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Chokers and choker setting

Started by treefarmer87, March 28, 2010, 07:27:31 PM

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treefarmer87

im getting a new skidder in a few days a have never set chokers. (i feel kinda dumb asking this) im getting 5 with the machine, how many should i run for sawlogs? im getting a 230 TJ 353 detriot. how many logs can i pull? any tips or tricks? i just dont wanna start out blind and not know what im doing and have an accident, thanks for any helpful tips
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

forest.c

depends on the size of your wood big wood you may only need 1 or2 small wood you may need as many as 10 or12 you will learn as you go.
forest.c

nhlogga

If the front feels light or the machine wants to do a wheelie than you got too big a hitch on the skidder. All you need is experience. good luck and congrats on the skidder purchase.
Jonsered 2260
Husky 562xp

steveforest

You could get some different lengths, so a small log will not drag when you have a large log choked on the same turn. Tractor envy :o
Don't mess with success

4genlgr

my cousin has a 230 he runs with 8 cable chokers.   his 230 will pull all 8 loaded with 12-14 inch dia hardwood limbed on most terrain. and at the other end only a 32' of white pine close to 36" on the butt and thet may have been a factor of the total lenght of the tree and the wiggles in the twitch road
just experiment with the amount of trees you try to pull an dfind out what the skidder likes
one thing to watch out for is slopes espically when turning loaded sometimes the load can anchor you and others it will help you look like the JD in another thread TJ's are quite stable but any skidder will be very unstable  toward the side where the wheels are farthest apart when turning as you have narrowed the base. i know he carries the blade low and has used at times to put a back tire on the ground again

take it easy at first  you've run a tractor so you have some feel for what makes you nervous its different but the similar on a skidder

stay safe

DirtForester

Start with the 5 and get a feel for it.  I have seen double that on larger machines but I would see how the 5 work out for you.  As stated above, you are not going to be pulling 5 30 inch pine trees with that 230.   :)
If it's a good tree, grow it!
www.smithandwessonforums.com

acl2

we always run 5 chokers on our machines, if the timber is smaller you can double up in one choker to get a good trip. Are they cable or chain chokers you running?

treefarmer87

they are cable chokers. most of the trees i cut are 16"+ saw logs, poplar and oak i have 2 more tracts to cut after this- a 5 acre hardwood flat (trees no smaller than18") white and red oak and tulip poplar, and a 35 acre swampy creek bottom with similar size poplar and sycamore.
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

DirtForester

Given those conditions, I think 5 chokers will serve you well.
If it's a good tree, grow it!
www.smithandwessonforums.com

treefarmer87

yea me too ive been told by my friend to bring out 2 sawlog size trees @ a time
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

logloper

I've set a few chokers. I like 1/2 inch x 8' chokers. Learning to set them correctly is more of a trick than takeing the drag to the landing. If I am running 5 chokers, than I will pull the bull line and 2 chokers to the 5th log away from the skidder. Then start setting chokers back from there.If it's a big log, set the choker back about 2' on the log. If it's smaller, then set the choker back a little further. Practice will show you where to hook it,so the logs all drag into the landing evenly. If your bells are slipping off when you suck the drag up,push the bell tight to the log and shove a small stick into the bell between the bell and the cable. This will wedge the two tight and will still fall out at the landing. Make sure that you winch the ends of the trees up off the ground and into the butt plate. If your trees are in this posistion,it's hard to tip over when turning tight. You will pull up on two or three wheels, but dont panic. Those trees are your kickstand. Drop your blade and pour the fuel to it. When you get to the landing, drop your winch , then immiediately pop your winch handle back up. This will keep your bull line from unwinding into a rats nest. Just feather it out. Anyway, goodluck. you will get it . It's not rocket science

barbender

I was pulling some 24" butt red oak, 2 of those with the pettibone was plenty. If I was cutting wood that big all the time I would probably run just 2 or 3 chokers, the size wood you describe I would probably run 5 as others suggested. It depends wether you are thinning or clearcutting too. I find if I'm thinning or cleaning up firewood trees, etc., I rarely pull a full hitch just because I end up fighting everything trying to get every choker filled up. If I'm cutting popple and I can back up to a nice bunch of trees, hook em up and go, then I like to make the machine pulleverything it can. My 2 cents
Too many irons in the fire

treefarmer87

thanks for the helpful info and tips guys ;)
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

John Woodworth

Personaly I run 4 12' 9/16 cacbl chokers on 5/8 mainline and can get all the wood in the world, you can push up your turns or bonus the choker loads easier than trying to fight a rats nest, the machine will only pull so much, learn to bonus your turns and most important what your machine will pull. The most I've ever run was 6 on a 740 JD with 3/4 mainline, not so bad setting the chokers but comes time to unhook some always seem to be buried.
Two Garret 21 skidders, Garret 10 skidder, 580 Case Backhoe, Mobile Dimension sawmill, 066, 046 mag, 044, 036mag, 034, 056 mag, 075, 026, lewis winch

captain_crunch

Just remember to always have the choker closest to winch hooked to a log or it will come over Fairlead first and wind around drum before others get there and this teaches you new words before you get it corrected
M-14 Belsaw circle mill,HD-11 Log Loader,TD-14 Crawler,TD-9 Crawler and Ford 2910 Loader Tractor

tlandrum

i run 3/4 swedged mainline and 8ft 9/16 chokers. usually 5 at a time   double and triple up if the trees are small. my skidder will haul a load with its 190hp cummins. i never could get used to little skidders like the 230. i have always had to pull long drags and needed all the wood i could get on each hitch to make out and hauling back three trees instaed of 5 or 6 dont pay the bills.
www.wickedworksaw.com
wickedworksaw@gmail.com
Husqvarna and jonsered dealer
chainsaw porting for high production work saws
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Bobus2003

I run 8 5/8" chokers, I can pull all 8 chokers hooked with 2-3 trees each.  (9-12" butt trees) If i get into bigger timber its one tree to a choker and in smaller wood i may have 8-10 trees in a choker.. you will learn as you go.. i have many many times had more than i can pull hooked up so i pull forward and winch to me, and repeat

timberjackrob

i run two on my 208 sometimes i could use three but we cut mostly 20 to 36 inch trees at the butt all hardwood. like everybody said it depends on size of trees terrain, etc. my 208 has a 353 with a hercules winch probably the same as your 230.sometimes its best to take it easy on older equipment,if you dont have a 100,000 dollar skidder to pay for why push it to its limit every drag.remember the old detroits are a two stroke diesel and only produce power at high rpms. an old logger once told me the first thing you need to do to run a detroit is slam your hand in the door and take it out on the motor
208 timberjack, woodmizer lt28,case 455 trackloader with gearmatic winch,massey 4710, ford f250s ford f700

treefarmer87

i agree with you timberjackrob when i get the skidder im not gonna be in a big hurry anyway ill be pulling out close to half a load at a time. im only lookin to take 2 loads a day, im not goning to strain the skidder, its in good condition and i want it to stay that way. captain crunch just helped me with something i was wondering,i was wonderin about sucking a choker up with the mainline, watching what im doin will help too.
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

mad murdock

I agree with John W.  Adjust the number of chokers to the wood you are pulling.  It is easier to hook/unhooke fewer chokers, than to have to deal with a rats nest every turn.  When you bonus your load, i.e. grab 2 trees with one choker, use your blade as you set up for the next load by pushing trees together, etc. or drag one tree winch up to another one, and grab add it to your load, etc.  I run 2 chokers on my Garrett, because most of the time I pull tree length, even with 40 footers, if they are bigger than 18" that is plenty for one drag.  When I ran a clark 666 in N. Wisc. it had 8 chokers, and I would load them all up, but that was alot of smaller wood, poplar and birch.  I would drag 30 cords a day with that machine.
Having had experience with lots of chokers vs a few, I like running with fewer, as said before, it is a pain to wrestle logs at the landing to try to get to all the chokers to unhook them.  Running 2 chokers pulling mostly Doug fir, I have 8' chokers, but every once in a while I wish I had a 12' er for those big logs, but I get around it by doubling up my chokers when I really need more length.  Bailey's has pretty fair prices on chokers, if you don't have a rigger close by, and you don't have to go anywhere to order them.  Good luck with the new toy.
Turbosawmill M6 (now M8) Warrior Ultra liteweight, Granberg Alaskan III, lots of saws-gas powered and human powered :D

treefarmer87

there is a guy right up the road but he wants $20 a piece for 6 ft chokers. i would go to balieys first, they are like $16 there, i dont plan on pulling more than 2 or 3 per turn, i agree about the rats nest. thanks for the good advice
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

Maine372

attach a short peice of chain to the arch and a slider on the main line. let that slider run between the winch and arch and it will keep other sliders from getting wound up in the winch. this way you can start with the choker on the end and not worry.

you can cut keyhole shaped holes in the fenders to attach the unused chokers too. this will keep them from getting caught up in the hitch. there have been alot of variations on this theme. get creative. some people just let the drag around. i always have preferd to have them tucked out of the way.

when youre on steep ground keep the blade low, but also keep the hitch low, especially on side slopes. pulling the wood up tight against the top of the arch makes the machine top heavy. keep the wood down between the cheeks. usually just as the first slider crests over the roller is a good place to stop.

use your eves alot and if things hang up get out and look. you cant see as much from the skidder seat as you can from standing by the winch on your tractor. the extra minute it takes to get out and look costs alot less money than the repairs.

treefarmer87

yea your right, im always watching ahead and behind me, im always safe. i have seen people
hanging the chokers on holes on the fenders of the skidder
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

Stephen Alford

   Hey TF/TJ . Congrats on the skidder. Lots of good advice on chocking,probably worth a second read. I sleep better at nignts knowing that I have a kill switch out of site and not easily found. You probably have one on the fuel but check to see what the status is of the kill switch on the air intake side. If its there but not hooked up probably a good idea to get it back on line. Have shoved that hard with  that ol treefarmer that she has flipped. Shutting the engine down pronto will save you some grief.  A small branch went through the screen and triggered that air intake switch onetime . Spent a day lugging batteries and wrenches. Finally gave up and recriuted older and wiser. Offered him lunch. He walked around the machine hit the switch then the starter ,she didn't role twice and was runnin, then he informed me he wanted steak. I had crow. :-[  Good Luck.
logon

logloper

I also suck my drag up to where the bells just go over the roller, as above member stated. Keeps drag/skidder stable and also makes the last 2' of bull line last longer. If you don't want to cut keyholes in your fender, weld an old bell or two on the side of your arch. I like 1 on each side of the arch. Hook the ferel of the unused choker closest to your drag into this bell, and it will keep your unused chokers untangled. When you get to your next tree, drop your drag and pull forward a bit.Then your unused chokers are ready to go.

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