So I am coming to you guys because In know you guys collectively have done it all. I have a white oak about 80 yards from where I need it in the woods. It is down a hill,/hills from my landing which is a paved culdesac. From my landing to the location of the tree is maybe a 50' elevation drop with a few undulations. I have no clue how to move this tree because of its size. What I have is a 10,000# winch on a 3 point hitch, one block, and about 250' of 5 ton cable. I am looking to go low cost, so much so that if it takes me 3 days to get it out, I will for little investment. I will get some pictures up of my situation, so you all have an idea what I'm looking at
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/25727/IMG_20131008_154725_697%7E0.jpg)
Know anyone with a swing-blade / chainsaw slabber (Peterson or Lucas?)
Big log, out of the way location etc. They are designed for that stuff. Take the mill to the log and haul out the sawn boards / slabs.
Ian
Do you have a anchor at the top of the hill to attach your block to that will increase your pulling power but sounds like you are limited to the strength of your cable try bucking the tree off in to desired log length and pulling up one log at a time that is a good size white oak good luck
I have a 3pt winch on a 40 hp tractpr. We had a white pine that was about that size. We rolled it up a hill to get it to the woods road. Once we got it in the road,it was all the tractor wanted,but we got it to the landing. It took a while to do it. My Father ran the winch and I would put a piece of wood under the big log and another one behind it so it would not rol back down the hill so I could adjust the chain and start the whole process again.
Are you planning or capable of milling it all at once? If you have a big chainsaw, split it right there, it'd be a little easier to skid out.
I have done what you want, several times, pulling logs up a 20% (40°) incline, using a 3000# super winch, boat trailer winch, 12V. I use ¼" steel cable, and tie a 6" snatch block up in a tree near the log(s), and pass the winch line through the block.
This way, you lift the log before it starts to drag. Makes things MUCH easier. My wife steers the log with a cant hook, so it doesn't hang up on trees as it comes up the hill. Sometimes I have to steer while she winches. It's slow but works.
Throw a line up the trees as needed, and pull the snatch block up, after passing the winch line through it.
Move the snatch block as needed.
Ian has the best idea, but, you wanted cheap, so, this will do it. Also helps to put a snout on the cable, so the log face won't plow a furrow as it moves.
Take photos or it won't happen. Good luck, be VERY careful. :) :)
If you are anchoring to trees, use a sling and not a chain so you don't damage the other trees when pulling.
another trick, if you cant pull from up high, is put an old car hood under the front end of the log. it acts like a sled and keeps the log from plowing a trench.
We removed a lot of trees in 2012 from a residential site. I bought a log skid come from Country Home Products (DR Power). It cost $130, is made of yellow ABS, has a chain Hole in the front tip and worked well with my DR Power AT2 field and brush mower as the tractor puller. The job order was to cut the logs to firewood length so we didn't have to load onto a truck and haul. Hope this helps.
Well I am going to try the block in tree route first. I just bought a 3 point hitch adapter plate for my skidsteer. The 10,000# winch I have, is mounted on a 3 point hitch set up so that we could use it on the back of a 100hp john deered we "used" to have. I am hoping that the skidsteer will be a heavy enough anchor point for the winch; I believe it weighs 6,500lbs,......I suppose I can always hook my dually to it, if it doesn't want to stay put. I will post pics when this happens, and report back. Thanks guys!
Won't work. ::) The process of the winch line going up and then down, will have the same effect on the anchor as it does on the log.That log will weigh close to what that skid steer weighs. You need to anchor that winch set up to a decent sized tree.
Be VERY sure that rope holding the block will also support the weight of the log.There is a LOT of force on that rope. Double it if need be. You are going to be playing with TONS of weight.
Another rig we made up, for pulling heavy logs in sugar sand, uphill, was a solid front axle from a pickup, that we worked under the logs and chained the log fast. Then we used that same winch to pull the logs and load them onto the trailer.
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The axle is barely visible right behind the trailer.
Putting a block in a tree is how high lead logging got started... works very well...
biggest issue is getting the weight off one end of that log, once you accomplish that it don't take much to move em
Find something solid to anchor to on top of that hill and make sure to anchor that block as well
How long is this log anyway? and can it be shorter? you'll find that hanging a block is actually very effective. Making more than one pass not a big deal.
If it comes down to it you can get another block and tie it to you log run the winch line through it and anchor it somewhere up hill but close to the winch doubling your power, I've had to do this with skidders and dozers before. Just be careful you don't get hung up on something and then try to jerk hard on it, thats how things break when your running at the max rate...
hunz:
Sir: there have been some very good suggestions both concerning safety and getting the job done. IMO what you need is a good old fashioned stoneboat the at least the length of the log. Roll and block the log(s) on it and then pull the stoneboat out with the log. I have built a few stone boats out of 1/2" plywood, but I was using a 16HP garden tractor not a large winch. Wishing you the best in your endeavor. Gerald
We had a stone boat when I was a kid. It was old then, but it sure worked. Anybody know where you can find one now? No big deal to replace the wood. It's the cast iron front that you need.
Don't think they need a cast iron front.
Used plenty of different designs of a stone boat, and never recall seeing one with a cast iron front. But likely would help them last a bit longer, but still have to replace the wood.
I wish dad had kept it when we moved. It was probably 50 years old then and going strong. Just needed new planking. It might have brought $5 at the sale in 1967.
We had one of those. My Father gave it to my brother,just the front part. I doubt he ever did anything with it. Seem like it was only about 3 feet wide? The front was curved up and there was a lip to put the planks into. There was a big ring in the front to hook onto it with. There was some work in the design of it.My Father said they used it a lot. I hauled off piles of rocks next to the wall. They had time to haul them next to the wall,but no time to put the rocks on the wall.
Ours was probably 3-4 feet wide and maybe 6-8 ft long. It has been a long time....
Left the ground slick and just packed enough that it was easy for a kid to walk across a worked field without sinking in and getting shoes full of dirt. We hauled a lot of boulders too big for the loader with it. ;D
Well it sure has been a long time since my last post....the tree still stands. Thank you guys for all of your ideas, I think I am going to work off of a mixture of them to get the job done. I now no longer have a winch to work with, I am still undecided if I will buy one, so here goes on the plan. I just bought a 300' rope cable if that makes sense. I am pretty sure it is a glorified bull rope that is 3/4" thick. It is rated at 8,000# working load with a breaking strength of 26,000#. I am hoping that I can use this to span my large gap in between where the tree stands and my paved culdesac landing. I am planning on hooking it first through my 6" block high up in a tree(via a warn tree protector strap rated @26,000#) and then to a ball on my reese hitch of my 7,000# f-250 powerstroke. I am thinking if I also link up my wife's AWD V8 explorer to my truck we can both pull that thing up with 12,000# of car driving on asphalt.
The only other option I see is to buy a 9,000# winch from harbor freight along with the reese hitch mount. Tie off my front end of the truck to a large tree or anchor point, and pull from there still using my block. My wife's father in law lent me the block, and claims that he has moved some massive trees by just hooking a cable to the truck and driving. To me I am not convinced that simple driving my truck and suv while hooked to this thing will be enough. I suppose we will just have to see, this should take place sometime in the next 2 weeks permitting this snow doesn't turn into a blizzard!
OK Dumb question, but once you get to the landing how are you going to handle it? May affect how long you buck the logs too.
hunz, how long are the logs that you're trying to get out of this tree?
I would recommend one snatch block up high on a tree with rope from log running through it so that the rope lifts front of log. I would then use a second snatch block on the log itself. One end of the rope tied to truck ( may have to use extension) one end of rope tied to tree with block. If you can keep the end of log from digging in you could get by without the block in tree. Myself, I'd use a slide under the front of log and use both snatch blocks to pull with if it was me. " You can move the world with enough snatch blocks"
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12331/log_drag.jpg)
Do you know anyone with a skidder it would make short work of your problem.If you have to buy a new9000 lb winch just to pull this tree out it might be cheaper and a lot safer to hire a skidder.Just a thought.
Do you have access to a few short lengths of larger diameter steel pipe?
Get the pipes under the log and use them as rollers and just keep leap frogging them up the hill as you pull the log up.
Its amazing how easy something so large can move if it isn't dragging on the dirt.
New Holland lx665 skid steer. It may be a real weight limit battle, but I'm sure I'll come up with something. I can always rent a big skid loader if if became a necessity.
Quote from: Rockn H on February 11, 2014, 11:42:45 AM
hunz, how long are the logs that you're trying to get out of this tree?
I would recommend one snatch block up high on a tree with rope from log running through it so that the rope lifts front of log. I would then use a second snatch block on the log itself. One end of the rope tied to truck ( may have to use extension) one end of rope tied to tree with block. If you can keep the end of log from digging in you could get by without the block in tree. Myself, I'd use a slide under the front of log and use both snatch blocks to pull with if it was me. " You can move the world with enough snatch blocks"
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12331/log_drag.jpg)
I believe I will buy another block and give this a go. The problem with getting someone with a skidder is the fact that there is no easy way down to the tree. The slope next to the culdesac is at least a 50* incline around 80' in length. Once you hit the bottom of the slope it is fairly flat as drawn in the diagram. There are very large poplars growing too close together to get anything more than a 35d john deere excavator between them. I would also have to traverse an old deep creek which isn't but 15' from where the tree sits. I will do my best to get this all on video, should be interesting!
Got any contacts that have a wrecker? If you buy a harbor freight winch get the 12,000 lb. Usually 299.00 on sale. Also buy the wireless remote. 29.00. Best thing since sliced bread.
A skidder could sit at the top just drag the mainline down to the tree and winch it up,most mainlines I've been around are at least 100 feet long,if the tree is 80 ft down the bank that would be plenty.
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My son and I have moved some unbelieveable size logs with a 5700 Kubota farm tractor and a boom pole on the back. The key is something I learned from the old old old timers. You need to have a few roll poles laying under the tree to help it skid along. If the tree is big enough we actually lay them down and let the tree fall on top of the poles when felling it. Hope this helps and good luck. Be careful!!!!!!!!
I think the skidder or wrecker idea would be the best time and money wise, especially if you had some rollers under that log, either peeler cores from a veneer mill, fence posts, or pipe sections, not saying your solution won't work, but if it does not or something breaks then it will cost more and get frustrating, heaven forbid you damage the wife's car. I have tried things where I figured it would work by patching this and that together, sometimes it was fine, other times it was one of those learning lessons, if anything that the wife claimed as hers was damaged I usually never hear the end of it.
In the diagram from RockH that will not work too good as you will lift the rear of the truck off the ground, thus losing traction. If you are going to pull that log with the truck you will have to rig your cable so that it pulls down on the back of the truck. This will give you some good traction. Cheers, Old Iron nut.