Advice for skidding logs.

[Danno1]

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Why can't the trees be rigged up to fall against the lean onto the flat land above the gully?

I did this w some large pines overhanging my brother's barn some years ago w just muscle power, snatch blocks, and rope.


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[CharlieR]

I'd go with Beenthere's suggestion of a capstabn winch.
Bought mine from Simpson "http://www.capstanropewinch.com/" and added an engine from an old saw that had a messed up bar and chain (didn't need those).
Bought a skidding cone from NovaJack "http://www.novajack.com/en/0600.htm" which makes the logs slide around stuff in the woods, a corner block and an automatic release.
This whole rig straps to a tree or stump and can really pull quite a load - but - slowly and safely.
Because it uses rope you can have quite a bit of line out, couple hundred feet if needed.

 

[dangerdoc]

Has anybody used a truck winch connected to the front of a tractor? The price is much better. It would be slow going but there are units rated similar to the PTO winch for maximum poundage at the price of much slower speed.

If it would work, I would be happy to trade time for safety.

I have a lot of trees, unfortunately, a previous owner cleared the property with a dozer about 40 years ago. I have a section of old oaks, the rest is fairly small hedge, thorn locust and walnut. I don't really want to burn walnut for firewood. The hedge burns hot but would require cutting a lot of small trees for wood, and the thorn locust fights back. Some sort of blight has killed almost all of the big old oaks. I have been heating my house with dead trees for the last 5 years but I've already used all of the dead trees that were easy to get to.

I have always been able to heat my house with dead or damaged trees. If I can't get these oaks out safely, I'm going to have to start taking live trees that don't need to be cut for any other reason. It may sound silly but I like trees and don't like cutting down healthy ones unless I am opening up a trail.

I may need to talk to my neighbor, there are two very large trees down on the other side of the property line. Easy to get to from my side but on the other side of a ravine for him. I would let him on my property to cut them but it would be a 5 mile drive to get from his property to mine on the county roads. I have not met him yet, but I may have to introduce myself and see what he would want for the wood. There is probably 3, maybe 4 cords of good oak lying there.

Below is a picture of last years wood pile all split with the maul leaning against the stack.

 

[dangerdoc]

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Why can't the trees be rigged up to fall against the lean onto the flat land above the gully?

I did this w some large pines overhanging my brother's barn some years ago w just muscle power, snatch blocks, and rope.


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I'll see if I can post some pictures but the area is rugged, there are limited approaches and the trees are heavy enough to flip a tractor on the way down.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

I'll see if I can post some pictures but the area is rugged, there are limited approaches and the trees are heavy enough to flip a tractor on the way down.

Gravity usually wins. Better to be safe than sorry. Depending on weighting of the branches you can fall up hill if you know how to cut them. Then of course there is the chance of them sliding down hill and taking you out..

 

[MarkV]

Has anybody used a truck winch connected to the front of a tractor? The price is much better. It would be slow going but there are units rated similar to the PTO winch for maximum poundage at the price of much slower speed.

If it would work, I would be happy to trade time for safety.

I think what you will find, if thinking electric winch, is that compact tractors do not have the alternator output to support an electric winch for even limited logging situations. Even with the higher output alternators offered as options on some models an electric winch really eats up the juice. If you are thinking hydraulic winch there are possibilities with the proper plumbing.

MarkV

 

[dangerdoc]

Gravity usually wins. Better to be safe than sorry. Depending on weighting of the branches you can fall up hill if you know how to cut them. Then of course there is the chance of them sliding down hill and taking you out..

I have one nice large tree sitting on a flat spot that is right next to a trail, only problem is a large broken limb about 20 feet up, just waiting there to kill someone trying to cut down the tree.

I've cut down a lot of trees, and I've spent a lot of time looking at the trees, there is no finessing them to fall up hill.

 

[dangerdoc]

I think what you will find, if thinking electric winch, is that compact tractors do not have the alternator output to support an electric winch for even limited logging situations. Even with the higher output alternators offered as options on some models an electric winch really eats up the juice. If you are thinking hydraulic winch there are possibilities with the proper plumbing.

MarkV

I wasn't thinking hydraulic but I do have a grapple hooked up, not quite the perfect plumbing but probably workable.

I have a Kubota M5400, I don't really know what the alternator output would be but that is a good point.

Honestly I'm hoping for a very strong uphill wind storm.

 

[LogChain]

Dangerdoc,

Although impressive, your panoramic picture of last year's woodpile in post #13 seems to show some signs of digital enhancement--at least two of the stitched pictures appear to be duplicates.

Is this one of those "man things" ?


- LogChain

 

[beenthere]

LogChain
About 2' of the pile is all that I see duped. Still a respectable pile of wood. Guess there is only one house in the background.