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Need help with ways to get wood out of woods

Started by JohnG28, January 17, 2010, 07:13:51 PM

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quietrangr

I often use a big pulley hung in a tree and a chain, but I have a forwarder to pull it. I would think hard about hiring a pole skidder. If you cut enough trees, it would be worth it.

captain_crunch

Have you thought about a Lewis Winch for your power saw ?? They are not too expencive and beat a comealong bigtime. If I remember right they spool about 200 ft of small aircraft cable
M-14 Belsaw circle mill,HD-11 Log Loader,TD-14 Crawler,TD-9 Crawler and Ford 2910 Loader Tractor

Shetland Sheepdog

Quote from: captain_crunch on January 25, 2010, 11:21:25 PM
Have you thought about a Lewis Winch for your power saw ?? They are not too expencive and beat a comealong bigtime. If I remember right they spool about 200 ft of small aircraft cable

A Lewis Winch would probably work good in this application! Myself, I would be looking for something about half way between a Lewis Winch & "Thirsty". :D
Proud operators of Sunset Tree Farm. 130 acres of "hilly" forest, and part of the American Tree Farm System.

indiaxman1

Using a barge rope (or better a leaving line) has added length to many deep woods jobs...the thick rope expands and contracts...more forgiving than chain...buddy and I picked up two on Ohio R after spring floods went down....best log hauler you can use

JohnG28

Thanks for the additional suggestions, i have thought of a saw winch, looked into a few, but not a lot, funding just isnt where id like it to be unfortunately...ultimately i think im going to have to rig a pully system, at least to get started, see how that works, as i wont be out as often as id like to be anyways, then in future will a better solution will be necessary, thanks to all again
Stihl MS361, 460 & 200T, Jonsered 490, Jonsereds 90, Husky 350 & 142, Homelite XL and Super XL

captain_crunch

Ok now I understand you and I have the same budget. >:( >:( How about hanging a block (Oregon word for pully) 10-15 ft in a tree near mill or road run line thru it and pull down road with atv with long peice of line. Higher the better as long as you can not pull over tree but with 4wheeler that is unlikely. Bad part is you can not really see what is hapening with log . But it will give you some lift and make log skidd easier
M-14 Belsaw circle mill,HD-11 Log Loader,TD-14 Crawler,TD-9 Crawler and Ford 2910 Loader Tractor

JohnG28

Captain, thanks, and im sorry you too have my budget issues, nothing to be done sometimes though...that would probably work well, and there are plenty of sound trees around to use, and I should be able to at least have a spotter back watching the woods, could work out well, I appreciate it
Stihl MS361, 460 & 200T, Jonsered 490, Jonsereds 90, Husky 350 & 142, Homelite XL and Super XL

timberfaller390

L.M. Reese Co. Land Management Contractors
Stihl MS390
John Deere 50G excavator
John Deere 5103
John Deere 440 ICD dozer

nc/sc

Hi All,
I'm new here although I've been reading for a long time.
I have the same problem with trees falling in places I can't get to with any wheeled power equipment.
I've been eyeing the Harbor Freight Gas Powered Winch for awhile.
As we all know some of their stuff is ok and some is just junk, so-
Has anybody actually used one?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95888

Thanks

Quebecnewf

Don't by that one its way to slow and you don't want to be involved with cable. I bought one like this . Best money I ever spent.

Check out my gallery
http://www.portablewinch.com/en/

Quebecnewf

TimRB

"I've been eyeing the Harbor Freight Gas Powered Winch for awhile."

I have not used the HF winch myself, so this is just some rambling FWIW...

Two things to consider about the HF winch -- One, it weighs over 50 pounds.  Granted, that's not an enormous weight, but remember you will likely have to be repositioning the thing all day long.  Two, it only carries 50 feet of cable.  This makes it all the more likely that you will need to reposition the winch.

With the Portable Winch that Quebecnewf and I are talking about, your cable (rope) length can be anything you want, and since the rope is separate from the winch its weight doesn't add to the winch weight.  Also, you can attach the winch to the rope at any point along the rope.  This is handy if you have something rigged up with snatch blocks but have discovered that you need to pull the log in a different direction for a short distance to get around an obstacle.  Just position the winch where it needs to be, make the short pull, and then put it back where it was so you can resume pulling with your original rig.

I will grant that the price difference is huge.  On the other hand, I can attest that the PW unit is very, very well built, while it's a foregone conclusion that HF cut every corner possible.

Tim




nc/sc

I agree the capstan winch would be better, I just can't justify the cost as a "hobby logger" ;)
After many years of not doing it I want to start heating my home with wood again.  I have some land in the NC mountains that has blowdowns every year.   Some of these trees are huge, there is one oak there now that has been on the ground a year that I bet it has 20 pick-up truck loads of wood in it.  Problem is it is in a hard to get to spot, just need an inexpensive way to haul it out in sections, to where I can load it up to take home, some 130 miles away....
I have a 6x12 dump trailer I plan to carry the wood home in, wouldn't be worth going all the way there for just a pickup load at a time..would cost me almost as much for the round trip as I could buy a truck load of wood locally for.    :D

As for weight of the HF winch....well I have toted a car battery into the woods to run a 12v winch, the battery alone weighs as much as this whole winch.

Quebecnewf

If you need to stay within a budget and most of us do why not use the truck to haul the logs. If you are planning to pull the logs to an area where you can saw them and then load them in the truck. Run ropes and snatch blocks and let the truck do the work. It may be slow but you do not have to buy another piece of equipment.

Quebecnewf

beenthere

Quote from: nc/sc on January 30, 2010, 05:47:21 PM
.............   Some of these trees are huge, there is one oak there now that has been on the ground a year that I bet it has 20 pick-up truck loads of wood in it.  Problem is it is in a hard to get to spot, just need an inexpensive way to haul it out in sections, ............

You can also buck the logs up into firewood lengths, and use each piece as a "wheel". Roll them out by rigging a handlebar (think old lawnmower handles) and screwing lag screws into the center of each end. Walk the pieces out. Works well, low investment, and amazingly quick. No dragging, no disturbance to the ground. Split them at the trailer and haul them away.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

wilson_tree

I have a capstan winch mounted to an old Stihl powerhead.  I have a 100 foot and a 200 foot rope for it and a skidding cone.  It is very portable, very effective for all the reasons TimRB states above, and it is easy for one person to use.  I wouldn't want to skid all day every day with it, but for bunching firewood logs and use in sensitive areas it is a very effective tool.  I have about $800 into the whole set up. 

JohnG28

What size of logs will a saw powered capstan pull, and what size powerhead is required to do so?  I like the capstan setup a lot, the portable one online looks really nice, but out out of my range right now
Stihl MS361, 460 & 200T, Jonsered 490, Jonsereds 90, Husky 350 & 142, Homelite XL and Super XL

wilson_tree

I use a skid cone with the capstan winch and the winch is mounted on a saw about 65cc's.  Skidding big logs in the snow with the skid cone really increases the pulling power.  In the snow I have skidded 16 foot oak and hard maple logs that are 14 inches diameter with no problem with the throttle locked at half speed.   For larger logs you can throttle up to full throttle and get lots more power, but you need another set of hands to help.  The one area I notice the small winch size is when you have to pull through brush, dirt, snow, or other obstacles.  The winch doesn't have the extra pulling power to bust a big log through, so you often have to help by clearing stuff, using a peavey to roll the log over, or making a little ramp in front of the obstacle.  Even though it isn't perfect, for the price and with the mobility, the capstan winch is a great tool that I wouldn't give up now that I have got used to it.

icolquhoun

wilson-tree,
where'd you get the capstan as well as the skidding cone?

I'm looking at the novajack kit/portable winch set-up and it seems perfect for what I'd be doing, just wondering what other alternatives are out there.

captain_crunch

Here is another Idea Old Timers use to remove tire and wheel from pickup then set block under axle and use a bare wheel for a Capstan winch. My luck I would yard pickup block but there were lots of shake bolts drug out this way
M-14 Belsaw circle mill,HD-11 Log Loader,TD-14 Crawler,TD-9 Crawler and Ford 2910 Loader Tractor

wilson_tree

I ordered my winch from Novajack with the 300 foot rope they sell.  The rope is tough, light, low stretch, and a good value for the price.  I cut it into a 100 and 200 foot piece.    I got my skid cone from DR Power Equipment because they are close to me.  It is the same cone Novajack sells.  I also use the cone with my horse and with my brother's 4 wheeler because it makes pulling so much easier. 

John Mc

Wilson tree -

How much did that skid cone run you?
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

wilson_tree

I think the skid cone came to about $135-$150 with tax.  It has held up well for two years.

JohnG28

Thanks again for all the help, ill let you know how things work out in the spring
Stihl MS361, 460 & 200T, Jonsered 490, Jonsereds 90, Husky 350 & 142, Homelite XL and Super XL

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