Can I pull with my tractor

[woodlot]

Ok, I have read this saftey forum a lot. I have learned a great deal and had the *&_% scared out of me too. I don't want to get injured or worse. The sad thing is I'm now pretty much to afraid to pull ANYTHING with my tractor. Some say its fine to pull as long as you attached your chain to the drawbar located BELOW the rear axle. Others say this is the best way to go but you can still flip if the object being dragged gets hung-up. I read a post today where a guy pulled an entire 70' pine around with his 33hp. Whats the real deal on this issue.

 

[slowrev]

Yes you can pull with your tractor. The best/safest point to pull from is the swinging drawbar. However with that said it gets a lot more complicated.....how much you can pull depends on the terrain and pulling speed as well as the way the load is secured.....
For instance say you are pulling a log on level ground and all is well and then you drop over and start down a grade, the log might want to go faster than the tractor !!! or you are pulling at a fast rate and the log catches on a rock and stops but the tractor wants to keep going !!!! Or pulling a log and the log wants to roll sideways on a slope, taking the tractor with it.
Just a few what if's. The possibilities for having an accident while skidding logs are many, but if you know what to to and are careful it can also be pretty safe.
I am sure others can contribute more insight than I have. Tractors can be dangerous but so can Auto's, boats, motorcycles and ATV's, lawnmowers, etc... if not used with caution.

Safe tractoring.
Ben

 

[Marine1]

woodlot,
The real deal is to follow the owners manual and the manufacturers recommendations. I pulled a giant willow tree, that fell in my pond, out of my pond with no problems at all. I used the draw bar and logging chain just as the manual said and I even got hung up more than once and I had no problems at all.

When in doubt, re-read the manual.

 

[Egon]

If you want to know what you can pull try seat time. So many options - conditions - its hard to set a defined set of rules that will allow you to even start the tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon

 

[Highbeam]

Pulling stuff is a pretty big part of a tractor's design. I wouldn't buy a machine that couldn't pull stuff with chains.

Don't pull a standing tree down unless you have a really long tether.

 

[PineRidge]

Tractor=

A vehicle having a powerful gasoline or diesel motor and usually large, heavily treaded rear tires, used especially for pulling farm implements or machinery.

A truck having a cab and no body, used for pulling large vehicles such as vans or trailers.

Something that pulls or draws.

 

[kenmac]

I try to pull from the front of the tractor instead of the rear if at all possible. I think this is much safer as in no back flips.

 

[Egon]

Probably shouldn'e be saying this cause Slamfire sure picked up on it from a picture I've posted.

I have a little Kubota B7100 HST with fel. I pull using the three point hitch.

To increase traction I hook low and lift with the three point
[ this supposedly a no-no ]
When I do this the bucket is always loaded to capacity with rock. This helps with the front wheel traction and also to keep the front end on the ground. My maximum speed is usually dead slow to maximize power. I have found loss of traction but never had the front end lift even when pulling maximum up 15 degree slope.

Going downhill Large round glacier worn granite boulders are tricky. You have to follow the fall line, otherwise small tractors like mine can be pulled sidways.

And always I hook as short as possible.

Disclaimer: This is not accepted procedure but works for me!

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[frank_f15]

Tractors were designed for pulling, even way back when tractors 1st made the scene, basically all they did was pull, plows, disks, wagons, and evne back then there were accidents because folks tried to pull wrong, going across hill , pulling to heavy a load etc.

 

[kenmac]

Tractors use to weight more way back when.Most compact tractors don't weight what the old tractors weighted.There were probably alot of accidents then also, we just don't know about them.I feel safer pulling with my compact from the fromt.I just can't see doing a back flip pulling from the front.