Logging with tractor and winch ?

   / Logging with tractor and winch ? #1  

Madman_Mark

Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2003
Messages
49
What size tractor do you guys recomend for part time logging with a tractor and winch ?
Any less then 50 HP ?
Any advice, opinions, experiences or things to look out for etc... ?
 
   / Logging with tractor and winch ? #2  
I use a Fermi 11,000 # winch on a Ford/New Holland 2120 43 HP tractor and have not found any logs in New England that I cannot drag. The winch comes with 165# of cable and I use a few 25' 5/16" Grade 70 chains to extend it I need to. The one accessory I find very useful is the self releasing snatch block that allows you to pull trees around corners. With the Fermi winch you can hook a number of trees to the winch and then lift the 3 point hitch, raise them and pull them out together. The blade on the winch anchors the tractor to the ground real well and also is good to fill in ruts. The one thing I learned from the Farmi manual that wasn't obvious until I thought about it was to fell the trees with the small end toward the tractor. That way you are pulling a wedge, pointed end first and it takes far less energy. My gut would have told me butt end first. For more info see: http://www.northeastimplement.com/index.htm
The only thing I want to add is a safety note. Always pull as close to straight off the back of the tractor as possible. Only a few degrees off and you won't believe how fast a 6000# tractor will flip.

Hope this helps

Andy
 

Attachments

  • 342733-351ptractor.jpg
    342733-351ptractor.jpg
    16.8 KB · Views: 853
   / Logging with tractor and winch ? #3  
Here's the snatch block I spoke of from Farmi
 

Attachments

  • 342741-farmisnatchblock.jpg
    342741-farmisnatchblock.jpg
    44 KB · Views: 980
   / Logging with tractor and winch ? #4  
I did use an 8N with the smallest Farmi winch to pull a number of logs out of the woods over the past 20 years. I also used the tractor to do a number of other woods related things.

One use was to feed a portable saw mill I have, a weekend warrior hobby. The primary purpose was to gather each winters fire wood. Now the Farmi winch is on a 30 hp. Kubota.

The size of the tractor depends on the type of terrain you have to deal with and the size of the trees you plan on harvesting and how much you have to cut in a day to be profitable.

I would guess you would not want a tractor under 50 hp and the correct size winch to go with it. You could purchase a frowarder type trailer complete with winch and grapple loader and you would have a nice package to go into the woods with.

This website may give you some ideas.
http://www.valbysales.com/newpage135.htm

Randy
 
   / Logging with tractor and winch ? #5  
I try to match the line pull to the tractors weight or to keep it a little less. I do like a floading butt plate so not to get hung up on a stump and you still have the ability to fill ruts.
 
   / Logging with tractor and winch ? #6  
Mark,

I have been skidding with a 55 HP tractor and a Norse 490 (10,200 lbs. pull). I moved up to a 65 hp. Even though the 55 had 4 WD and a bucket, the loads I'd pull out would bring the front wheels of the ground. The 55 had enough power, although I've gone up a few slops with a full hitch where the rpm's would drop a good 1400, but it didn't stall. My hitches will be 5 - 6 full lengh (branches are topped to 1.5 inch diameter) maple, cherry or yellow birch with an average diameter of 14 inches. The load pulls harder with the branches on.

Just got the 65Hp and haven't taken it to the woods yet. It is quite a bit heavier than the 55 hp. We'll see what it does next month. I'm going a extensive cut, mostly hemlock and white pine (some with 30+ inch diameters).

Bob
 
   / Logging with tractor and winch ? #8  
mine certainly isn't. i guess unless it's like the astroturf in the picture it won't be

Andy
 
   / Logging with tractor and winch ? #9  
My neighbour logs commercially in the winter. He bought a 45 hp open station NH to do this with initially. The second week it went back and a 65 hp cab model NH replaced it. He has broken a lot of windows in that thing. The big curved rear swingout is very $$$$!

He also has a Ford 6610 4wd and a late 80's 2wd ford around the 65 hp mark.

He uses a Farmi winch I believe. In the winter they string the winch out so it doesn't develop coils in the wire, makes it easier to pull I suppose.

They use a side discharge blower and a back blade to keep the roads open. The back blade has a tnt on the blade frame.
 
   / Logging with tractor and winch ? #10  
Andy,

I don't know about skidding from the top end. I went to the Northeast site. It appears the reason they give is the stump may be in the way when winching the butt end and the heavier butt ends may dig in. Sometimes this can be a problem. On those occasions where this is a problem, I use a snatch block (hitched high).

The disadvantages of top end skidding are: (1) can't pull out as big a hitch (better to have heavy butt ends off ground and adding weight to rear wheels - same applies to winching); (2) if tree gets lodged, you have a lot more work getting the winch cable attached (at the appropriate angle) to butt end to dislodged; (3) the tree top may fall into position that makes it difficult to limb (with butt end I just pull it to a deseriable spot); and (4) the tops are in the way (difficult to get cable to tree and often drag some branches to skid road).

Bob
 
 
Top