Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[PatMcD]

Here are some pics from today's little operation. It went pretty smooth which doesn't always happen. I cut and limbed 8 fir trees. I fell them away from the trail so all the slash would be down the bank. As I cut them I trimmed the rot off the bottom of the butt, cut the top at about 6" diameter, (The mill takes down to 6" on the small end) then I winched them up close to the trail but out of the way.

View attachment 404895

I set my self release snatch block on the far side of the trail and pulled logs out of the woods one hitch at a time.

View attachment 404896

I made a little video of the last hitch being winched to the tractor.

http://youtu.be/a0WLEYzlf0g

The next two are the last hitch on the skid trail. The skid to roadside is about 1/4 mile. It doesn't look it but it is pretty icy which is great for traction but not so great for steering . I have to use the steering brakes in a couple places to keep the front end from sliding side ways down hill.

View attachment 404897

View attachment 404898

My little roadside landing. That is a strong cord of wood. Tomorrow I will cut it into logs either 12'6" or 10'6" and bring it to the mill on my one ton dump truck. It should make a little over 500 board feet of lumber. My check should be about $175.

Edit: in my excitement I forgot the last pic. Here it is.

View attachment 404905

gg

Now I know what I'm going to get if I get any kind of a tax refund this year: self-releasing snatch block.
I've been using an old lobster boat pot-hauling block. It works, but it sure don't self-release.

 

[Billrog]

This was the first time I've ever seen or heard of a self releasing snatch block. I have a snatch block but have only used it a few times not for skidding but when falling to get a large tree leaning the wrong way to go where I can get at it with the winch.
I noticed Gordon's level indicator as well mine has always been when 2 wheels leave the ground it's getting to steep. I ran old 440 JD skidders a few times and they were very unstable compared to my small tractor.

 

[Billrog]

This was the first time I've ever seen or heard of a self releasing snatch block. I have a snatch block but have only used it a few times not for skidding but when falling to get a large tree leaning the wrong way to go where I can get at it with the winch.
I noticed Gordon's level indicator as well mine has always been when 2 wheels leave the ground it's getting to steep. I ran old 440 JD skidders a few times and they were very unstable compared to my small tractor.
Gordon at what angle with your indicator does it get scary?

 

[motownbrowne]

Self-Releasing Snatch Block, US-Made (for tractor winches) Portable Winches Plus

Very handy when not clear felling and if using a PTO winch so can get more in line with pull direction so less chance of tipping tractor.

I bought one this summer. I'm pretty happy with it, but...

The bearings are made in China, which isn't disclosed on their site. And they don't publish any break strength or working load limit, which I think is important information for those of us using the equipment.

 

[hutchman]

Wow, very nice land. Cool.

Thanks!

You can see a skidder trail in the background going up the hill where the home/pole barn site will be which has a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I like being able to zoom in on photos, makes it possible to see interesting not see before state of the art tractor logging equipment, like that anti tip over gauge on top the tractor hood,

From my angle looks like a week cord to me, I zoom in and counted 9 fir trees, I even put a tape measure on my screen, it was a metric tape, I don't if that matters or not, but hey a check for $175.00 for 15 minutes of work, that's darn good from angle.

I use that angle indicator or anti-tip over meter as you call it mostly for road grading. Sometimes it is really hard to tell what kind of drainage slope you have on a road in a big turn on a hill or on a side hill cut. That indicator shows me what the angle is.

If you are going to tip over you won't see it coming on the meter. It is usually the hole you don't see that gets you. The feel in the seat is better than any meter and it lets you pay attention to your surroundings rather than watching a meter that is telling you everything is OK. But it sounds like you know all that already. Glad you haven't gotten hurt badly.

I am glad the scaler at the mill doesn't use a metric stick on his computer screen :laughing: :laughing:

I cut wood every day I can. I figure I average about $10 and hour at my slow pace and low quality wood. Those snatch blocks are expensive but if at the end of the day I think back and ask myself could I have saved 12 minutes today walking back and forth doing and undoing snatch block sets or wresling logs out of the woods w/o a snatch block by endlessly jigging the tractor around or barking good keep trees . 12 minutes a day is $2.00 for me. 150 days or a year say and the self releasing snatch block is paid for. Plus you can do a better job and the work is easier.
There is always a way to justify stuff

gg

 

[KiwiBro]

OK, posted a picture of 'major' wood in last post but forgot the tractor so here is the obligatory 'tractor and wood pic'

View attachment 404965

Looks like the start of a wonderful setting in a lovely slice of nature.

Are you replanting or turning it all into bowling green or crops, or ?

What equipment and system did the loggers use to harvest and did they or you clean up so well afterwards? I seldom see land left in such good condition after harvesting here.

 

[Billrog]

That's good reasoning for the use of the angle indicator Gordon I have a bubble level mounted in my backhoe to tell me when I'm level on hill sides. That snatch block looks like it's built to last and no justifying necessary for a tool to make life easier.
That is a nice piece of property Hutchman & a solid looking tractor first time I've seen an LS.

 

[xring100]

My buddy Mark and i have cut a bunch of trees down in the last couple weeks. I finally remembered to bring my GoPro but found the batteries only last about 15-30 minutes in these cold temps.
Here are 3 of the trees on video i speed it up in a few places hence the lack of sound occasionally. The last tree is the most impressive one on the video it makes a pretty good splash even the second tree was 60 feet tall.

 

[Oldpath05]

I bought one this summer. I'm pretty happy with it, but...

The bearings are made in China, which isn't disclosed on their site. And they don't publish any break strength or working load limit, which I think is important information for those of us using the equipment.

WOW, $300.00 that's way tomuch for part time firewood cutter like me, 8cord/year, I could only justify that if I was cutting firewood around a lot of nice trees so I wont knock the bark off.