Skidding logs

[EddieWalker]

I found that keeping it simple works the best. Attach a chain to your draw bar and wrap it around the log works as well as anything, and better then most ideas. Tongs really created more work for me and I hated them except the few times that they did a good job, but that was rare.

Sometimes I have to cut the log in half to get it light enough to drag, but other then that, it's a fool proof, always works, method.

Get a good chain and you will never regret what you paid for it.

Eddie

 

[s219]

I found that keeping it simple works the best. Attach a chain to your draw bar and wrap it around the log works as well as anything, and better then most ideas.

I agree, that is the simplest and best, but it has two downsides -- one being that the front butt of the log will tear up the ground and hang up on stuff, and the second being that you'll get dirt on the bark. So that's where elevating the front butt with the 3-point is helpful. It's not an issue if you're just skidding a log here and there, but for many logs, it becomes real important.

I'll be skidding 40-60 logs soon, and it will be important to keep them off the ground so that I don't tear up the trail any more than I have to. And then later on, when bucking up rounds, having clean logs will make a big difference. It doesn't take but one contact with dirt to dull a chain, and when we're talking hundreds of cuts, sharpening becomes a big factor.

 

[Arky217]

Get or make a log arch.

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[studor]

What are you using the logs for? If it is firewood I just buck them into lengths I can pick up with the loader and a set of tongs -- no dirt, no worries about catching them on stumps etc and no dirt on the pieces I have to cut up to dull chains. If they are going to be used for lumber and I want to leave them as long as possible then I chain them to a curved piece of 1/4 plate and skid them out on the hooks I have by the drawbar mount. While I would love a log arch or skidding winch I can't justify it for the amount I do. When I have a lot or they are really in deep I ask my neighbour to do it with his horses -- much gentler on the woodlot. JMHO

 

[Short Game]

I'll use the FEL to work a log out of a position where I can't drag the log into the open. I will use the FEL lift to gain a few feet, set the end of the log back down, back out the slack, and reset for the next lift. This keeps the log more off the ground and gets it clear of stumps and such. I do not use the tractor drive to move logs backwards, as this puts the strain on the front axle which is not made for such work and can break if the real wheels lose traction. It is essential to keep all lifting force in line with, and in front of, the tractor, as only a small force can tip you if you get sideways to the lift.

I prefer to get my trees from the edge of the woods, but I can't get them all there. Lot's of issues with felling and skidding come up when in the woods. Between hanging trees up and flying branches, extreme caution is a good idea. Sometimes I will just leave a piece of log when it's not worth dealing with the complications.

 

[Tollster]

I broke down and got this on ebay for 99.00. Hope it was a good choice,if not I may be able to build off it.
I thought I could lower either a chain or tongs right down on the log as the open area may give me some room for the stump, then tie off to the chassis for pulling.

NEW 3 POINT QUICK HITCH CATEGORY 1 FARM TRACTOR | eBay

 

[schweizer]

I think my earlier posts about skidding logs with the FEL was misinterpreted. See attached crude quick sketch:

 

[Baby Grand]

I think my earlier posts about skidding logs with the FEL was misinterpreted. See attached crude quick sketch:

Well, that's a horse of a different color. Using a snatch block to get a straight pull takes the side force tweekage risk on the FEL way down.

Still not my Plan A for reason Short Game describes. May work fine with a big, heavy tractor, but I won't do it with mine. Also, FEL wasn't designed for pulling, it was designed for pushing and lifting. As a designer, this throws up red flags whenever I think about doing it. Basically, I don't consider my tractor to be big enough to get away with it.

 

[s219]

I think my earlier posts about skidding logs with the FEL was misinterpreted. See attached crude quick sketch:

OK, as someone with pathetic art skills myself, I need to take this opportunity to make fun of your crude sketch. I've never seen a tractor made out of ink splotches before!

All kidding aside, this is a good example of how you can get creative to move logs out, and should not be overlooked. There are many many advantages to using pulley blocks, including redirecting the pull direction for safety and gaining a mechanical advantage. The latter is helpful on tractors where sometimes the limiting factor is traction.

I use this approach all the time to pull down hazard trees, in fact you can see a video here:

Hazard Tree Takedown with Tractor - YouTube

In the coming weeks, I need to buck up a big 16" Beech that fell over in Irene, and get the logs across a stream that is about 12' wide with banks that are 6' deep. There is no safe way to get the tractor anywhere near the site, so I know I will need to rig up some sort of cable/pulley arrangement for that, perhaps even going overhead like a yarder.

 

[Reg]

I wouldn't use the FEL that way. Pulling at any kind of angle and hanging up on a root could tweek it. May work fine with your machine, but not for everybody.

I don't know WHY, but your tag line ONLY JUST figured itself out in my feeble little mind.
Perhaps your username has always distracted me, I am of the ebony and ivory 88 key persuasion - but as an engineer the moment/couple relationship SHOULD HAVE been obvious earlier (-: