Lighter Saw? Any Point?

[Ada Shaker]

 >:(

Harbor freight has a 1/2 ton pickup mount crain on sale now for $144, all manual mind you. That will pick up most any wood chunk you can get to your truck. A receiver or bumper mounted electric winch will get it to your truck and is probably they way I would go if i was in your situation.

Yeh, there about 300-400 around here. Chinese units to boot. We seem to get stung on everything around here. They'd be ok mounted onto the A frame of a trailer but a little too tall for the back end of a truck. Some come with hand crank winch mounted on the top but you either have to be seven foot tall to use them (if mounted on the back of a truck), or go back in time to the 70's. Now that'll be a sight for sore eyes,  .
A better option would have been to mount a small electric winch to the tops of them.

Would definately have to seriously think of fitting a winch to the truck.

[John Mc]

Do a search for the DanG-Deadheader Log Lifter (or just Deadheader Log Lifter) for a great way to load a log onto the back of a truck or trailer. This does require a winch, but it's a great way to load long logs onto a trailer. You can cut them down to length after you get them home.

I'll definitely have to do an internet search for it. I really haven't seen any of this stuff around here, maybe there just isn't enough of a call for it.

Do the Deadheader Log Lifter search here on the Forestry Forum.

[Ada Shaker]

Tractor supply has all the different types of log tongs chain pull, handle lift and the cable with hook type. I can't say for sure of the quality or longevity of them but they have many types.

I haven't really seen any of this stuff around here, mind you I haven't really been looking for it either, but aint seen anyone using them either. Maybe I need to look harder.
I've come from a steel fabrication industry (namely the railways), so knocking something up is always an option for me, if I can't find it.

[motohed]

I would still look at the lewis wench at baileysonline , 4000lbs pull capacity run off a chainsaw , if you use a skidding cone you can work , the log back to the truck from any where .

[Cedar Eater]

Those tongs look very similar in design to railway wheel lifters, whereby they clamp under there own weight.  Was looking at doing something very similar using a couple of old chainsaw spikes that attached to a frame I was going to knock up. But above everything else, I like the simplicity of that rope and meat hook thing, so simple, and so simple to use, and very light weight.

Both Stihl and Husqvarna sell similar hand tongs. I've used the 8" tongs for lifting heavy loads. It really helps to have two to balance you out. I've often wished I had a harness or sling to go over my shoulders to take the weight and just use my hands to maneuver the blocks while I carry them. The "rope and meat hook" idea with a shoulder harness might be even better. I could see carrying two 60 pounders with a rig like that. I've never used a back brace, because once you brace one area, it seems like the risk would just move to hips, knees, ankles or feet.

[motohed]

I wear a belt like a weight lifter , I have had three disc's fused in my back and the Doc says , my spine is degenerating , I will stay in the woods as long as I can . I take more precaustions now more than most . The woods  and excavation have been my life since I can remember , there's nothing like sunrize and sunset to a good day in the outdoors .

[Ada Shaker]

Do a search for the DanG-Deadheader Log Lifter (or just Deadheader Log Lifter) for a great way to load a log onto the back of a truck or trailer. This does require a winch, but it's a great way to load long logs onto a trailer. You can cut them down to length after you get them home.

I'll definitely have to do an internet search for it. I really haven't seen any of this stuff around here, maybe there just isn't enough of a call for it.

Do the Deadheader Log Lifter search here on the Forestry Forum.

Yeh just did. Kind of reminds me of the skip bin lifters we have around here, thought of this concept too; though the skip bin lifters I've seen work on hydraulics.

[Ada Shaker]

I would still look at the lewis wench at baileysonline , 4000lbs pull capacity run off a chainsaw , if you use a skidding cone you can work , the log back to the truck from any where .

I was thinking of a skidding sleigh but I suppose a cone would work just as well if not better if the log decides to roll over. Yeh, we don't have baileysonline here but know what your talking about. Chinese winches are so cheap at the moment (not as cheap as in the States), that you can just about have one on each corner of the truck.

[Ada Shaker]

Those tongs look very similar in design to railway wheel lifters, whereby they clamp under there own weight.  Was looking at doing something very similar using a couple of old chainsaw spikes that attached to a frame I was going to knock up. But above everything else, I like the simplicity of that rope and meat hook thing, so simple, and so simple to use, and very light weight.

Both Stihl and Husqvarna sell similar hand tongs. I've used the 8" tongs for lifting heavy loads. It really helps to have two to balance you out. I've often wished I had a harness or sling to go over my shoulders to take the weight and just use my hands to maneuver the blocks while I carry them. The "rope and meat hook" idea with a shoulder harness might be even better. I could see carrying two 60 pounders with a rig like that. I've never used a back brace, because once you brace one area, it seems like the risk would just move to hips, knees, ankles or feet.

I'll have to go down the hill and check out the stihl shop, no point in re-inventing the wheel if there reasonably priced, (knowing my luck they'll probably be the same price as a small chainsaw : ). Yeh definitely need two to balance out too. I'm having images of a human bullock carting these huge logs around the forest,  :D :D :D  We may as well step back in time and use the real thing. :D :D :D.

On another note, been looking at back braces and WorkCover findings have found them pretty useless at preventing back injuries. What they do however is limit your mobility if your already injured, which helps. We'll get older is just a real pain in the Caracas in my view, I think what most of us would give to be 20 again.

[DonT]

Try pulp hooks available at your stihl dealer. They make picking up wood a whole lot easier

[Ada Shaker]

Try pulp hooks available at your stihl dealer. They make picking up wood a whole lot easier

Did a search but can't find them here. Plenty on your side of town though.
On a different note, I did find one of those log lifters, the ones that raise the log off the ground that makes for easier cutting. Didn't ask how much as I had other chores and was only after a bit of two stroke oil.

[John Mc]

Ada - Some of those log lifters are complete junk. I was given one from northern toolhttps://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=position"> Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company years ago, and the tip at the end of the hook broke off after about a dozen uses -- and all I was doing was rolling a couple of 10" hemlock logs.

Forum sponsor LogRite makes some of the best such tools I've ever used. Look under "Peavey" or "Cant Hook" on their web site. They sell an attachment that will clamp to either of these tools so it acts as a Log Lifter.  I'm not sure if they are available in your area, but of they are, and if you need to roll logs (or lift them for cutting), they are a great way to go.

[motohed]

You can see the lewis winch at    bailesonline.com

[motohed]

I just looked up where you were , Check ebay , search lewis chainsaw winch . You can see them there on the United States ebay

[luvmexfood]

I think they also make a wench plate to fit into a 2" box hitch, if you have a strong enough hitch. It would be a bad deal to rip your hitch off your truck. Harbor freight has a few large capacity wenches for less then other guys but quality may be iffy.

I have a HF 12000 lb winch mounted on the tongue of my trailer. Have used the heck out of it. If you do go an electric winch remember they are slow and if you hook to something big they may scoot your truck rather than pull the load. Spring for the wireless remote control. Saves many steps. I have been stuck before and ran out winch cable from the trailer tongue to a tree and set in the cab steering while pulling myself out backwards.

[John Mc]

Here's another winch option: gas-powered portable forestry winch.

Some advantages:

• pull distance is limited only by the rope length (they sell winch rope in lengths of 50 to 200 meters - personally, I find the longer end of that range to be impractical).
• Higher speed than most electric winches: runs 40 FPM with the standard capstan, optional capstan gives you 60 FPM but at reduced pulling power (12 VDC electrics are typically around 15 FPM, and run slower under heaviy loads.)
• continuous duty - no need to stop and let the winch cool down (many of the less expensive electric winches are rated as low as 5% duty cycle at full load: run 45 seconds at full load, wait 14 minutes. Though you can run significantly longer at reduced loads)
• No need to be near a vehicle to operate it

Down sides:

• Another engine to maintain
• One more thing to lug around in the woods

[Ada Shaker]

Ada - Some of those log lifters are complete junk. I was given one from northern tool Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company years ago, and the tip at the end of the hook broke off after about a dozen uses -- and all I was doing was rolling a couple of 10" hemlock logs.

Forum sponsor LogRite makes some of the best such tools I've ever used. Look under "Peavey" or "Cant Hook" on their web site. They sell an attachment that will clamp to either of these tools so it acts as a Log Lifter.  I'm not sure if they are available in your area, but of they are, and if you need to roll logs (or lift them for cutting), they are a great way to go.

Hi John Mc.

Thanx for letting us know about the weak points. I haven't seen these things here but don't see why they cant be made up using good quality spring steel. Most of the stuff you guys have state side is possibly for local markets, manufactured by little guys supplying local markets, hoping to grow bigger at times. I did like the peavey, it seems to save a lot of bending over.
Thanx for your input, I'm loving the ideas people come up with to address issues, blokes are pretty good at fixing things....

[4x4American]

Never tried it before, but do you think a hand truck with offroad tires would help?  The way I drag big blocks of firewood is with my hookaroon (logrite makes the only one worth buying).  If they are too big, I noodle them in half or quarters with my chainsaw until I can handle them.  At my age, I try to make things easier on my body than to show off to the skwerls and the bees how much weight I can lift.

[Ada Shaker]

You can see the lewis winch at    bailesonline.com

Hi motohed

Yes I saw them a while back on some previous posts. I think by memory some blokes were looking for power heads to roll logs onto trailers if I remember correctly. There not bad little units by the looks of them, I like it when things do double duty.

[Ada Shaker]

I just looked up where you were , Check ebay , search lewis chainsaw winch . You can see them there on the United States ebay

Yes I'm just trying to hug and shake a tree, getting ready to catch it if it ever falls. She'd make one hell of a nice dinning table, and bar and anything else one can think of. I know I can get them online in the states, but then there's international postage rates, and spare parts + support can become issues too. Best to deal with local agents if there were ever to be one.

[Ada Shaker]

I think they also make a wench plate to fit into a 2" box hitch, if you have a strong enough hitch. It would be a bad deal to rip your hitch off your truck. Harbor freight has a few large capacity wenches for less then other guys but quality may be iffy.

I have a HF 12000 lb winch mounted on the tongue of my trailer. Have used the heck out of it. If you do go an electric winch remember they are slow and if you hook to something big they may scoot your truck rather than pull the load. Spring for the wireless remote control. Saves many steps. I have been stuck before and ran out winch cable from the trailer tongue to a tree and set in the cab steering while pulling myself out backwards.

That's where tirfor's come in on there own sometimes. another option is to anchor the truck to the base of a tree first, just make sure you don't end up with two half trucks when your done.

[Ada Shaker]

Here's another winch option: gas-powered portable forestry winch.

Some advantages:

• pull distance is limited only by the rope length (they sell winch rope in lengths of 50 to 200 meters - personally, I find the longer end of that range to be impractical).
• Higher speed than most electric winches: runs 40 FPM with the standard capstan, optional capstan gives you 60 FPM but at reduced pulling power (12 VDC electrics are typically around 15 FPM, and run slower under heaviy loads.)
• continuous duty - no need to stop and let the winch cool down (many of the less expensive electric winches are rated as low as 5% duty cycle at full load: run 45 seconds at full load, wait 14 minutes. Though you can run significantly longer at reduced loads)
• No need to be near a vehicle to operate it

Cricky, a grand and a half for a one ton pull state side, we'd probably have to pay twice that here if it were available here. There are a lot of advantages to having a portable unit though. I wonder if anybody sells mechanical mules that can pull logs amongst other things, wouldn't be a bad idea I recon, be a bit heavy to cart around though.
Down sides:

• Another engine to maintain
• One more thing to lug around in the woods

[Ada Shaker]

Never tried it before, but do you think a hand truck with offroad tires would help?  The way I drag big blocks of firewood is with my hookaroon (logrite makes the only one worth buying).  If they are too big, I noodle them in half or quarters with my chainsaw until I can handle them.  At my age, I try to make things easier on my body than to show off to the skwerls and the bees how much weight I can lift.

Hi 4x4American

Yeh a hand truck would probably ok on flat level ground, there's no way id be dragging its back end up and down hills, but something like a two wheel tow ball thing (narrow to get around trees) and motorized might just work in some cases (2WD with mud tyres), I wouldn't want to be lugging that thing up or down hill either as what goes down must come back up  :D. Doesn't necessarily have to be a tow ball, a 2 inch square adaptable hitch type arrangement would be better. Might stand half a chance at lifting/dragging some logs up/down with a half descent power plant. However, our forest floors are pretty overgrown at times and the like, so the going could get tough for it at times. It may be able to be used like a pull/winch at a distance if enough traction can be had.

[John Mc]

Here's another winch option: gas-powered portable forestry winch.

Cricky, a grand and a half for a one ton pull state side, we'd probably have to pay twice that here if it were available here. There are a lot of advantages to having a portable unit though. I wonder if anybody sells mechanical mules that can pull logs amongst other things, wouldn't be a bad idea I recon, be a bit heavy to cart around though.

You can get 2 tons by using a snatch block and doubling the line back. One or two tons is plenty, especially if you use a skidding cone (or an old VW beetle hood), unless you are pulling out really large trees. The big advantage is that it's significantly faster
_______________

Another thing you might consider is a logging arch. It picks up the log (or one end of the log), and you wheel it out, rather than dragging. If the ground is fairly level, you can wheel it out by hand. If not you can pull it with a winch or an ATV. I've only had the opportunity to use one a few times, but I was able to move some pretty good sized logs by hand with one.

Logrite  (forum sponsor, see logo on the left) makes some great ones. Or, lots of folks around here make their own. If you are good at scrounging for parts, and can weld, you can make one rather inexpensively.

[Ada Shaker]

Here's another winch option: gas-powered portable forestry winch.

Cricky, a grand and a half for a one ton pull state side, we'd probably have to pay twice that here if it were available here. There are a lot of advantages to having a portable unit though. I wonder if anybody sells mechanical mules that can pull logs amongst other things, wouldn't be a bad idea I recon, be a bit heavy to cart around though.

You can get 2 tons by using a snatch block and doubling the line back. One or two tons is plenty, especially if you use a skidding cone (or an old VW beetle hood), unless you are pulling out really large trees. The big advantage is that it's significantly faster
_______________

Another thing you might consider is a logging arch. It picks up the log (or one end of the log), and you wheel it out, rather than dragging. If the ground is fairly level, you can wheel it out by hand. If not you can pull it with a winch or an ATV. I've only had the opportunity to use one a few times, but I was able to move some pretty good sized logs by hand with one.

Logrite  (forum sponsor, see logo on the left) makes some great ones. Or, lots of folks around here make their own. If you are good at scrounging for parts, and can weld, you can make one rather inexpensively.

Yeh, I've seen those arches on this site. Once again, requires fairly level ground and a bit of clear space.
If you did a google image search on " Yarra Valley rain forest " , you'd get a better idea at the type of terrain we have around here, tree ferns are plentiful, so too are eucalypts (widow makers), and other scrub. Most of the time trying to get deeper into the forest is near enough to impossible, let alone trying to get any contraptions in. Most around here would use a vehicle mounted winch, as its easier to run around the scrub with a bit of chain and rope. A tirfor can be handy where there is limited vehicle access, which happens in many cases.