Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[Oldpath05]

This afternoon started out great but I find I'm running out of good road, the snow pack is giving out in places making the tractor go sideways, had to drop and re-winch.

Winching trees in March - YouTube

And I thought things would go better on the second trip, nope the next trip the trees got caught on a stump under the snow 40' back and snap my 8mm cable in half, I was going to change it this summer but one little mistake means I have to change it out now and with just only 4 more trips left to make.
Now I look online line and it looks like no one sells Fransgard cable online which means I have to make trip down the tractor place, hate that, might as well replace the 5 sliders to, there getting wore out.

 

[Jstpssng]

Yes and the two weather stations I watched tonight said over 10", otta be great for making syrup and getting tractors stuck.

If it's as heavy as this last storm, it could be good for finding all of the weak spots.

This afternoon started out great but I find I'm running out of good road, the snow pack is giving out in places making the tractor go sideways, had to drop and re-winch.
View attachment 543621 View attachment 543622 View attachment 543623
Winching trees in March - YouTube

And I thought things would go better on the second trip, nope the next trip the trees got caught on a stump under the snow 40' back and snap my 8mm cable in half, I was going to change it this summer but one little mistake means I have to change it out now and with just only 4 more trips left to make.
Now I look online line and it looks like no one sells Fransgard cable online which means I have to make trip down the tractor place, hate that, might as well replace the 5 sliders to, there getting wore out.

I hate that... I had a whiplash and parted the cable on my 3 month old Uniforest so had to cut out 100 feet. Have you checked out Harold's Logging in Hampden? They have some pretty reasonable prices, and cable is cable; there's just a pawl holding it onto the cable spool so really no need to buy from Fransgard. Marden's might have sliders; the Houlton store did when I was in there yesterday.

 

[dragoneggs]

This afternoon started out great but I find I'm running out of good road, the snow pack is giving out in places making the tractor go sideways, had to drop and re-winch.
View attachment 543621 View attachment 543622 View attachment 543623
Winching trees in March - YouTube

And I thought things would go better on the second trip, nope the next trip the trees got caught on a stump under the snow 40' back and snap my 8mm cable in half, I was going to change it this summer but one little mistake means I have to change it out now and with just only 4 more trips left to make.
Now I look online line and it looks like no one sells Fransgard cable online which means I have to make trip down the tractor place, hate that, might as well replace the 5 sliders to, there getting wore out.

Here is a tip of the cap to you, Oldpath! I guess I don't brave the winter like you do!

 

[Sawyer Rob]

And I thought things would go better on the second trip, nope the next trip the trees got caught on a stump under the snow 40' back and snap my 8mm cable in half, I was going to change it this summer but one little mistake means I have to change it out now and with just only 4 more trips left to make.
Now I look online line and it looks like no one sells Fransgard cable online which means I have to make trip down the tractor place, hate that, might as well replace the 5 sliders to, there getting wore out.

I think I'd be putting a bit heavier wire rope on that winch... 8mm seems pretty minimal to me...

SR

 

[dsgsr]

Oldpath, I would suggest going to Harolds Logging in Hamden, Me. I bought a brand new Fransgard Winch in '14 used it for a month and broke 2 9mm cables in 2-wks. Both covered under warrantee, I told the dealer to buy the third from Harolds and I would pay for it. There cable is not what it use to be. The Fransgard winch I bought in 2000 (8mm) was still complete in '14 when I sold it. Granted the second winch was larger (V4000 Vs V6500) but so was the cable. Nothing more aggravating to have poor quality when you are trying to make $$.


David

 

[Oldpath05]

Here is a tip of the cap to you, Oldpath! I guess I don't brave the winter like you do!

That's a cool hat tipper icon, quite cheerful. Yeah well after welding all week I just like to get in the woods for a couple hours on a weekend afternoon, trouble is now the snow is sticky, my woods road is crumbling under deep snow and much more expected tomorrow. Looks like I'll have to skip the woods this coming weekend, I almost didn't get out of that last hole, funny thing is though in the summertime you can drive a car down there.

 

[Oldpath05]

I think I'd be putting a bit heavier wire rope on that winch... 8mm seems pretty minimal to me...

SR

True, 8 mm is not big enough for your tractor, but for my small v3004 winch and tractor I'd rather have the cable break then the winch, as it is now 8mm will pull all I want and if I'd seen that ---------- stump that the trees was caught on the cable wouldn't of broke, one of the hazards of deep snow winching.

 

[Oldpath05]

Oldpath, I would suggest going to Harolds Logging in Hamden, Me. I bought a brand new Fransgard Winch in '14 used it for a month and broke 2 9mm cables in 2-wks. Both covered under warrantee, I told the dealer to buy the third from Harolds and I would pay for it. There cable is not what it use to be. The Fransgard winch I bought in 2000 (8mm) was still complete in '14 when I sold it. Granted the second winch was larger (V4000 Vs V6500) but so was the cable. Nothing more aggravating to have poor quality when you are trying to make $$.


David

I cant imagine breaking a 9mm cable, was it soling cable or that new core type? The last cable I bought was 5 years ago down Union Farm, used it on 8-10 cord/year plus 20,000 brd ft in logs, they said it was ginuwine 8mm Fransgard cable. All the winch cable I see online is galvanized cable, dont really think thats as strong as pto tractor winch cable.

If Harolds Logging wasn't so far from me I'd check it out, I'll put it on my go to place list though, thanks for the info, to bad they wouldn't sell online.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Personally, I'd rather it stall my tractor or if I'm pulling/towing the log, have the tractor start to spin a bit if I hit a stump, (then I push the clutch in) instead of breaking my cable, especially in that much snow. (I've never broken my wire rope)

That's what would happen with my tractor/winch, but perhaps your brand of winch is on the light side ?.

I do still have the original cable on mine, although it's getting a bit ragged, I plan to run it until it gets much worse than it is now...

SR

 

[Oldpath05]

If it's as heavy as this last storm, it could be good for finding all of the weak spots.



I hate that... I had a whiplash and parted the cable on my 3 month old Uniforest so had to cut out 100 feet. Have you checked out Harold's Logging in Hampden? They have some pretty reasonable prices, and cable is cable; there's just a pawl holding it onto the cable spool so really no need to buy from Fransgard. Marden's might have sliders; the Houlton store did when I was in there yesterday.

Aint that the truth, deep snow and problems seem to go hand and hand. and no haven't checked Harold's Logging yet, Union Farm is 15 mi compared to Hampden but will check it sometime. This was my second cable in ten years, lost count how many times I've broken cables, sometime 4', 6', 8' and this time up by the winch, never seen a whiplash my cable just drops, and this time what was left wound inside the winch so that has to be taken apart anyways

You might also be able to get a good price at Bliss Farms in Vermont. Fransgard Winches They seem like good people and I would have bought my winch there, but they had things going on when I was buying, so when they got back to me I already had made a purchase.

Yes have checked them out but dont look like they sell online, maybe could call I quess if needed. thanks for the suggestion.