Picking up logs, grapple or thumb? Advice please.

[irvingj]

Just read the other old thread, ooklaa-- and yes, I'd have to agree, my 2310 BH seems to be able to lift more weight than the FEL. But, as ray pointed out, you won't get far if you try to move something with the BH. In order to get a stump (quite heavy) out of a low spot, I had to load the h$#@ out of my FEL to keep the front end on the ground, and then moved VERY slowly!

 

[timster2]

Not a thumb or a grapple but another method to move large logs and have stable cutting. I bought two skidding tongs and use them with the bucket hooks to lift and transport large logs. I have a manual thumb on the backhoe, however I can lift larger logs with this setup. I have a set of clamp on forks but they decrease the lifting capacity of the bucket and do not stop the log from sliding around when cutting rounds off of each end. The skidding tongs work well.

 

[JWR]

A bit off center from this thread but relating to picking up logs, limbs and tree parts -- I had teeth welded on to a spare replaceable knife edge on a 4-in-1 bucket. Had been using the pinch bucket to pick up posts, limbs, trees, etc. cleaning up an old farm and found problems with the wood slipping out of the pinch bucket several times before a good grip. With these teeth every grip is a good one and rarely do I have to try twice. This is on a MF 2660 and DL250 FEL.

 

[JPRambo]

A little overkill for my B7100 but it works

 

[Ooklaa]

Not a thumb or a grapple but another method to move large logs and have stable cutting. I bought two skidding tongs and use them with the bucket hooks to lift and transport large logs. I have a manual thumb on the backhoe, however I can lift larger logs with this setup. I have a set of clamp on forks but they decrease the lifting capacity of the bucket and do not stop the log from sliding around when cutting rounds off of each end. The skidding tongs work well.

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I like the idea of the skidding togs. gonna call some people tomorrow and ask about ordering a backhoe thumb

 

[JMER817]

I built a pipe table that I can sit logs on and cut. I like to grab about 10+ 8 ft logs from the pile and sit them on the table and cut them all at once. Cutting 1 log at a time is really slow and requires the machine to run while you are cutting. This method is much more efficient.

Do you have a pic of the table?

 

[dickfoster]

Ok so I have a gc1720 loader/backhoe. I have been burning firewood for a couple of years now but I've been buying split wood. I decided to get some log lengths wood and do some splitting myself. I purchased a dirty hands 35 ton splitter(was thinking of getting rugged made) from Lowes and got the extended warranty. Got a nice Husqvarna chainsaw and good to go lol. Ok well my firewood is in a good spot so I don't have to move it around d far. I hook a chain to a log and drag it like 30 feet to my cutting area. Now I want to pic up the log about chest height so I can cut it nice nice.

For the those who have the thumb and or grapple can you please post some video of it, especially if you got some nice size logs.

This is what I did today, not perfect but I picked up some nice size log with ease. Do you think a thumb on the back of the backhoe could grab the log and hold them steady while I cut them to size?

I just roll them up onto a few small logs/poles laid crosswise with a peavy and cut them into rounds that way. It's high enough to keep the chain off the ground. Then it's roll the rounds over to the splitter and split. I use my pickup for hauling as it carries more wood than my front bucket will. I doubt my hoe could lift 16' X 2'+ oak logs anyway.
Before I got the tractor I tried skidding and decking logs with my pickup and winch but that cost me a set of ball joints so I don't do that anymore. I really do hate changing ball joints. Now it's the backhoe and thumb or a choke chain and the 3pt to shift and move logs around. For small amounts of wood or shorter distances I use the loader.

 

[Ooklaa]

Well this is sure to test the might of the bckhoe. This is one big and thick piece of wood. I got it off the ground . The chains where not hooked up good thid time i did hve it higher.

 

[irvingj]

My BH and thumb in action. This was 2 years ago, got over 3 cords that time.

 

[Ooklaa]

My BH and thumb in action. This was 2 years ago, got over 3 cords that time.

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where did you get that thumb?