PULLING

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You can safely pull from the draw bar with your size tractor. If I were skidding with a larger tired tractor without a loader, I would not consider pulling from the draw bar.
The reasons are as follows: The smaller tractor spreads the weight of the log all around the chassis because of its shorter wheel base. Tires on the smaller c.u.t.s are not as tall and do not create the leverage of larger tractor tires. Most older tractors did not have 4 wheel drive which weights down the front of a cut. I consider this type of tractor lethal when pulling from the draw bar while in a ground obstructed woodlot. I witnessed such lethality the day I saw a man with an Allis WD 45 flip his tractor over on to himself when he popped the clutch on a 3 oak stem hitch. (they also did not have rops) I have pulled out enormous oak stems with my little JD 750 with nary a front end lift even when picking up the front of the log with the 3 pt. You'll get more comfortable as you pull out more stems.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Do you guys pull logs from the butt end or the tip end? Just wondering, I'm interested in getting a Farmi winch, downloaded the manual for it and it showed pulling logs from the narrow tip end, after limbing the log of course.

Like ShortGame says - Either end.
If you look in some Farmi books they prescribe a "Farmi method" of felling the trees towards the tractor so that the stump is behind the log and not an obstruction when you winch. So you would get the tops at the tractor. This works good but you will find every tree set up is different. There are lots of considerations to make and trying to do it the same way each time will work against you.

 

[Short Game]

There are places where I can only approach trees that are leaning away from my access. I have to fell them away from the tractor. What I usually do is use the FEL to adjust the butt to clear the stump. There is no end to situations you can get into when you are doing these types of things. Stuff frequently happens.

 

[Dead Horse]

I always winch from the butt end. Irrespective of the way the tree fell. On occasions when the stump is in the way I cut a wedge off the stump such that the tree can be winched over / past it. When I cut fire wood I am usually selective cutting in a stand of trees. I cut in February and let em lie until August. In august I winch them to a single spot, all butts pointing in the same direction, and then with the loader push them up in a pile. Come September through November I pull 3 or 4 out of the pile with the winch, one at a time, limb each and line them up for a hitch to the bucking yard. Hook em up and off we go. The bucking yard is immediately in front of the wood shed. I skid to the yard, drop em, giv em a push into a pile and go get another hitch.

Buck em, split em and stack em. It has taken me a while to get this routine down pat, but it is as efficient as I can make it.

I always skid butt first as with very large stems, limbing does not always result in eliminating a crook the can get hung up on something, plus my bucking and splitting yard is a distance from the felling locations and I really don't want to have to take the big limbs off before the skid, anyway. Skidding is dangerous enough without risking a hang up pulling against the grain...

I am trying to handle the wood as little as possible and generally only cut limbs off at the felling location, that are too small the be worth the effort for firewood. The rest of the tree, including big limbs, gets skidded to the bucking / splitting yard, in one piece.

I either then pile up the brush for critter habitat, chip it for landscaping use or leave it lie on the logging road for traction and firmament.

 

[Dead Horse]

Gordon and Machold, here are pictures of the logging bar rig and specifically how it is rigged to the lower links so it will not pivot thus keeping the chain hooks "paws up".

 

[Gordon Gould]

Gordon and Machold, here are pictures of the logging bar rig and specifically how it is rigged to the lower links so it will not pivot thus keeping the chain hooks "paws up".

Ah, now I understand. As they say, worth a thousand words. Thanks for the pics :thumbsup:

 

[slofr8]

I see both twisted and straight clevises in the stores. I've always used straight and can't recall ever having a situation where I needed a twisted.

What are the reasons people use one or the other?

Bruce

Bruce, a twisted link allows me to hook my old two bottom trailer plow to my draw bar. The clevis has to be horizontal as opposed to being vertical for the plows hitch to work. Sorry no pictures but that's as good as I can explain it.
Dan.

 

[ovrszd]

I cut in February and let em lie until August. In august I winch them to a single spot, all butts pointing in the same direction, and then with the loader push them up in a pile. Come September through November I pull 3 or 4 out of the pile with the winch, one at a time, limb each and line them up for a hitch to the bucking yard. Hook em up and off we go. The bucking yard is immediately in front of the wood shed. I skid to the yard, drop em, giv em a push into a pile and go get another hitch.

Buck em, split em and stack em. It has taken me a while to get this routine down pat, but it is as efficient as I can make it.

I always skid butt first as with very large stems, limbing does not always result in eliminating a crook the can get hung up on something, plus my bucking and splitting yard is a distance from the felling locations and I really don't want to have to take the big limbs off before the skid, anyway. Skidding is dangerous enough without risking a hang up pulling against the grain...

I am trying to handle the wood as little as possible and generally only cut limbs off at the felling location, that are too small the be worth the effort for firewood. The rest of the tree, including big limbs, gets skidded to the bucking / splitting yard, in one piece.

I either then pile up the brush for critter habitat, chip it for landscaping use or leave it lie on the logging road for traction and firmament.

I always consider that everyone's situation is different. Reading this wore me out!!

Best I can figure you hitch and unhitch four times before you get the tree cut and on the wood pile.

I don't like skidding logs. Fills the log full of dirt which I then have to cut with my chainsaw, that's not pretty. I prefer to cut where they fall. If I have to skid it's to the first open spot I can find. But again, everyone's situation is different!!! :thumbsup:

 

[Short Game]

I drag them out just far enough to buck them to length for the log forks. I finish my bucking on the forks, bucking most of the way through and finishing the cuts on the deck where I will split them into the cart.

Sometimes I find it worth it to pressure wash the logs to remove moss and dirt. When I do that, I can buck two decks like the one below without sharpening the chain and still be cutting fast and throwing big chips. It's also nice to put clean wood in the shed.

 

[cub]

hi, when ever i pull stuck trucks or cars out I always use a tire in between chains or slings for that extra cushion and its not as hard on your equipment . Go from draw bar through tire with on sling and another from tire to what you are pulling. Works for me, bob

 

[Dead Horse]

I always consider that everyone's situation is different. Reading this wore me out!!

Best I can figure you hitch and unhitch four times before you get the tree cut and on the wood pile.

I don't like skidding logs. Fills the log full of dirt which I then have to cut with my chainsaw, that's not pretty. I prefer to cut where they fall. If I have to skid it's to the first open spot I can find. But again, everyone's situation is different!!! :thumbsup:

Nope, winch and push to a pile to consolidate and continue the drying. Hitch and skid to my cutting yard / wood shed. I buck and split near where the wood is piled / stored. This is easier than loading, transporting dumping and moving the split wood into the shed and is less handling. One trip (skid) for 4+ log lengths beats several trips with truck loads of split wood.

I log a 100 acre patch and the wood shed can be as much as a mile away from the felling spot.

I selectively cut, meaning I have to get the tree out of a stand I otherwise do not want to hurt. Winching is the most effective way to do this on my property.

Like you said, each situation makes for a different solution.

More information on this. My winching / skidding tractor is a big fella with a Farmi 601 winch. My splitting tractor runs the TMS with its own hydraulics and the splitter beam actually sits on the wood shed floor, which is raised off the ground.

 

[Gordon Gould]

To bad you don't have snow. You can skid your logs right to the shed or the landing and keep them clean.

 

[Gobblin Tom]

I use these hooks welded on my i-match for my 2520. Works really well for me picking the log up off the ground a little... I climb a pretty steep grade if I have a big tree on the back I will add some logs or a big rock in front bucket..

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[BrokenAxle46]

I see both twisted and straight clevises in the stores. I've always used straight and can't recall ever having a situation where I needed a twisted.

What are the reasons people use one or the other?

Bruce

As to what other use would a person have for a twisted clevis, when I was a kid, (which was 3 days before dirt was invented), we used drop mallboard plows. These plows have an L shape hook for the tongue and dropped into the twisted clevis. Don't know how else we could hook up the plow. Also don't know what other implements had the same design, but I suppose there were some and as for those old plows, a few are still working in the field today.

Kurt:thumbsup:

 

[crazyal]

I see both twisted and straight clevises in the stores. I've always used straight and can't recall ever having a situation where I needed a twisted.

What are the reasons people use one or the other?

Bruce

I use the twisted link because I have one. I have lots of 3/4" and 7/8" rigging clevises so I bought a twisted one. I do like the fact that if I'm pulling two logs at once with the twisted clevis the chain is side by side vs stacked on top of each other.

 

[ovrszd]

This is not specific to logs, but I built this 3pt hitch device to do a multitude of tasks. The only time I hitch to my fixed drawbar is to tie down on the trailer or to pull tongue hitched ground tillage equipment.

 

[rd_macgregor]

This is not specific to logs, but I built this 3pt hitch device to do a multitude of tasks. The only time I hitch to my fixed drawbar is to tie down on the trailer or to pull tongue hitched ground tillage equipment.

That set-up looks pretty versatile.
Interesting tread on your tractor. What style/brand tires are those?
BOB

 

[Glen Watkins]

ovrszd I was wondering the same thing. How have your grooved tires held up for you? And any regrets in doing them?

 

[Dead Horse]

Them chain hooks look higher up than I would want them to be.

 

[ovrszd]

Glen and rd,

I grooved my tires about six months ago. I maintain Jeep trails frequently and was looking for better traction on hard packed Missouri clay. I noticed an improvement. I was concerned about weakening the lugs as I use my tractor pretty hard so didn't groove them any deeper. I haven't noticed any tire fatigue or failure yet. I'm hoping for better traction on frozen ground as well.


Deadhorse,

I would have put the hooks higher if I could have. I have my hand on the 3pt lever when pulling so aren't worried about tipping over backwards. I know the Safety Police will be all over this statement, but, I never pull off my fixed drawbar, always pull on the 3pt. Also frequently have the front tires off the ground. That's how I "roll", PUN INTENDED!!!