good chains, ropes, etc.

[MChalkley]

Richard - I'm glad you remember - I can't keep track anymore. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif There's been so much information posted here that it's become sort of a "collective" all its own - none of it belongs to anyone anymore. One idea feeds off of, or generates, another, then more gets added to it, until eventually you can't even recognize the original idea.

But thanks for remembering - sometimes it's good to know the money wasted on stuff that didn't work benefits others in the form of suggestions of stuff that did. On the the other hand, there's another angle: You just may be as obsessive as I am. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Nah, not likely...

Seriously, though, Labonville is a great outfit. I don't know if you saw the picture I posted in the "EF-5 enhancements" thread a couple weeks ago or not, but I got some great spring binders, hooks, and hold-down chain from them, too. Weakest link in them is the big slip hook on one end (with safety catch), at 7700 lbs WLL, so I'm not worried about them failing. I had special ones made up so I could use the EF-5's four tie-down brackets, instead of using just two chains like I did with the L4310.

MarkC

 

[Tom_Trees]

<font color=blue>Also, depending on the stuff you're pulling you might find grubbing tongs useful </font color=blue>

Oh, man! Just what the doctor ordered!

It seems that the prices have gone up a bit - the small one (up to 5") is now $114.95 at the Cumberland Store.

One question -- how do I hook it up to the tractor? I've 20 feet of grade 70 chain; what do I use to attach the chain to the wire rope on the tongs, and what's the preferred method of attaching the chain to the drawbar?

I've a fair batch of 1" to 3" elm, hickory, cherry, oak, and maple I want to pull between now and next May, and this looks a whole bunch safer and easier than using the FEL, providing I don't end up with a loose chain flying at me./w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

Tom

 

[MChalkley]

Tom - For the stuff you've got to pull up, the grubbing tongs would be just the trick, assuming you don't have a need for something as big as the Brush Brute.

Being a nut, I attached mine using a shackle and a pulley. The original picture I posted of it is gone, so I've attached another one to this post. You could also just use a slip hook on a 3/8" G70 or G80 chain. Of course, if you get the square-link chain from Labonville, you can use it either as a choker or to pull the tongs.

MarkC

 

[MChalkley]

Tom - I forgot to post a response to your question about how to attach the chain to the drawbar. Two ways I've used are to attach a big shackle made for just such a purpose to the drawbar - these can be purchased from most tractor dealers/farm supply stores. There's also a more specialized one, which I like better, that's a heavy duty grab hook made to pin to the drawbar - this allows you to drop a link of chain into the grab hook at any point along its length. Technically, you don't even need a hook on the tractor end of the chain, if you use this method...

MarkC

 

[Tom_Trees]

Thanks, Mark. I've got the slip hook for the chain already, and while I have the big shackle on the drawbar, I'll probably pick up the grab hook as well.

Tom

 

[MChalkley]

Tom - You're welcome - let me know what you think works best. Your question helped me out too - it reminded me that I need a place on the EF-5 to pin one of these grab hooks, so that's another item on the list for the folks at D&E next Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/however long it takes...

MarkC