Hey guys I been watching this forum for about a year and decided to become a member. I been doing firewood for two years now and finally have a small lot full of ash trees. My problem is it gets muddy and I can't access it with my 2wd truck. I am on a budget and need some ideas. I've thought about a log arch. If you have any other ideas let me know thanks
Have you tried long cables and snatch blocks?
No I haven't. Can you explain yourself a little better sawmiller?
I would imagine he is talking about enough cablle to get from where your pickup will stay on solid ground, to the trees you want to drag out. The snatch blocks would be to tie off to other trees to pull snake the log out on the course you need it to come out.
You could put the snatch block higher up to keep the log from digging in too.
We have to cross a lot of swamp to get to our logging areas in most places, we can only access after the ground freezes hard enouth to run the trucks and equipment.
This sort of thing. These guys are using a little gas powered capstan winch, but no reason you can't connect to the hitch on your vehicle (on solid ground) and carefully pull the logs out. The skidding cone is another thing that helps prevent the log digging in, as well as pulling via the snatch block higher up a tree.
Distance is only limited by how much rope you have...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtNMmHtAe7g
Idea is not to get your machinery into the bog at all, then it can't get sunk.
Here's another one using a small truck and 2 pulleys to double up the pulling power.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN11uVYeTJ4
Lewis winch is the most popular brand of winch like that in this part of the country, usually powered by your chainsaw motor.
Time consuming that's for sure....I know it sounds crazy, but when its just firewood I am cutting I have cut it and carried it out piece by piece before when the snow was too deep to get in to a place.
Its a workout, and also time consuming....
Quote from: Ianab on December 16, 2015, 12:40:23 AM
Here's another one using a small truck and 2 pulleys to double up the pulling power.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN11uVYeTJ4
you know, I could see a setup like this working well if you had a road up the middle of a lot and were selectively logging both sides of the road....
ddoner7,welcome to the forum.
I have cut some wood in my bog. I have over 100 feet of cable on my tractor 3 point winch. Than I had 2 pieces of about 50 foot cable. I could use two 50 foot of cable hooked together to get 100 feet. I had 6 chockers on one cable. I would hook the trees and winch them to the tractor. Most times these trees was small,6 inchs across.I would winch in as far as I could and than stop and pull the cable to the trees and unhook the short length and than rehook and walk back to the tractor. It was a slow way and ALOT of walking back and forth to get the wood. But it got the job done. I still have more of it to do.
Think I'm going to buy a winch soon. Think a 3500lb winch would be fine? Its all flat land. Maybe I can get a picture this weekend. I have to do something soon because I am running low on wood
What kind of winch are you talking about, and how big are your logs.
If you are talking about an electric winch, I think you will be disappointed. I have used 3500 pound winches on atv's, but I sure wouldn't want to try logging with one.
All logss are 14inches and under. I usually cut them around 10ft long. Nothing real heave since its ash. Kind of lost and wish I had a tractor but trying to start out small
A good winch will probably get you through times of 'no tractor', better than a tractor will get you times of 'no winch'.
I'd do a bunch of research on small scale cable yarding. Some interesting links here:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/257391-cable-logging.html (http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/257391-cable-logging.html)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNR98QQUABI
It is surprising how cheap some tractors are if you don't need hydraulics and how much even a small old farm tractor will pull. Ag tires, not turf, two wheel drive and ideally some easy way to hitch logs. Then all you need are patience and a bit of experience. I have also known a fellow to log a cedar swamp with a snowmobile and a small set of home made metal log sleighs with extra wide skis. I have done that one myself for posts and rails with a 12 hp skidoo elan. Will only go uphill with a run at it and not too much elevation and requires trail prep. Hard packed and as level as possible.
Just thought to look at your location and realized that you might not ever get snow or frozen ground.
R.man I'm from upstate NY. We haven't had any snow so far and ground hasn't froze yet! I'm kinda glad there's no snow ;D
If you are looking at an electric ATV-type winch, logging is a tough application for it. The duty cycle on those winches is generally very low, so you'll have to stop and let it cool off for a good bit fairly frequently. They are also very slow.
The gas-powered capstan winches like Ianab posted are usually a bit more robust, and can stand continuous duty. I think they run around $1500. Try forestwinches.com for more info - there may be better places to buy them from, however.
I don't want to sound cheap lol but I can't see spending $1500 or more on a winch. Miswell buy a tractor first. Its not total swamp just some. Doesnt help ground isn't frozen. I'd buy a gas winch but I don't sell extreme amounts of wood
The cheapest thing would be a vehicle you already own, and a really long rope or cable, maybe with a snatch block or two... if you can get close enough with you vehicle to hook on
Wait til the ground freezes and then fetch them out with an arch and tractor or atv.
ddoner7, please put your location in your profile so us forgetful old guys don't need to keep looking back to see where your at.
brad_bb,it might be like the bog that I have,it don't freeze over. I got my feet wet many times walking across the snow and a foot would go down into a hole. There will be little holes,about 1-2 feet across in the snow that was open. Sometimes the snow will cover a hole and I would have no idea until it was too late.I have been told by some to drive across it so it will freeze. I always say, you bring your equipment over and I'll watch you drive across it. ;D
If you packed it with snowshoes or a snowmobile it would probably freeze.
Probably is a scary word when it comes to the bog I have. I have shoved sticks in those open areas.I can make a four stick disappear. I would rather walk across with a 100 foot cable than get stuck in it. A snow mobile would work great. But I don't have one.
I wouldn't assume it was frozen or you might you might make a bogsicle out of you and me, or just you. Pack first, check next day or two and maybe it won't be frozen enough until later or not at all.
Sorry to be so late replying. I don't check this thread as often as others since I mostly do sawmilling, don't sell firewood and generate enough for my own use.
I see others provided good replies of using snatch blocks. More complicated than I usually use. I use a 4 wheeler on steep slopes and sometimes a P/U if near a road. I use the snatch block to lift and direct the log between other trees and obstacles and to keep me and ATV out of the path of the log. Work mostly by myself but a helper would be great to move the blocks when get to end or splice and to free the log with a cant hook when get hung on a root or rock. I usually use 1, sometimes 2 snatch blocks.
I hook the snatch block up on a tree and pull, downhill when possible to get the gravity benefit adding weight to my ATV.
HF sells a 20,000 lb snatch block for about $20 which works well for me. I have another heavy one which weighs about 30 lbs or so. The HF one works nearly as well and much lighter and easier to use. It is just 2 loops you spread apart, insert the rope/cable, then align the loops again. A chain through the eyes keeps the SB closed and secured to your pull tree. I use 1/4" cable but the SBs would handle heavier ones if I needed. To get a mechanical advantage you need to use 2 or more like a pulley. I usually have gravity on my side and use them more for direction.
Good luck on your endeavor and happy New Year. Be careful out there.
I literally just thought of a small logging arch on skis. I have a set of snowmobile sleighs that I built many years ago and I have used just one a few times to lift the front of the load off the ground but if an arch had skis it would be far superior. A second arch could be used on the back of a heavy log with the tongue lashed up to the log so the log would become the frame of the four ski trailer. Too bad you are so far away, I put a lot of work into those sleighs and would love to lend them to someone to use.