Seeking Logging Plate & Winch

[Oldtoad]

Getting old, don't really want to do it but I need to get some logs out of the woods.
Kubota 43hp tractor.
Thinking a logging rig. Went on Craigslist, will keep looking...
Nothing below $3,000, which seems high and beyond my budget.
Any suggestions?

 

[newbury]

A LOT depends on your terrain.
I use chains if I have to drag over hard surfaces, rope if I'm not concerned.
But I'm in Mississippi, only slight slopes.
How many are "some"?
The main things are:
Your physical condition
The terrain
The size of your wallet in $$
The amount of time you can spend "working around"
My M4700 will haul most of my logs (~ 3,000 lbs) with a chain and maybe a skid plate.
A rope is not good to to drag across pavement.

 

[Oldtoad]

A LOT depends on your terrain.
I use chains if I have to drag over hard surfaces, rope if I'm not concerned.
But I'm in Mississippi, only slight slopes.
How many are "some"?
The main things are:
Your physical condition
The terrain
The size of your wallet in $$
The amount of time you can spend "working around"
My M4700 will haul most of my logs (~ 3,000 lbs) with a chain and maybe a skid plate.
A rope is not good to to drag across pavement.

Rocks and hills, whips and chains required. The project is to make game trails and food plots.
I try to go away for the winter but with the open borders and all will probably stay home in Maine.
Once the snow gets too deep, everything stops.
If I make it a challenge and a exercise goal, can do if I get a helper. Think I found one today.
Newbury, going to sell some junk and buy one, after I get a snow plow while also watching for a log winch. Thanks, great help.

 

[ericm979]

A new forestry winch sized for your tractor is in the $3700-5000 range. There may be used ones where you are but they're probably not much cheaper. They seem to hold their value well.

You can get a 65' cable sold as a replacement for a truck winch from HF, some clamps and a ferule to make a loop and use that to get more reach with your tractor. It's a cheap way to get a cable that long with a fitting on one end. Or buy a longer cable and the fittings for both ends. The problem with using chains or cables is that the tractor has to travel the same distance as you need to pull the log. If your woods are steep or thick that can be tough.

 

[old and tired]

I would love a logging winch but they are pretty expensive. Look at buying a new one, if you can finance it, even better; then after you are done getting those trees, you should be able to sell it at a high price (hopefully).

Nothing in the rental department up there??? Or Find a friend that owns one? Hire a logger with one to do the work?

Personally, I have had many trees go down in my woods... they are food for insects (wood borers at what not).

 

[Oldtoad]

Renting, a good idea. Credit buying, those days are over. Buy and resell, that might work but I move so slow...
When we home schooled the kids operated a firewood business.
Had a 4 wheeler, log arch, wood splitter, chain saws and trailer, the good old days.
We had loggers in for a couple of months a few years ago, still lots of trees only good for firewood.
Hard to find workers, lots of jobs growing dope here..

 

[Jstpssng]

I have never seen one of them for rent. I have bought and sold (2) used units over the years but they were in pretty rough shape.
If you start looking for used in Uncle Henry's and on Craigslist; I suggest that you also buy a lottery ticket every week. The odds of finding a clean used winch are only slightly better.

Buying new and selling it when you are done seems like the best bet. I've done the "dragging out with a chain" before, it's OK if all that you are bringing out is a few trees but it's slow and can be hazardous, especially if you have any hills.

 

[Oldtoad]

No time left for injuries.
Every time I buy a lottery ticket I worry about destroying my life and then regret the waste of money. It has been many years.
I should be checking Uncle Henry's. Thanks,

 

[Gee Ray]

This was posted this week on another thread. https://www.portablewinch.com/products/pcw3000-gas-powered-pulling-winch-gx35 Depending on how many trees you want to pull.

 

[JJT]

"Getting old, don't really want to do it" I'm in the same boat, just bite the bullet and hire it out.

 

[PILOON]

On lottery tickets.

Yesterday within 2 minuets of moving my car a live birch tree fell over that would have crushed my car. My wife saw it happen.
That tree was on my 'to do' list.
The surprise was the top was leafed and healthy plus there was no wind at all.

So I bought a lottery ticket!

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

I have a Wallenstein FX85 on a Kubota L3301. I have worked it very hard and it has never let me down. Still looks like new. Its been bulletproof and has worked flawlessly. I think its sized very well for that tractor. No complaints other than maybe instead of a ferrule end on the cable I sometimes think a hook would be better as could use for more things other than just choking trees but understand why the professional/big loggers use this setup when choking trees..

 

[CoyPatton]

A new forestry winch sized for your tractor is in the $3700-5000 range. There may be used ones where you are but they're probably not much cheaper. They seem to hold their value well.

You can get a 65' cable sold as a replacement for a truck winch from HF, some clamps and a ferule to make a loop and use that to get more reach with your tractor. It's a cheap way to get a cable that long with a fitting on one end. Or buy a longer cable and the fittings for both ends. The problem with using chains or cables is that the tractor has to travel the same distance as you need to pull the log. If your woods are steep or thick that can be tough.

Add in snatch blocks with the purchase of the winch line.
By doing this, you can redirect your line. For example if your log is roughly 90 degrees off of your pull direction, 1 snatch block allows for the direction change, but your log advanced 1 foot for every of travel distance in your pulling source (tractor). If you have the cable length, add a second snatch block inline with your tractor’s travel direction and then pull back toward the 1st snatch block. Now you move your log 2 ft for every foot of tractor travel.
Of course the issue with this setup is 1) cable length (you can use up lots of cable feet quickly) 2) watching the cable for potential issues 3) damage to snatch blocks or cable if fail to avoid issues

Snatch blocks are great additions, but do add some additional potential issues. More can be added to the above example to change to greater distance pulled for less distance traveled.

 

[Beaver Cove Deere]

I bought a slightly used one from my landscaper. The rigging adds up fast and a self releasing snatch block wasn't cheap but I figure it was a lot cheaper than breaking some glass in the cab or ripping something out from under the machine.

Union Farm Equipment has supplied me with some pretty decent deals and they are very nice people to deal with. Keep an eye on their web site or better yet drop your name off in person for a heads up call. if one comes in. I delayed calling on one and when I did call it was gone. My 72" rotary mower and Salsco chipper came from them. Both were in very nice shape and it saved me thousands. Zero regrets.

 

[Oldtoad]

"Getting old, don't really want to do it" I'm in the same boat, just bite the bullet and hire it out.

Ha! Would really love to.
Got an old buddy, older than me, that needs help, all I can find is drunks, sweet but still.
Stepped down a ramp and the knee folded, gee I hate face plants, getting punky.
I agree though, $200 an hour for a 350 excavator, gonna put in some decent food plots.

 

[K Arno]

Old enough to remember my old man complaining about a Nickle a gallon fuel oil. Stuff costs more today. There are times when Nature is the best way.

 

[Jstpssng]

This is in the current issue of Uncle Henry's. It's light enough to go behind an ATV, so probably would work better on your Ford than the Kubota. Not very far from where you are, either.

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

Yesterday within 2 minuets of moving my car a live birch tree fell over that would have crushed my car.
>>> <<<
Some what similar situation here once... A 20 cm limb came down driving it almost 40 cm into the ground...

I chose to pay a professional dangerous tree person to put the tree on the ground where I could handle it.. NOT wanting to start a felling cut and find it was hollow and everything else dangerous that goes with that... Good thing as it was all those dangerous things with out showing any of the signs it was..
Keep safe..

 

[Oldtoad]

Thanks for the Uncle Henry's post Jstpssng, still got one of those from when the kids did firewood, I should sell it.
The excavation contractor is still busy. I could and might rent an excavator for a week of stress and fun. Heard fuel might be in short supply this winter, heads up all.

Wyobuckaroo, got a neighbor that dragged his feet buying a generator, cost him a week of listening to his wife when the power went out for 10 days. Now he has a dying tree looming over his very expensive lake home and he does not want to pay for the tree removal.
Some people never learn.

 

[fruitcakesa]

I just kept looking on CL and FB Mkt daily until a Norse 450 winch showed up in the next town.
It was a little beat up but still fully functional. Got it for $2250, had to replace the cable after I buggered it up but still a good deal and it has more than paid for itself as I am using it to harvest 8 acres of hemlock to sell.