CalG
Super Member
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2011
- Messages
- 5,090
- Location
- vermont
- Tractor
- Hurlimann 435, Fordson E27n, Bolens HT-23, Kubota B7200
I was doing a little "side yard logging" yesterday after dropping a 120 year old sugar maple this winter that was near the house and showing lower trunk damage.
The maple fell about 15 feet "the wrong way", and fouled a few hemlocks etc. (nb That was 15 feet the RIGHT way relative to the house ;-) . At any rate, hitching onto the butt end with the Fordson, The tree only moved about 2 meters before the butt struck fast to a root. (no real room to get different approaches, even using nearby trees as pulley anchors didn't meet success.) I didn't want to hitch direct and lift with the 3ph, as the top end was still high off the ground, and no telling where that butt would jump to if set free.
I ended up letting the tree down piecemeal, cutting the trunk into 4, 16 foot bolts and dragging each up to the spot that I use to work up fire wood. (200 foot pull only)
But the effort got me thinking, What is the pulling power of these tractors? Not something seen in the literature so much any more, since the Nebraska trials appear to have fallen off the sales pitches.
At any rate, I looked through my box of Fordson literature, and read that the Fordson with Kero fuel engine (I have a gas engine) is "rated" at just about 3000# at the draw bar. ( The Perkins Diesel version a bit more) Not too shabby, but not enough to pull that hung Maple out of it's jamb.
Oh! The wheel chains sure do dig trenches in a soft spring soils. ;-)
PS The Fordson just picked up and walked off with the bolts after they were free from the top hamper. About 24" dia. ..More than I care to get caught between! ;-)
If anyone needs some 3/8th chain links that are stretched to binding, I can help you out! ;-)
The maple fell about 15 feet "the wrong way", and fouled a few hemlocks etc. (nb That was 15 feet the RIGHT way relative to the house ;-) . At any rate, hitching onto the butt end with the Fordson, The tree only moved about 2 meters before the butt struck fast to a root. (no real room to get different approaches, even using nearby trees as pulley anchors didn't meet success.) I didn't want to hitch direct and lift with the 3ph, as the top end was still high off the ground, and no telling where that butt would jump to if set free.
I ended up letting the tree down piecemeal, cutting the trunk into 4, 16 foot bolts and dragging each up to the spot that I use to work up fire wood. (200 foot pull only)
But the effort got me thinking, What is the pulling power of these tractors? Not something seen in the literature so much any more, since the Nebraska trials appear to have fallen off the sales pitches.
At any rate, I looked through my box of Fordson literature, and read that the Fordson with Kero fuel engine (I have a gas engine) is "rated" at just about 3000# at the draw bar. ( The Perkins Diesel version a bit more) Not too shabby, but not enough to pull that hung Maple out of it's jamb.
Oh! The wheel chains sure do dig trenches in a soft spring soils. ;-)
PS The Fordson just picked up and walked off with the bolts after they were free from the top hamper. About 24" dia. ..More than I care to get caught between! ;-)
If anyone needs some 3/8th chain links that are stretched to binding, I can help you out! ;-)