my logs too big to move

[opticsguy]

Dropped a tree much earlier this year and now need to move them to my mill, only about 200 feet in distance.  These are in the woods, and although I can drag them, the last one hundred feet is across my lawn.  Too heavy to lift 16' and 18' logs with my tractor.   So have any of you resorted to splitting logs prior to hauling to your mill?   Logs are about 24-29" diameter.  My chainsaw has a 20" bar.  So is it possible for me to split this with my chainsaw and then move?  Would it be worth purchasing a chainsaw blade for ripping?  Thoughts and comments please.

PS, no time to design and build a log carrier. Gotta beat the rains and not chew up my lawn.

[dgdrls]

Your neighbors have bigger tractors?

You could split the logs, but with 20" bar and 16' to 18' logs you will be cutting for a good while and burning lots of fuel.

DGDrls

[Tom the Sawyer]

If you have a TK 1220 could you take the mill to the logs?  Might not be your first choice but even a temporary setup could save a lot of damage to your yard.

[redbeard]

If they won't roll you could use some small diameter logs and move them like the ancestor's did. Had to do that once over a septic field. Its very handy having a 28" or 32" chainsaw for quartering the big ones. Not looking forward to the wet rainy season that's coming soon either.

[5quarter]

do you need them that long? if not, you can cut them in half. If you have a bucket on your tractor, you can roll them to the mill. If push comes to shove, you can always get them pointed toward the mill, then lay 4 6' round posts, equally spaced at a right angle to the log and roll the log on top of them. chain the end of the log to your tractor and it should roll nicely. you will need a second person to leap frog the posts about every 4' as you are pulling. time consuming, but it will leave the lawn intact and get logs to mill with what you currently have available.

[Brad_S.]

Very hard to rip a log freehand without loosing a LOT of lumber due to crooked cuts. I would consider ripping a log only if I had a way to keep the cut flat and true like an alaskan style mill, but then you would need a longer bar. Even though the rip may not look bad to the eye, you will be surprised at how far off it is once you get it on the mill. Been there, done that.

[schmism]

they make and inexpensive version that you can run blind tip with nothing but a 2x ontop as a straight edge

OFFSITE IMAGES NOT ALLOWED PLEASE READ FORUM RULES

but im in the camp of calling in a favor for a larger tractor or cutting down to 8-9' logs

[customsawyer]

Does your mill have the trailer package? I have split many big logs with a chain saw with very little waste but I have had lots of practice. ;)

[jdonovan]

sounds like a perfect job for a log arch.

[Nomad]

     A big enough logging arch would work, but might still drag the butt end.  But you don't have one, so not an option.
     As said, unless you need lumber that long I'd cut to lengths you can handle.  That would be easiest.  Otherwise turn them sideways and roll them.  It doesn't take long for a few guys with peaveys to roll a log quite a ways.

[bama20a]

No help on moving the logs,But I'd like to know where Schmism,Got the clamp from ;D,Looks like it would come in handy.

[DR Buck]

Sounds to me like all possible solutions are not workable for you.    Look like you should get out a shovel and rake and buy a bag of grass seed.   :D

[YellowHammer]

You really only have to lift up one end of the log at a time, not the whole log to get it to your mill.  You should be able to do that with your 3 point hitch on your tractor, and it generally has a higher weight capacity than your loader hydraulics. Then the only thing dragging wil be the last few feet of the other end of the log.  You can put something under that, either wheels or a makeshift skidding sled. It doesn't have to be fancy, anything handy will work for the short distance.

Do you have any sort of trailer? Any sort of wheels? You don't need a log arch, but anything with wheels, such as an old car axle or trailer axle from the junk yard will work.  A utility trailer, old boat trailer, etc. Lift up one end of the log, and slide it under, just that end.

Go to the other side and use the three point on the tractor to lift the other end, to get the entire log off the ground, and drive off.

Good luck
YH

[j napier]

we took a cherry picker and made a log arch out of it work's good. lol just some south east ky. hillbilly thing..but it works..

[sawdusty1]

If you have a box blade roll it with that using your lift in conjunction with pushing it.  Push on each end to steer it.

[opticsguy]

Thanks for every ones suggestions.  i am dragging these out of the woods and onto the lawn and then 100 feet to the saw.  Mill does not move and really dont want to re-landscape.  cutting the logs shorter eliminate the 16 and 18' boards i need. i normally use my 3-point home made forklift to move logs but these are too heavy.  the biggest difficulty seems to be getting the logs out onto the lawn without great damage, then i could roll em to the log staging area.

Making a log arch is an option but running out of time.    Seems the best idea is to find smaller trees in the lengths i need.

Ok. got more thinking to do, thanks everyone.

[Qweaver]

I welded grab hooks on short chains to my loader arms as far back as I could and still clear the front of the tractor.  This almost trippled my lifting capacity.  But care must be used as this is seriously over loading the front tires!    I only do this to load really heavy logs onto the Peterson and on level ground.

[schmism]

No help on moving the logs,But I'd like to know where Schmism,Got the clamp from ;D,Looks like it would come in handy.

My "mill" is a "real" Alaskan sawmill,  but what i posted was a variant of what is called "the beam machine"  google it.  you can find it at various retailers,  I dont know if any of the forum sponsors carry it. 

for those of you who have band mills and may never have "milled" with a chain saw.  save your self the time and get a ripping chain on the front end.

[Keystone31]

My next investment is actually an Alaska Mill. I already have Spruce butts over 30" dropped off at least a year ago. At 8', there's no cutting them shorter and the Kubota L3800 just won't get the job done.

[barbender]

I think Redbeard has the only viable option that fits the narrow parameters you laid out- you need to move big, long logs across your lawn without tearing it up. Take 4' long and say 8-10" diameter logs, they should be smooth and straight, and use them for rollers.

[Andy B.]

I like the idea of using smaller logs laid out to roll the big log across.  I have moved lots of heavy equipment that way.
If you don't have a lot of small logs laying around to use as rollers, then Yellow Hammer had a great idea.  Get a sheet of plywood or thick sheet of plastic and put one end of the log on it.  You may have to figure out a way to hold the front edge of the plywood/plastic to the log.  Then lift the other end of the log with your 3-point and pull it that way.  I have also used a similar method as this to move large heavy things.  Well, in my case we used an old car hood.  If you have an old car hood laying around it would work great!  Your wife might not appreciate you using the hood from her car.  :D

Andy B.

[maple flats]

What are these logs? I now use my excavator, but in the past I used a 25 HP 4x4 Ford tractor/FEL to move some rather heavy logs. On the heaviest one I hooked chains around the cross members back a little ways from the bucket pins. Being closer to the tractor almost doubled what I could lift off the bucket. Make sure you have lots of weight on the 3 pt hitch, and go real slow. Don't try it when you've had rain in the last few days for less damage to the lawn. My Ford had a grill guard and a cross member almost 2' behind the bucket. When I lifted a heavy log it lightly rode the grill guard.

[NCDiesel]

I think Redbeard has the only viable option that fits the narrow parameters you laid out- you need to move big, long logs across your lawn without tearing it up. Take 4' long and say 8-10" diameter logs, they should be smooth and straight, and use them for rollers.

X3

I hate carrying firewood so I have done this a bunch of time to bring the logs closer to the truck.   Here are some notes to save wear and tear on the log, lawn and psyche:

1 - I double end the chain so I am closer to pulling from the axis of the log.  By this I mean I wrap both ends of the chain on the log and pull from the middle of the chain(plow clevis helps here).   Just wrapping one end and pulling offset from one side makes the log want to dive and swerve.
2 - Don't be cheap with the smaller roller logs.   Cut a bunch of them and make them as long as viable.  I think the 4' suggestion is good. 
3 - Pull from the hitch of the tractor, but have a boom pole attached in case you need to lift the front to assist getting a roller underneath.
4 - Rougher the ground, the bigger the rollers need to be. 
5 - Knots and branch nubs make it harder so pick a flat side(next suggestion helps you stay on the flat side too).
6 - Having two people helping to move rollers from back to front is much better than one.


Good luck and be careful!

[opticsguy]

My final results:

After moving the 16' long by 25" diameter log using rollers and pushing and rolling, I have decided these logs are too big.  Trying to get this log loaded up properly and safely onto the mill is gonna take some planning.  Too heavy for my 1300# three point lift.  Also, after pushing and pulling and rolling and pushing more, I think less damage to my lawn to have simply dragged the log. 

So, will cut the other logs which are even larger, to shorter lengths for other projects and find some smaller diameter trees/logs for the 18 footers i need.

Thanks everyone.

[beenthere]

opticsguy
We really do need some pics. ;)