Hello all
New to the site, live outside Duluth area of MN. Work at a paper mill during the week and spend my time off tinkering in the woods with some small(ish) equipment. Harvest some wood for bandsawmill and OWB. Spend the rest of my time hunting, trapping and fishing (in that order).
Any way just seeing if there's other MN locals on the site. Got a few questions for the professionals on main line-choker cable set ups for MN wood (maybe I over thinking it??)
Welcome to The Fourum. I'm a little south from Duluth in Wis. I'm wondering what kind of cable Skidder are you going to be pulling wood with?
you found a great forum. welcome. i live a little east of duluth. i'm a hobby logger and mostly harvest dead and dying trees on my own property with a log arch and 4-wheeler. jg
I'll be pulling wood with a repurposed Bombardier Muskeg. Not a conventional cable skidder. But it now has a hydraulic winch, arch (near finished), weighs around 7k lbs (I think) and is powered by a Chrysler straight 6 (125hp).
I'm wondering how big main line should I run for 1 cord sized drag? Plan on 4-6 chokers, but would like to know what other people run for main line, slider size, style of choker ...etc
I'm 45 min northwest of duluth. I have a C4 treefarmer and run about the same # of chokers. I'm not a 100% sure but believe it's a 5/8" mainline.
you may get more response if you post in the forestry and logging forum. it's been 40 years since i worked in the woods for a living but the timberjack skidder we used had 5/8 swedged mainline and 5 chokers. i think the chokers were 1/2 inch cable. jg
I think a 5/8" mainline was pretty common. I'm 2 hours west of Duluth.
Welcome to the forum. I wish I was a Minnesotan. One of my favorite places to be is along the north shore and the boundary waters, gun flint trail area.
I use a 5/8 main line and 9/16 chockers I have a TC 500 International track skidder . I live just out of Grand Rapids . Mostly I process firewood .
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So there's the Bombardier Muskeg, testing the new hydraulic set up today on a few aspen before the sun went down.
Had it all fabricated, mounted, plumbed a few days ago. But trouble with pressure relief bypass valve on both winch and spool valve had me scratching my head. Joy's of ordering things from overseas...
Anyway all working now, winches in/out, free spools and hyd brake works. Machine has come pretty far from being left for dead. Still needs paint. Ended up with 9/16 mainline and 4 chokers. Tomorrow I'll get a full day running and see how it goes.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/58671/Snapchat-1910483758.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1585265509)
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Its warming up fast and losing snow but so far the 8k lb winch can pull in about as much as I can maneuver in these mashed potato conditions. I can already tell my skid trails need to be widened a few feet. Bombardier is 7'6" and the 4wd tractor was only 6'.
It's definitely getting mushy out there.
Nice looking muskeg, post some side pics if you get a chance. I'm finishing up my 2nd Muskeg for the same purpose, they are not as nimble as a J5 in the bush ,but can really pull .
J 5
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/58671/Screenshot_20200322-213716_Photos.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1585354820)
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There's the only side shots on my phone. What vintage bombardier do you have? I'd like to hear about your set ups on them and/or ideal set ups.
I've got another iron in the fire yet on this bombi. I've got a New Holland 12 ton ag running gear (steerable front, tandem rear with ag float tires) and a smaller gafner loader that need to be mounted. Still in the design phase as i don't have an exact size/weight I'd like to have loaded on trailer and still be able to pull it.
Do you have a bash plate on the rear to protect U/C? It hasn't taken long to figure out I need one.
You need some metal screen behind your seat to protect you from a broken cable, too.
My neighbours 1968 muskeg, with a boom. You might want to rake your arch back, as the measurements on this one is 22in from the back bumper to the cable hanging straight down off the roller, total height is 4' 10 in from top of roller to the ground. I'll be going with this when I fab up mine.
Trailer wise no problem for a Muskeg to pull, they just don't like to turn. Could go with hyd steering between the trailer and the machine , myself I pack a good road and no sharp curves when hauling.
J 5
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Quote from: barbender on March 27, 2020, 10:59:51 PM
You need some metal screen behind your seat to protect you from a broken cable, too.
Point taken I have a sheet of expanded steel just for it. Few other things left to do as well, mount blade and cylinders, new seat and new cab roof.