TREE MOVING

[inveresk]

One of my first projects is to clear some woodland for a barn. The trees I'm removing will be milled for the building. Some are 24" dia and will be cut into 20 feet lengths. I'll have to take them down a reasonably steep slope 15-20% to get them from the wood to where I intend to set up the mill. What's the best and safest way to get them out of the woodland with a Kubota 31310 with FEL and b/h? Is it safe enough to remove the b/h and drag them with chains attached to the drawbar? Or should I leave the b/h in place and drag them with chains attached to it?

 

[beenthere]

Try it both ways, but I suspect for those size logs, and that slope, that you will need some cable rigging to get them out, and/or some bigger equipment.
But give it a try. Just be careful.

 

[JimR]

If you have the room to, I would let them roll down. Better than being in front of them when they are that big.

 

[rdbrumfield]

I am not familiar with that size of Kubota. On a slope that steep be sure to not have much cable out, keep the log as close to the back of the tractor as possible. If the log gets to rolling and gets some momentum up it could turn into a disaster. If you can widen out your wheels, I would deffinetly do that, it will make a big difference with stability.

 

[inveresk]

The point about momentum is well made. Hauling them down the slope will be pretty risky. I've decided it would be better to set up the mill at the site of the barn, where I'll fell the logs. This will negate the need to haul them any distance and keep them on level ground. If they start taking off down the slope, there's a road at the bottom where they could do some serious damage.

 

[cqaigy]

<font color="red"> set up the mill at the site of the barn, </font>

Thats a great idea!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

You don't spend all your time moving heavy logs and grinding dirt into the wood and bark to dull up your saws and it's safer. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Those aren't huge logs but if they got going down a hill it would be bad for you and anybody below.

Say some pictures would be great, like your site and mill as u setup.

 

[inveresk]

I hired a sawyer today to undertake the felling of the trees on the site of the barn and the place to where I want to relocate the house (which is fairly near tbe barn). He'll also thin the rest of the woodland and open views to the ocean and to take advantage of the sunpath. As he fells, I should be milling. I have two mills to see, one a Lucas swing blade, the other a custom made bandsaw. The Lucas is the favourite but depends on price and condition. I'll need to mill around 14,000 board feet of fir for the barn then about another ten to remodel and reclad the house.

Happy to post some pictures as the job progresses.

 

[jdavis3099]

Try looking at the Farmi 351 skidding winch.

 

[inveresk]

That skid winch is a nice piece of kit but I doubt I can justify the cost. The sawyer I've hired has some horse drawn log skids I can probably rig up to the tractor. We'll have to get by with that in a pinch.

 

[Jstpssng]

The Lucas is a nice mill and seems to have higher production than a bandsaw,although it could be rather pricey. You've probably already done your research, but Sawmill Magazine has some really good articles about portable mills.

If you can, some pics of your new mill would be nice; although they will also make me very, VERY envious.

 

[inveresk]

Jstpssng, thanks for the link to that magazine. I've been lurking about forestryforum.com learning about mills just as I did on this forum before I bought my Kubota. A swing blade mill is quicker for milling large logs but one of the main reasons I've decided on this instead of a bandmill is the amount of blade sharpening time it saves. I should be able to sharpen the swing mill blades in 5-10 mins per day as opposed to an hour + with the bandmill. After a hard day milling, I'd rather spend that extra time in the hot tub. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[ruffstuff]

I am no logger and I am sure less tractor experience than most people around here, but I safely pull and control the slide of large objects using a Hi-Lift jack.
By large I mean between 4-8 thousand pounds. I have no idea what a log weighs, but I have used my jack as a manual winch to pull docks made of wood. out of the water and onto high ground. I have also used the setup to move full size telephone poles (sometimes two at a time!) all by myself.
It is especially easy to "lower" docks down a slope because you actually release the weight by lowering the jack one click at a time.
These jacks (also called "farm jacks" or "lift-alls" in Eroupe) are absolutely the best (and cheapest - $60!) piece of equipment.
I wrap good quality chain around the poles (heavy ropes work, but stretch is a problem, creating a huge danger - just be sure to drape a rug or blanket over it when under tension in case it lets go) and never stand "in-line" with the load.
You hook the chain(with plenty of extra chain on the end) to the lifting arm of the jack and start out at the top of the jack.
Simply tie the top of the jack off to another tree or anything heaver than your load (a tractor with the wheels chocked works very well).
You can now lower the load as if you were lowering a car down off a jack.
When you get to the end of the jack (mine is 60"...I think they come up to 72" long) you simply hook a spare piece of chain with grab hooks to to the loaded chain and the tied off chain.."lift the load one click to take the strain off the chain, (temporarily placed on the short extra chain. You can now slide the jack arm back up to the top. Hook the chain up again and lower the load another length of the jack, one click at a time.
I am a complete idiot with very little mechanical skill - I can safely lower or winch a substantial load down a long slope (100 feet?) by myself in probably 10-15 minutes.
It is safe, entirely under control and cheap. (The chain, not withstanding)
I learned to do this winching surf fishing 4x4s stuck on the beach - there we have nothing to tie off to - we bury the spare tire as a ground anchor. I have pulled fully loaded hummers and even an RV out this way (When the tide is rising you have to be quick!)
I hope this isn't off topic, but this $60 "winch" has pulled out more bushes and small trees (root ball and all!) - but it lowers weight best of all, which I hope helps you.