Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[fruitcakesa]

450 is cooler though.

The M does have AC

 

[Gordon Gould]

Access to the interior of this woodlot is quite marginal at best and would need a lot more work to make it safe for the M.
With the 450 I can just cruise right in, grab the trees and go.
It really is a game changer for me as much of my property is like this site and tractor access just is not in the cards.
The M is handy on the landing with the grapple forks stacking and sorting logs and in those area that are tractor friendly I will use it to skid as it is faster and smoother than the 450.

I can see getting out a quick load as being a good thing sometimes but If you can 'cruise right in' then it must be fairly open. I would think that if you put in the work to make a tractor road into your interior woodlot you would reap the benefits of good access for ever. Making a road is more fun than pulling logs and future harvests and management activities would be easier. Just food for thought.

gg

 

[fruitcakesa]

I can see getting out a quick load as being a good thing sometimes but If you can 'cruise right in' then it must be fairly open. I would think that if you put in the work to make a tractor road into your interior woodlot you would reap the benefits of good access for ever. Making a road is more fun than pulling logs and future harvests and management activities would be easier. Just food for thought.

gg

gg, The lot is somewhat open owing to the initial road work I have done and you are correct as to the fun of road building.
It would just take the time to deal with the many overhanging trees and limbs that endanger the cab on the M and widening some of the turns to allow for the greater length of the tractor.
Right now I am concentrating on getting my first load of pine out quickly.
In this heat I don't want the pine to sit too long before shipping it to the mill. Blue stain is a real problem when it is hot.

 

[Gordon Gould]

gg, The lot is somewhat open owing to the initial road work I have done and you are correct as to the fun of road building.
It would just take the time to deal with the many overhanging trees and limbs that endanger the cab on the M and widening some of the turns to allow for the greater length of the tractor.
Right now I am concentrating on getting my first load of pine out quickly.
In this heat I don't want the pine to sit too long before shipping it to the mill. Blue stain is a real problem when it is hot.

Yes, I understand about Blue Stain - Once you start cutting you can't fool around until you get a full load on the landing ready to ship. It can be a race against time cutting a load of White Pine before it stains in the summer. So I'm not suggesting you should change what you are doing. I just wanted to comment on how I think tractor roads are a great asset in a wood lot and worth the work.

gg

 

[Jstpssng]

gg, The lot is somewhat open owing to the initial road work I have done and you are correct as to the fun of road building.
It would just take the time to deal with the many overhanging trees and limbs that endanger the cab on the M and widening some of the turns to allow for the greater length of the tractor.
Right now I am concentrating on getting my first load of pine out quickly.
In this heat I don't want the pine to sit too long before shipping it to the mill. Blue stain is a real problem when it is hot.

How much can you bring out behind the dozer, and how much do you need per truckload? I'm guessing a cord or 500 feet behind the machine. A wheeler can (legally) haul about 40,000 lbs here, which in summer would be a bit better than 4000 feet.

With 90+ degree weather, my saws are staying right in the shed.

 

[fruitcakesa]

How much can you bring out behind the dozer, and how much do you need per truckload? I'm guessing a cord or 500 feet behind the machine. A wheeler can (legally) haul about 40,000 lbs here, which in summer would be a bit better than 4000 feet.

With 90+ degree weather, my saws are staying right in the shed.

It easily pulled out the 20" dbh pines I cut yesterday; they were about 500 feet per hitch.
I tried to pull them tree length but had to cut them in half to make it around some of the turns on the skid road.
You are right about a straight truck load, no pup. It can usually handle about 4000-4500 feet.
You are also right about working in 90* heat, but I have limited free days to work in the woods so I am out there whenever I can.
I generally put in about 3-4 hours in the morning and then quit for the rest of the day.

 

[Jstpssng]

It easily pulled out the 20" dbh pines I cut yesterday; they were about 500 feet per hitch.
I tried to pull them tree length but had to cut them in half to make it around some of the turns on the skid road.
You are right about a straight truck load, no pup. It can usually handle about 4000-4500 feet.
You are also right about working in 90* heat, but I have limited free days to work in the woods so I am out there whenever I can.
I generally put in about 3-4 hours in the morning and then quit for the rest of the day.

At least once the trees are down and bucked, you can put the saw down and take your chaps* off.

*Assuming that you wear them.

 

[fruitcakesa]

At least once the trees are down and bucked, you can put the saw down and take your chaps* off.

*Assuming that you wear them.

Chaps, boots, gloves and helmet all come off along with my sweat soaked shirt and pants

 

[Jstpssng]

Chaps, boots, gloves and helmet all come off along with my sweat soaked shirt and pants

Some things really don't need to be said.

Somehow I didn't finish my post above... I meant to say that you don't need chaps when pulling the logs out on the dozer.

 

[Grjfer]

Buckin up rounds with the Husqvarna 545 XP and hauling them out with the LS MT 225s.