The Farm Tractor in the Woodlot

[NeTree]

John... 'specially those landings that are like 8 feet wide, 10 feet deep, and have a cliff on either side.

 

[keith c raymond]

Gypo ,where do you find those ''Wood wenches''?Is there something about a woodtick like you that you could reveal to us barkbiters?Ive got a molasses solution in my tires and it does the trick for stability.

 

[keith c raymond]

She looks like just the ticket for cold Canadian evenings......

 

[SWE#Kipp]

Volvo T-24

This is what me and my brother use for skidding, not so fancy maybe but it does the trick for us ,,,,,,

/ Kristoffer

 

[Gypo Logger]

Moving right along here, it's payday in the forest, so I'll show everyone what that little tractor can actually do with some more pictures.
WHY I didn't stay with tractors I don't know, but a skidder makes you feel more the part, but I must have been suffering from affectatiousness too!
John

 

[Newfie]

WHY I didn't stay with tractors I don't know, but a skidder makes you feel more the part, but I must have been suffering from affectatiousness too!

I often think about a skidder and how it would make me more "real" and efficient on bigger cuts, but the Kubota gets me into some tight lots and tight spots that the big boys have to pass on because there is no room for their million dollar set-ups.

I'm working a lot right now with a ten foot flat area on top of a ridge that drops off at 30 - 40 degree slopes. Wide enough to move the Kubota along with a hitch back to the 20' x 30' landing.

Letting things dry out today, try and remember to take some pictures of my set-up tomorrow.

 

[PTS]

I saw a skidder type attachment that has a grapple that mounts on a three point hitch of a tractor. The grapple works with hydraulics. It really looked like a nice little unit. It would really allow for you to get in those tight areas with a utility tractor and skid the logs out and never have to get off the tractor to chain the log. Has anyone used one of these.

 

[Newfie]

Hey Mike,

Are you sawing what you cut? I thought you mentioned you were.

What saw do you use? I've been interested in one of the swing blade models and I'd enjoy the sawing but the drying and selling of the finished product worries me.

Dan

I've sawn white pine and hemlock so far. The hardwood goes to the firewood business. I have been sawing w/ a woodmizer LT40 (non hydraulic version). Most of what I have sawn has been for my own use but I've done several MBF for customers that want green roughsawn, that way all of the headaches are their's and not mine. I enjoy it, just wish I had more time to do it. Too much time spent clearing lots.

 

[tawilson]

Depending on work situations and such, I get into a little bit of tractor logging, and I've noticed that Gypo's pictures have gone from skidder to tractor. Almost asked why a couple of times. Now I know. Didn't figure somebody heavily into logging would go that direction. Probably also depends on terrain and how far you have to drag. My woodlot is rough and I'm still working on opening it up with roads, and have pounded the snot of of my 2120. And I also almost made a post similar to HJ's but don't want to get dragged into the crap that goes on around here. I too enjoy threads like this. Keep um coming.

 

[django]

I too use a tractor ( Ford 4000) in the woods when I can, ( I am just a firewood cutter) However I find a skid steer ( Hydro-Mac , Bobcat etc..)
much easier to use. A decent size one with forks really gets the job done.
John, is there a reason you went with a tractor instead of a skid steer?

 

[Husky288XP]

Thats the first time I saw John wear a hard hat.

 

[Thor's Hammer]

I have an 1184 ford county equal wheel tractor with an 8 tonne doubledrum igland winch for skidding. I run it on North american skidder tyres for grip. Trouble is, our timber has such little value over here, skidder extraction is almost dead.
Holder tractors were very cool, as are Riko Alpine tractors and Ferrari tractors.
I would like a TJ 460 with double arch grapple just to play with though

 

[Gypo Logger]

The tractor really spells versatility as Thor has pointed out. With timber being worth more and firewood going up in price, you can't lose out with the proper tractor, especially with a loader, however, such a setup in the Western Rockies would be a joke in most situations.
Tractors work in small operations where the owner is the operator.
Learning to skid with a tractor will make you a very good skidder operator.
If I had the $$ to throw away a new JD 540 with a swing boom grapple would be a riot.
The first picture shows the "coffin grade", and the next one shows the veneer.
John

 

[Gypo Logger]

Depending on work situations and such, I get into a little bit of tractor logging, and I've noticed that Gypo's pictures have gone from skidder to tractor. Almost asked why a couple of times. Now I know. Didn't figure somebody heavily into logging would go that direction. Probably also depends on terrain and how far you have to drag. My woodlot is rough and I'm still working on opening it up with roads, and have pounded the snot of of my 2120. And I also almost made a post similar to HJ's but don't want to get dragged into the crap that goes on around here. I too enjoy threads like this. Keep um coming.

Tom in most situation such a commercial logging, a tractor simply won't cut it, however with the small oneman gypo outfit I run it works out very well.
4WD is a must however, as is the 3ph winch along with a loader with quik detach bucket and fork/grapple.
John

 

[Husky288XP]

Thats a nice timberland, has it been managed before?

 

[Sizzle-Chest]

hey gypo, where'd you get that picture of me?

 

[Stihl Crazy]

Hi John, nice setup you have there. The John Deere 5210 is popular around here for woods work. The dealer does a woods package with nice stump pans and screens for the engine compartment. I am working a 900 acre lot that has been managed since 1982. I cut veneer two days per week and spruce the rest. The hardwood makes up around 400 acres of the property. I will post pics of the wood if I can get the camera away from my daughter. No snow here yet, it has been 15 degrees here all week. Art

 

[Gypo Logger]

Thats a nice timberland, has it been managed before?

Steve, I took out 40 trees in 1999 and 35 trees this time on 15 acres. I should remove more low grade, but there are still lots of crop trees, so I'm a high grader on a low grade scale.
Sizzle, I knew that pic was photoshoped even before I opened it. Too funny!
Art, it would be nice to see your pictures. NB loggers log trucker had a tractor like you described with the bush attachment, but it was a Case I think.
It had a dozer blade off a skidder attached to the loader. Quebec and the Maritimes seem to use alot of tractors in the woods on a commercial level.
John

 

[Thor's Hammer]

The other thing about a tractor is the ability to put all sorts of implements on the 3pl. These equal wheel county tractors seem to be a good compromise for the woods. Heres mine with a 12" bandit chipper on the back

 

[Kleek]

I use a JD 5320 with front grapple and Nokka 3pt grapple with good results for firewood and clear cuttting.