Lumberjerking -or- I love my grapple!

[Marveltone]

Another year, another heating season. Time to venture into the swamp while it's still frozen so we can gather next year's supply of Tamarack (or Hackmatack, or American Larch, depending on where you're from.) Tamarack is one of the more abundant sources of firewood up here in the frozen bogs of northern Minnesota and it practically limbs itself in the skidding process if you cut the dead standing trees.

This is the first year I've had a tractor to help with the process. Boy! What a difference a FEL w/grapple makes! The butt end on some of these logs are 14" diameter, (Yes, small by southern standards, but this is zone 2 forest we're talking about.) and we cut everything into 20' lengths, so I was wondering how well the little rig was going to lift and handle such a load.

Let's just say the grapple paid for itself in saved backs and shortened loading times. It exceeded my expectations for such a small rig. I kept the snow thrower on the back for counterweight and the rear never felt light, which is good, because I needed the chains to stay planted for traction, since we were working on ice.

Results? 11 cord gathered, hauled and stacked in two days! I'm very pleased. We'll block and split everything early spring, so it has all summer to dry.

Did I mention I love my grapple? :cool2:

Joe

 

[archerynut]

I have grapple envy!! Nice set up.

 

[Marveltone]

More pics. It was a beautiful 22f degree day. Good thing we finished, as it's -12 this morning again with a high of -8. Good timing!

Joe

 

[dex3361]

That is a good looking machine. I got to use my grapple last week we had a few days of dry weather so I took a day off and drug in some red oak. The logs were 24" across and it makes the best firewood. I could barely pick up a 9 foot long log that was about 28" at the big end. I have a few more good trees that fell over the last year to retrieve but I will have to wait for it to dry up again. We didn't have any periods where the ground was frozen without a snow cover. My hills are to steep to get to the rough places without making a real mess.

 

[Marveltone]

That is a good looking machine. I got to use my grapple last week we had a few days of dry weather so I took a day off and drug in some red oak. The logs were 24" across and it makes the best firewood. I could barely pick up a 9 foot long log that was about 28" at the big end. I have a few more good trees that fell over the last year to retrieve but I will have to wait for it to dry up again. We didn't have any periods where the ground was frozen without a snow cover. My hills are to steep to get to the rough places without making a real mess.

I wish we had oak. It is the best firewood by far! Ironic, how the people who live in the coldest climates and could really use some good wood can't get it. We have to settle for what grows locally.

Nice grapple! I bet that really holds on tight. Who makes it?

Joe

 

[Kyle241]

Nice grapple! That looks like a huge help with collecting firewood, wish I had one. Got to agree oak is an awesome wood to burn like you in MN, we don't have much here as we are too far North and the oak there was, a lot was cut. Luckily we do have maple, hickory, elm and ash that burns nicely.

I really got to think about getting a grapple...

 

[dex3361]

I wish we had oak. It is the best firewood by far! Ironic, how the people who live in the coldest climates and could really use some good wood can't get it. We have to settle for what grows locally.

Nice grapple! I bet that really holds on tight. Who makes it?

Joe

The grapple is an Anbo and it is a great match for the L4400. I bought it used and it has worked well for me. I don't have many oak trees on my place so I only cut up what falls. Red oak is my tree of choice for firewood. There are pro,s and cons to every type of grapple. It would be nice to have the bucket at the same time as the grapple sometimes. It is a real job gathering wood on steep hills notice that I always had a log in the grapple and chains on all four wheels for traction. I like having a day in the woods working with the tractor and saw gathering wood for the next years heat.

 

[jinmared]

Hi Marveltone , What is the lift capacity of your FEL/grapple ? Good looking operation!

 

[dex3361]

Here is a pic of the skidding trail and of the final take from the old red oak. I have a few more trees to drag in and then I will get to splitting and stacking.

 

[Marveltone]

Hi Marveltone , What is the lift capacity of your FEL/grapple ? Good looking operation!

It's a Du-Al 105 loader, which, according to the spec sheet lifts 850 lbs. w/ factory bucket. My bucket is home-made, so I have no idea how the weight compares with factory, but it is oversized. The grapple weighs about 70 lbs, so I'm guessing a final lifting capacity of roughly 780 lbs. To be honest, it lifts so much I sometimes worry about blowing out the turfs up front.

I also like the deeper bucket, because it allows me to use a longer grapple. When I'm moving brush I can grab a huge amount and reduce the trips to the brush pile.

Joe