Rolling rounds behind garden tractor?

[cantoo]

JackJ, I have 2 tongs and they hang on the wall. Use the money to buy something you will use more than once.

 

[unclemoustache]

What a bunch of killjoys! I mean, a guy has a dream of a fabulous new invention that will not only save aging backs but smooth rustic lawns while letting him live out his lumberjack dreams atop his Sears lawnmower. And what happens? His soul gets crushed by the cold, hard pessimism of this place. Gonna use my hotwater heater to heat some hotwater until the water is hot and take a bath or make some tea and then somehow carry on with this idea somewhere else where they will recognize my genius.

Or maybe take the hood off my wife's car and just use that.

Just joshin' ya, Jack! We have lots of fun around here, and the idea is great, the practical aspect of it is not. Keep up the good work, and don't forget to grow a fine moustache.

 

[JackJ]

So here's what I ended up with. Worked out well-- easy to roll the round into the tray when it's tipped up, and drags across the lawn with minimal damage. Cost about 4 bucks for eyebolts, washers, and nuts, and I added some 3/8ths steel plates to reinforce attachment area. Will also be just the ticket if we get any more snow. Thanks for all the advice!

 

[unclemoustache]

That's pretty clever! You can haul the kids in there for a fun sport as well.I bet that would float, also (if you plug the holes from the handle bolts).

 

[tla100]

So what do I win? I guess it was a combo of a couple replies........heh

 

[Cody]

View attachment 484372 So here's what I ended up with. Worked out well-- easy to roll the round into the tray when it's tipped up, and drags across the lawn with minimal damage. Cost about 4 bucks for eyebolts, washers, and nuts, and I added some 3/8ths steel plates to reinforce attachment area. Will also be just the ticket if we get any more snow. Thanks for all the advice!

You might not have any issues but I could see it tipping forward easily with those eye bolts up high.

 

[JackJ]

You might not have any issues but I could see it tipping forward easily with those eye bolts up high.

I was concerned about the tow line pulling up on the front of the tray and the rear thereby digging into the turf a bit, so I wanted to keep it close to parallel to the ground. That's also why I put the attachments on the sides, closer to the horizontal center of gravity. So far, so good. With any decent load I don't think it's going to tip, though I suppose it might when it's empty.

I've got a lot of really nice red oak down in a creek bed. I've been carrying splits up an armload at a time, but once I clear a path I'm gonna see how much I can pull up in my new sled, with the "tractor" above on level ground where the traction is good (my gravel driveway), and a 25' tow rope.

Just playin' with trees,
Jack

 

[turnkey4099]

I was concerned about the tow line pulling up on the front of the tray and the rear thereby digging into the turf a bit, so I wanted to keep it close to parallel to the ground. That's also why I put the attachments on the sides, closer to the horizontal center of gravity. So far, so good. With any decent load I don't think it's going to tip, though I suppose it might when it's empty.

I've got a lot of really nice red oak down in a creek bed. I've been carrying splits up an armload at a time, but once I clear a path I'm gonna see how much I can pull up in my new sled, with the "tractor" above on level ground where the traction is good (my gravel driveway), and a 25' tow rope.

Just playin' with trees,
Jack

Been There, Done That. Many a time I have spent a couple days work figuring out how to section and drag the logs up out of a mini canyon. Of course the trees were Black Locust blow downs and well worth the time spent. Didn't reallyi need the wood by then but couldn't resist the pleasure of the technical rigging/towing stuff.

Harry K

 

[cat10ken]

That looks like a piece of white oak, not sycamore.

How are you gonna back up with that rig? You need to figure a way to carry it on your hitch ball.

 

[JackJ]

That looks like a piece of white oak, not sycamore.

How are you gonna back up with that rig? You need to figure a way to carry it on your hitch ball.

I agree, in that picture it sure doesn't look like Sycamore. But that's definitely what it is, though I'd gladly trade it for half its weight in white oak.

Backing up? That's gonna be an issue. But I'm more concerned about it sliding downhill on me. Ver. 2.0 may lie ahead, but this will meet the need for now.

 

[woodchuck357]

Sycamore is not to hard to split IF you split with the growth rings instead of across the round. Knock off tangent slabs and work toward the center.

 

[JackJ]

With an overnight dusting of snow and plummeting temps that froze the ground, I was able to move to phase 2 of my Sears Skidder Saga: dragging splits up a steep hill.



Worked out pretty well. Once I got 'em to the top of the hill I coiled the long tow rope and skidded the tray the rest of the way to the wood piles.



It didn't track at all well on any side slopes, but with the short tow bridle, that wasn't too much of a problem. I don't see any further refinements in the near future, but a rigid frame as shown above somewhere would be nice for backing up and keeping it behind me.

 

[Erik B]

With an overnight dusting of snow and plummeting temps that froze the ground, I was able to move to phase 2 of my Sears Skidder Saga: dragging splits up a steep hill.

View attachment 484824 View attachment 484825

Worked out pretty well. Once I got 'em to the top of the hill I coiled the long tow rope and skidded the tray the rest of the way to the wood piles.

View attachment 484829

It didn't track at all well on any side slopes, but with the short tow bridle, that wasn't too much of a problem. I don't see any further refinements in the near future, but a rigid frame as shown above somewhere would be nice for backing up and keeping it behind me.

@JackJ What do you have the rope wound around on the back of your tractor?

 

[JackJ]

@JackJ What do you have the rope wound around on the back of your tractor?

It's a weight (55lbs. I think) for improved traction. Easier to install/remove than wheel weights, but I sometimes wish I had those too.

 

[Erik B]

It's a weight (55lbs. I think) for improved traction. Easier to install/remove than wheel weights, but I sometimes wish I had those too.

I have wheel weights on my garden tractor and I haven't seen any need to take them off, as long as I don't get a flat

 

[Woody912]

1. It's sycamore. Don't waste your time. I hate that stuff! It's the only wood I refuse to put in my stove, but I'd use it for my outdoor pit.

2. Get a small trailer that's fairly low to the ground - one that can be hauled with either the car or the lawn tractor. (I welded a 2" ball onto a metal frame which can be easily slipped on to my tractor).

3. Either roll the rounds up the shallow slope of the trailer tailgate, or use a handcart. Make sure you get a handcart with big/fat tires that work well on rugged ground.

or get you a 2 x 10 and make a ramp. Sycamore splits best around the perimeter parallel to the growth rings rather than going thru the middle. It also splits WAY MORE BETTER when the temp has been subzero for a couple days!

 

[Macman125]

With an overnight dusting of snow and plummeting temps that froze the ground, I was able to move to phase 2 of my Sears Skidder Saga: dragging splits up a steep hill.

View attachment 484824 View attachment 484825

Worked out pretty well. Once I got 'em to the top of the hill I coiled the long tow rope and skidded the tray the rest of the way to the wood piles.

View attachment 484829

It didn't track at all well on any side slopes, but with the short tow bridle, that wasn't too much of a problem. I don't see any further refinements in the near future, but a rigid frame as shown above somewhere would be nice for backing up and keeping it behind me.

I definitely see oak in that wheelbarrow tub.

 

[JackJ]

I definitely see oak in that wheelbarrow tub.

You're right--in the last set of photos it's some nice red oak from a healthy tree that for reasons unknown uprooted itself from my neighbor's property and fell across a creek into mine. Fortunately, my neighbor is happy to have me clean up any fallen trees--he's got no use for them, regardless of where they fall. But the round in my first photo is sycamore, though I agree it doesn't look like sycamore bark in that picture.

I've been able to split some sycamore by hand in the past, working from the outside in as I do on almost all large rounds. But for some reason this tree just laughed at me, even when I brought out the steel wedges and 10 lb sledge. These things are full of water, so I would expect better results after a long deep freeze. But having transported about 15 of the suckers on my new sled back to my cutting area, they've all been noodled up.

 

[zogger]

You're right--in the last set of photos it's some nice red oak from a healthy tree that for reasons unknown uprooted itself from my neighbor's property and fell across a creek into mine. Fortunately, my neighbor is happy to have me clean up any fallen trees--he's got no use for them, regardless of where they fall. But the round in my first photo is sycamore, though I agree it doesn't look like sycamore bark in that picture.

I've been able to split some sycamore by hand in the past, working from the outside in as I do on almost all large rounds. But for some reason this tree just laughed at me, even when I brought out the steel wedges and 10 lb sledge. These things are full of water, so I would expect better results after a long deep freeze. But having transported about 15 of the suckers on my new sled back to my cutting area, they've all been noodled up.

That's my philosophy any more, I'll try this or that nasty round just a few hits, then, if a no go and looks to just be stupid hard, it's a fast and easy decision to put aside into the noodle pile.

 

[Cody]

It's a weight (55lbs. I think) for improved traction. Easier to install/remove than wheel weights, but I sometimes wish I had those too.

I've got a Craftsman, littler older than yours but nearly the same platform. I went out and just got chains for the rear. I provide enough weight to get traction but I do like the treads you put on yours.