Picking up logs, grapple or thumb? Advice please.

[Ooklaa]

Ok so I have a gc1720 loader/backhoe. I have been burning firewood for a couple of years now but I've been buying split wood. I decided to get some log lengths wood and do some splitting myself. I purchased a dirty hands 35 ton splitter(was thinking of getting rugged made) from Lowes and got the extended warranty. Got a nice Husqvarna chainsaw and good to go lol. Ok well my firewood is in a good spot so I don't have to move it around d far. I hook a chain to a log and drag it like 30 feet to my cutting area. Now I want to pic up the log about chest height so I can cut it nice nice.

For the those who have the thumb and or grapple can you please post some video of it, especially if you got some nice size logs.

This is what I did today, not perfect but I picked up some nice size log with ease. Do you think a thumb on the back of the backhoe could grab the log and hold them steady while I cut them to size?

 

[4570Man]

I have and use both. The thumb is way cheaper and works better for cutting wood, but my loader with a grapple is way stronger than the backhoe. I have more pictures on my iPad I'll upload later.

 

[stuckmotor]

I'm kind of slow and was trying to figure out where "love" trees grow. Then I realized auto suggest or auto correct must have substituted "love" for "log".

 

[AxleHub]

Ooklaa,

Those are big diameter logs. If you used a true fork set and a chain (not clamp on forks) , , you could either lift and relocate the log and cut left side, right side, and then center cut (between the forks). Then if the log isbig and long you could just pick up one end to cut the log smaller so you could lift and relocate.

But chest high seems too high a lift height . . Plus too tall a drop for logs that size. Jmho

 

[Ooklaa]

Axle What do You mean by a true fork set? Im really hoping i can just pic up the dam log with a backhoe thumb.

Hey 4570 how wide can you go with that thumb on the backhoe and still be able to secure the log so it does not move when your cutting it? Just wondering cause I have some thick logs.

 

[Toddao]

Here are a few of mine , I made forks for the bucket by bolting in some steel. They work well

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[Toddao]

Get the thumb, it will be a lot easier said and faster then the chain method . I can lift most of my logs with the BH to a nice cutting Hight ,

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[Toddao]

Cut this up yesterday but don't have any action shots of the tractor, was too busying working

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[4570Man]

The backhoe thumb can clamp onto a log a lot bigger than the backhoe can actually lift. Pallet forks also work decent. The log being loaded into the truck is a 24" diameter 11" feet long red oak. The log on the forklift is 42" diameter and 11' long. My grapple could clamp around that log, but lifting it wasn't about to happen. I also loaded these maple logs with my grapple. The biggest is 36" and 8.5 long. Here's what became of the maple log. I got over 2 cords of wood out of that tree even after saving the main trunk section.

 

[Ooklaa]

looks like a grapple isnt gonna do me any good then. even if I had a compact tractor I still would want more power lol. So any recommend then a good thumb for the backhoe? Also where is fizikgeek at. he said he has a thumb on his loader, I think we all would like to see that thing in action, I have looked all over the internet and have yet to see it with something big on It.