TREE MOVING

[inveresk]

One of my first projects is to clear some woodland for a barn. The trees I'm removing will be milled for the building. Some are 24" dia and will be cut into 20 feet lengths. I'll have to take them down a reasonably steep slope 15-20% to get them from the wood to where I intend to set up the mill. What's the best and safest way to get them out of the woodland with a Kubota 31310 with FEL and b/h? Is it safe enough to remove the b/h and drag them with chains attached to the drawbar? Or should I leave the b/h in place and drag them with chains attached to it?

 

[beenthere]

Try it both ways, but I suspect for those size logs, and that slope, that you will need some cable rigging to get them out, and/or some bigger equipment.
But give it a try. Just be careful.

 

[JimR]

If you have the room to, I would let them roll down. Better than being in front of them when they are that big.

 

[rdbrumfield]

I am not familiar with that size of Kubota. On a slope that steep be sure to not have much cable out, keep the log as close to the back of the tractor as possible. If the log gets to rolling and gets some momentum up it could turn into a disaster. If you can widen out your wheels, I would deffinetly do that, it will make a big difference with stability.

 

[inveresk]

The point about momentum is well made. Hauling them down the slope will be pretty risky. I've decided it would be better to set up the mill at the site of the barn, where I'll fell the logs. This will negate the need to haul them any distance and keep them on level ground. If they start taking off down the slope, there's a road at the bottom where they could do some serious damage.

 

[cqaigy]

<font color="red"> set up the mill at the site of the barn, </font>

Thats a great idea!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

You don't spend all your time moving heavy logs and grinding dirt into the wood and bark to dull up your saws and it's safer. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Those aren't huge logs but if they got going down a hill it would be bad for you and anybody below.

Say some pictures would be great, like your site and mill as u setup.

 

[inveresk]

I hired a sawyer today to undertake the felling of the trees on the site of the barn and the place to where I want to relocate the house (which is fairly near tbe barn). He'll also thin the rest of the woodland and open views to the ocean and to take advantage of the sunpath. As he fells, I should be milling. I have two mills to see, one a Lucas swing blade, the other a custom made bandsaw. The Lucas is the favourite but depends on price and condition. I'll need to mill around 14,000 board feet of fir for the barn then about another ten to remodel and reclad the house.

Happy to post some pictures as the job progresses.

 

[jdavis3099]

Try looking at the Farmi 351 skidding winch.

 

[inveresk]

That skid winch is a nice piece of kit but I doubt I can justify the cost. The sawyer I've hired has some horse drawn log skids I can probably rig up to the tractor. We'll have to get by with that in a pinch.

 

[Jstpssng]

The Lucas is a nice mill and seems to have higher production than a bandsaw,although it could be rather pricey. You've probably already done your research, but Sawmill Magazine has some really good articles about portable mills.

If you can, some pics of your new mill would be nice; although they will also make me very, VERY envious.