Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[Agvg]

With a remote you walk the log back to the winch, and you can adjust before it is stuck and you notice any problems before its a stuck log needing much labor to get free.
And you can be more safe, you can operate the winch from a safe distance, i have winched my self under the winch once because i dident see a small log under the snow, and when i winched a large tree it pushed the log and me under the winch.I
It was the famus last log and it was getting dark and I was tired, was mentaly home drinking coffe when I operated the winch, a few millimeters from a broken bone.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Thanks for the comments Avgv and jimmy. I guess a lot depends on the site you are working.

I am not afraid of tipping the tractor because I am careful to set up for a straight pull. I have snatch blocks with me all the time and use them often. What I am more afraid of is brutalizing my winch clutch or tearing out my top link or just unnecessary jerking around of the tractor because you lose touch with the remote.
The woods I work in are fairly tight and there is always a lot of slash and standing dead trees around so walking the log as you say would be difficult and dangerous. I usually winch logs that are to big to move with a peevy anyway so following along wouldn't do me much good.
But I could see that if you worked logs you could roll with a peevy and your site conditions were safe and smooth walking the log with a remote would be handy.
With experience though, you get much better at setting up on a tree or group of trees such that you can winch them out without having walk back and forth adjusting things.
I would not enjoy walking up thru here

 

[jimmysisson]

I can see how that works, walking back to the tractor with the log. There IS value in being close to the choker as the winch reels in.
Nowadays my wife accompanies me in the woods, and she runs the winch so I can help guide the log(s). So that's similar to how a remote operation would work.
Funny how I used to love working the woods alone, but adapted to my new arrangement easily.
Jim

 

[Agvg]

My experience with snatch blocks it that is a endless running between loggs and tractor, a remote will help a lot, I did buy a self releasing block and thats a nice time saver.

 

[Agvg]

This type of logging is not fun if you dont have remote, in this case the remote was a man with a radio.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/52341301@N04/sets/72157640413866996/

 

[KiwiBro]

This type of logging is not fun if you dont have remote, in this case the remote was a man with a radio.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/52341301@N04/sets/72157640413866996/

I agree. That sort of grade or worse, and ugly terrain, tight landings, etc is normal for me, unfortunately.
But I'm more scared about hiring staff than I am about saving up and paying for the gear needed to keep it a one or two person operation. I have a great fear, possibly a mental illness, about having to tell a workers mother, wife or kids that they cut their leg and bled out before help could get to them, or rolled the tractor and broke their neck, etc. This is a very unforgiving industry and the conditions here don't help at all.

There are remote electronic release chokers for the bigger cable operations but I have not seen any for small tractor logging, and also, if need be, remote tractor packages for winching that control engine revs and stop/start. This means, in a one person operation, they could stay down or up the hill setting chokers and only have to walk back to the tractor if something goes wrong or the landing is full and needs clearing. That saves so much energy.

Also, in a two person operation and tight landings, the remote allows the landing person to not be tied to the tractor, but further along the trail to where there might be more area to be processing logs or loading out trucks or trailers. As long as they can see the tractor and the turn then they can operate well enough this way.

 

[Dead Horse]

As i was told on a course I took, when using a logging winch, watch the tractor not the log.

Second that emphatically!!!!!!!!!!! I watch the cable going through the top pully and either stand offset of the tractor or sit in the tractor seat. If the cable is moving, the log is coming along.......

Also, I am looking for recommendations for a self releasing snatch block.

 

[Agvg]

Have this and Im happy

 

[Gordon Gould]

I have a clone of the Farmi block. It is heavy duty and would go with your big winch. It weighs 13 lbs.

EDIT: Sheave is 5" in diameter.

 

[dfkrug]

I took out 4 135' trees this year....douglas firs. 3 were leaning and one was sick.

Hired a climber who cut them in sections. Look closely; he's in the first photo.

It took me weeks to clean them up, using cables and a snatch block. I skid them
backwards, using my loader to lift one end. Then, its the forks.

I measured these at 55 lb/cu.ft. when cut, and use that to calculate weight.

2nd photo is my chainsaw-testing log.