LOG DRAGGING
- Thread starter flINTLOCK
- Start date
Adiredneck
Gold Member
They can be skidded that way, but... There is a good possibility of the forward facing end of the log to catch on roots, rocks, etc. Not to mention that you'll have dirt along the entire bottom of the log. That will dull a chainsaw or portable sawmill in a hurry. I lift mine with the 3ph to get a little weight to the rear wheels for traction & keep the log out of the dirt as much as possible.
Deerlope
Veteran Member
Lifting the log with the 3ph is best. That added rear weight increases the pulling power.
SFish
Silver Member
I have hauled logs out of the woods, cars out of the ditch, and even dragged dead cars with all four wheels locked, all with a little NH 1320. As above, loading the rear wheels with the 3PH is the only way to go. I hung everything on my BB to increase the leverage for loading the rear tires and never lifted the front under load. In any case, the BB would have hit the ground and stopped any backward rotation.
What Adiredneck said about dirt in a log can't be emphasized enough. For firewood I have had to chop the bark off for each cut to prevent having to resharpen the chainsaw every cut. I don't haul in dirty logs for cutting anymore.
On my new place logging is one of my primary jobs, so I have a JD3320 with a Farmi logging winch. This style of winch makes it easy to yard a log to the tractor and lift the front for skidding. It is also faster and a whole lot safer than a typical electric winch made for mounting on a truck.
Steve
What Adiredneck said about dirt in a log can't be emphasized enough. For firewood I have had to chop the bark off for each cut to prevent having to resharpen the chainsaw every cut. I don't haul in dirty logs for cutting anymore.
On my new place logging is one of my primary jobs, so I have a JD3320 with a Farmi logging winch. This style of winch makes it easy to yard a log to the tractor and lift the front for skidding. It is also faster and a whole lot safer than a typical electric winch made for mounting on a truck.
Steve
montejw
Gold Member
flINTLOCK said:
If the log is big and heavy enough and you have the drawbar up high enough, you could flip the tractor if the log did get caught on something, or if it had too much weight for the tractor.
Monte
michigander II
Member
Here is a picture of the implement I made. I took a shortcut by starting with a regular drawbar and welding 1/4 inch thick 2" tubing. I only have about $45 into it and it works pretty good. I have to get off tractor all the time, but I need some excercise. I pull it with a NH TC 40D with a loader, so really dont have to worry about front coming up. Besides I'm going slow in the woods. Just be careful if your starting with a light front end tractor and pulling something heavy!
Farwell
Platinum Member
Flintlock,
I sometimes put something under the front end of the log I am skidding to help prevent the log from digging in. It is much better if you can get the log front end up off of the ground using your 3pt. Skidding can be dangerous so it is very important to stay alert, go slow and watch the log as it moves.
David B
I sometimes put something under the front end of the log I am skidding to help prevent the log from digging in. It is much better if you can get the log front end up off of the ground using your 3pt. Skidding can be dangerous so it is very important to stay alert, go slow and watch the log as it moves.
David B
SFish
Silver Member
Michigander II:
Nicely done. If you are going to regularly drag big logs I would recommend a second shorter boom that is lower and more in line with the rear axle. If the pull is more in line with the tractor center of gravity a hard pull or hangup won't rotate the tractor sideways on corners or back on a straight pull. Otherwise you can loose traction on one rear tire on a corner pull or unload the front tires in a straight pull. Also, with the front end light you can end up having to steer with the brakes, and this can be dicey in the woods. Otherwise for occasional heavy loads you can always scoop up a load in the front bucket, but keep it low, almost touching the ground.
A few days ago I thought I could get away with leaving a small log hooked to the high pully on my winch instead of taking the time to hook up to the low skidding hooks. Going around a corner it hung up and I had the right side rear almost 2 ft off the ground before I could stop. I won't do this again.
Steve
Nicely done. If you are going to regularly drag big logs I would recommend a second shorter boom that is lower and more in line with the rear axle. If the pull is more in line with the tractor center of gravity a hard pull or hangup won't rotate the tractor sideways on corners or back on a straight pull. Otherwise you can loose traction on one rear tire on a corner pull or unload the front tires in a straight pull. Also, with the front end light you can end up having to steer with the brakes, and this can be dicey in the woods. Otherwise for occasional heavy loads you can always scoop up a load in the front bucket, but keep it low, almost touching the ground.
A few days ago I thought I could get away with leaving a small log hooked to the high pully on my winch instead of taking the time to hook up to the low skidding hooks. Going around a corner it hung up and I had the right side rear almost 2 ft off the ground before I could stop. I won't do this again.
Steve