Smart pusher?

mad murdock · September 03, 2018, 10:52:27 AM

Anyone used Logosol's Smart Pusher, formerly known as the timberwinch?
I have been looking at them for some time, and finally found a deal on them at no less than Walmart.com for 216.00 including freight. Should be here on the 20th. I will get some pics up.
https://youtu.be/D6k7wyHY6zk

Revival Sawmill · September 03, 2018, 12:07:25 PM

Not sure I'd use it for felling - seems like you could get it wracked out of the spar pretty easily. I noticed in the video that they didn't show it pushing against the lean on either tree - just 'helping' it go the way it want to already... Didn't even take the bird-house out of that first one!! :D

Southside · September 03, 2018, 02:13:27 PM

The guy stands maybe 5' at most directly behind the tree as it is going down, what could possibly go wrong? He even set his saw further away.

mad murdock · September 03, 2018, 05:05:25 PM

I don't want it for felling I don't want it for felling assist as much as I do for moving logs. I think it will be real handy around the mill.

Ianab · September 03, 2018, 05:18:22 PM

Quote from: mad murdock on September 03, 2018, 05:05:25 PM
I don't want it for felling I don't want it for felling assist as much as I do for moving logs. I think it will be real handy around the mill.

I was thinking the same. Running a swing mill in a remote spot you could jack up the end of the log, kick your bunk into place and lower it down again.

Skeans1 · September 03, 2018, 05:29:37 PM

Quote from: mad murdock on September 03, 2018, 05:05:25 PM
I don't want it for felling I don't want it for felling assist as much as I do for moving logs. I think it will be real handy around the mill.

Come on Murdock isn't that what was advertised to replace a set of jacks? Out of curiosity what's the difference between that and a hi lift jack?

Southside · September 03, 2018, 06:08:40 PM

The hi-lift will do a much better job of smacking you in the face when lowering it without the pin in the right place. :D

mad murdock · September 03, 2018, 06:33:46 PM

I have 2 hi lift jacks, and have used them, but they are not purpose built for the job of jockeying logs like this. I will give s full report after I have had it put to some real world hard use for a few days. You can do a lot with a hi lift, as long as much caution is utilized in the process. Even with this thing I am sure it will have its limitations, but like a good peavey, sometimes you need a purpose built tool, and to me this looks like the one I need.

mike_belben · September 03, 2018, 11:02:06 PM

Quote from: Southside logger on September 03, 2018, 06:08:40 PM
The hi-lift will do a much better job of smacking you in the face when lowering it without the pin in the right place. :D

Highlift will kill ya without any remorse.

Crusarius · September 04, 2018, 11:54:01 AM

Quote from: mike_belben on September 03, 2018, 11:02:06 PM
Quote from: Southside logger on September 03, 2018, 06:08:40 PM
The hi-lift will do a much better job of smacking you in the face when lowering it without the pin in the right place. :D

Highlift will kill ya without any remorse.

and then beat your corpse for good measure.

mad murdock · September 07, 2018, 10:00:23 AM

Well I received it yesterday! Much sooner than the Sep 20th expected delivery that was posted by Walmart.com! Now to the hardware store and put a missing bolt in the tool, all the rest of the hardware is there. Well built tool overall. Will be running it through the paces tomorrow morning moving around some big cedar logs. Hopefully I can get some pics and maybe a video of it in action.

mike_belben · September 07, 2018, 10:16:24 AM

mad murdock · September 17, 2018, 01:54:41 PM

No pics yet, first thoughts on unboxing and assembly, tool seems well built, as in thought out. Materials i think after a little use, are too light. Will have to take y down to its core and build it back up with reenforced areas. It tweaked after first tree push. Then the pick tip bent when moving a log. Will need to stiffen that as well. Overall good design. Lots of uses for it. And it is quick and easy to use.

Southside · September 17, 2018, 02:32:34 PM

Quote from: mike_belben on September 03, 2018, 11:02:06 PM
Quote from: Southside logger on September 03, 2018, 06:08:40 PM
The hi-lift will do a much better job of smacking you in the face when lowering it without the pin in the right place. :D

Highlift will kill ya without any remorse.

Seeing your pictures Mike I suddenly heard a voice say in a Russian accent "In Tennessee, Hi-Lift Jack You" :D

mike_belben · September 17, 2018, 02:36:01 PM

I think you mean 'in muddah rosha'

Ive only hurt my elbow in tennessee. Most of my jacking was in massachusetts. A year or so prior to the highlift i got a tire iron right in the eyeball, pretty bad. My scalp was numb for a few years while the nerve over my eyebrow healed.

Don P · September 17, 2018, 09:46:58 PM

I'd take good photos and document the failures well, then forward that on to the company with an offer to test the improved model.

The canoe shop I worked at was the test bed for one company's new boats, we worked them hard and reported back. When my FIL was in Indonesia after the war he ordered some marine ply for making a boat, it failed miserably. He lit them up politely and became their tropical plywood tester, a win-win.

Southside · September 17, 2018, 11:00:28 PM

Employer I worked for in the past had a number of us assigned well into the woods on some pretty horrendous roads, the nice thing was they had a deal with Chevy to try out new vehicle designs. Saw the plastic bed sides back in the mid '90's along with some variants of the 6.5 - well that one was not exactly an exciting development, but hey - when you get a new vehicle and are told to "drive it like you stole it" who is going to complain?

Best one was an Astro Van with some new design air bag - spring of the year and I was told to make the airbag go off without striking anything. Van had a bunch of extra sensors and electronics in it. After about three sets of tires they changed the wheels over to ones they could put a LT tire on as the shale was eating them alive, I found every washboard road, monster pot hole, you name it, could not make that airbag go off. Put probably 1500 miles on it over about two weeks before they came back to get it, a bunch of the inside trim was rattling, had popped off, or was split, but that airbag was fine and the engineer just smiled as they put it onto the roll back and drove off.

wheels18 · January 23, 2020, 09:28:19 AM

Quote from: mad murdock on September 17, 2018, 01:54:41 PM
No pics yet, first thoughts on unboxing and assembly, tool seems well built, as in thought out. Materials i think after a little use, are too light. Will have to take y down to its core and build it back up with reenforced areas. It tweaked after first tree push. Then the pick tip bent when moving a log. Will need to stiffen that as well. Overall good design. Lots of uses for it. And it is quick and easy to use.

It's been some time. How has this tool been holding up for you? My primary use would also be moving logs, or getting them on to a stationary mill.