Winches 3 pt skidding winch -vs- logging arch

[jonstark]

Any of you folks have any experience with a logging arch -and/or- a skidding winch so to make comparisons? I need to decide which to use as I have both available but need to choose which is going to work best for me and my particular needs. I need your input on using a fetching or transfer arch.

Thanks!
jon
(just bought a Cat D3B this morning)

 

[20 20]

Well, that depends on what your hauling? If your moving logs for lumber then either a log trailer or an arch would be ideal. Lumber logs cut much better without dirt. If your just pulling fire wood logs out then a skid would be fine.

 

[jonstark]

Lots of both. Short stuff for the WoodMizer and longer stuff for the splitter. Kinda leaning towards the arch with a hitch on the back of the L3010.

jon

 

[ChuckinNH]

I would say that it depends a lot on how close you can get to the logs in the woods. The winch will work much better to bring the logs out to the tractor, and will keep the butt ends off the ground while pulling, but not as high as a logging arch. The older JD dozers had a logging arch that mounted over the whole dozer , and included a winch. Before skidders, a lot of loggers around here really liked them.

 

[20 20]

Lots of both. Short stuff for the WoodMizer and longer stuff for the splitter. Kinda leaning towards the arch with a hitch on the back of the L3010.

jon

After milling lumber for maaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnyyy hours, I would never go back to mud skidding. Dulling the blade just waste time that could be spent making lumber. There are usually enough hidden things{nails fence etc} in trees with out adding insult with ground in dirt mud sand or rock. If it were me I'd go with an arch or narrow log trailer with a loading setup{try a search there are a lot of kool ideas out there}.

ChuckinNH: brings up a good point also, what type of terrain do you have? If it is steep then winching the logs up to a stable spot may be your only option? Or if there are logs that "have" to be skidded use those for the fire wood and keep the lumber logs for the arch {if possible????}.

Also keep a positive additude maybe you'll win the lottery and can buy both or something even better

 

[Q-Saw]

I think a skidding winch would be much more useful as well as more manueverable in the woods. For example, if you're felling a tree and it hangs up on another tree, you can use the winch to pull it down safely from a distance.

If you're worried about contaminating the logs with mud and sand, do your skidding when you have snow on the ground.

Just my 2 cents.

- Marty

 

[ChuckinNH]

These guys have some nice products for one man logging on a small scale. I like the forestry trailer though it's sure not cheap. They have a nice logging arch too, and the bullet nose log protector should help keep some dirt off logs that have to be winched.

NovaJack

 

[20 20]

NovaJack along with others do make nice equipment, but like ya said $$$$$$$$$ that can be hard on the wallet. Do you have access to a welder and scrap metal? There isn't a whole lot to a small scale log trailer. I use my mini ex{loading} and a narrow dump trailer that I made. That way the excavator can stay in the woods and all I have to do is tow the trailer in with my tractor and dump away. Once I get a stack then I just use the ex to load the mill. Q-saw is also correct about hauling in snow, but for me that's not allways convenient.

 

[ChuckinNH]

I think that NovaJack has good ideas as well as products, and that's partly why I included the link..........

 

[jonstark]

Also keep a positive additude maybe you'll win the lottery and can buy both or something even better

20 20,
I like your attitude ! I'm gonna go buy a ticket in the ayem.

jon

 

[20 20]

Not sure what size arches or skidder attachments you're looking for, but I noticed Northern Tool has a sale right now on each. Don't really know anything about these particular items that they have but might be worth it to check.

 

[jonstark]

Both the Northern Tool and Nova arches look too small for what I want to do. I am thinking a Mark 7 arch from Logrite or a Farmi winch. Both have their limitations as well as their attributes. With the terrain and roads I have on the lot the arch is very attractive. I can get right up on just about anything and out to the flat in a hurry. The really big stuff I need to get out of the deeper/wetter areas will have to wait on the big guns with the grapple.

jon

 

[easygo]

If you use a winch like the Farmi, another thing you can do is don't limb the trees until you get near to the log pile. Just haul it out in tree length and let it ride on the smaller side branches with the butt raised off the ground. My neighbor does that and the guy with the Woodmizer never complained about too much mud/dirt in the bark. That drawback to that is that you will have a brush pile that needs to be taken care of. My neighbor burns a good size pile when he cuts saw logs.

 

[Youare]

I have both, Farmi winch and homemade logging arch. Both have 20+ years of experience going for them. The logs I gather are both for fire wood and to saw on the Mobile Dimension mill I have.

I don't care what type of mill you use you don't want to cut dirty logs. Hands down the Farmi winch gets used more often than the logging arch does. Many times I pull the logs out to an area I can drive to then use the winch to transport with. I attached a trailer ball to the back of my winch so I can use the logging arch without taking the winch off the tractor.

As I said, I made my arch for $60.00 over 20 years ago today it would probably run around $100.00. The Farmi winch brand new cost me $995.00. If I had to decide between the arch and the winch the winch would be the winner.

Randy

 

[newbury]

If you're worried about contaminating the logs with mud and sand, do your skidding when you have snow on the ground.

Just my 2 cents.

- Marty

But in Mississippi that'll mean NO skidding

 

[Q-Saw]

Very good Newbury ! I was kinda wondering if, and when, someone would point that out to me.

- Marty

 

[20 20]

Q-Saw; didn't think about the southern states and snow. I live where we have lots of the white stuff and enjoy working{skidding} in the fluffy stuff. Of course that is until it is up past ones gut

 

[slofr8]

I used the Nova Jack skidding cone with a four wheeler for a few years and it worked fine but last year I bought a logging winch for my 305 DT and let me tell you it has been one of the best investments I've made.
It has about 150' of cable and with the self releasing snatch block, it has greatly reduced the work involved when cutting my fire wood. I even use the skid cone once and a while when I can't see the tree from the tractor and I think it might get caught on the way out.
I've used it to pull stuck pickups, four wheelers, I use it to move my chicken coop every now and then to new grass, and it makes a nice compact counter weight for loader work. The arch would not work for me because I simply can not back up to each tree. With the winch the tractor stays on the trail (mostly) and the trees come to it.
It helps that back in the early '80's I logged for a living and have a good understanding of felling and use of the chains and cable. I expected there would be a slow learning curve getting used to the lack of power from a skidder to a 30hp tractor with a 3/8 cable but I was very satisfied right from the beginning.
BTW, my winch is a Fransgard because thats what is sold locally. I looked at a Farmi and Igland that a couple of people have and I can't see a lot of advantage of one over the other. The design is fairly basic. I think they are all made quite well and don't see having to do much repair for a long long time.
I'm doing my fire wood now and might take a few pictures of it in action. If it could ever stop raining that is!

Good luck with what ever you decide to get.
Dan.

 

[Chilly807]

I've used a small arch for years with an ATV, works great except you have to manhandle the firewood up to the tie bar, or attach a small boat winch as I did. Not high production gear, but I don't need a huge volume of wood.

Having said that, a logging winch is high on the list of wishes for the tractor. I'm getting older too !

Downside to the arch as opposed to the winch is you have to drive to the wood, or snake it out with a snatch block to the hauling road which is a pain in the a**.

Chilly