Cable chokers or chain chokers ?

[ga jones]

Or three like this sucked up tight. Same chain length smaller logs

 

[xalexjx]

iv always used 3/8 chain chokers grade 100. Now starting to get used to the grapple.

[treeslayer2003]

 

 
all it is, is a wedge ferrule and a bantam slide. i have two 8' 9/16 chokers as well for normal size timber. i rarely cut any thing small enough to pull three but like i said i have a grapple as well. i had some chain chokers, yes they are adjustable......and heavy and hard to get under a log.

Jones, how long is the choker around that big red oak? another reason i did this is that you just can't get any of any kind here any more and it cheaper to ship the slide and ferrule. i can buy plenty of bulk cable.

[ga jones]

The one around the red oak is 13 feet I extended a 10 foot. I have one 10 foot and the rest are 8. You can buy 10 footers around here already made up.

[RayMO]

You can use mainline on stuff to big for choker by just running bottom choker and mainline around tree and hooking end of choker into an empty slide. I do it all the time.That way if I need an extra choker on some smaller stuff i can use the extra slide as intended with another choker . I will often use above setup and ad another smaller tree to the drag with a shorter top choker if I can pull both.

[Lumberjohn]

"Never used the chains, but from what I've seen of em I don't understand how you can extend them if the hook just slips, unless there is a standard hook on the other end?"
If I understand correctly, you are asking how to use 2 chains to make more length for a tree too big for one chain?
I always had an extra/another chain with a knot tied in to "stop" the hook. The hook stops at the knot of the other chain, making an extension. The rest just hooks up as usual.
Believe it or not, the knot usual comes out pretty easy with the persuasion of a hammer, or just leave it for special uses if you dont need it.

[treeslayer2003]

"Never used the chains, but from what I've seen of em I don't understand how you can extend them if the hook just slips, unless there is a standard hook on the other end?"
If I understand correctly, you are asking how to use 2 chains to make more length for a tree too big for one chain?
I always had an extra/another chain with a knot tied in to "stop" the hook. The hook stops at the knot of the other chain, making an extension. The rest just hooks up as usual.
Believe it or not, the knot usual comes out pretty easy with the persuasion of a hammer, or just leave it for special uses if you dont need it.

no hook on the tag end, it goes into a keyhole slide and thats where you adjust the length.
i don't have any to pic, maybe Jones or some one has a close up?

[Lumberjohn]

I think he was asking how to use two chains together to make a longer one.

[ga jones]

I will get some pics tomorrow of how chains work. I'm hauling pine today.

[ForestFox]

8' 3/8 log chains hooked together make 16'.

[ForestFox]

Sorry new to adding pictures!

[ForestFox]

Maybe now! First is how I hook 2 chains for big logs, then open ends go into 2 different sliders attached to winch cable. (pictured in second shot) third picture is just of how I hang my chains and of 6 sliders hanging.



 


 


 

[Maine logger88]

I have only ever used cable , my machine is setup with 9 ft and 8 ft chokers , not saying their better just that is what I have always used , Now a question for you guys using chain , what size of chain is your choker made of and grade , Shawn is using chain chokers on his machine and they are 3/8's and he keeps breaking them pulling these big oak trees . I myself have to run 9/16's cable chokers or I am  pulling the ends off the choker, Never break them just pull the end off

What's he have for a machine? Mine are 3/8 grade 100 and you can break them but they take quite a beating they are tougher than the 1/2 in cable chokers I use. I did shorten one the other day on a big old rough pine limbs and all trying to pull it to where I could limb it but it had about 2.5 cords in it so it was fairly heavy. I tryed 3/8 grade 70 once my 540 would snap those like nothing wouldn't even set back any just pop and they broke.

[luvmexfood]

I just log small scale with a tractor and no winch. While I really like the ease of using cable chokers to get under a log the problem I have is that I normally only pull one log ( try to keep my skids less than 300 ft) at a time ( try to keep my skids less than 300 ft) and when going around a hill the log will sometimes start rolling and just a few times of this will destroy the choker.

I am back to heavy, 3/8 chains. Pain in the rear to get under a log sometimes, heavy, and may come unhooked but they last. Plus the way I hook to the tractor they work better. Usually I have a boonpole on and I lower it below the drawbar. Hook the log, up over one side of the boompole crossbar, around a pin in the tractor drawbar, back across the boompole crossbar on the otherside of the upright pole and then hook back to the chain. Two advantages of this for me is 1) by having the chain on both sides of the upright the load is always pulling straight on the drawbar and 2) if not going up a real steep hill you can lift the 3 point hitch a little so that the boompole crossbar is above the drawbar and this puts a little weight on the rear wheels giving better traction. If the log has dug in and pulling a lot of dirt sometimes lifting a little will allow some dirt to slide off to the sides.

Just have to be extremely careful with the boompole above the level of the drawbar. It can make that frontend light in a heartbeat.

[DDDfarmer]

I have 4 6' and 2 8', 1/2" cables.  First slider on the mainline is only a 10" cable with a ferrule on the end to tie to the next choker to make as long as needed choker.  I also had the cable shop make me 2 mini chokers 20" long so they could be "piggy backed" as needed to make my cables that little bit longer. 


When I'm in the smaller stuff 4-6" I pull the trees to the skidder then re-choke them as many as I can to one choker.  Makes a better twitch to pull out to the landing and I find I don't loose those small trees.

After growing up and having the job to choking trees behind the dozer with chains then using a skidder with cables..... can't push chains, hands and arms always in the snow and wet trying to tie chains, not going back to chains.

[BargeMonkey]

 You havent earned that load of logs if you havent crawled under a few of them to dig the choker thru this winter.  :D
We use nothing but chain. The 405 i had would pop one pretty easy, the jack never did but could. Im half interested to try some square 3/8 100 for springtime when the bark is slipping.

[ga jones]

I have a square chain. There actually 120 grade. They don't slip however there harder to slide around the log and adjust cause they don't slip. Lol

[coxy]

in the spring when the barks falling off I double wrap the choker( too lazy to put a notch in the top)  and have never lost one  the square chain is hard on the hooks to  and have never had any luck with them they always fell off  like I said jmop they are the worst thing they ever made  ;D

[Reddog]

My preferences

Line skidder with hand fallen logs or working with a buncher: 1/2" Cable chokers

Tractor skidwinch or TSI with a line skidder: chain chokers

[RayMO]

Tractor without winch was mentioned and when I was doing that it was quality skidding tongs over any of the above .

[ehp]

Shawn's is a bigger tractor with a winch on it and he has to watch not to break his 3/8's chain chokers and has broke more than a few this winter skidding oak trees . Only think I am thinking is maybe his chokers are not 100 or 120 grade but I donot know other than the size . I have hooked them up for him a couple times but to be honest I will stay with my cable chokers , I lot easier to get under the trees and for here you skid most of your timber by the butt and 2 or 3 trees at most with some bushes only 1 tree at a time and most top sizes is around 10 inch top , Stuff so far this winter has been averaging just over 500 feet a tree with 1000 foot trees quite common

[HiTech]

You don't really need to hook two chokers together to get around a big log. A 6' choker will pull a 40" tree. You have to use two slidders. Slip the C-hook through a slider like you would the open end. Then pull another slider and put the open end in it. How many 40" trees are you pulling at one time? I don't think using two sliders will hurt your production here, you still have a few to play with.

[Skidder Kev]

I know how you feel RR it can get frustrating having to hop on and off having to reset chokers.  I can't comment on chains cause I have never used them but when we are pulling smaller wood I will double wrap the choker and it seems to hold well. 

Kev

[EFR]

I've been pulling wood behind a Farmi winch for 10 years with chain chokers and had no problems.  I bought a TJ 225E this year that came with cable chokers.  I absolutely hate them.  Pulling them through the woods is like dragging Medusa's head. They are all twisted and grab every piece of brush, stick, tree they can.  I would very much like to convert to chain chokers.  A logger friend told me to run three cable chokers (has 7 now) and the rest chains.  I might try that. 

[RunningRoot]

EFR,

This is exactly what I was about to say and what I'm currently considering. I figured I would run both that way I can have the benefits of both when needed, chain chokers for plus size or smaller logs when needed ( for the ease of adjustment) .. And cable chockers for logs that need persuasian to get under it ..