What's this called?

[varmint]

Needing to move some heavy black walnut logs, destined for a sawmill (I hope) and realizing my loader couldn't lift them unless I bought a set of pallet forks, I decided to make a 3-point hitch attachment that will allow me hoist one end up with a chain. Using tube and plate scraps, and some 3/4" bolts I had, along with an old sway bar and clevis, I came up with this. What should I call it? I'll paint it when the weather is more suitable for spraying epoxy primer outside.

 

[ning]

Looks kinda like 3 point drawbar trailer hitches that I see online.
I like the center vertical support.
Could still use the whole thing as a heavy duty trailer hitch, though a ball would be mounted off-center.

I'd call it... heavy duty drawbar with clevis.

 

[bcp]

This is what I do.



If it was a heavy log, I would also have a chain to the fixed drawbar. Pull and lift are separate then.

Not my photo. It is from Moving Logs with Tractor in Forestry and Logging

Bruce

 

[varmint]

That's a good idea- another chain to take the "pull" load! I do have a trailer hitch on the back of my weight box, which I like for moving the trailer around. I did have some balls on the red drawbar, but never liked using it for trailers for some reason.

 

[joeyd]

3 pt clevis hitch?

 

[AaronD81]

Looks like a log skidder, I’m looking to buy or build one too.

https://www.amazon.com/RJ-Designs-XHD-Skidder-Deluxe/dp/B0825BYYF6

 

[varmint]

Aaron- that's it! I hadn't seen the Amazon one, or I might have modified my design a bit. As it was, the steel odds and ends I had around were just enough to do what I came up with.

 

[rScotty]

It looks like a home-made load leveler made out of an old 3pt draw bar and some scap. Used for lifting anything from logs to motor blocks where you need to easily make small adjustments when lifting at the center of two lifting chains. Small adjustments are necessary to keep the load level. Its missing the lifting chains.
Google load levelers.

 

[jyoutz]

They aren’t the same design, but the implement designed to lift the butt of the log for skidding is called a logging arch.

 

[Wolfy]

I know it as a log dog.

 

[WranglerX]

How about "Lift Shackle".... Or maybe "3PT Lift Shackle"

 

[WranglerX]

This is what I do.

View attachment 780444

If it was a heavy log, I would also have a chain to the fixed drawbar. Pull and lift are separate then.

Not my photo. It is from Moving Logs with Tractor in Forestry and Logging

Bruce

I don that with my 3PH but uses a chain....

 

[WranglerX]

I know it as a log dog.

Log dog...

Alaska for Real: The secret life of logging dogs | Juneau Empire

If you stroll down Clay Street in Portland, Oregon’s Central Eastside District you’ll spy an odd looking, small sculpture: a steel spike with

www.juneauempire.com

 

[oldballs]

I don't know what to call it, but that clevis looks too high to be safe for hoisting much weight. .... maybe a good way to flip the tractor?
What do Y'All think?

Cheers,
Mike

 

[Egon]

I had one very similar ( different material ) on my Kubota B7100. I’d refer to it as a tool bar. If you go back many years you will see a very fine example Henro built.

It works for all kinda things that can be bolted on or pulled. It should be noted that for some items the hitch is high and could do a tractor backflip. If the front bucket is filled with dirt/rocks the tractor will have amazing traction and pulling ability.

 

[varmint]

I won't be going fast enough to flip the tractor, plus, these logs are 8' long and 900 lbs. at most, so I don't think it'll be an issue. I need to drag them since I have to go thru spaces where I only have the width of the tractor or so for clearance, and I want to minimize damage to the terrain (our yard) and it doesn't look like the ground is ever going to freeze here. I have an old satellite dish for the other end, to prevent too much gouging.

 

[oldballs]

Sounds like a good plan.........I hope that old satellite dish is a "Direct-TV" dish.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[ovrszd]

How did you fasten the verticals to the drawbar?

 

[Egon]

I won't be going fast enough to flip the tractor, plus, these logs are 8' long and 900 lbs. at most, so I don't think it'll be an issue. I need to drag them since I have to go thru spaces where I only have the width of the tractor or so for clearance, and I want to minimize damage to the terrain (our yard) and it doesn't look like the ground is ever going to freeze here. I have an old satellite dish for the other end, to prevent too much gouging.

Flipping the tractor can happen at a dead stop when starting up. It’s independent of speed.

 

[varmint]

I welded some 3/4" bolt heads to the ends of the pipes- they fit just right for a complete bead all around the bolt's heads. Overkill, but why not?- I wanted to secure the rig to the crossbar and the holes are for 3/4" fasteners... I really don't think there's any potential for flipping the tractor with this setup. There's going to be a heavy loader load, plus 4-wheel drive. The front of the log isn't going to be digging in- the whole point of the whatever it's called.