Moving logs

[Citydude]

Thanks again for all your suggestions (though I am a bit surprised no one suggested that I purchase hundreds of dollars worth of plywood and lay that down to drive over). I will simply wait until the ground freezes and/or there is snow. It may not be this (or even next) year, but I am in no rush, the wood isn't going anywhere nor is it in my way or view, and it won't rot (in our climate anyway) for a long time.

A pine log stacked off the ground with the bark removed will dry nicely. With the bark left in tact, there will be rot. That is my experience.

 

[John_Mc]

If you want to quickly & simply pick up logs, carry and drop them without leaving your tractor seat: Use the "Heavy Duty SOLID STEEL 28" 4 Claw Timber Log Lifting Logging Tongs Grabber Tong" shackled/aligned on your front mounted boom (use your 3ph box blade for counter-weight), $179 from Amazon. As one reviewer suggested: Tie a rope around the tong's bars on each side, for easier alignment and release - pull up on the rope. I never had so much fun moving logs!!

Remember that there is a difference between lifting tongs and skidding tongs. Some people tend to use them interchangeably, but they really are not. Lifting tongs generally have a higher safety factor in their load rating, and the good ones have their tips designed with lifting in mind. If you are going to push your luck and use skidding tongs for lifting, at the very least, keep yourself and others away from the area.

A good tip shared by someone here on TBN years go: If you hang your tongs from a chain off the upper edge of your loader you can often get them to hang in one orientation with the bucket rolled forward enough that the top edge is the only contact, then have the orientation change when you roll the bucket back so the bucket cutting edge pushes against a link in the chain. I used this trick a lot before I got my grapple: With the right length of chain, the tongs would hang parallel to the bucket edge when rolled forward, and perpendicular when rolled back. With these two options, I could usually lower my tongs onto a log and grab it without getting off the tractor.

I'm not too nuts about the tong design Pontific8 mentioned (I added a link to the post when I quoted it). It just seems like a lot of hardware for what should be a simple job. They also take up a lot of space somewhere on the tractor when not in use. Forestry Suppliers has a good selection of tongs, as does Bailey's. Do yourself a favor and stay away from the Timber Tuff brand: too many of their tools just plain don't work for their intended use or worse, they fail under use.

 

[MossRoad]

You can get a lot done with inexpensive tongs. I picked these up several years ago from Northern Tool for $29. They were advertised as lifting tongs. I wouldn't trust them to go under them, but for skidding, they seem to work very well.

A couple hours work gathering firewood.

 

[MossRoad]

One more...

 

[deezler]

Man, just air your tires down to 10-15 psi and go get it done today with your forks. Plus, give us some pics of the situation just for fun.

 

[Bendboater]

Thanks for the information about the tongs. Good to know. Probably a great tool, but this is a one time job, so will probably use the tools that I have . Not in any rush as my 6 cord woodshed is full so if I moved them now, they would just be an eyesore that much closer to my house. As I said before, if all else fails, I'll just have a big bonfire..... Here is my first attempt at posting a picture to this site:

 

[MossRoad]

Thanks for the information about the tongs. Good to know. Probably a great tool, but this is a one time job, so will probably use the tools that I have . Not in any rush as my 6 cord woodshed is full so if I moved them now, they would just be an eyesore that much closer to my house. As I said before, if all else fails, I'll just have a big bonfire..... Here is my first attempt at posting a picture to this site:
View attachment 683607

Ahh, the rare Pine Collie.

 

[CobyRupert]

Without a grapple, it will be easier to pick a fork load if log ends are aligned (or logs similarly centered if not same length). A minute or two spent on the end of pile aligning beforehand may be worthwhile.
Otherwise you have to pick the “off centered” log one at a time, then reset tractor and forks for the next stab.

 

[dodge man]

No more than you have there just use what you’ve got. If you were closer I’d offer to come over and help split it for a couple of pickup loads.

 

[Bendboater]

Moss; Not a very good picture, but she is a versatile, do everything, Australian shepherd. I don't like her climbing up on the pile in case it shifts, but it seems pretty stable and she only weighs 50 lbs.

Coby; Thank you for the tip. Your experience with the tongs is appreciated and maybe I will look around to see if I can get a "good" one after all.

Dodge; Be careful what you say given that I don't have a splitter (I do have two mauls though). Heck, maybe I'll just buy you a plane ticket and then you won't have any excuses :laughing: