Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[John_Mc]

Since I do a lot of tree moving with 4-wheeler instead of tractor, I do this trick often. The 4 wheeler fits everywhere, & is much faster, but what I gain in speed, I give up a lot of mass & therefore traction. Even small branches can snag & slow or stop progress, so making the skid as streamlined as possible is necessary. Good tip GG, I guess I just do it & don't even think about other people not doing it.

I have a friend who is looking to add an ATV/UTV to his business. The ease of transport (as compared to a compact tractor), and the ability to get into tight places a a big plus for him. He does invasive species treatment and removal along with wildlife habitat management projects. Most of his felling work tends to be smaller trees for thinning and wildlife mast tree release. A lot in the 6-8" DBH range, working to thin immature stands. 12" is getting to the large end of what he typically does (though he is capable of doing larger).

If you or anyone else on here have recommendations for what he should be looking for in an ATV, I'd certainly appreciate hearing your thoughts. I'm really looking for some details like "you really want this type of rear axle..." or "you'll want at least an XXX cc engine with ____ type transmission" or "_____ option is really handy to have".

I'm, open to specific brand/model recommendations as well, but would really appreciate understanding WHY such a model might be a good choice. Just a name doesn't really help all that much
____________

Other hardware he is considering:

A LogRite Arch (one of their smaller models for ease of moving by hand) - mostly for how it can be used for freeing hung up trees (he's often working in dense stands, and some of the smaller trees just don't have the weight to push through to get down on the ground on their own). In most of his work, he is not concerned with getting logs out of the woods, just getting them down on the ground, though he does occasionally need to skid logs, so the arch could get used there as well.

A portable capstan winch - he'll likely have a winch on the ATV, but the capstan winch adds a lot of capability (and reduces the risk of smoking his ATV's battery while spending a day working in the middle of nowhere in the woods).

 

[Skeans1]

. . . I resemble that remark also and I sure can't run anymore very good.

Isn’t that why there’s always two when falling a young kid to limb, beat wedges, and of course be pack mule?

 

[groundcover]

I have a friend who is looking to add an ATV/UTV to his business. The ease of transport (as compared to a compact tractor), and the ability to get into tight places a a big plus for him. He does invasive species treatment and removal along with wildlife habitat management projects. Most of his felling work tends to be smaller trees for thinning and wildlife mast tree release. A lot in the 6-8" DBH range, working to thin immature stands. 12" is getting to the large end of what he typically does (though he is capable of doing larger).

If you or anyone else on here have recommendations for what he should be looking for in an ATV, I'd certainly appreciate hearing your thoughts. I'm really looking for some details like "you really want this type of rear axle..." or "you'll want at least an XXX cc engine with ____ type transmission" or "_____ option is really handy to have".

I'm, open to specific brand/model recommendations as well, but would really appreciate understanding WHY such a model might be a good choice. Just a name doesn't really help all that much
____________

Other hardware he is considering:

A LogRite Arch (one of their smaller models for ease of moving by hand) - mostly for how it can be used for freeing hung up trees (he's often working in dense stands, and some of the smaller trees just don't have the weight to push through to get down on the ground on their own). In most of his work, he is not concerned with getting logs out of the woods, just getting them down on the ground, though he does occasionally need to skid logs, so the arch could get used there as well.

A portable capstan winch - he'll likely have a winch on the ATV, but the capstan winch adds a lot of capability (and reduces the risk of smoking his ATV's battery while spending a day working in the middle of nowhere in the woods).

Good bit more than an ATV but then again it does a lot more than an ATV !

 

[Molalla1]

Isn’t that why there’s always two when falling a young kid to limb, beat wedges, and of course be pack mule?

Well Skeans that is what one of my grandsons is for . . .

 

[Jstpssng]

Well Skeans that is what one of my grandsons is for . . .

It's also a good way for him to learn safe practices.

 

[Molalla1]

It's also a good way for him to learn safe practices.

He's 27 and for not doing it as his profession he could easily do it if he wanted to, he has been around me and his dad (my son) all his life and has become quite a pro at it.

 

[John_Mc]

Count me in the camp who enjoys harvesting firewood... and sawlogs and doing TSI or wildlife habitat work. I really enjoy the puzzle of figuring out how to get trees down on the forest floor safely and getting them out of the forest (if tha is what I'm doing with them) all without damaging the trees I'm leaving.

We've worked with a forester and at times a wildlife biologist (along with some recommendations from NRCS) to develop a management plan on our original 82 acres for 20 years. Two years ago, we purchased the adjacent 62 acres when it came up for sale, and added that to our management plan. That updated plan was done in consultation with NRCS and incorporates a lot of wildlife habitat and natural resource related recommendations. I'm currently working on three 3+ acre areas that were selected by the NRCS, then marked by my forester for Crop Tree and Mast Tree release (total is about 10 or 11 acres to be treated).

It's on the far corner of the property in an area which is known as a "Maple Hophornbeam" natural community (and offshoot of a Dry Oak-Hickory-Hophornbeam natural community). This is not a common natural community type in Vermont. It's not a particularly good example of such a community due to past management history (including the fact that it was probably a sheep pasture in the distant past)., My goal is to do what I can to give it a nudge in the direction of becoming a better example of such a community while also supporting wildlife by releasing mast trees.

In the picture below, the trees flagged in green are the crop trees (the "keepers"). Most are being released on three sides. They were picked either for their promising form, to promote an underrepresented species, or for providing wildlife food. The trees marked with a red X are to be dropped and left to rot. Two rings around the tree mean girdle and leave standing. Red dots mean take them down and they can be removed if desired. (Hard to see the marking unless you are looking on a good-sized screen.)

I'll probably leave some of the red dot trees to rot on the forest floor (in addition to the "X" trees), but I am taking some for firewood. I'm hoping the ground stays frozen a bit longer so I can continue my work out there before "mud season" sets in. Here's the start of one load:

 

[John_Mc]

Good bit more than an ATV but then again it does a lot more than an ATV !
View attachment 736140

Not really an option for him. He needs small, light and easy to transport, which is why he's looking at ATVs/UTVs. He can pull them with his Subaru, if he needs to.

No doubt it would do more than an ATV, but he's working with nothing but chainsaws and brushsaws at present. He's figuring an ATV will do what he needs. 99% of what he needs to do is just get small trees down on the ground. He doesn't really need to move them once they are down (other than to clear logs out of any trails in the area, which he is doing by hand now).

 

[Jstpssng]

Are you referring to your own land, or the tract which you co-own? Not that it makes a difference, you've got the right idea either way.
I forget sometimes that not everybody has the plethora of mills which are around here. About the only things we can't sell profitably are firewood and power generating biomass.

 

[John_Mc]

Are you referring to your own land, or the tract which you co-own? Not that it makes a difference, you've got the right idea either way.
I forget sometimes that not everybody has the plethora of mills which are around here. About the only things we can't sell profitably are firewood and power generating biomass.

This is my own land. Of course, the work I am doing is as far away as you can get on my 144 acres and still be on my property. It's a mile by trail - no direct route due to some wetlands in the middle. Some of those trails I really need to stay off of when the ground is soft and wet. I should have been out today, before everything melts, but did not make it.

I spent a lot of time on the land I co-own this summer, clearing trails for the timber harvest which happened there in January. Once cleared, we hired an excavator to de-stump and grade them, and a logger to do the harvest. The trails will be recreational trails once we get go back and touch up any drainage issues which remain.