Best method for a tractor to move/haul/process downed logs?

[ovrszd]

I agree with LD1. Buy tractor with FEL and SSQA. This allows you to drop the bucket and put on whatever attachment you need, forks, grapple, etc.

I am not in favor of job specific tools in the beginning purchase. Buy what equipment gives you the most variety for dollars spent. Hands down, that's a Grapple for your FEL.

Not picking on other suggestions, just saying you will use the Grapple for a large variety of tasks that you can't even imagine. A winch, for example, will become an attachment that you rarely use. This said from a guy who owns 3 winches.

 

[KyleH]

Grapples are great, but not really much good if you don't have enough width on each side of the tractor to carry a log out. If the OP has land that is more bush than pasture it's likely there's only a path wide enough to get the tractor in and then drag the logs out like a skidder. For example, I have a Land Pride SGC1572 that's great for around the yard moving logs or brush, but no way it would work to bring anything wider than say 7-8 feet long out of the bush around here. A skidding winch would be far more practical for anything longer than that in dense woods.

Last year a friend had a bunch of large maples blow down and asked if it was possible to remove them using the tractor, managed to get one by the driveway by blocking it up and loading it directly into the truck bed by hand, there was no way to get the tractor to any of those logs, where with a skidding winch it would have been a fairly easy task to pull them out using some snatch blocks and then loaded them onto a trailer as logs.

Perhaps the OP could post a picture of the area in question?

 

[roadhunter]

What no one seems to be grasping is that the wood (to my understanding) is like blowdown and is likely to be a chaotic mass of tangled mess. Like the numerous acres we have after a tornado came through a few years ago.

In our case, even professional loggers would only touch a little around the edges. To actually extract anything out of there would require stout chokers and a lot of chain to drag stuff out one tree/log at a time (while any workers were WELL away from the action). A heavy 3-point winch would probably do better.

Professional loggers approach this kind of work much differently than the average property owner. I've never seen a tractor and grapple on a logging site in this region. Closest thing I've seen would be a tracked skid steer which has much better protection for the operator as well as the machine with skid plates, no tires to go flat, better traction, etc... And that was just for cleaning up tops.

Driving a new tractor around in a bunch of knocked down trees with a grapple is a recipe for disaster IMO. Unless you plan on clearing a path free of branches you are going to be driving over debris which is likely to puncture a tire. Trying to carry 24 " logs with a grapple is going to put almost the entire weight of the tractor and log on the little front axle and tires. With so much weight on a small tire any holes or soft spots are going to be dangerous as even a few inches of sinking in on one side will cause major instability as will driving down hill.

 

[LD1]

Professional loggers approach this kind of work much differently than the average property owner. I've never seen a tractor and grapple on a logging site in this region. Closest thing I've seen would be a tracked skid steer which has much better protection for the operator as well as the machine with skid plates, no tires to go flat, better traction, etc... And that was just for cleaning up tops.

Driving a new tractor around in a bunch of knocked down trees with a grapple is a recipe for disaster IMO. Unless you plan on clearing a path free of branches you are going to be driving over debris which is likely to puncture a tire. Trying to carry 24 " logs with a grapple is going to put almost the entire weight of the tractor and log on the little front axle and tires. With so much weight on a small tire any holes or soft spots are going to be dangerous as even a few inches of sinking in on one side will cause major instability as will driving down hill.

It's only 8 acres of his 88 as I understand it. And no rush and not in a production setting.

Sure, a tractor with a grapple isn't the best choice for clearing forested debris, and certainly not what a professional would choose.

But it's not exactly like a non-professional homeowner is gonna go out and buy dedicated forestry equipment to clean up 8 acres of his own land and then have no use for the equipment. How well is that expensive forestry equipment or tracked skid loader gonna mow his 20 acres he mentioned.

 

[kidr]

I once built a log bob. Cheap and easy to build. works fine, but not for production. Could pull a reasonably sized log with a Satoh 25 HP. I can't seem to find any pics. Maybe some one could help out.

 

[ovrszd]

It's only 8 acres of his 88 as I understand it. And no rush and not in a production setting.

Sure, a tractor with a grapple isn't the best choice for clearing forested debris, and certainly not what a professional would choose.

But it's not exactly like a non-professional homeowner is gonna go out and buy dedicated forestry equipment to clean up 8 acres of his own land and then have no use for the equipment. How well is that expensive forestry equipment or tracked skid loader gonna mow his 20 acres he mentioned.

My point exactly. Payback on logging specific equipment purchases is gonna be tough.

I wonder if the OP had simply mentioned the purchase of his acreage and asked about what equipment to buy, would the recomendations be the same?

 

[plowhog]

The comments and feedback to my inquiry are excellent. Very instructive and informative. Thank you all for contributing. I am learning exactly what I need to learn.

I'm going to price out the Kubota 6060 with SSQA and grapple. No backhoe, as I already have a small one on my Massey SCUT which I could use in a pinch.

I appreciate the comments about tractor suitability, safety, and job site issues. Those were more than I had contemplated, but I believe they are manageable. Once the logs are gone, the tractor is .... a farm tractor. So I understand the compromise of not having dedicated machine or equipment for the job.

It was pointed out several times to cut up items into smaller, lighter, and easier to manage pieces. I will do that. And the property is open enough where I can work from the periphery or create a lane for access. Probably very good is that I can work on my schedule and take my time-- there is no deadline. I think I'm good at risk management. The number of people who have safely flown a single engine airplane from California to the Arctic Circle and back are few. I'm one of them. Thanks again to all. My only disappointment is that I don't have an unlimited budget. If I did, I would own everything mentioned here plus more!

I will get some pictures of the acres of downed trees this weekend and see if I can figure out how to post them.

 

[LD1]

Not to try to keep increasing your budget, but price a 7060 as well as the 6060. I have no idea what the difference may be, As I havent priced them, but for all intents and purposes, they are the same tractor, The 7060 is just tuned to make more power. (or the 6060 is detuned to make less if you want to look at it that way).

IF the difference is slim, the added HP may be nice for any PTO driven equipment in your future, like mowing that 20 acres.

 

[Xfaxman]

Grapples are great, but not really much good if you don't have enough width on each side of the tractor to carry a log out.

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In my experience grapple width is not needed for carrying logs or trees.

This grapple is 44 inches wide, same width as the SSQA.

Find the balance point and you don't even have to clamp it with the top tines.

 

[ALauer]

Personally, I would recommenced an older Ford Tractor. Possibly a 4610, My buddy has one and he got it dirt cheap. Yes, it is a manual transmission, but yes, it is a BEAST. My friend's 4610 logs all day and night. Regardless, purchase something used. It will be easier to repair and will have less issues.