made me a new log skidder

   / made me a new log skidder #1  

mx842

Platinum Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2011
Messages
838
Location
Richmond Va
Tractor
Kubota L3301, PowerKing 2414, John Deere 316, Gravely ZT HD 52
For the past couple years I have been cleaning up a bunch of trees that got blown down in a storm we had. It was slow going at first because the way I was going at it. I was cutting it up in fire wood lengths right where it was at, then hauling it out in my little trailer and piling it up so it could dry. That was a pain and was taking way to long and I was afraid it would all be rotted away before I could get to it. I thought about cutting it up in log lengths that my little wheel horse could drag out of the woods but that too became a big hassle because the wheel horse didn't have enough ground clearance and stayed stuck a lot. Then I got my new 'old' tractor, a Power King 14/24 and even though that has less HP it would pull most of the logs around but it to would get hung up sometimes and also it was hard on the poor ol girl so I got to thinking.......I was watching some guys that were logging a patch of woods down the road and as I was watching this log skidder pulling these massive loads of logs up to the log deck to be stripped of their limbs and sawed up I got to thinking.:scratchchin:

I had this old roll around hydraulic motor lift that was sitting out back and not being used and I also had this 6000 lb axle that I got out from under an old straw blower that I scrapped awhile back and decided to marry them up. I played around with it for awhile trying to figure out the best way to make chicken soup out of chicken poop and finally came up with a working solution to my problem.

I bolted the lift to the axle, then added a hitch and before my eyes my, frankenlift/skidder was born. What a difference that thing made. Before I would have to cut logs only 6 to 8 feet long to keep from destroying my new toy. Now I can pull 12 to 16' logs out with little or no effort and it's a lot easier on my Power King when doing so. I don't know why I didn't think of this long ago because I have found all sorts of uses for this thing. It's slow but I can load logs with it and have even used it like a wrecker to haul equipment around the yard that wont start or is broken down in the woods. I know, I know she don't look like much but it really works well.
 

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   / made me a new log skidder #3  
Indeed, it looks pretty good, but I'd still worry a bit about lateral loads. The straps you have will hold in tension, but won't hold much compression load. You'll be fine pulling in a reasonably straight line, but watch out for the loads you get when turning tight corners.

As an aside, a log-arch is a little more efficient at moving logs around. They rely simply on leverage to lift the log, and support it's weight near the middle so the dragging end doesn't provide much resistance. Here's a photo of a DIY arch that I plucked off the internet.

Log_Arch.JPG
 
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   / made me a new log skidder #4  
Sweet!
If you run into the troubles that DaveK mentioned (I could also see that occurring) you could make an upside down "U" welded to the axle and hitch the logs to that after lifting with your old shop crane. Very clever use of those old items.:thumbsup:
 
   / made me a new log skidder
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Indeed, it looks pretty good, but I'd still worry a bit about lateral loads. The straps you have will hold in tension, but won't hold much compression load. You'll be fine pulling in a reasonably straight line, but watch out for the loads you get when turning tight corners.

As an aside, a log-arch is a little more efficient at moving logs around. They rely simply on leverage to lift the log, and support it's weight near the middle so the dragging end doesn't provide much resistance. Here's a photo of a DIY arch that I plucked off the internet.

View attachment 503297

When I was building it a guy came by while I was putting the finishing touches on it and he said it would never work because of the same thing you said. He told me that the thing would probably flip over when I went around a turn. Being the hard headed type that I am...... (or, so I've been told anyway) I kept pressing ahead. At first, I wanted a drawbar hitch on it so it would be a little easier on the small light weight 3 point hitch that is on this little 14 hp tractor. I could see a potential problem when zigging and zagging around in the woods and in tight turns so I just put a ball coupler on it and hooked it to the 3 point hitch bar I made for pulling my trailer. It is a little hard on that light weight hitch but it has enough swing back and forth that it gets around in the woods pretty good. There is so much smaller logs and limbs laying everywhere it's hard to maneuver around in some places. Usually i have to get as close as I can and hook a chain to the log then pull it out to where I can hook up to it. Once I get a chain wrapped around it and off the ground then it's on to the wood pile. Some smaller wood I leave long but the larger stuff I cut around 12 to 14 foot because some of these logs weigh a thousand pounds or more even after being cut to length and my setup handles them fairly well.

I usually build everything I make out of stuff I have laying around, sometimes it works and sometimes things don't work out so well and I have to go out and buy a part or two. This project worked out just fine and for the time being I think I'm going to leave it as it is. There's probably another 50 logs or so over there and hopefully I can get them out before the bugs eat them up completely.
 
   / made me a new log skidder
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Indeed, it looks pretty good, but I'd still worry a bit about lateral loads. The straps you have will hold in tension, but won't hold much compression load. You'll be fine pulling in a reasonably straight line, but watch out for the loads you get when turning tight corners.

As an aside, a log-arch is a little more efficient at moving logs around. They rely simply on leverage to lift the log, and support it's weight near the middle so the dragging end doesn't provide much resistance. Here's a photo of a DIY arch that I plucked off the internet.

View attachment 503297

I was thinking of a log arch but to make use of one of those you have to be able to back up to the log and in most cases where I am it hard to move forward and backing up is not an option. Most of the time you can only get to the log from the side and the log arch won't work like that. I usually have to back up to a log or pull along side of it then hook up and raise it up then pull it around so I can get a better grip on it to pull it out of the woods. I understand the log arch concept and it would probably be easier on my little tractor but for what I'm doing I think i'll keep doing what I'm doing until something breaks.
 
   / made me a new log skidder #7  
I wouldn't worry so much about your skidder tipping over unless you are moving fast around a turn. And even at that, it's more likely that the outer support strap will fail in compression before it tips.

As long as it works safely for your needs, all's good. If you do ever upgrade it, I'd suggest something like 1 1/4" tube in place of the straps.
 
   / made me a new log skidder #8  
For the past couple years I have been cleaning up a bunch of trees that got blown down in a storm we had. It was slow going at first because the way I was going at it. I was cutting it up in fire wood lengths right where it was at, then hauling it out in my little trailer and piling it up so it could dry. That was a pain and was taking way to long and I was afraid it would all be rotted away before I could get to it. I thought about cutting it up in log lengths that my little wheel horse could drag out of the woods but that too became a big hassle because the wheel horse didn't have enough ground clearance and stayed stuck a lot. Then I got my new 'old' tractor, a Power King 14/24 and even though that has less HP it would pull most of the logs around but it to would get hung up sometimes and also it was hard on the poor ol girl so I got to thinking.......I was watching some guys that were logging a patch of woods down the road and as I was watching this log skidder pulling these massive loads of logs up to the log deck to be stripped of their limbs and sawed up I got to thinking.:scratchchin:

I had this old roll around hydraulic motor lift that was sitting out back and not being used and I also had this 6000 lb axle that I got out from under an old straw blower that I scrapped awhile back and decided to marry them up. I played around with it for awhile trying to figure out the best way to make chicken soup out of chicken poop and finally came up with a working solution to my problem.

I bolted the lift to the axle, then added a hitch and before my eyes my, frankenlift/skidder was born. What a difference that thing made. Before I would have to cut logs only 6 to 8 feet long to keep from destroying my new toy. Now I can pull 12 to 16' logs out with little or no effort and it's a lot easier on my Power King when doing so. I don't know why I didn't think of this long ago because I have found all sorts of uses for this thing. It's slow but I can load logs with it and have even used it like a wrecker to haul equipment around the yard that wont start or is broken down in the woods. I know, I know she don't look like much but it really works well.
look's good, should do a good job for ya......
 
   / made me a new log skidder #9  
I usually build everything I make out of stuff I have laying around, sometimes it works and sometimes things don't work out so well and I have to go out and buy a part or two.

You're in good company, mx842.

"To invent something, all you need is imagination and a big pile of junk."

― Albert Einstein
 
   / made me a new log skidder
  • Thread Starter
#10  
You're in good company, mx842.

"To invent something, all you need is imagination and a big pile of junk."

― Albert Einstein

Hey...I like that ol quote! That's how I roll.
 
 
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