Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[Gordon Gould]

Yes. It was a nice basswood log which was going to go for pulp. I'm going to try to use some for an ice shack frame, and it's good to have an assortment of wood around.

Nice light bass wood - should be great for an ice fishing shack

gg

 

[Loaderman22]

Not to derail the current topic path, but I spent some time outside splitting this weekend.
This was Saturday just as I was getting started:

Then when finished, pretty much all red oak that's been in that pile since early spring. It got lighter, but still not dry, so I figure drying in the racks should get them there.

Then today I dragged this buete up out of the woods, it was about as much as the old loader could manage, at times I had to rock the bucket forward, then back up to tighten chain, then rock bucket back to get her to move, I guess I need lockers in the axles!!! The hill was a tad too steep and wet under all the leaves I blew off first.

Then all split and packed in the tote. It's only 2 layers deep, and needed a few pieces of borderline punky maple to level off the tote. I'm thinking it's a dead Ash, the 9' totem pole is still down there, that'll be next weekends job.

 

[Hoobie]

This is the time of year I like to pull out my firewood. It was warm enough today to fiddle with a camera. There was a good sized white ash in a boggy area that got blown over barber-chair fashion last summer. The top was back in ankle deep water.

View attachment 723189

My plan was to pull it out as far as I could and then limb it out on dryer ground. I set up a snatch block on the far side of the road. I put out the camera to take a video of the set-up and winching. I thought it would make a good video if I was lucky enough to get it up over the bank and across the road. But if you have to depend on luck working in the woods you don't get very far. The tree got jammed just before it came in to view. Here is the anti-climax video anyhow. It shows the snatch block set-up and cable pull and an idea what I was trying to do.

After the tree got jammed in a stump coming up the bank I limbed the main stem so I could free it and pulled the stem across the road. I cut it where I was going to pull the hitch.

View attachment 723191
Then I pulled the cable back and pulled up some big limbs.

View attachment 723192

I pulled that all together to make a hitch.

View attachment 723193

Next trip I'll get the snag, another big branch and a maple that got taken down when the ash fell.

gg

Good post Gordon. I thought I was the only one to get logs hung up!
It looks like you are skidding pulling on your lower pulley . I try to do that on hard pulls when I can. However I am not always able to raise the butts off the ground from the bottom one. And as I raise the winch it rotates forward slightly at the top and kicks out slightly at the bottom. Doesn't raise straight up. I have attached my top and lower links to minimize this issue as you suggested to me a few years ago. And hooking the choker chains directly to the winch hooks is no better. Sometimes it works and sometimes I pull from the top. I have a Wallenstein winch.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Good post Gordon. I thought I was the only one to get logs hung up!
It looks like you are skidding pulling on your lower pulley . I try to do that on hard pulls when I can. However I am not always able to raise the butts off the ground from the bottom one. And as I raise the winch it rotates forward slightly at the top and kicks out slightly at the bottom. Doesn't raise straight up. I have attached my top and lower links to minimize this issue as you suggested to me a few years ago. And hooking the choker chains directly to the winch hooks is no better. Sometimes it works and sometimes I pull from the top. I have a Wallenstein winch.

Some times I use the top pulley to skid with a light hitch and a straight trail but if I have any sharp turns I make sure that I use the bottom pulley. I almost pulled myself over sideways going around a sharp turn pulling from the top pulley. I have my lower pulley in the third notch up so it might be higher than yours. Maybe you can move it up with a little welding.

I also try to use the top sliders first so I can get the hitch high as possible. I almost never use the hook way down at the bottom end of the cable. I get about a foot more lift on the top slider vs the hook. It also leaves the lower sliders free so I can stop, drop the hitch, pull out the cable and winch in another log to add to the hitch.

This may not be your problem but one thing I see over and over is that people want to buy the biggest winch they can. There are many problems with that and one of them is that a bigger winch has higher lift arm connection points so that you can't raise the winch as high as you could one with a smaller geometry.

gg

 

[Hoobie]

I know what you mean about tight turns. My lower pulley is fixed. I have been using this winch successfully for a number of years so there isn't a huge problem. Just wish I could always lift higher from the bottom one. My concern is over stressing the top link and maybe damaging the tractor.

Wallenstein makes 4 models. I have the second size up, the FX85 which they recommend for tractors in the 30 to 55 HP range. I have a Kubota MX5100 at 50 HP so should be in the sweet spot. The bottom line unit is way too small.

I connect the bottom links to the top holes on the winch to minimize kick out which interferes with the lift if the log binds. The solution to that is to leave the log further back but that defeats the purpose. That is what you suggested to me a few years back and it helps. Good compromise I guess.

I have a video to send but for the life of me I don't know how to send videos. Just pictures. Any advice from anyone?

I will take a picture tomorrow and send it.

Hoobie

Some times I use the top pulley to skid with a light hitch and a straight trail but if I have any sharp turns I make sure that I use the bottom pulley. I almost pulled myself over sideways going around a sharp turn pulling from the top pulley. I have my lower pulley in the third notch up so it might be higher than yours. Maybe you can move it up with a little welding.

I also try to use the top sliders first so I can get the hitch high as possible. I almost never use the hook way down at the bottom end of the cable. I get about a foot more lift on the top slider vs the hook. It also leaves the lower sliders free so I can stop, drop the hitch, pull out the cable and winch in another log to add to the hitch.

This may not be your problem but one thing I see over and over is that people want to buy the biggest winch they can. There are many problems with that and one of them is that a bigger winch has higher lift arm connection points so that you can't raise the winch as high as you could one with a smaller geometry.

View attachment 723894

gg

 

[Gordon Gould]

I agree - your winch is a good match for your tractor.

I know what you mean about the winch kicking back when raised so that the logs bind on the dozer blade edge but using the lower holes will give you more lift and alas, more kick back too. If you lengthen your top link and use the upper top link hole in the tractor it will reduce the kick back. Maybe you can find a better compromise ????

Other than that I see raising the lower pulley and/or getting a hydraulic top link so that you can remove the kick back by lengthening the top link when you raise the winch as being two good solutions.

gg

 

[Jstpssng]

winch kicking back when raised so that the logs bind on the dozer blade edge

I often wonder if that's why retired TBN member OldPath had problems with his 3 pth. He certainly is capable but it seemed like he asked an awful lot of that Kubota.

 

[fruitcakesa]

I agree - your winch is a good match for your tractor.

I know what you mean about the winch kicking back when raised so that the logs bind on the dozer blade edge but using the lower holes will give you more lift and alas, more kick back too. If you lengthen your top link and use the upper top link hole in the tractor it will reduce the kick back. Maybe you can find a better compromise ????

Other than that I see raising the lower pulley and/or getting a hydraulic top link so that you can remove the kick back by lengthening the top link when you raise the winch as being two good solutions.

gg

gg: do you skid the hitch back to the landing hanging directly from from cable or do you hook it to fixed points on the winch?
I read in the manual one should not skid from the cable directly but use the notches on top of the blade.
That works for smaller logs, but not for anything much over 16 inches as they will still drag on the ground with the winch up.
I have never used the lower mount to pull from but it does have another use.
I hung a big hook and clevis from the lower pulley mount and use that to choke bigger logs high enough so they skid cleanly.
I gain 8 - 10 inches more height off the ground
I also moved the top link to the lower hole to gain more winch lift.
Mine is a Norse 450 which matches the 60 hp M.

 

[Gordon Gould]

gg: do you skid the hitch back to the landing hanging directly from from cable or do you hook it to fixed points on the winch?

Yes I always leave the hitch on the cable. Two reasons: 1) to much time and work to transfer them to the slotted bar. and 2) You need to leave to much slack chain when you use the slotted bar because the log has to be on the ground to hook and unhook it and you have to leave some extra slack to make sure you can unhook at the landing because the terrain is different. That leaves the log face on the dozer blade which can bite into the log and bind it causing a canterlever effect going over a small rise. Nine times out of ten that is how the slotted bars get bent. It also makes it hard for the hitch to swing on turns. So you have a big rudder trying to keep you straight.

My JL501 Farmi manual has no warning like that. It says use the top pulley for winching and the lower pulley for skidding or winching at an angle.

gg

 

[goeduck]

Burning debris piles. Rain, smoke straight up. Perfect day for it.