Log Tongs? Lift logs?

[avc8130]

I recently got a gift from my tree guy buddy. He dropped of 7 loads of locust logs. Unfortunately he was in a rush so they were dumped rather than knuckle boomed neatly.

I'm looking at my tractor trying to figure out how it could help me process this wood. I have a Kubota L45. The most ideal would be something on the backhoe to "crane" the logs for cutting/moving. Obviously a hydraulic thumb would work, but that is ~$3k from what I have seen. Then I thought about a mechanical...but still $700+.

Then I stumbled on "log tongs". Would these work? Anyone with some experience?

ac

 

[andrehoude123]

I use my forks for cutting firewood and stacking logs it works good and you don't need to deal with stabilizers







And once you have forks you'll have it on more than your bucket!

 

[CobyRupert]

Like Andre, I have only used forks too. First a pair of $100 clamp on (to bucket) forks, then a $600+ quick attach frame set. Sometimes it might be a little tricky to just get a couple logs from a pile, especially if the log's "centers" aren't aligned and they won't balance on the forks together, but you'll get the hang of it. Easier to balance a shorter log than a long.
More info is required. How big (long & dia.) are the logs? How are the piles dumped? What are you trying to do;make neat piles? Make fence posts or fire wood? Will you grab a log & move it to a new pile or buck it up into pieces?

 

[Ed of all trades]

I have a set that I use to lift firewood on to the spliter, Have a couple of hooks welded to my front end loader bucket, works great. If you had 2 sets of tongs you could lift the whole log and keep it level, or with one you could drag them around. Eather way its a cheep fix.

 

[yomax4]

I have tongs and find them time consuming and they drop a lot of logs.

 

[avc8130]

I use my forks for cutting firewood and stacking logs it works good and you don't need to deal with stabilizers

View attachment 393950



View attachment 393951

And once you have forks you'll have it on more than your bucket!

What you have pictured is what I WISH I got. LOL

I can't look a gift horse in the mouth, but my "pile" is much messier. The logs are also parallel to my access, rather then perpendicular.

I have a set of forks, 2 in fact.

ac

 

[Baby Grand]

I recently got a gift from my tree guy buddy. He dropped of 7 loads of locust logs. Unfortunately he was in a rush so they were dumped rather than knuckle boomed neatly.

I'm looking at my tractor trying to figure out how it could help me process this wood. I have a Kubota L45. The most ideal would be something on the backhoe to "crane" the logs for cutting/moving. Obviously a hydraulic thumb would work, but that is ~$3k from what I have seen. Then I thought about a mechanical...but still $700+.

Then I stumbled on "log tongs". Would these work? Anyone with some experience?

ac

I'm not sure how useful they'd be on the end of a backhoe - I think you'd want a helper to set the tongs - maybe not. Slewing with that much weight at the end of the hoe may present some stability challenges, too.

Log tongs on the end of a boom pole have proven very helpful in my firewood production.
When using this rig to move logs I always run an additional a choker chain between the log & drawbar. Lift with the tongs; pull with the drawbar to avoid flipping the tractor backwards.
The tongs on the boom pole also allow you to do some log positioning - especially blocking to get them up & off of the ground.

I'm sure a grapple would be much more efficient, but that's beyond my present budget (for now).
I also have a set of 3pt hitch forks which have greatly reduced my TTST (Tree To Stove Time).

 

[oosik]

I would stay away from any "process" that drags the logs if your plans are to cut them with a chain saw. Dirty bark = dull chains. I've helped my neighbor cut some of my pine with his bandsaw mill and we completely de-bark the logs. Too much volcanic ash in the bark. If you are making firewood - measure & cut them where they lay until the logs are small enough to be moved with a log pike(P-V).

 

[NHbotanut]

If you have the backhoe, spend the $700 and get the mechanical thumb. I have one and it is great. That is how I buck up all of my logs with no bending. I lift the log to a comfortable height and start cutting. Unlike pallet forks, you don't have to go back and forth on both sides to keep it balanced while cutting. You will also find all kinds of uses for the thumb.

In terms of stacking, if you have hooks welded on your bucket, you could use the pallet forks to get 2-3 logs, and the use a chain to secure them while you start a new pile that is neat.

 

[Stonehaller]

I have pallet forks, lifting tongs and a backhoe thumb. A pair of lifting tongs on either side of the bucket allows you to neatly stack logs. I like using them for setting logs on the trailer between the fenders - not so easy to do with pallet forks without rolling a log into the fender. To lift logs with lifting tongs on the backhoe, you would have to pretty well balance the log, even with a pair of tongs it would take a bit of trial and error. With a single lifting tong on the backhoe, you could lift and drag one end of the log on the pile and then do the other end of the log. Unless you have a helper, it is slow work with the tongs.

I have a mechanical backhoe thumb and it is very handy. I took down a dead 45' tall pine the other day. I cut the tree in two ~20' lengths, grabbed a length of tree, branches and all, with the thumb. I could swing the hoe around as a drove to maneuver the tree between other trees to get it out to my cutting and chipping area. Three trips and the entire tree including the stump were gone.