Best Log Skidding solution

[missesalot]

What I’m working on is getting out some butternut logs that we want to have sawn, as my dad and I are woodworkers. He makes canoe paddles and I made cabinets and furniture, butternut is great for both and rare these days. Had a few fall down and we want to use them. I can get my tractor, wheeler, or UTV right to them. Also, we have a ton of ash trees that are dying due to the emerald ash borer, so we want to get some of those logs out to sell while they are viable.

 

[JerryK]

Leaving the mess in the woods is what we did growing up.. We trailered it out with a cord wood trailer. Besides the dirt on the last 6ft doesn't help a chainsaw chain much either.. If we drag it out now it's in the snow.

Ditto, I buckup/split where I fall the tree. If I do have to move it/store it, I cut in sections and haul with my forks. That way I can stack it up above the ground and keep it fairly clean before I buck/split. I sharpen my own chains, so I don't want any more sand/krap in the the bark as possible. Draggin to me is old school, unless you are hauling it to a stationary wood processor. Even the pros now drag as little as possible, they have equipment to pickup/haul the logs to where they are stacked for sorting, before the semi's haul them out of the woods. And, if you have to drag anything, please use the drawbar, not the 3pt.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Skidding winches may cost a few bucks, but you get most if not all of it back, when you are done with it and sell it!

SR

 

[4570Man]

I’ve not seen any used winches for sale within reasonable driving distance. I had a wooded 6 acres that I was wanting to pull some timber off of and I’d about decided to buy a new winch but I sold the 6 acres so I don’t need one anymore.

 

[missesalot]

How much are winches ?

 

[arrow]

What I’m working on is getting out some butternut logs that we want to have sawn, as my dad and I are woodworkers. He makes canoe paddles and I made cabinets and furniture, butternut is great for both and rare these days. Had a few fall down and we want to use them. I can get my tractor, wheeler, or UTV right to them. Also, we have a ton of ash trees that are dying due to the emerald ash borer, so we want to get some of those logs out to sell while they are viable.

If this is all you want to do, just use the cross -draw bar with a clevis and chain. Your total investment including the chain will under 30 bucks. Done.

 

[Gordon Gould]

If you can back right up to them then a winch would be a waste of money. You are still left with lots of choices. The best depends on your situation. They all work. Drag them on the ground with a chain on the draw bar. Front of logs digs in so a big log could drag hard depending on the ground/soil. And entire log is drawn thru the dirt/mud which will fill the bark. Or lift one end of the log off the ground with the 3ph and some kind of implement you can hook a log to even a box blade will work. Only the far end drags in the dirt so it drags easier and cleaner. Same with a log arch it also gets one end up and is very safe. A trailer if you can load it by hand. A grapple or chains on your bucket if the area is clear enough to travel with a log cross wise. There is tons of stuff here try a search.

gg

 

[arrow]

As far as processing trees into firewood within the forest...no thank you. Much depends on woods density but bucking and crown processing is much safer in an open environment.

Would not want to consider woods processing in this type of forest.

 

[Oldpath05]

Leaving the mess in the woods is what we did growing up.. We trailered it out with a cord wood trailer. Besides the dirt on the last 6ft doesn't help a chainsaw chain much either.. If we drag it out now it's in the snow.

True that's why in the last 4 years I winch up my trees then winch them out in the opening, cut off and push all the limbs/brush into brush piles, make's it a lot easier to walk through during hunting season.

 

[missesalot]

My place is a jungle. Def won’t be able to bring anything out with forks or in a grapple.