I was going to take a break for a few days from the crazy heat here(93 w/heat index over 100), but when I decided to do a drive by one of my first come first serve log spots guess what was sitting there. Nice pile of walnut logs so back home to get the trailer and stuff for a little scavenging. A few hours later and a few pounds lighter for me and I have some new logs to add to the pile. Hard to pass up walnut around here.
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I agree....can't pass up free walnut. My trailer looks similar right now.
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I am re-rigging my crane/hoist/winch setup after breaking cable on my HF 2500 winch today. I like that a-frame set-up you have. Can you add photo of how that is attached to the rear of the trailer and also close-up of the top of a-frame. thanks
It sits in a stake pocket with a 1" bolt as a hinge. At the top I have a 3/4" threaded rod drilled thru right near the peak. My chain hoist hangs from it.
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I use a 5000lb HF winch. You could put a pulley at the tongs and attach the end of cable to end of crane. Double your lift.
Excellent photos and great simple solution. This will be my next project. I already have a 9000lb superwinch that rarely gets used because I don't have this type of pivot frame yet. I left two more walnut logs similar to the ones in your photo because I could not lift with my current set up and without the overhead pivot frame I could not slide up from the back of the trailer. I could fabricate out of structural tubing but I never get around to learning how to weld because I'm too busy trying to build the wood business. Thanks for the info.
Same here. I'm not a metal worker. I'm a woodworker, so I make everything with wood. I had a thread about my loader last year you might want to read. There's more info about it and lots of great suggestions from other folks.
http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=102281.msg1589508#msg1589508 (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=102281.msg1589508#msg1589508)
I dug a couple of 4x6 out of the wood pile and put my a-frame together after seeing firefighter's version. tried it out this morning and it worked pretty well. Also big difference using my 9500 Superwinch vs HF2500. Learned a few things this time to make better use of it next time. Need to add chains to both sides to prevent full drop once a-frame goes over center. Also log tongs work well getting log up to trailer they become more cumbersome trying to pull it up to front of trailer. They are too long to drag log far enough forward on longer log. I used a strap on the second one. Other issue is I need to setup a better way to unload at home. I don't have a tractor so need to unload on my paved driveway so I can move with pallet jack. Closest tree to connect the snatch block is pretty far away so I barely have enough winch cable to pull it off. All in all it worked pretty well and I ended up with nice oak and maple logs as a part of the learning process.
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park another vehicle somewhere and hook winch to that to unload.
I had a thought for log arch like that using gas charged shocks. Connect them to the frame using bolt on top with a plate and bolt on bottom that is hinged off the frame. Then as the frame gets passed center it will drop and hit the gas charged shock slowing the fall and not allow it to go to low. Will minimize the abuse on the entire rig and make a physical stop to prevent having to lift it back up.
Yep think that would be good, I built my with out any chains or stop on it and it is almost too heavy to pick it back up. And the first time I used it the log was so heavy and I had it pick up too high and busted the boards in the bottom of my trailer but Daddy said I could tear up about anything ;D
I'm glad the basic plan worked for you. I use my smaller set of tongs for loading. I can get logs pretty close to front of trailer. Also, I will sometimes use the next log I'm loading to push on the previous one if I need to get it further forward. I have used chains sometimes to keep the a frame from coming crashing down. Though the last time I used it, I did not use chains and it crashed down pretty hard. I can see breaking a floor board.
@Downstream (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=31739) not sure if you have already seen a set up to off load, there is some pretty good videos by Matt Cremona on you tube with his log arch set up and uses the same winch setup for lifting, just routes the cable to rear of trailer and back around the front of the log, when winching in, pull the log off the back of the trailer, pretty simple and slick I think.