I was asked to load some logs

[maple flats]

Today at work I was asked if i could load some blue spruce logs for a co-worker to take to his cousin to saw. When I looked the 2 biggest will be a problem. According to the toolbox weight estimater I am in the neighborhood of 1847 lbs for one and over 2/3 that for the second. These are criss crossed like huge match sticks the way they were dropped. The biggest is 36" butt and 24" small end by 12' and the next is 24" big by 20" small end by 13'. My little tractor will only lift 1000# give or take a little and I need to get them up onto a logging truck without a log loader, but the bunks are removable. After I got the est weights the guy called me and wanted to know if I could saw them or buy them. My guess is his cousen's mill can't handle that size logs. Now I need a fast, safe way to load them still onto the log truck with a 25 HP compact diesel, with loader. Any suggestions? Is parbuckling the best or what are some other ideas?
Thanks,
Dave

[Furby]

Parbuckle and use the tractor to pull the chain/cable/strap.

[maple flats]

That was my thought too. I'm just fishing for something even better. However there may not be an easier with the equipment at hand.
Thanks Furby

[beenthere]

Parbuckle should work.
I'd try lifting one end at a time with the loader tractor, to see if that would work. Chain the up end onto the truck bed so as to not lose it when lifting the other end up. Use plenty of ballast on your tractor to keep that rear end on the ground.

But parbuckling is certainly a way to go too. 

[Furby]

Can always try to push them up ramps with the loader.
No lifting, just pushing, but I see some real trouble doing that and some safety issues as well.

[Dan_Shade]

parbuckling is a pretty easy way to load logs.  it's a slow process for me, because my winch is a pretty slow winch (milemarker, which runs at less than 10 feet per minute).  if you have the traction, you can go as fast as your tractor will let you.

I like to make a "V" with a chain or cable to keep the log from going sideways at the top of the ramp:

[Quartlow]

I learn something new every day around hear!  ;) Been doing it sort of like Dan's picture, except with a long cable, hook the ends on the trailer and loop it under the log over the top and to the other side and drag it up on with a the tractor. Never new it had a name.

[Raider Bill]

I learn something new every day around hear!  ;) Been doing it sort of like Dan's picture, except with a long cable, hook the ends on the trailer and loop it under the log over the top and to the other side and drag it up on with a the tractor. Never new it had a name.

Should have read Metalspinners book, he loads some monsters this way on his trailer.

[Dan_Shade]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2090341913461945479

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5265025332539435596

[Quartlow]

Remind me never to buy a trailer from you Dan  :D  :D
The only thing I do different, I lay 5X5's on the trailer. Makes it easier to unload.

[Dan_Shade]

wasn't my trailer!  that was Ga_Boy's Trailer, we also beat up DR_Buck's trailer.

[DanG]

Dan_Shade, I use a MileMarker too, and it is painfully slow in low gear.  But, it still only takes about 2 minutes to load a 3,000 pound log with it.  It is a laborious effort, though, as my thumb gets tired of holding the button down. ;)  It is tempting to take a little nap while it load's, but you might miss the fact that the hook has snagged on the trailer and you wake up to the sound of your trailer folding over.   Don't ask how I know about stuff like that. :-[

You can use a snatch block to double the power on the high range, and it pulls pretty good and a bit faster than low range.  I find that it is usually quicker to just use low range, than to do the extra rigging, though.

Maple Flats, you can use your loader to push the logs up the ramps if you set the bucket angle right.  I had a fella load some like that for me with a small Kubota, and it was pretty quick.  It was just like parbuckling, only he was pushing instead of pulling.  Also, my Son-in-law(James_G on this forum) and I have loaded some hefty pecan logs using his small Ford tractor to parbuckle them.  The biggest challenge there is to keep the tractor slow enough so you can react to trouble before it gets out of hand.

[Dan_Shade]

I hear ya, DanG.  been there/done that!

the milemarker is slow, but I still think it's the ONLY way to go with a smaller winch.  the battery jobs just won't keep pullin' like a milemarker will.

[maple flats]

I wonder how it might work without ramps, with the log slung on the side of the truck and pulled up and on from the other side a la parbuckle. I have loaded much smaller things that way but never tried a 2000 lb log that way. What do you think. Otherwise i will need to saw some new ramps cause I have nothing suitable on hand right now.

[PineNut]

I have used the push method as described by DanG to load larger logs on my mill. (Larger logs than I can pick up with the FEL)  Another method I have used to load a trailer with the tractor is use a boom pole on the tractor, pick up one end of the log and set it on the back of the trailer. Then pick up the other end of the log and push it on the trailer. It worked quite well for me but then I was not putting the monster logs on the trailer either.

[Tom]

The bad part about pushing a log up the ramp is having it jump over the top of the bucket.  When the bucket is high, the front end loader arms make a real good downhill ramp back over the hood of the tractor, the exhaust pipe, the steering wheel and the seat.   If it only hurts you, you will be lucky. 

It pays to put some kind of protection in front of you if you lift logs with a Front End Loader.

[DanG]

I couldn't agree more, Tom.  A big log barreling down the loader arms into your lap would be like, "HOLY SH


But, most of these trailers are lower than even the hood of a small tractor, and you don't even have to get the bucket up to the trailer deck.  Looks like a pretty safe operation to me.

[maple flats]

In this case I will be loading a log truck. I haven'y seen it yet but my guess is that it will be about 4' high with the log bunks. I will be real careful of getting close to a roll back down the arms. I always watch those things when I lift anything very high.

[maple flats]

Logs have been loaded and delivered. The log truck driver had a set of lifting tongs and we used them. On the heaviest logs I could drag them and line up with the back of the truck. Then with the tongs and hung from the cross brace on the FEL just behind the bucket I hooked the tongs and lifted 1 end, the truch backed under and I lifted the other and pushed them in. After the heavier logs were onb I could lift the lighter ones with mu clamp on forks on the front edge of the bucket and load the higher rows. We had to put down a couple of planks crossways to drive my front tires on to get enough lift. The owner of the logs decided to have me get the logs so they were dumped at my sawmill because the largest ones could not be sawed by the owners cousin since they were too big. I will now scale them and price them, saw to his list or I buy the logs and he will decide which it will be. I will get a picture of the log piles the next time i get down there. I did get one of the starting criss cross mess before but it started to rain hard as I finishewd loading and I did not get an after pic when on the truck. I guess this was a success, no one got hurt and the logs are at my sawmill. When I was loading the first one we grew a small audience who wanted to see the little (25 HP) tractor load the big logs, we were both pleased. 8)

[beenthere]

Good on ya. Real close to exactly what I had in mind.    That's easy to say now that you are done.  ;D

[Nora]

You might find this little forest robot interesting. They demonstrated it at our Innovative Equipment Show in April.


Article about the Logg Dogg