moving logs

[rvrdivr]

I would like to know what I can do to load logs onto my trailor without having heavy equiptment around. I have a 20 foot long trailor and the fenders stick up too high to load from the side. I was thinking on adding a winch at the front to pull the logs onto the trailor.
What size winch, size of cable, and lenth of cable should I choose If I were to drag a (?) 20 foot 25 diameter oak log up?
I have a tractor to unload.
What other ideas have you all come up with?
signed,
Logless in Florida :D

[MemphisLogger]

We use the 8000 lbs winch on the front of my truck (I have a hitch welded to the side of my winch carrier).

[Furby]

I have the same problem with the fenders. I decided to make some cheap runners for the logs to ride on.



I can only pull 1 or 2 logs at a time with my truck ( V-6 ), so this works pretty good. Make sure to bolt the runners to the trailer or they will lift off.  Getting the second log on takes a little work, but can be done.
Those are 4x6 wol. ramps. I broke one of the 4x6 pushing the first log I moved this way, off. The second log broke another 4x6 when I rolled it off.
I have a line on some galvanized I-beams 8' long, that I'm going to redo all this with.

[Tom]

Both DanG and Dead-header have a similar design. You can find it on the forum.  It is an arch built onto the back of the trailer that is attached to the log with a skid hook. The winch is attached to the arch.  The log is lifted as the arch is pulled forward and the log ends up on the trailer. You might have to rehook a couple or three times.  It's worth the search of the forum to find the loader.

[Engineer]

I just got an old beater trailer similar to the one in the picture above (similar in design, not saying that one's an old beater!) Square fenders like that.  I'm going to weld up some new steel plate fenders, reinforced with angle iron, and put a hand crank winch on a plate so that it can bolt onto the top of either fender.  I will weld some pins on the fender ends, so that I can use the box-beam ramps from my woodmizer on the trailer.  That way I can load logs on from either side just by using the winch.  If I do it right, the logs won't ever touch the fenders.  Unloading is a different story, but I guess I could unload that same way, or with a chainfall attached to an overhead support.

[rvrdivr]

Thanks guy's.
Tom, I will search for that post. Any idea what the heading was?
Furby, that is a good idea. I never thought of that. This is why I ask!

[Furby]

Engineer, no problem, that's my big rusty!  ;D
I actually just hook the winch to the fender with some chain. You do need to raise the winch a little so as not to cut the far fender with the cable. The second log is a little easier with the winch higher.

I love the arches that the others have, but I have raised mesh grating on the back end of the trailer. Getting them on wouldn't be the problem, getting them off makes a mess. This way I just roll the log down the ramps.

When I get the I-beams I'm going to set them up so I can hook up a set of hyd. loading arms right off of them, sometime down the road.  :

[Kevin]

You could always go with a removable fender like the LT-15 mill.

[Furby]

I thought about that, but my tires are still to high.  :-/

[Hokiemill]

Hey UrbanLogger (and others), a winch is in my future and I was wondering if you have found that the 8000 lb winch is big enough to drag and load most of the logs you deal with.  I've seen that you deal with some pretty big oaks that you quarter - did you drag/load them with your winch?

[LSUNo1]

I dont know how to link it but if you check out the thread titled "Desperate in New Orleans" begun on April 6, 04 you can see photos of my setup. I have a hydraulic winch mounted on front of my trailer. Any questions let me know.

Mitch (LSUNo1)

[Kedwards]

I use a warn 9.5 TI with the Future Forestry arch and have moved  oaks 40" in diameter on to my trailer without quartering.

[Tom]

I found this thread with a picture of Deadheader's trailer.  He has a thread somewhere describing how it works. ......at least one.

https://forestryforum.com/cgi-bin/board/YaBB.pl?board=sawmill;action=display;num=1039220319;start=0

[junkyard]

As long as your bucks clear the fenders just roll the logs right of fkerplunk. Dropped many a thousand feet that way off the old dummy job with trip bunks.
                     Junkyard

[DanG]

Brian, I'll try to get some pics of my rig posted tomorrow. You need a pretty good winch to pick them up this way, but a really good one doesn't cost much more than a mediocre one. I use a MileMarker 10,500lb hydraulic winch that cost a bit over a grand. It runs directly off the truck's power steering pump. I haven't found anything it won't pull, yet. It's the same one LSU#1 has mounted on his trailer.  It comes equipped with 100' of 3/8 cable.

Check in tomorrow nite for the pics, or, come up tomorrow and take the pics yourself. It ain't all that far from Branford to my place. ;D

[rvrdivr]

Alright I think I'm getting some ideas. Thanks for finding that thread Tom. I spent a few hours looking back at the older threads and found lots of good stuff.
Dang, I'd love to come see yah and I will soon, but I'm living in St. Augustine and that makes for a long trip. My mill is in Branford which I finally got delivered last week. I have photo's and will post soon.
Thanks again.

[MemphisLogger]

Hokiemill,

The 8000lbs Warn that we use has been more than sufficient for everything we've moved and we've only had to use our snatchblock where we couldn't get a straight pull.

One word of caution on electric winches--don't overheat them! :(

I burnt the motor on mine a month after the warranty expired  :'(

That said, we found a guy in Illinois that builds replacement motors that are much stouter (and powerful) than the original. And much, much cheaper      http://www.wms1.com/wms1/index.html

[oakiemac]

Urban logger, How could I get in touch with that guy in Texas? I'm looking for a 12vdc motor to raise and lower my mill. thanks.

[Swede]

I made a trailer for my boat.
The frame is fastened to the wheels as usal. Two bars for pulling are fastened to the frame with two bolts close to the wheels so I can flip the frame to ground in the back end when I load or unload the boat.  I pull the boat up with a winch. When the boat is loaded the frame flips forwards so I can fasten the front end to the bars. The bars is coupled to the car all the time.
I´ve also seen trailers with a crank pulling up or down the front end of the frame. Perhaps anyone have use for the idea?

Swede.

[D._Frederick]

Oakie,

Have you tried the Surplus Center for a 12 volt motor?  
WWW.surpluscenter.com

[rvrdivr]

Swede, that sounds like a tilt trailor? I have one for my boat too. Good idea. I think one would work well for a single log but not several.
I'm intrigued with Fl. Deadheaders loader and can't wait to see DanG's. I need to come see you guy's soon!!!

[DanG]

Hang in there, guys!  I took some pics today, but getting them sorted and compressed is a bigger job than I thought. I'll keep working on it.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Brian, we will be at the camp all next week. Slip over (AFTER making the appointment) :D and we can show ya how ours works. We still got that 24" Cypress on it

  DanG sorta, kinda, made his loader like ours. He MAY just show ya the Hootiemobile. That's HIS favorite loader  ;D :D :D

[MemphisLogger]

Oakiemac,

My bad--the guy is from Illinois and he does have quite a selection of specialized motors . . .

http://www.wms1.com/wms1/index.html

[raycon]

You can load a pretty decent size log with the woodmizer manual winch setup. (Largest I've moved to date with it is in the 24"(top) + 16' length(spruce). Took about 5 minutes to get it up onto the mill but it was quicker than refueling the tractor.
It looks like it would not be hard to duplicate the design to be added to a trailer.

on edit --
-- Starter motors (trucks/cars) have a lot of torque and are 12volts.