. cable choker, but chain chokers are better for the 3 point hitch logging winch. The chain chokers with the C hooks are great and will efficiently choke smaller logs. The drawback with chains, are that they are not pinned to the mainline and tend to get lost at times. All in all go with the chains, but make sure they are grade 80, or they break. You can also make up your own chains.
I fill the bucket with dirt so I can make a bigger hitch without losing my steering.
John

 

[jokers]

I prefer the cables because they are easier to push than chains.

Russ

 

[Wade Huggins]

I dont log with a tractor much, skidder and dozer only but I have always been partial to chains. I like them for many reasons if your spotting trees up over a steep hill out to your skid road you can unhook easily from your slide and leave the chain on the log then when you get a drag together you can hook them all up and head for the landing. I also like being able to adjust the linkage I guess you would say so that you pulling your logs all evenly against the arch and what I mean is you cant always hook them the same distance back from the butt. You want to keep them as even as you can it makes the skid easier. Also chains will last you a life time considering your logs aren't right against the arch when you decide to take a sharp right turn. Also since chains are sometimes more difficult to get under the tree I keep a little piece of 1/4 inch steel about 2 ft long with a bent hook on it to dig out and reach under the tree with to hook the chain and pull it back through. Chains are pricy but worth the investment. Anyway just my opinion, good luck Wade

 

[Newfie]

"Also since chains are sometimes more difficult to get under the tree I keep a little piece of 1/4 inch steel about 2 ft long with a bent hook on it to dig out and reach under the tree with to hook the chain and pull it back through."

Or you can buy a pre-made grab rod for $8 or $9 through CCD or Labonville. Worth the money in my opinion. That winch should come with three "mainline slides/ grablinks" installed on the cable. (those funny looking red things on the end of the cable)It also should come with 3 choker chain set ups, at least mine did. I really like the 3/8 square link, but the hardware for the Farmi 351 is set up for 5/16 roundlinks. Smaller logs can be bundled with one choker, big logs get their own.

 

[Jwoods]

Chains vs. cable

Hey Mark,

How big of trees are you going to be skidding with your equipment?

 

[Marky Mark]

The trees I am going to be skidding are piles of brush up to some 40-50" oaks I would say the average will be 20. What ever the forester comes up with for my wood lot program. i am headed to Al's used cars in Hancock NY this weekend to look at all the gear to go with the Farmi.

New jersey logging what a joke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But hey it keeps my taxes down.

 

[Jwoods]

There's an old logging saying that says-
"Leave the log as long as you can, as long as you can." Chokers in chain and cable are fairly cheap, so having a collection of both certainly won't hurt you. You can pull a bunching of brush with a cable choker, and it may be necessary at times to pull a single stem with a chain. Fishing the chain underneath a 30" diameter stump can be a pain.

I use a chain for my forwarding, and a single 100' cable for getting stems up a hill, or through rough terrain. I don't have a winch, -I think that Farmi would be a pretty cool attachment. I yanked all these with a International 240 (about 30 hp). White oak stems 30" diameter 13 feet long were about all it wanted.

Joe

 

[Weatherby]

Originally posted by Jwoods
Fishing the chain underneath a 30" diameter stump can be a pain.

Yeah sounds like it would be pretty tough, but why would you put a choker on a stump?

 

[Jwoods]

uhhh...I meant stem, or log.

 

[Gypo Logger]

Once upon a time I had a good book, called " The Farm Tractor in the Woodlot, a translation from Sweden. The're are many good tricks in this book, will save much trial and error, if your into literature. It might be found on: abe.com
Learning how to work the woods with a tractor will make you a good, conscientious skidder operator. Have regard for the residual stand, think of all left trees as park cars, dont debark them, dont pull stems to long, unless you have a straight trail with no turns, use low grade standing stems as pivot points for turns. Keep logging damage down to less than 5%. Think of trees as carrots in a garden, weed them and pick some carrots.
John

 

[Marky Mark]

The county forester was here today and we spent a few hours walking and looking over all my trees. Since where I live has a ton of deer I have alot of work to just getting the non-indigenous plants out this summer. Then in winter when the ground is frozen I will be taking some fuelwood trees and a few veneers out 2 per acre.

He worked in the Bob Marshal wilderness in Montana for a few years, how he got to Jersey I'll never know. He also explained to me to use chain chokers "square chain".
The very first thing I will be taking on this fall is establishing my skidding routes based on what John said using the lower grade trees to work the angles.

He was very impressed with the Dozer Dan 2100 in a 30" oak.

Now If I ever get some of my other saws, Right John........

 

[Gypo Logger]

Hi Mark, a good system is to have your main skid trails taking the route of least resistance and establishing secondary trails in a herringbone fashion off the main trail. Try to cut all bent over whips close to ground level to reduce tire punctures. Do you have a dozer blade on your winch? They are great for trail blazing and bossing around logs and brush. If you dip the choker chains in flouresent paint, you can find them in the snow or topsoil.
My Norse is pretty beat up, but I still logged 16,000 ft. and 24 bush cords of randon length firewood in the last 10 days with the Kubota 4950. I almost ran for my skidder when I had a flat today, just a defective tube. Barry's Tires came to the rescue within the hour.
Its fun, go slow, watch the side slopes and shut off the pto when you dont need it.
John