ATV and forestry

[ChrisF]

I've done some hauling of wood with the Yamaha Grizzly 660 we got at work. That thing has tons of power, and is a pleasure to haul stuff with.

[saltydog]

honda. honda. honda. nothing tougher .i have a 1995 300 4x4 it was my first skidder skided 40 acrs of ceader with it .get the air cooled model no radiators or oil coolers to worry about.i have draged 16ft spruce logs flat on the ground. oil changes and a couple of cv boots are the only repairs. i also pull a 8ft drag with it .i have pulled 23.1 x26 forestry tire on rim out of the woods .got it fixed pulled it back and put it on. my nieghbor had a polaris borrowed my drag for his garden burned up his belts in about 5 min.so i tilled his garden for him.he is on his 3rd polaris .you wont go wrong with a honda.they will go were a 2wd tractor only dreams of going.

[tapper2]

You can do a lot with a good quad and an arch. I have a 2005Honda rancher 350 and run chains on the rear when skidding. As long as you don't get carried away, you can get a lot done in a short amount of time.  

[Dakota]

Another vote for a Honda.  4x4 all the time

[chevytaHOE5674]

Another vote for a Honda.  4x4 all the time

Except that most older Hondas don't offer a front locking differential so you really only have 3wd. A machine with a front locking differential helps tremendously.

[shinnlinger]

if the deal is 125 acres I say get a tractor, but for $3500 you can get a basic Kei Truck  which might be an smart thing.

Here are some fancier units...

http://arklatexminitrucks.com/mini_trucks/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1

[Ironwood]

Govt Liquidation has those on occasion and some are 4x4.

Ironwood

[captain_crunch]

If I were to use an ATV I would build something like this to keep weight off 4 wheeler and prevent tipping over problem

The oversize tongs are just for show but it works well and if you put swivel in hitch it might keep you from going over if things go south on you
8n Fords have there place but woods aint one of them they are known for leaky wheel seals and NO brakes in brush ain't good. If I had to I would hold out for a Good used 4X4 Kabota or something simular. But size and length of what you are skidding is the bottom line
Critter above has a Boat hand winch and has since had arch changed to be higher. Will try for pic of revamped one tomorrow
Brian

[NB sawdust]

Another vote for honda!! Patches likes the hondas too so make that two votes..They always get you home !

[SwampDonkey]

I'm looking at a 2020 Honda Foreman 520 and a forestry trailer with articulation. The trailer is the MUTS (multi-use trailer system), made in Canada in Bancroft, Ontario. muts.ca

Any of you guys use Foreman models for puttering around the farm? My plan is to use it to thin out firewood and fence post sized rails for corduroying trails across damp spots. I have lots of narrow trails. It's a 2000 lb capacity trailer, but I wouldn't haul more than 500 lb of firewood a trip. Ground is flat with small hummocks.

[62oliver]

I say an older Honda too.
I have a 2003 TRX350, over 13,000km on it now, almost all on my own trails, 1st and 2nd gear. No serious issues.
I'm not really a fan of actually skidding with an ATV though, but I guess that Logrite arch looks like it works pretty well.
If it is just for a bit of firewood I would suggest cutting it up on the spot and hauling the blocks out with a ATV trailer. The trailer serves other purposes too.
Before I had a skidder I just cut them up where they landed and threw the blocks into the bucket of the 310. Only problem was I was restricted to good dry ground with that machine. Did it with the skid steer too, but same issue.

[Skeans1]

I'm looking at a 2020 Honda Foreman 520 and a forestry trailer with articulation. The trailer is the MUTS (multi-use trailer system), made in Canada in Bancroft, Ontario. muts.ca

Any of you guys use Foreman models for puttering around the farm? My plan is to use it to thin out firewood and fence post sized rails for corduroying trails across damp spots. I have lots of narrow trails. It's a 2000 lb capacity trailer, but I wouldn't haul more than 500 lb of firewood a trip. Ground is flat with small hummocks.

We looked at the another Honda a few years ago but opted for a Grizzly 700 it's been great for forestry spraying and rides much better as well.

[mike_belben]

I have way overworked a king quad 300 for a few years now and its achillies heal is air cooled.  WOT for 6 minutes up a hill at 1mph will overheat it every time.   Its a lot of machine for the $900 i gave but has its limits. 

My deere 140 would outpull the quad and my old kubota L175 would outpull the deere.  Theyd all fit on the same trail and all about the same for backflip danger.  The quad can usually get itself through the most rugged terrain TO the log but then is the least capable of dragging it back.  

The quad will self destruct the fastest by far and is a pain to work on with everything buried under plastic. 

[snowstorm]

Dirt track did a comparison between a Honda and a 570 Polaris. They said it wasn't really fair. The Honda cost more and had 28hp or so the Polaris was 44 hp and rode way better. For those that say but it s belt drive. Nothing wrong with that. My 155hp snowmobile doesn't have any trouble with belts. Or my 100hp general.with a ate or sxs put it low range it will be fine. Somewhere I read some of the Honda's have a sealed auto trans. If it needed to be repaired it had to go back to Japan. That may have changed now. We I was looking for a new sxs I had two Honda dealers tell me I would not like it. They said it's slow doesn't ride good and it hunts gears a lot. Around here it's mostly Polaris then canam with a few kawasika sxs.

[snowstorm]

Swamp go across the border to chandler in mapleton and look at a mid side ranger. Only 6" wider than a atv and it has a dump body. Much easier to get in and out of. Just in case your getting old 

[SwampDonkey]

I'd never drag anything on a wheeler, it would need to be off the ground at the front at least.

I actually like the Polaris Sportsman 850 Premium, with some added accessories for racks and guards. It's 4" higher clearance than the Honda. Direct drive to. 78 HP

I might actually get a smaller trailer, I'll have to see what is available locally. If I could get a wheel barrow sized load of cut firewood into a home made carrier that would be just fine to.

[snowstorm]

I'd never drag anything on a wheeler, it would need to be off the ground at the front at least.

I actually like the Polaris Sportsman 850 Premium, with some added accessories for racks and guards. It's 4" higher clearance than the Honda. Direct drive to. 78 HP

I might actually get a smaller trailer, I'll have to see what is available locally. If I could get a wheel barrow sized load of cut firewood into a home made carrier that would be just fine to.

when you pull the trigger on that bad boy you better hang on.  top speed would be 75. a used ranger 900 or 1000. find one with doors roof and heat. the body is big enought you wouldnt need a trailer. whatever you get should have turf mode

[SwampDonkey]

This one, not a side by. With armour and 10-ply tires.

[snowstorm]

This one, not a side by. With armour and 10-ply tires.

that with the 850 is a rocket ship on wheels. dirt trax on you tube watch some. there is also one that is 55" wide. i have 2 of the 500 sportsman. they were pretty much trouble free. if you are going to haul either in the bed or a trailer and then trail ride a ranger is far better. i have a general and my wife has a ranger. both have full doors and a heater. the tow rating on a ranger is 2000 lbs or more

[SwampDonkey]

Yeah the Ranger 570 has a tow of 1500 lb, 44 hp, 500 lb dump load capacity, direct drive. I'd get the roof and just the windshield to keep the bugs out of my teeth. Don't need to be fully enclosed as I won't be out in the snow cutting firewood and don't want mess with doors. Won't have to haul a trailer around in the woods. This makes a lot more sense for my needs.

[snowstorm]

Good choice. Now full size 60" or 55".? With power steering? Painted? Or not? Tuff mode is nice makes it one wheel drive to save the lawn

[SwampDonkey]

58" wide, just the sage green, no electronic power steering, but will get 3500 lb winch.

The shop don't really work today, but a fella was around until noon answer'n email. Then I switched gears for the Ranger after he was gone. So won't hear back until Monday I suspect. Going down next bad weather day.

[snowstorm]

Our ranger has the synthetic rope on the winch with a wired remote. That has auto stop. When the rope gets all the way in it stops. If you ride the trails you will want a back window. With just a windshield it will blow the dust in from the rear. They are several rangers on Craig's list. Saw one 900 had 500 miles on it

[SwampDonkey]

You can just put a poly screen on the back for about $50 to keep the dust away. But my trails here are not high speed. I just crawl along. I don't ride groomed trails, got enough trails of my own.

[Walnut Beast]

Power steering is nice