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ATV Logging/Firewood/Manage,ent

Started by logbutcher, January 13, 2004, 04:32:07 PM

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logbutcher

Anyone out there managing a small (under 2-300 acres) woodlot w ATV's ?
Looking for tips, techniques(preferably without a logging arch), special tools.
We manage a 60 a. mixed woodlot Downeast ( in order of stumpage: poor spruce/fir, paper birch, red maple, cedar, small stands of green ash, and some white pine, very little red oak.) Besides clearing trash trees, cutting blowdowns, keeping the trails open, we cut 6-8 cords/year for the house heating.
Honda Foreman ATV , trailer, winch, Husky 136, Stihl 028 (on its last legs after 21 years- to be a MS260 soon).

Scott

 I use a dual range Big Bear on the familly's 200 acre woodlot. I only move firewood (8 inch max maple + birch) with the ATV. I used to ground skid but i bought a small trailer and now i junk everything up into 4' lenths. I only cut 3 cord a year and it works fine for that you could easily manage 6 cord its just that I don't work at it all too much. For any serious work look for a farm tractor. We plan to use a 4x4 tractor on the woodlot when dad retires and we can spend more time working in the woods and get into the bigger trees. If you really want to use your Honda buy a rear winch mount, my neighbor has one and it works amazing for skidding.

jrb34

I'm in the curiosity-building phase on this subject, too. I've got 50 acres of mixed hard- and softwood and am moving beyond benign neglect as a management practice toward something a little more active.

So far it looks like I need to be taking out 3 or 4 cords of firewood for home use combined with some precommercial thinning to prepare for commercial spruce and white pine cuts 10 and 20 years down the line respectively. The problem is getting out the wood in the meantime. The property is both wet and steep, and though there are existing logging roads they're pretty soggy and torn up--way beyond the traction capacity of the Ford NAA I used to own.

An ATV with a trailer and a winch would seem more cost-effective than a small 4wd farm tractor, and likely more nimble in the woods, but I've never seen anyone hereabouts (Maine) using one this way. I'd like to hear more from folks doing this.
JRB

beenthere

I've used (with good satisfaction) the small tractor (8N ford, 420 Deere, 4300 Deere) with logging tongs on the 3pt for that size woods as well as, when needed (on the steep slopes), a winch system (Farmi) on the 3pt of a larger tractor (150+' of reach), and would recommend that for 50 acres of firewood and timber stand improvement. Depending on your slopes, if not too steep to get around on, then your idea of the ATV might work just fine. Never been the ATV route and wouldn't even think of going there. But I am aware that they work okay for some.

 If you are set on the ATV idea, then that is likely what you will try first.  :)  I would base the decision on what other 'jobs' or 'play' you intend to do. If the ATV is used for recreation, then this would be some real justification to use it for work. If however, you have other chores like FEL (loader) work (bucket and forks) and snow plowing (blade on front), then I would go with a 4x4 tractor of around 35 hp. You can fit your woods work in with your other needs to help make the right decision.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

jrb34

I'm not set on the ATV. Except for a bouncing ride into a Canadian fish camp, I've never even been on one. I'm more inclined toward a tractor, as I can equip it with a bush hog and rototiller and sit through some of the jobs I've been doing with walking equipment.

But at $15000 for a new tractor with no attachments, my firewood will cost me about $700 a cord (leaving aside for the moment the cost of timber-stand improvement, mowing, etc.), so I'm looking at all available options.

Although there's a certain recreational component at work here--I go to the woods instead of the gym--economics will ultimately win out, at least for me.

Maybe I can find a good NAA again with a FEL, stick half-tracks on it and a winch, and stay off the trails until they freeze or go August dry.
JRB

logbutcher

This Foreman ATV is not for play  8), used only for the woodlot. Ranchers here in Wyoming/Montana, farmers and woodlot managers use ATV's more in Australia and NZ and Europe than here. Look at their use in big ski areas.
Big advantage: work ATVs need smaller and rougher trails to get around, can work on steeper and rougher terrain than tractors ( 3 lbs in each tire), quieter and cheaper to buy and run for smaller operations. No toy  :o. No substitute for a skidder or feller/buncher of course. Most tractors need at least 6+ feet width, a flat slope, smooth trail.
jrb34: we're Downeast. Our coastal forest was professionally logged 2 years ago as partial pre-comm thinning and patch cutting. Plenty of work to do in the woodland. The Honda has been just the right tool for what we need to do. Firewood is felled, bucked, and trailered to the woodshed yard. Keeps the body in shape while getting next year's wood and managing the woodlot.

Scott

 Our woodlot is very wet and has a few good hills. An Atv works OK but I'd take A 50 horse $x4 with a loader and farmi winch ANY DAY over the ATV. If you know how to drive some of these 4x4 tractors right you'd be impressed as to where you can put them. 150 feet of cable really appeals to me as well. I wish I had a digital camera, I'd snap some pictures of local tractor trails.

L. Wakefield

   Hey Logbutcher! Another Mainer, yessuh! Are you by any chance a member of SWOAM? I've been chunking dues at them for 2 years and know Everett Towle- he did our forestry plan- but I just haven't got organized to go to any meetings yet. I'm down in Hollis (AKA haul-ass) and have a woodland that is slowly recovering from being scalped in 95. If only I could live to be 100+, I would see these trees doing really great. I figure since it's kind of a joke anyway, I should have a 100 year forestry plan. I know they have them in some countries where the state manages the timber.

   I mentioned long-term plans to a forester down in WV and he just kinda looked at me funny. Said there was no state/federal $s for that. Like if they don't pay for it, a plan doesn't exist.

   The thing is, it can. It just has to come out of your pocket somehow.

   My grandmother was one controlling person, and wrote a will that tied up money for 5 generations. I may not have as much, but if she can, I can. lw
L. Wakefield, owner and operator of the beastly truck Heretik, that refuses to stay between the lines when parking

logbutcher

Sorry L., you're from the "other" Maine  ;D. I may talk w you.
Yes, SWOAM member, running until now the Downeast Chapter.
$$$ is available from the state to help out w your Forestry Plan. Not much but it helped us. It was a win-win-win: forester, logger, us. Paid for the ATV, trailer. The wood market has gone down the tubes lately and will recover. Housing is up, paper use is up thanks to our wonderful bureaucracy here ( the 3rd or 4th most expensive state next to--ta-ta : California, N.J., Arkansas). Another whole six-pack topic (then again, I drink a very expensive malt scotch from Islay).
Have you thot about running a Christmas tree farm? Matures in about 6-8 years for profit.
Stay warm, it's too cold cause of the wind to work out there right now. Aren't we wimps here?

L. Wakefield

   Yes, I have a re-mod job in the barn that will only take me a couple hours and I'm just fussing about the fact that I want it *above zero* to be out there working. It will get better..  lw
L. Wakefield, owner and operator of the beastly truck Heretik, that refuses to stay between the lines when parking

Madman_Mark

I use a 4WD  55 HP tractor with a loader (which carries my saws, gas, gear and lunch) and a new Farmi 351 logging winch.
No cab on it, it would just get banged up. Has rollover protection which is a must in the woods.
Also has 15 inches of ground clearance which is also needed and a steel drive shaft cover (should have a full skid plate/belly pan though, which it will some day).
I use it comercially 2 days a week or so and really enjoy it.
Very low impact.
The job I'm doing now is partly a thinning and cleaning up blowdowns and the landowner would never let a skidder or forwarder on his land because of the damage they usually do.
Winch has 165 feet of cable so I can stay out of the rough stuff (sometimes).
The mainline has 3 sliders on it so I can hook 3 chokers/trees at a time (if they're not too big).
A 4 wheeler would never work for what I do (or get through some of the terrain) but for someone cutting 5 or 6 cords of firewood a year it might.
Any questions, ask away ?

Slofr8


IndyIan

ATV logging tips...

For fire wood I find its best to cut to length right at the tree if I can get the trailer close enough.  If not, I use the winch to skid logs to where I can cut them and load them on the trailer.  I've got 50' of cable which seems to be enough so far.

Get a trailer that's barely wider than the atv which lets you keep the trails narrow and go off trail easier.  It's better to get the wood on wheels as soon as you can.

Sometimes it pays to cut little bevels on the end of the logs so they don't catch on roots, etc.

Bring a friend to ride on the back of the atv, gives you more  traction for pulling big trailer loads, they can run the winch and load the trailer too! ;D

For more winching power, put the atv in reverse and spin the tires into the ground or snow a bit so you don't drag the atv to the log.

If you get stuck with the trailer on the winch can usually pull both out at the same time.

Don't over load your trailer if your going down steep slopes and use 4wd and engine braking to control your speed.

If you've got trees of any size you pretty much need a logging arch to move logs.  A fully loaded atv with 2 people on is 1000lbs so realistically you can only skid on the ground 600 maybe 700lbs logs for any distance or slope.  That's a 16" 8' hard maple log.  
 
That's about all I can think of right now.  Also you might be interested in one of these felling lever/cant hooks if you haven't seen them before.  I always keep it in the box on the atv.

Ian      

rebocardo

I have property in central ME about 30 miles south of Bangor. What I am doing is putting in trails wide enough for my 4x4 trucks. It is hilly and muddy, especially with the moss and wet leaves. I have used my various 4x4s to pull wood out of forests before.

Where I use to work, they cleared the land by cutting the trees and rolling them into a depressed swamp like area because tehy were in a hurry. Then they cut and piled them and let them dry. Then they went to get them with their big trucks and forgot two important things 1) full size trucks sink easily in a swamp 2) trees grow close together in the woods
:-D  

So, the owner of the lot said I could have it all as long as I did not tear up the swamp, he did not think anyone could get in there.

So, I took my little Ford Bronco II, waited until it froze, and got probably three-four cords of white Birch out, cut and split, for nothing! Plus, I let my 5 year old daughter drive in and out of the swamp. I even let her ease between the trees with less than an inch on each side of my bumper (whew! - good thing I was doing the clutch and brake).

So, I am a fan of using small 4x4 trucks where an ATV can fit as long as it is not a big mud hole. You can carry more, you can drag more, you have A/C, plus, if you need to be rescued at least a small 4x4 can follow you in or out.

Stan

Here's a pic of my atv. 56" outside to outside rear wheel tread:

I may have been born on a turnip truck, but I didn't just fall off.

UNCLEBUCK

logbutcher it sounds like your 028 has been good to you ! I think that is neat how much work everyone gets from their four wheelers , I am now using a R john deere for dragging logs to the mill and it is narrow enough to sneak through the woods , I tried the arch type homemade hauler idea but found its too hard to back up through the snow in the woods so I just hook a choker cable on the butt end and go for now, with chains on the tires it unstoppable and have about 1000 dollars invested in it all , I have 40 acres of big oaks and ash. Maybe I make my homemade arch a little better come spring time , good luck with your logging !
UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

Swede

I like to see swedish tools here. Look at this link. "Domänsaxen" is a tool I used a lot as a teenager using a horse in the forest but it works good after a small tractor, ATV (carefully) or winch too.

Perhaps I can use it for pulling a log from the back end of my saw mill? ??? All that bows around...........*hmmmmmm*

http://www.skogma.de/shop/

Swede.
Had a mobile band sawmill, All hydraulics  for logs 30\"x19´, remote control. (sold it 2009-04-13)
Monkey Blades.Sold them too)
Jonsered 535/15\". Just cut firewood now.

jrb34

Lots of useful information here. Yes, I've seen the Novajack site, and a fair amount of other ATV-related information on the Web of varying degrees of usefulness. But I was interested in first-hand accounts untwisted by marketing efforts. From what I've seen so far I like the trailers from Nichols over in Farmington.

For the Mainers, I'm in Searsport, nowadays roughly the border between Maine and the other Maine. Thirty years ago, the border was the Miss Wiscasset diner. I hope the advancement stops at the Penobscot, even though that leaves me in the Other Maine.

I recently joined SWOAM; their forester is coming over in a few days for a walk-through, and I've got a management plan being prepared by a local guy. The state forester was here and said what I pretty much figured out after this autumn's windthrow: I've got 4 to 5 cords per acre of overmature spruce that needs to come out in the next year or two. I have neither the time nor the inclination to do this myself and will contract it out, but the only way the timberstand improvement that also needs to be done will work economically is if I do it myself, hence the equipment search.

From what I've read, ATVs have lower soil loading, are cheaper and more nimble. Tractors are more versatile and can handle bigger loads, but require better roads and impact soil more (a fair-sized brook bisects and runs the whole length of the property). I can get my Toyota 4x4 into only the first hundred yards of woods road. After that there's a brook crossing and a spruce bog to negotiate.

The existing logging roads were laid out for horse and oxen back in the 1870s, when the property belonged to a shipyard and grew masts, and were slighly upgraded by crawler back in the 1950s, when it belonged to a now-defunct lumber mill. The last time it was logged was before I bought it in the 1970s, with a small cable skidder and a very careful operator at the wheel.

For firewood, I've always found it easiest to drop a tree and cut and split it where it falls, providing I can back my truck fairly close to the site. I take everything down to about an inch for kindling and biscuit wood in the cookstove. But except for some apple-tree prunings and a few red maple, all the good firewood is now on the other side of the brook, beyond truck range.
JRB

Kevin

I find an ATV is too light for the bigger sticks and they can't access wet ground unless it's frozen and then snow becomes a problem.
I went with  the Argo AATV, more weight, more wheels and lower ground impact .
I use it for recreation and hauling logs.
What I really wanted was the Berfor 2000 skidder but at twice the price of the Argo and limited use I couldn't justify it.

Scott

 Madman_Mark, what type of tractor do you use? It sounds like exactly what I want to buy in a couple years. My neighbors dad has a 55 horse kabota with a Hardy loader, bucket and log forks, basic canopy with a canvas enclosure, a farmi winch and skid plates. He cleared his lot with this machine and i thought it was the perfect size for working the woods.

logbutcher

Super advice all....thanx.
Big limitation to most ATVs is pulling cap. for logs. 800+ lbs is about it wo an arch. The arches are a big compromise and not cheap. Difficult in snow. Chains and hooks work just OK  for smaller logs.
Wimping out to go cut  :( now. Still -12 F w a gale. Don't like to fell in a heavy wind anyhow. Wedges and skilled open and back cuts do the job for directional felling.
For the work done the Foreman is just the tool. Fell, buck, hump to the trailer.Inefficient for production, not for the small woodlot.  Trailer is a 4x3 box w 2' sides and holding sticks welded to a Subaru 13" tire axle. Neighbor made it for $220.
Leave the woodlot alone when it is wet, easier on frozen or dry ground. Not much to open trails where needed, unlike a big, hard-tired tractor. Clearance is only 8", but the Foreman and trailer only need 4' .
SWEDE: that Skogma site won't do English searches. My German goes only so far for Svenska. So what is a "domansaxon" ?  Like an Iron Maiden for Swedes ?
JRB34: Searsport is OK. We'll allow you in the real Maine...for now.

slowzuki

I'm really interested in the Argo's, I wish they didn't cost so much though!  I'll likely end up welding the differentials in my Suzuki Samurai and putting a 4 to 1 reduction gearset in the transfer case.
Ken

Madman_Mark

Hey Scott, my tractor is a Fiat (Italian) 4WD 55 HP. There's a few around here.
It's a really good size for doing low impact forestry.
Not too big, not too small.
It would be about the same size as your neighbors.
It doesn't have a canopy though, just the roll bars, doesn't get snagged as easily on those high limbs that you can't reach with your saw but I get rained and snowed on, oh well, keeps me from falling asleep.
I throw a tarp over it at night.
It can skid 6 medium sized trees (spruce/fir, 8-10 inch at the butt end) on good ground.
Was a little chilly today (-35 C windchill, had problems with the loader partly freezing, I only use it to carry gear though) plus 4 inches of snow on the ground.
Worked fine though.
Spent the morning hauling hardwood then changed the hydraulic/tranny fluid and filter (finally) this afternoon.
Had to remove the driveshaft cover to get at 1 of the 3 drain plugs, took most of the afternoon to do it all.
I'm just starting to thaw out now !

Scott

 I really like the New Holland TN series. I think Fiat bought out Ford agriculture and formed New Holland. I guess Case bought New Holland. Alos I prefer Farmi winches and Hardy or Quickie loaders. I think argos are really neat but can't really justify spending the money on one.

Ed_K

 In my business of low impact logging / thinning, I use a yamaha big bear w/ winch front and back, it has a homemade 2pt hitch on back, and a logtrailer.
A massy 30 industrial w/ loader, fransguard winch and forks on the loader frame w/ grapple on the forks.
And a taylor cable skidder.
 Now I am looking at the Goldoni articulating tractor. Its small enough to get in and out and more stable than my 4/wheeler.
 http://mtdata.com/ede   will get you to the web site, have a look at our equipment.
Ed
Ed K

UNCLEBUCK

Ed_K  that is a very nice website and business you have !  congrats ! I like it !  :)
UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

Madman_Mark

Nice website Ed, lots of good pics showing what you do.

Swede

logbutcher, Sorry, there is a button:English but......... :-/

To see "Domänsaxen" go to: < www.skogma.de >
 "340-4111-00" in the field for "sök artikel"
The button "sök!"
Klick the picture and get it big.
Had a mobile band sawmill, All hydraulics  for logs 30\"x19´, remote control. (sold it 2009-04-13)
Monkey Blades.Sold them too)
Jonsered 535/15\". Just cut firewood now.

logbutcher

Swede: On the money, but the domensaxon. Unclear: it looks like a log-grabber ? You forgot the "alla kategorier" box.
Whew--I'll be speaking Svenska next.  ::) . .....and some of my best friends are ______  ;D .
Neat tools Ed. I will copy your front and rear winch setup. You've really pushed the envelope for "low impact  logging" in a great way. Similar to the bar length argument, many non-western US  small scale loggers say they need 32" bars and  a 300 HP John Deere to work.We got no 5' DBH trees around too much.
Like your approach. Can you amortize the cost of the gear in a few years ? What saws do you use ?

Swede

logbutcher

Yes, it´s a log-grabber. For log ends up to ~24". The bows of round iron makes that the end of the log don´t hook in stones, roots a.s.o. I used it after one horse but it works after a 4-wheeler or a winch too. You can grab 2-4 smaller logs (3-6") at the same time if You place them in front of the chain, still inside the "Domänsaxen"
I didn´t think  they still made this very nice tool.

We placed the first two logs (8-12") on the earth and the other logs across over them.  Works with a horse but not an ATV. Even steered the horse so one log get placed over some other in the same direction. A little risky but it works.

Swede.
Had a mobile band sawmill, All hydraulics  for logs 30\"x19´, remote control. (sold it 2009-04-13)
Monkey Blades.Sold them too)
Jonsered 535/15\". Just cut firewood now.

logbutcher

Swede:  Tak Tak.
Is that "loggrabber" sold in the US ? Where? $$$?

Swede

logbutcher ; I can´t find Domänsaxen anywhere on Internet at Your side. I can call SKOGMA next week and ask for it. I know a woman who use to visit her son in South Carolina somtimes but I´m not shure she can take it to You when she goes there next time.  :D
Together with the price, (~ $180) perhaps a box from Skogma (or me) to You is too expensive? The weight is 9,7 kg.

Swede.
Had a mobile band sawmill, All hydraulics  for logs 30\"x19´, remote control. (sold it 2009-04-13)
Monkey Blades.Sold them too)
Jonsered 535/15\". Just cut firewood now.

Ed_K

 Logbutcher, I run a husky 345 w/16", a 2171 johnsred w/20" and once in a great while a hushy 394 w/24" but I need the skidder to move it  ;D.
 When the weather breaks (-5 f) I'll get some close ups of the 4/wheeler winch setup, also the smaller cordwood trailer that works best with it.
Ed K

logbutcher

Thx SWEDE. Really got a Swedish friend (we do Snow Shelter workshops together in the White Mts of New Hampshire for the A.M.C.) Know any Bengtssons? They also go 'home' every year ringing us lingonberry jam when we can't get to Ikea in Montreal (7 hours from here).
I'll stick to my log hook for now with the new idea of trimming the butt for dragging. Can't pronounce "domensaxon" anyhow.
The rule is never use a tool that you can't pronounce.
Weather has broken: feels tropical now to +14 F. Back to cutting for next winter's wood. Piles of blowdowns to cut up for rotting.
Ed K: get those pics.

Swede

logbutcher,

Ask Bengtssons to learn You to pronounce :D :D :D. Or try to find any of my grandmothers relatives over there. Their name is Sjöqvist. 8) THAN You can use  Domänsaxen!

Swede.

PS Are You a human to pronouce Sjökvist? ;D
Had a mobile band sawmill, All hydraulics  for logs 30\"x19´, remote control. (sold it 2009-04-13)
Monkey Blades.Sold them too)
Jonsered 535/15\". Just cut firewood now.

logbutcher

 :)    I give up Swede.
Besides, I can't even get the 2 little dots over your 'o"  ::)  
Will ask Hans how to pronounce your family name next week.
With all the cold, our ground is bare. No XC skiing  :'(

Swede

I just got an wild idea! 8) If You cant get a Domänsaxen there and can´t learn to pronounce it, try to find a tire thats wider than Your logends but small dia, whitout deep pattern but with round shoulders.  Cut it in 4-6 pieses. Then drill a hole in the middle of each piese, pull the wire or chain through the hole from the outside.

You´ve got 4-6 Domänsaxen, or at least a tool that make logging easier (I think) and save the trees You have left.

A question; Don´t You have lingonberry on Your side of A.O.?

Swede.
Had a mobile band sawmill, All hydraulics  for logs 30\"x19´, remote control. (sold it 2009-04-13)
Monkey Blades.Sold them too)
Jonsered 535/15\". Just cut firewood now.

logbutcher

 ::)   No Swede, we have no lingonberries here. Lovely blueberries, black rasberries, bearberries, etc... The only lingonberry jam is at the Ikea shops in Canada, and New Jersey and new York all about 7-10 hours' drive from here in northern Maine.
How about a diagram for that domensaxon/tire concept ? How small a tire ?
By the way: do you orienteer , foot or ski ?  8) .

Swede

logbutcher; I´m surprised and wonder why. You have a lot of diffrent wood that we don´t have but not lingonberry. Glad You can get the "lingonsylt" by Bengtssons.

I was thinking about a tire from an aeroplane. Wide, a small center, high and round profile. Cut across in four peases for best result. Even three peases if You can get a suitable size of the tire.

And I not orienteer, skating, running....... As a matter of fact I´ve never visited any kind of sport in my life exept racing with old cars! But I go to the woods in summer and fall  for chanterelle (edible fungus) I don´t need Domänsaxen for that. The "Lingonsylt" I can find in the store.   ;D

Swede.


Had a mobile band sawmill, All hydraulics  for logs 30\"x19´, remote control. (sold it 2009-04-13)
Monkey Blades.Sold them too)
Jonsered 535/15\". Just cut firewood now.

Tom

You fellows have sent me to the books again. :-/  

Ok, I've figured this Lingonberry stuff out:

Mid-20th century. "Lingon" from Swedish lingon  "mountain cranberry."]

http://www.gov.nf.ca/agric/crops/Lin001.htm
http://lingonberry.com/
http://www.arctic-flavours.fi/english/puolukkaen.htm
http://eat.epicurious.com/dictionary/food/index.ssf?DEF_ID=2535
http://www.startribune.com/stories/438/4277558.html
http://www.mda.state.mn.us/mgo/crops/lingonberry.htm

But I can't find that Domänsaxen thing ??? :D

I came back in Feb 2006 to find that most of these links have disappeared.  It's amazing how fleeting the life of documents is on the Net.

Swede

Tom; Don´t be that  ??? and  :-[ just because of that. I cant even find the book!  :'( The one where I can find out  the density of  just felled spruce and pine.
Had a mobile band sawmill, All hydraulics  for logs 30\"x19´, remote control. (sold it 2009-04-13)
Monkey Blades.Sold them too)
Jonsered 535/15\". Just cut firewood now.

Tom


logbutcher

 :P
Tom: Thx for the heads up on the lingonberry controversy. I was wrong !  :). Tell Swede that we do have them in N. America, but that we're too busy cutting wood and going online to go out and harvest them.  :o .
Nice sites you found and the one on wood : "your taxes at work."
But no lingons in Maine....yet Swede.
We do Orienteer.

Ed_K

 Logbutcher,
 Got some picts, this afternoon of the setup.
 Heres the front winch and weights.

 Heres the rear winch and 2 pt hitch.

 Close up.

 Heres the trailer.

 The box can be taken off with 4 bolts and you have a cradle to haul 4' sticks, the pole has a hoist to lift the heavy stuff.
 Came from northern hydrolics 1/2 ton not extended or 500# extended. The only draw back to this set up is it needs outriggers.
Ed K

Swede

Thank You Tom!

I have to save the link. It wasn´t translated in Swedish so it takes some time to read.   :) But I´l struggle through a side or two every day.

Swede.
Had a mobile band sawmill, All hydraulics  for logs 30\"x19´, remote control. (sold it 2009-04-13)
Monkey Blades.Sold them too)
Jonsered 535/15\". Just cut firewood now.

logbutcher

Nice rig ED...gives us something to work up to in small scale woodlot management. My trailer axle just cracked under some green red oak butts for next winter's heat. Some welding coming up when it gets a little warmer. (Maybe a discussion of welding here  8) .)

Thx for the pics....now for some lingonberry jam w a Maine micro brew from Bar Harbor.

Slofr8


logbutcher

Slofr8 :  Downeast people don't talk like that  ::) .
Besides you're really Canadian, eh ? Do trees really grow that far north ?     :P
Don't forget the March biathlon event in Fort Kent.

UNCLEBUCK

thats looks like a real powerhouse 4 wheeler Ed K. Wish I had a 4 wheeler , I am off the 4 wheeler topic by showing this but its very very cold out and was hauling wood this morning thinking about how nice a 4 wheeler would be especially for going fast and farther away and thought I would show pictures of how I get by on a beer budget so here is my little oliver oc-3 cletrac crawler that I use quite alot to get into the brush and snag logs out with , I bought it at a farm auction for 1,700 dollars and threw some cheap paint on it and also hang chains and chokers around the back seat , welded a couple spears from a old corn cultivator on the bucket for getting under logs with, with a 16 foot big ash or oak in the bucket it will go on its nose but will still grunt to where I have to go to.                                                                                      


UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

Ed_K

 I wish we could trade, the 4/wheeler may be faster but it is really lacking in the weight dept. I'm looking at 4/wheel farm tractors now to replace the 4/wheeler. Looked at a Goldoni, but its way to much $ :'(. Friday will go to massy dealer to look at a 28 hp 4/wheel drive, 300 hrs on it, they'er asking 12.
Ed K

Minnesota_boy

An older crawler may be less money, will pull more for its weight, and pull in places that a wheel tractor will mire down.  You have to watch the turns and make them gradual if the ground isn't frozen or you can really tear up the terrain.  There are a bunch of John Deere and International crawlers around here, as well as a few Olivers and Case.  Most need a bit of work on them, but would be fine units for some minor skidding.
I eat a high-fiber diet.  Lots of sawdust!

Slofr8

Logbutcher,  I sure won't forget about the biathlon.  It'll happen about two miles from my house.  All ready put in for that week off from work and volunteered to work on the course. 8)  Gonna be a BIG, BIG time!

Stan

I had one of them OC-3's, mine was a 68" wide track, but only had a pusher blade. Then one day my neighbor blew a hole in the block, I don't know how he did that. I found a guy who wanted a parts tractor, and sold it to him, cheap. He showed up with a truck, fired up the Hercules and drove that crawler onto the truck. I just stood there with my mouth open, if I'd know you could still drive it I wouldn't have sold it.  :-/ It was great in the woods, except if you were sidehillin' and got up on a pole.  :o
I may have been born on a turnip truck, but I didn't just fall off.

L. Wakefield

   And back into left field with the lingonberries- I made my first attempt to plant that species 2 years ago- it lasted half the summer and then when my back was turned it got overgrown with grass and disappeared. I think I will try it again. I want to develop various species of cranberry and their relatives here. I don't necessarily have 'the right kind' of swamp.  lw
L. Wakefield, owner and operator of the beastly truck Heretik, that refuses to stay between the lines when parking

logbutcher

 :)    Never expected that the lingons would linger  ::) . More than you ever want to know............ It goes nice w a Maine micro brew and toasted sourdough. What is "GPITA" ?
slofr8: Yes, the Maine biathlon is in reality "world class." Not too well publisized in this country. It is "big, big time." The volunteering sounds like fun and hard work. Do they need more ? Contacts ?
Did biathlon years ago in Underhill, VT center.Super way to play XC ski and shooting....very tough sport which is why the Finns beat the Soviets in WWII.
We've never been to the Ft Kent Maine Sports Center--about 3 hours from here.

Slofr8

Logbutcher, you did biathlon? I find it a fasinating sport.  I usually watch the races from the top of some hill along the course.  It's amazing the heart some of these  skiers have.  Sometimes, by the time they get to the top of the hill, there's snot hanging clear to thier bindings!
Here's a link to Maine Winter sports with info and a volunteer sign up.  

Slofr8


L. Wakefield

Quote:)    Never expected that the lingons would linger  ::) . More than you ever want to know............ It goes nice w a Maine micro brew and toasted sourdough. What is "GPITA" ?

   I added GPITA as a qualification as few months after I registered at the FF. We had forestors and consultants, and I was just folks- but I wondered if I had anything to offer. As I was in the barn the thought came to me that I was perhaps uniquely qualified in this most important of fields.

   It stands for 'General pain in the a**'' . Which is a common, or utility classification, to be distinguished from such other more advanced classifications as RPITA ('royal') or PPITA ('professional'). I am just folks, no special licensure required for this practice, but I do as best I can..   :D :D :D  lw
L. Wakefield, owner and operator of the beastly truck Heretik, that refuses to stay between the lines when parking

OneWithWood

LW you forgot one - my legal certification of CPA which my father was prompt to point out actually stood for Certified Pain in the A$$ :D :D :D ;D
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

L. Wakefield

   Never heard that but it's on my list. I do like those certifications and advanced practice eddication.

   Now the trend is for DPITA- documented pain in the a**. That would be me..  lw
L. Wakefield, owner and operator of the beastly truck Heretik, that refuses to stay between the lines when parking

Ed_K

 Rita says Kool  8). She's taking that to work, where she prides in GPITA.
Ed K

Swede

L. Wakefield

I don´t think its easy to plant lingon. Make a call to American Lingon Import C:y and buy a bucket, RAW, not jam! Feed the birds with them and have some patience.  8)


Swede.

PS. I realy hope You can find some birds!  ::)
Had a mobile band sawmill, All hydraulics  for logs 30\"x19´, remote control. (sold it 2009-04-13)
Monkey Blades.Sold them too)
Jonsered 535/15\". Just cut firewood now.

Swede

Today I made a call to Skogma asking for a  retailer at Your side of A.O.
There is no one but the people at Logosol and Skogma has a good relationship.  If anyone is intrested in a "Domänsaxen" from Skogma in Sweden, I think it´s possible to get one  that way.  

< http://www.logosol.com/ >
< http://www.skogma.de/shop/ > Art.-nr. 340 4111-00

Swede

Had a mobile band sawmill, All hydraulics  for logs 30\"x19´, remote control. (sold it 2009-04-13)
Monkey Blades.Sold them too)
Jonsered 535/15\". Just cut firewood now.

logbutcher

Tak Tak Swede !!!!
The Logosol Frisch Electric Splitter looks and specs (technical specifications) are exactly like the splitter we use for most of our firewood. It is made by Bell in Italy and marketed in the US by Country Home Products in Vermont, US.
This tiny splitter though only 4 ton capacity does 95% of our 5-8 cords per year: paper birch, red maple, red oak, green ash, and some conifers for the sauna and hot tub. It's quiet, needs only a source of electricity, very little maintenance. The opposite of engine driven wood splitters. And: I can hear myself sing  8) .
I don't know why more of these electric (hydraulic) splitters are not used. Neat tool...with limitations of course.
Coming to the Maine World Biathlon Cup in March ? ::)

Swede

logbutcher;

http://www.trejon.se/indexe.html

Pilke 2X cross-cutter/wood splitter
with double wedges

It´s less than 11 months to christmas! ;D
Had a mobile band sawmill, All hydraulics  for logs 30\"x19´, remote control. (sold it 2009-04-13)
Monkey Blades.Sold them too)
Jonsered 535/15\". Just cut firewood now.

Scott

 Here's a picture of my first cord. Birch and maple firewood, cut by bow saw. The picture was taken 4 years ago, I was 13 at the time and not allowed to use the chainsaw.


Stan

Maybe you can talk Jeff outa that drag saw, at least it won't get heavier as the day wears on.  :)
I may have been born on a turnip truck, but I didn't just fall off.

bitternut

Here is a link to pictures of the atv skidding arch I made. I have made a couple of changes to the original model. The latest version has a removable trailer deck and a rack for carrying my saw and other gear needed for --Photos MUST be in the Forestry Forum gallery!!!!!--.com/scripts/misc.fcgi?action=invitePickup&uri=album/120381886UoyIGi

Stan

When the chain slides up the pipe, lifting the log, does the hitch get light?
I may have been born on a turnip truck, but I didn't just fall off.

IndyIan

That arch looks good bitternut.  Do you back it over the log with the atv or by hand?
I have a trailer with about the same wheelbase and I find its hard to back it with the atv in the woods.  Usually takes a few tries to get it into a tight spot. :D
Ian  

bitternut


Indylan , I found that its usually easier to unhook and place the arch by hand. I welded a handle on the tongue and it handles real easy. Tough backing up a trailer in the woods on uneven ground with limited maneuvering room. It has a regular ball hitch so it only takes a second to unhitch and re-hitch.

No Stan the hitch does not get light when the chain slides up the bar raising the end of the log off the ground. It actually puts more load on the hitch since the load is forward of the arches axle.

IndyIan

The handle on the tongue is a great idea for any trailer.  Would you mind if I showed your pictures to a welder/trailer builder sometime?  One of these days I'll have to get a logging arch built for me.  The size of the hardwood logs you're moving in your pictures is impressive.
Ian

bitternut

Hey Indylan you are more than welcome to help yourself to whatever you need. I posted some pictures of how I constructed mine on ofoto. Here is the link.............

http://www.ofoto.com/AlbumMenu.jsp?

In fact if you want to send me a stamped, self addressed envelope I will send you a set of dimensioned drawings. Its really quite easy to build one if you are able to weld. Access to a band-saw helps too for cutting the stock but is not an absolute necessity. Its a good idea to procure your tires and wheels before you start. That way you will be sure of what your overall width will end up at. In my case I intended to use a couple of space saver tires and wheels. Do you know I looked high and low and could not find 2 alike to make a pair. Well actually I could have but the guy wanted $50 for a mate to one that I had. I ended up with two Ford rims with tires all mounted. Found 4 of them at the curb at our local tire pick-up day. The hubs and spindles are 2000# units that I bought for about $30 I think. My unit ended up a little wider than the 4-wheeler as a result of using the larger tires and wheels. I only have a little over $125 invested in it. It was a fun project.

IndyIan

That would be great Herb, Thanks 8)
Click on my name and personal message me your address.  I don't know how to weld but I've been thinking about learning for quite a while.  Building a logging arch would probably be a good project for a course though.

Ian

Scott

 Ian, most welders don't mind showing you the basics, espcially for a little $  :D.

Mark M

Thanks for sharing those pictures Herb. I've been thinking about building something like that and you pictures are a big help.

Mark

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