I grew up in the log woods & have done quite a bit of logging right around home with a regular farm type tractor. Here's how I rig up for it: Get a horizontal draw bar to go between 3pt hitch ends. If you hook directly to this drawbar & your log is very heavy, you will bend the bar. SO, cut a piece of HEAVY iron pie to just fit over the drawbar. This will not only serve for strength, but also as a roller when used as I describe next. Next, raise drawbar to maxumum height, now take a piece of chain & attach it with a clevis to the drawbar that runs underneath the back of tractor. Hang chain over drawbar with pipe so that it hangs over just a few inches. Get a pair if logging grabs (tongs), fasten them to the free end of the chain over drawbar (pipe) with a clevis. Pipe on drawbar should have some kind of collar welded around each end to keep your cable or chain from sliding off the end when you turn sharply. Back up to big end of log, drop your 3 pt. down, giving slack to chain with grabs, hook grabs in end of log, raise 3 pt up. This should pick up the end of the log. Now go with it. If you are afraid of maybe turning over if you hang something, just always keep your hand on the hitch control & should you hang anything, just drop the hitch which drops the log to the ground. Instead of a chain & grabs, you can also take a logging "Choker", fasten a choker eye to the under belly drawbar with a short piece of chain, hook the choker to the eye, run over the drawbar pipe & do the same as you would if using grabs. The log will pull much easier with a lot less strain on your tractor & equipment if the end of the log is clear of the ground. It is almost impossible to pull a very large log with the end sticking in the ground. If you have a fel on it will hold down the front end ( Which I have never reared up a front end with no weight on the front unless pulling hard up steep ground). Don't worry about pulling with the 3 point hitch. That's what it's for. Just hook a sub-soiler or 2 bottom breaking plow to one. It will pull it much harder than any log ever will if you get the end of the log clear of the ground, you'll find the log usually pulls very eaily. Actually, when done as described above, you are only lifting with the drawbar pipe combo. Actual pulling is applied to the underneath bar. A WORD OF CAUTION!!!!! IF USING GRABS, ALWAYS TAKE THEM OFF OR HANG THEM UP ON REAR OF TRACTOR WHEN NOT HOOKED TO A LOG. IF YOU DO NOT, SOONER OR LATER THEY WILL GET INTO REAR TIRE & RUIN IT EVERY TIME. Learned that long ago the hard way.
This has worked for me for years if done properly.
HAVE FUN.
