- wire chokers V.S chain chokers ??? -

[BargeMonkey]

 Ive gotta ask, because I know alot of you guys must use them, whats the deal with wire chokers ? Are they easier ? Last any amount of time ? 99% of every cable skidder around here runs chain chokers, good till the help starts losing 2-3 of them a week.

[petefrom bearswamp]

Fire them, they would probably lose cable chokers too.
once while checking a job, I found 3 chokers in a skid trail, partially buried in the mud.
The logger worked alone and was glad to get them back.

[CCC4]

As with so many things in logging...I think choice of chain or normal chokers is regional it sounds. IDK of anybody other than loggers in the N. East using chains. I used chains behind my draft horses, but on skidders...I would want to punch myself in the face if I had to jack with chains in steep rocky terrain with lots of tops everywhere...actually I would be looking for a different job if I had to deal with chains very much. It can be hard enough to get a choker under the log as it is, chains seem 10X worse. JMO

[sawguy21]

Ever tried to push a chain under a log? I found coiled chokers easier to handle than loops of chain and they were somewhat lighter. Bell type cable chokers stay tighter on the log which was important in heli logging.

[barbender]

If you are out east, you should run chain chokers. Everywhere else, cable chokers. As for the reason, I don't have one ;D The two cable skidders I have run had the chokers pinned to the sliders, on mine I took the roll pin out of one and promptly lost a choker I did see 1 cable skidder up here with chain chokers on it, that guy probably ate grits or something too :

[luvmexfood]

I like cable chokers better because they are lighter and easier to get under a log. Bad thing is pulling one log at a time which I usually do with the tractor if the log rolls much on a hillside you soon destroy that choker. It's hard on lighter chains but I usually use 3/8 chains.

[BargeMonkey]

...I would want to punch myself in the face if I had to jack with chains in steep rocky terrain with lots of tops everywhere..

Thats pretty funny.  :D.  I figured I would ask, thought about maybe buying 2-3 @ the show for the dozer and see how it goes. When pulling alot of cable, between the 3 machines we have 20 chokers all the time. Its always alot of fun, a$$ deep in snow, 4 chokers over 1 shoulder and cable and sliders on the other, down over the bank you go. 

  Theres a picture of the pain factory. 8 and they stay off the tires, 10 and youve gotta watch.
All the loggers I know around here use chain, and have always talked down cable chokers.

[CCC4]

Give'm a shot...ya might like 'em. I prefer the 7' over the 9's...just double a 7 if you have a plus sized tree to choker out.

Hey so how do ya like your 450 dual arch? We are really seeing some disadvantages here in a rough steep unit I am cutting. Seems too light on the front end and what little I have operated it, I still am not fluid with the other functions and get frustrated. I think for us, the single arch is going to be our steep ground skidder and bunch for the dual arch rather than trying to use the dual arch exclusively.

[cutter88]

Chain Chocker was new to me when I joined this site up here in Ontario. Canada they are unheard of we all use 7/16, 1/2 or 9/16 cable chockers usually 7' long I have no experience with chain chockers but I could not imagine te giant pain it would be trying to get them under a 30" oak laying on the ground?

[BargeMonkey]

 Most of the time you dont have any issue getting them under, carry a grab rod in the skidder. Sometimes you may have to hook a little further back, or bump the stick to get the choker under the tree.

I havent had this skidder on the "steep and stupid" yet, but been in the rocks and mud pretty good and shes been a champ about it. Nicest thing is, that dual arch is so handy, im able to slide the drag, yank them out easier if they bind, plus move the skidder off a  stump or wet spot by setting the arch down and pushing. Very handy once you get it down. All the grapple guys looked at me in disgust when I said I planned on buying a single arch, and I see why now. I dont plan on taking her off the skid roads this winter, she is just so wide. If I cant set the bunches up with the timbco I will bunch with the dozer and small skidder.

[cutter88]

Most of the time you dont have any issue getting them under, carry a grab rod in the skidder. Sometimes you may have to hook a little further back, or bump the stick to get the choker under the tree.

I havent had this skidder on the "steep and stupid" yet, but been in the rocks and mud pretty good and shes been a champ about it. Nicest thing is, that dual arch is so handy, im able to slide the drag, yank them out easier if they bind, plus move the skidder off a  stump or wet spot by setting the arch down and pushing. Very handy once you get it down. All the grapple guys looked at me in disgust when I said I planned on buying a single arch, and I see why now. I dont plan on taking her off the skid roads this winter, she is just so wide. If I cant set the bunches up with the timbco I will bunch with the dozer and small skidder.

I like the idea of bunching for a grapple we have a 640d cable skidder and looking at dozer with winch... For long skid it would be nice to bunch with the two cable machines and foward to the skid way with a big grapple

[CCC4]

It's standing up on us and the front end swings down the mtn...I saw him swing nearly sideways the other day beginning his turn up the hill. I see where they have their advantages, maybe fluid in the front tires would help??

[BargeMonkey]

 Doesnt take that many trees to pick the front end up, my new help looked at the clouds a few times pulling up hill with 6-7 in the grapple. You could try loading the tires, I know some guys have filled blades full of concrete for that reason. Grapple is fast on short skids, on some of these 3/4-1mile skids we get, a cable eats a grapple all day.

[Maine logger88]

I run both cause they both have there advantages and disadvantages cables are easier to hook you don't lose them plus I like to hook up before I cut the tree sometimes and that is hard to do with chains although I will lay them out in front of the tree before I cut it if it looks like I'll have trouble getting under them. I think a skidder will pull a bigger twitch with chains cause you can adjust them so they are all even. In steep ground they stay in better cause you can slide the teardrop right down to the hook and they almost never fall off. But the biggest reason is is more options I run 10 toatal on the 540 6 cable 4 chain. The 225 6 cable 2 chain. The reason I do it that way is if I want to grab more trees on the way out that are off the trail abit I can run out the end few chokers where as cables are a pain too dig out when trying to hook that way. But if I can back up and get ten then I just hook up like you normally would then if I have some close to the trail on the way out I will save however many closest to the skidder that I need. It works well for me not saying its the best for everyone but it works better than anything else I tryed. Now if you are pulling bunched up wood behind your timbco all cables would be much faster than chains

[mad murdock]

I think chain though more resilient especially over rocks, is a pain in the bahoukey compared to cable chokers. Cable is real slick for pushing under a log. Lighter and quicker to handle as well.

[Corley5]

I've used them both and guess I prefer cables on a skidder but like chains on a 3pt skidding winch.  We've got an 18" length of 3/8" rod on the end of each chain choker to get them under the log. 

[loggah]

Cable chokers are the way to go,takes a while to get used to them,I ran chains on real steep ground when bark was peeling,but cables are a lot easier to manage,i ran 6' x 1/2"chokers and always kept a few 2' extensions on the skidder for bigger wood. a regular grab hook will fit on the ferrule to pull them under logs. They really shine unhooking in the yard,quick and you dont loose them off the mainline,and they dont end up going thru a chipper !!! ;D ;D

[treeslayer2003]

i have used both.......i much prefer cable chokers, 9/16 x 9 and wish i could get 10' local lol.

chain is more durable and works well in big timber ecxept pushing under a large butt mashed down in the ground.

[loggah]

Those chokers are pretty long!! on smaller wood you must have to double wrap them,or your arch is really up in the air!

[chester_tree _farmah]

I have never seen a skidder running chain chokers up here in Maine. There may be a few using them here and there but pretty rare. Cable is so much easier. I have an 8, 7 and the rest r 6. The 8 alone has not been big enough for a few big pines. :-)

[gologit]

I like wire chokers.  We tried chains years ago but they didn't work out for us. Too heavy and too clumsy.
One advantage to cable chokers is that if you break one you can splice it back together if you have the tools and the know-how.
Also pieces of broken choker can be made into straps or twisters for tailholds on yarders.  It's always good to have somebody on the crew who can splice.

[treeslayer2003]

Those chokers are pretty long!! on smaller wood you must have to double wrap them,or your arch is really up in the air!

i try not to get in to much little wood, if i do the grapple gets used most times. think of it this way, if your in wood thats 30-40" with the occasional 50" short chokers get old fast.......try as you might you won't stretch it that last inch lol. i have double wrapped on the tops to make um more even.

[treeslayer2003]

I like wire chokers.  We tried chains years ago but they didn't work out for us. Too heavy and too clumsy.
One advantage to cable chokers is that if you break one you can splice it back together if you have the tools and the know-how.
Also pieces of broken choker can be made into straps or twisters for tailholds on yarders.  It's always good to have somebody on the crew who can splice.

wish i knew how to do that..........of course if its raggedy, might as well change it out any way.
i like to weld the bell from broke chokers onto equipment and trailers so i can pull it with out a chain or kinkin up my chokers.