tractor for small time logging

[chevytaHOE5674]

N's have their place in history and around the farm but I wouldn't take one in the woods IMO. Their front axles are very light duty and repeated loader use can stress and break it (parted 4-5 N's out in the last few years that suffered severe front end damage). And I just got done rebuilding the front end of my ferguson TO-30 (almost identical to an N) because of years of loader use. They also lack live hydraulics and live pto. Very few N's have ROPS, and many have been injured when the tractors go over.

If your going to truly use the tractor there are much better alternatives to the N with a similar price tag IMO.

[timberfaller390]

I totaly agree. I have worked on about every brand and age of tractor you can imagine and the N series as well as similar sized ferguson, international and pretty much any row crop model are too lite and have no place in the woods. I watched a friends uncle stand a JD model M straight up in the air when a log hung on a rock. This was on flat ground. He jumped off and killed the motor just as the tractor started to come of the ground(how he could think to do all that and not think to hit the clutch I'll never know) but by the time the engine was shut down it had the front end pointed skyward.

[steveforest]

8N is not really geared very low and yes, must have roll over protection(ROPS). I've got a Ford 2110 38 HP 4X4 with loader. works great. Wish I had a winch, but I can buy a used skidder for not much more than a new winch.

[captain_crunch]

T-F 290
Reason clutch did not get disengauged was due to you have to push them foreward and when a Tractor rears up opperator is generalaly grapping at anything to stay on board and pushing a lever ahead just don't happen. This killed lots of people.
8&9 N fords don't have a very heavy front end for a loader but they done it for years. There are lots better choices now days but in yester year Ford made a version of them called a Woods Tractor had an arched front axle canopy and skid pans. I prefur a crawler for the brush farm tractors just don't have the stability for hills nor the tires to resist logging hazards but we use what we got just need to be aware of their limitations

[Green Wood]

I use a newer 26 or 28 horse Kubota, BX series, with a bucket. I just chain around the drawbar and pick'em of the ground, It puls out two pretty big 16 footers and dosen't think twice. I could pull more but it wont fit on the drawbar I also pull out single 40 footers and it works fine for that. I also run ice chains on it and I think that helps alot.

[Knute]

I have used an Allis CA and WD for years. Extended the two lift arms and put a bar accross for lifting one end of the log. Have skidded logs 24"+.