Advice for skidding logs.

[dangerdoc]

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

I guess I need to spend less time splitting and more time learning how to use the software.

 

[Paddle Fly]

Okay I am a new Kubota L4400 owner. Here in northern Cali we recently got nailed with unusual snowfall and dropped hundreds of oaks/pines on my ranch. I have been dragging sections out with my tractor by simply chaining them up to my draw bar. Is this not a good idea?

Thanks,

Paddle Fly

 

[TTTTTT]

I would get some wire rope, like winch cable, and use a pulley,snatch block, so you can pull out of the ravin at an angle. Much safer to me than the risk of ending up in the ravin we the tractor.

MarkV

This is similar to way I have pulled out dead logs from the lake (very heavy but maybe not quite as heavy as 2' dia oak) that was elevated about 20' up from the lake where you needed to get clear of the waterfront before getting them up) If you can put a pulley block high up a tree (maybe 15-20' or less depending on the slope and what you have to get over) close to the ravine with a long winch cable, you can then use the tractor on the top of the ravine part to pull the logs or sections up. By driving forward with the cable set high it will keep the one end higher clearing any rough terrain. We did this with a pick-up, but the tractor will be more controlled and powerful.
Fairly cheap. Hope it makes sence on the description.

Good luck Dave

 

[timkirby]

If you are going to be pulling logs on a continuing basis, a logging winch is the only way to go. It is possible to fabricate a basic logging winch that mounts on the TPH out of several lengths of angle iron and a milemarker (or other) hydraulic winch for < $1000.

 

[Mousefield]

Had some large trees die on our property, large Douglas Firs over 3 ft at the butt and about 150 ft tall. Had a faller come in and cut and buck them to 10-20 foot lengths, to big for me to cut. No way was my CK35 going to haul them out. Had a cat 315 excavator come in and in 3 hours had then hauled out and stacked. Hope to have them milled this spring. Nice to be able to use your tools but also better to get the right equipment in to do it, in the long run much cheaper and safer.

 

[beenthere]

Okay I am a new Kubota L4400 owner. Here in northern Cali we recently got nailed with unusual snowfall and dropped hundreds of oaks/pines on my ranch. I have been dragging sections out with my tractor by simply chaining them up to my draw bar. Is this not a good idea?

Thanks,

Paddle Fly

I lift them up a bit on the end to decrease the resistance from the log end plowing into the dirt, and to add some weight (thus traction) to the rear wheels. Done with moderation, control, and going slow is safe.

 

[AHNC]

I'd get some wire rope and some shives and tie them off to trees to allow you to kinda vector them up the slope to an area where you can get on them to with mill them or cut them up. You will need a come-along to control side drift. For power, I'd get a winch I could power off the truck or tractor, but tie it off to another tree that is going nowhere. Keep the shives up high enough to keep the nose out of the dirt. Turn this problem on the vertical axis and this is how we would raise pipe up to the top of power houses. Touchy and dangerous work!

I suspect that by the time you do this to the first log you will either be lookiing for the guy with a cherry picker or cutting down other trees. It's a shame to waste good oak. I had some 24-30" white oak boles I hired a sawmill to come in and he made some fine boards out of it. I then spent years turning it into saw dust, wood chips and kindlin'.

 

[dangerdoc]

If you are going to be pulling logs on a continuing basis, a logging winch is the only way to go. It is possible to fabricate a basic logging winch that mounts on the TPH out of several lengths of angle iron and a milemarker (or other) hydraulic winch for < $1000.

I cut about 5-6 cords of firewood every year but that is it. I don't have enough big timber to commit a lot of money to the endeaver.

One of the trees got blown over in the winter storms, amazingly, up hill and close to a path. It is safely cut and sitting by the barn now. I'll start splitting it when things start to dry up. I cut about six thorn locust trees, I have my eye on a couple of big hedge trees and I think I'll be set for next winter.

I guess I'll deal with the other trees next winter.