Just picked up a Valby 3pt log grapple

[Piston]

One of the reasons I've put off buying a log grapple is the worry of putting too much stress on my top link connection. Of course, you don't have to worry about that with the big tractor, but it's one of my concerns. They do put a tremendous amount of stress on the top link connection with a decent sized log in it, which is most likely what caused the issues you had with your top link.
I think for my situation, my top link connection on the tractor itself would be more apt to break apart from the housing than break my top link.

I've seen a couple instances where this happened with my model tractor, one on here with a 3pt hitch winch, and I can't remember the other one.
I'm still looking for one and keeping my eyes peeled for a used one, but if I do find one I'll have to be mindful of the stresses on my little ole 'Bota.

[Gordon Gould]

I like your grapple and those are some pretty nice logs you are getting. Your $100 to $50/hr after fuel and before equipment expense sounds great to me. Having a flat site, good equipment, and nice tall healthy trees is great. I make about $5 per hr in my woods cutting balsam fir that has rot. I get $280 per thousand board feet which would be roughly 9 to 10000 lb. So about $50/ton I guess. This load is a little over 500 bd feet (2.5 ton) and took probably 8 trees. 10 and 12 footers with one 14.
Keep up the good work and good luck with the house.

[Piston]

Beautiful picture Gordon.

[Gordon Gould]

Peter, I ment to ask if you have tryed picking two or more trees from your cut and pulling them to the clearing. How do you manuver to pick up the additional trees ? Straddle? Back and jack knife into them? Or what? Or is it just more efficient to pull one at a time with such a short skid?

[pclausen]

Yes, very nice picture Gordon!

When I first got started, I would cut the trees and pull them out into the cul-de-sac one by one using the rear log grapple and then cut them into 16' sections and load them onto the trailer using the front grapple, sometimes picking up 2 or 3 at a time, although that made it difficult to stack them tight on the trailer.

I'm just about completing what I could call the middle phase, in which each tree I cut fall into my newly created landing at an angle that will allow me to cut each tree into 16' sections (get about 3-5 per tree), then load them directly onto the trailer.

The 3rd and final stage that I'm about to begin, will have me dropping trees at an angle that will allow me to pull each tree out into the landing, and then carry out the steps from the middle phase. Since I'm not grinding the stumps flush with the ground (which I did when creating the landing), I will be limited in how I can approach each tree, let alone attempt to pick up more than one in each go.

But I do hope to be able to pick up bunches of medium sized trees once I start getting deeper into the stand, in a way similar to what is shown here:

Valby Tractor Grapples - YouTube

[Piston]

Peter,
How come your not grinding the stumps? Will they need to be removed for the building site?

[pclausen]

Exactly Piston. In the area where the driveway, foundation, yard and septic drain field will be, the builder will bring in a dozer to rip out all stumps and roots. The dozer will push them all into a pit dug by an excavator, where that stuff will be burned. In the areas outside building site, I'll be grinding the stumps, which included the landing area.

Builder said that with the size trees I got, he'll need to bring in a really large dozer w/ a root ripper. I'll be sure to take some pics of that!

I'm sure a D11 would get the job done...

[pclausen]

The only think I could see you really benefiting from now, that you don't have, is a PTO powered mulcher. What dya say? Bull Hog (PTO) - Fecon

Lol. My brother, who helped me clear trees and chip over the Christmas holiday, we were looking at youtube video's of power mulchers just the other night, and talking about how one of those would be real cool to deal with all the tops and branches instead of having to manually load everything into the chipper. Then I found out what one of those cost... Ouch... I think 70hp PTO might a little on the low side.

The next implement I'll likely get will be a heavy duty rotary tiller around 90" wide. Something like the Bush Hog RTH88 or Phoenix/Sicma HD T25-92GE. The Sicma might even be able to do some "mulching"