couple pics... post what your currently cutting

[celliott]

celliott, That's great your wife runs the skidder for you.  8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

Thanks guys. Since this is a weekend job she likes coming out and helping so she gets to see and spend some time with me, working 7 days a week makes it kinda tough. See each other when we get home and before we leave for work. Trying not to overdo it though, we went snowmobiling last Sunday after logging Saturday, was a good time. Sugaring season is firing up so no rest for me ;)

[g_man]

Chris I am pretty sure I spotted what would be your wife's Clark parked beside a nice pile of logs on the north side of Rte 2 in W Danville when I went by the other day.

I've been cutting Spruce/Fir too, like most winters. Still work with a lot of small trees or trees that become small after the rot is trimmed off the butt and ship 500 BF loads in my one ton. But the going is much easier with the bigger tractor. I really like it.



I wish I had more of these. 52' of solid saw log in one tree.



One of my goals this year was to learn how to use a Dutchman. I try it every reasonable chance I get and  things go right sometimes. This tree had a strong lean trying to grow out from under that pine it is against. Going with the lean would put me 90* from a good lay for winching. It swung around just right. Feels like an accomplishment for a geezer when that happens.



Thanks to all who took the time to explain and demonstrate how to do this.

gg

[Skeans1]

Swing looks good, might try it with a Humboldt next time it seems like you have more control over the fall longer.

[mike_belben]

Looks like you got it.  I do fine with dutchmans but as soon as i try to go ultra soft i somehow clock the whole thing wrong and mess up.   I can get the tree to go 90 off its lean in a direct path, but i struggle anytime i have to make the top do a "C" in the air to come out past a keeper then go off to the side.
   I steer them like that successfully with the saw  when im hingecutting for habitat, but as soon as i put in a face notch it changes everything.  Have not figured it out yet.  I have a few culls ive left alone because ill probably snag them in the keepers.  

[Skeans1]

Mike ultra soft Dutchman typically lend themselves to using a Humboldt face over a saginaw face you need the stump to walk the butt vs the butt trying to walk itself. If those aren't working for you put in a Dutchman then a sizwheel and off to the races you go.

[Skeans1]

Been learning first little bit running a dangle in a while.
H14 Thin - YouTube

[mike_belben]

if the lean is north and i want to fell the tree to the east, i notch east side, and put a pie hinge that looks like an arrow facing north. The tree will go straight over to the east.  No issue.  

But if i need it to go a little northward to unsnag itself from a neighbor before swinging east..  That i always screw up.  Just need to remember to practice it more on trees that dont need it so im ready when i get to one that does.    

[Skeans1]

From the sounds of it sounds like slipping it off the stump might actually work pretty well for those situations. Now when you say a pie hinge do you mean an open face? Hinge is your leave wood, face is your block, Humboldt, Saginaw, or open face do direction of fall. Back cut is what you set up for your hinge, out here we more or less try to do all of our back cuts from one side chasing the hinge for an exact release, rarely will you see one of us nip the hinge on accident we'll watch our sights in the back cut just like a sight cut.

[celliott]

Chris I am pretty sure I spotted what would be your wife's Clark parked beside a nice pile of logs on the north side of Rte 2 in W Danville when I went by the other day.

I've been cutting Spruce/Fir too, like most winters. Still work with a lot of small trees or trees that become small after the rot is trimmed off the butt and ship 500 BF loads in my one ton. But the going is much easier with the bigger tractor. I really like it.



I wish I had more of these. 52' of solid saw log in one tree.



One of my goals this year was to learn how to use a Dutchman. I try it every reasonable chance I get and  things go right sometimes. This tree had a strong lean trying to grow out from under that pine it is against. Going with the lean would put me 90* from a good lay for winching. It swung around just right. Feels like an accomplishment for a geezer when that happens.



Thanks to all who took the time to explain and demonstrate how to do this.

gg

Yup that'd be the one. My wife's Clark, she'll like that :D
White spruce and some balsam fir up there. Finally made it to the top of the hill, back property line. Steep steep hill and some big ruts that my clark just fell into and bottomed out on. There's some better stuff up there, who knows how long I'll have to get it. Didn't log yesterday, had a family function. Headed out now to see how my skid road held up, gotta cross a swamp before climbing the hill, if that section is bad I won't be doing much more.
I've only had a few trees that produced 3 16ft logs, most are two 16's or a 16' and a 12'. Some of the big, hairy spruce near the field, 20" on the butt, only makes two 16', yeah those will scale good :
You sending your logs to Robinson's Gman?
Price is still holding up, I don't know how long it will be before they shut down and say no more though.

[g_man]

You sending your logs to Robinson's Gman?
Price is still holding up, I don't know how long it will be before they shut down and say no more though.

Yes and that is what I am thinking. Ground is stating to soften too. For me when I get about a 1000 ft on the landing I bring in a couple loads so I am not hanging out there to far even though I work slow.
gg

[mike_belben]

Skeans-  tapered hinge like a dutchman leaves.  On a northbound leaner i'd have a pointy end to the north and a fatter end on the south.  Tree could fall east or west depending which side is notched.  

Ive used all but the block face.  Cant say i even know how to setup for a stump jump or slide though.  

[BargeMonkey]

The mud isn't that bad yet but I've got 1 spot that I've been dumping brush in. Been like a man on fire trying to get done. 



The neighbor had an awesome view so of course this guy has to have one also. You go 100ft below the machine and it gets vertical. 👎 


That delimber will bring a smile to your face like a kid on Christmas, 😂 20-22" hemlock doesn't stand a chance, smaller hardwood, doesn't even notice the redpine, a stroker is mean on decent wood. 




Went thru with the buncher and got all the junk cleared out of this spot, hand cut the nicer wood into the opening, future food plot. 

[coxy]

barge if the last pic is going to be a food plot tell the people to cut it back another 20-30ft because of the acid the hemlock gives off and the needles will be 90% out of the plot 

[teakwood]

going like crazy! you're a savage eric

When will you ever slow down!?

[BargeMonkey]

I live right by the 30" mark on the photo, already 15" on the ground. can't win this week. 


Got it out of the woods. 👎 2 tires and chains will make you want to cry 😂 





still a few decent oak left to go. 

[petefrom bearswamp]

Bargemonkey, only supposed to get about a foot here but almost that much now.
You can keep the deeper stuff there in Scary county.
BTW nice looking equipment pics

[GRANITEstateMP]

Barge, what was the deal with the rear tires? Did you lose both at the same time or was it just TIME to do rears and the flat was the last straw?

[coxy]

just put fix a flat in it will be fine  8)

[mike_belben]

Thats what im talkin a boot. 

[BargeMonkey]

 I've had a gouge in that tire for a while, I lacked 3 days on this job and was hoping to make it, I'm going to swap the fronts to the back and new tires and 7/8 tight ring on the front, wanted to do it at my shop, machines got to be serviced and gone thru before I head to Albany to work anyway. 
 20-22" of snow already and still coming down, heavy wet snow that won't push. buried my Toyota, then buried my wheeler, then buried the skidsteer, been one of those days. 
 

[Maine logger88]

Thats what im talkin a boot.

I have had decent luck bolting in boots with carriage bolts on front tires of cable skidders in the past but I doubt it would work very well on a big grapple 

[coxy]

I've had a gouge in that tire for a while, I lacked 3 days on this job and was hoping to make it, I'm going to swap the fronts to the back and new tires and 7/8 tight ring on the front, wanted to do it at my shop, machines got to be serviced and gone thru before I head to Albany to work anyway.
20-22" of snow already and still coming down, heavy wet snow that won't push. buried my Toyota, then buried my wheeler, then buried the skidsteer, been one of those days.
 

:D :D i got you beat barge  got the plow truck stuck at my daughters place so walked home got the skid steer got that stuck slid between 2 trees so came back over to get the dozer was so mad i had it in 3rd gear going down the town rd and the dang track jumped in the middle of the town rd >:( >:( good thing I'm a pro at putting them back on  for got that the hydro track adjuster seal was shot that's why it was sitting by the shop   ya know how you get pithed off and for get about things never looked at the slop in the track  think i plowed more dirt today than snow  10 years ago i would have drank my troubles away today  8)

[GRANITEstateMP]

Barge / Coxy,

Read both your stories of snow trouble and was laughing out loud!  Not at you and your crappy snow adventures today, with you!  I've been there before, went to pull a six wheeler (w sander, wing, foil plow) out with the towns Komatsu wa320 loader.  I slid it into the ditch behind the other guy   The Komatsu grader all chained up pulled us both out... Ah, good times

[starmac]

Several years ago we were hauling gravel for the state. It was 30 some odd miles down a narrow 2 lane dirt (snow) road, that turns white once a year then turns brown once a year. It was narrow and twisty enough that trucks have to run one way and could not be meeting each other. It also snowed 6 inches or more everyday, 7 of us running and we had to just wait at the ends until the last one got there. After about 5 days of what we were told was a 4 day job, instructions were to bring all you needed to eat and drink for 4 days. Anyway I think it was the 5th day, we told them if they wanted the rest of the rock they absolutely had to plow the road, so they did. The 7 of us started out behind the plow and got right at the 30 miles when the plow got off the road and stuck, not enough that we could get by, but too much for us to pull him out, we had to sit their and wait until they could get some equipment out there from where we started, which took the biggest part of the day.

[BargeMonkey]

Oh the day just gets better 😂 someone had the bright idea to drive up to my parents house and bury it, I wasn't happy. 

ground underneath is warm, gave up with the skidsteer, still snowing and blowing, broke out the big tractor. between 28-32" so far, I've got some drifts at the sawmill that go 6-7'. 👎