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General Forestry => Forestry and Logging => Topic started by: gwilson on June 10, 2012, 05:04:51 PM

Title: Skidding With tractor
Post by: gwilson on June 10, 2012, 05:04:51 PM
Hello Im fairly new to Forestry Forum and have found some good info on here so far. I just started logging on the commercial scale and am skidding for the tim being with a tractor. This is going fairly well but needs to be faster. Does anyone have any tips on moving wood faster. were currently cutting hardwood pulpwood in the Peidmont of SC and skidding with a 105 hp john deere using a chain. looking for a faster solution. Thank you for your input and have a nice day.
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: postville on June 10, 2012, 05:09:43 PM
A Valby winch will triple your production. Get a cable snatch block too.
This was one of the best investments I have ever made. Bob
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: Raider Bill on June 10, 2012, 05:37:32 PM
Do a search here about tractor skidding. You will find many good threads.

Welcome to the FF!
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: JDeere on June 10, 2012, 09:21:55 PM
Welcome to the forum. As postville said, get a winch. There are a number of good winches on the market for tractors, such as: Farmi, Fransgard, Valby, etc. Your increase in production will pay for it in no time. Stay Safe!
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: thecfarm on June 10, 2012, 10:01:16 PM
You have to get a 3pt winch. The price might scare you,but I've had one since '93 and have done nothing to it but replaced the cable 3-4 times. I've hauled out some mighty good size pine with it. Now I just do my firewood with it. I run 5 slides on it and if things go right I fill them all sometimes. But that depends on how big and long the trees are too.With that 105 hp tractor you should be able to bring some wood out with it. If you do buy one,make up some shorter chains for the small stuff. No need to run 6 feet of chain through a slide. I have 5 chains just over 3 feet long.
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: MHineman on June 11, 2012, 01:12:31 AM
  I say again... get a skidding winch and a self releasing snatch block.

  I log with a 40 hp 4WD tractor and a Wallenstein FX90 winch.  9,000 lb pull on the winch.  I pulled an Ash log at least 38" DIB and 20' long up a hill. 

  With your tractor get a bigger winch since you will be able to pull bigger logs and more importantly be able to pull the bigger logs to the log yard.  I have more issue pulling the logs to the yard than pulling them with the winch.

  I prefer to use tongs to hook to the log instead of choke chains.
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: KyLogger on June 11, 2012, 06:27:41 PM
I logged for a good while with a 80hp MF tractor and a 75hp NH tractor both with chains......slow.............best thing I ever did before purchasing a skidder was to build a 3 pt. winch for em. Used a 15 ton winch off of a wrecker, framed it up reduced some gears, installed a pto shaft and put a screen to protect the operator and was in business! Cost about $300 bucks not counting cable and chokers. Will EASILY triple or even quadruple your production, if the ground is not insanely steep, two loads a day on my single axle (about 5,00mbf) was cake with me and one work-hand.

Will try to find some pics.

Tom
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: gwilson on June 13, 2012, 05:54:59 PM
Thanks for the input. Were skidding whole length limbs and all to the deck to try to keep it from being so rough on the tractor and with one hand id like to cut a tractor trailer per day. but were young and learning so experience is going to help to. Thanks
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: snowstorm on June 13, 2012, 07:47:51 PM
you think its goingto pull easier with the limbs on? no it isnt
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: thecfarm on June 13, 2012, 10:21:13 PM
Hauling tree lenght,limbs and all is going to dig up the ground too pretty bad. What I do is cut the logs out,meaning when I come to limbs I stop and top it off. I may saw off a few limbs,but don't leave many behind.Than I haul out the top.But they will still dig in no matter what. Sometimes I stop and rehook the chain to turn a big limb that really wants to dig in. But all this takes time. I use to log my own land so I got all the money and could take the time.
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: KyLogger on June 13, 2012, 11:12:32 PM
I think he is talking about getting the tops outta the woods so they aren't fighting the slash. I didn't do it that way but I can see his logic......cutting roads through tops for a farm tractor really STINKS!!!! Best thing I did was buy a skidder ;D

Tom
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: thecfarm on June 14, 2012, 07:30:53 AM
What I do now that have a OWB,I just cut my softwood limbs into short lenghts and everytime I come out I load up the bucket with them. If I don't get them all they are all down on the ground and I can still drive through them if I have too.
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: redprospector on June 14, 2012, 10:35:13 PM
Quote from: gwilson on June 10, 2012, 05:04:51 PM
Hello Im fairly new to Forestry Forum and have found some good info on here so far. I just started logging on the commercial scale and am skidding for the tim being with a tractor. This is going fairly well but needs to be faster. Does anyone have any tips on moving wood faster. were currently cutting hardwood pulpwood in the Peidmont of SC and skidding with a 105 hp john deere using a chain. looking for a faster solution. Thank you for your input and have a nice day.
I've pulled logs with pickups, farm tractors, skid steers, you name it. But the only way you're going to log on a commercial scale is to have a machine that is made for skidding logs.
You can quadruple your production easily with a 70 hp line skidder.
A farm tractor is fine for farming, and will work for gathering firewood. But if you're going to log commercially, you've got to have logging equipment.

Andy
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: chuckthompson on June 20, 2012, 01:58:03 PM
You owe it to yourself to at least try a skidding winch.  I have a tc40a new holland that I recently put a Wallenstein fx90 on.  Wow... I skidded for a while with drawbar as well.  I paid about 3500 for the fx 90 new & it has allowed me to skid faster, as I don't spend as much time backing the tractor to each log.  Also, (but maybe not in your case in SC), I can now safely access logs that are in ravines and steep areas.  In my opinion, a skidding winch will fill the gap between what you use now and a 'real' (and $$) skidder.
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: Peter Drouin on June 20, 2012, 10:45:28 PM
I have the 120 and it works well :D

 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22511/3205/logging_004.JPG)
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: dr gonzo on July 18, 2012, 03:57:00 PM
I'm looking at getting an nh workmaster for log skidding...possibly the 55 hp model,with boom,forks and skidding winch. I hope this set up will increase productivity.
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: thecfarm on July 18, 2012, 10:29:31 PM
dr gonzo,welcome to the forum. What are you using now to get trees out with? I have a 40hp NH with a Norse and it does a nice job. 55hp would be that much better.  ;D
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: dr gonzo on July 19, 2012, 05:26:45 AM
For the time being, just a polaris ranger 800xp with homemade log arch. So far i've hauled 30" dbh spruce logs cut to 20' with the rig. I'm in the process of expanding my little company and am researching as much as I can. I think a 40- 50 hp tractor would be the way to go for me. The issue i face at the moment is,yes i can haul out fair size timbers with a small machine,but lifting? Another story...It's a process I'm willing to work very hard for...the forum has been providing me with a ton of info and insight,which is always good.
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: thecfarm on July 19, 2012, 07:50:11 AM
You are doing good with that to haul out a 30 inch log. That NH would be a good solution. Get a 4wd and loaded tires,fluid filled, and that will help too. What are you calling a boom?Others on here say a grapple for the front is the way to go,but I know money.

Here's a post on front end grapples by piston.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,50047.0.html
He did a nice job with pictures and telling about it.
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: dr gonzo on July 19, 2012, 01:19:27 PM
Boom? The loader armature on the front end. I hope to have an updated business plan for the fall...Hope to acquire a picker truck and gooseneck,along with tractor and implements. I've been speaking with the local golf course in my little town...big timbers down there....If the trees go down,they can call me up for removal. I also plan on slashing out a driving range down there...no cost, as long as the marketable timbers go to profits for my company. I did have plans to use the saw chips for pellet processing, so there's minimal  wastage from the milling ops. Big plans, busy busy.
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: roquevalente on August 03, 2012, 11:20:51 AM
hello from Bolivia, we skid with a tractor, forest is not dense.
Of course a skidder is faster but::: 1 tire costs you $4000 (at least here in Bolivia) and what about the diesel consumption!!
We skid each and every day 18 - 22m3 hardwood logs and this is WITH a winch. A winch is truely the best investment I ever made.
Title: Re: Skidding With tractor
Post by: MHineman on August 03, 2012, 12:47:21 PM
Quote from: dr gonzo on July 19, 2012, 05:26:45 AM
So far i've hauled 30" dbh spruce logs cut to 20' with the rig. I'm in the process of expanding my little company and am researching as much as I can. I think a 40- 50 hp tractor would be the way to go for me. The issue i face at the moment is,yes i can haul out fair size timbers with a small machine,but lifting? Another story...

  I use a 40hp 4WD tractor with a Wallenstein FX90 skidding winch.  I think the biggest log I winched out was an Ash log 17' by 38" DIB small end.  I think I had to cut that to 8' to get it to the log yard (I couldn't keep the front wheels down to steer).  The next log up the tree was another 17' or 21' and 32" DIB.  I pulled that log OK, but it would have been a good video.  I am doing this on fairly level ground.  Up hill means a bigger tractor or smaller logs are required.

  I have homemade forks that hook on the front on the loader bucket.  I can only lift around a 24" 8' log high enough to load.  I load the bigger logs with ramps.

  I use a 20 + 4 flatbed gooseneck trailer to move logs.  I made stakes from 1" x 3" 11 gauge steel.  They are cut at 3'.  6" goes into the stake and an 8" piece of 1" pipe is welded to the stake to keep it from falling through.

  The ramps are 2" x 4" 3/16" steel.  They are cut 8' long with one end cut at an angle.  This angled end has a 5/16 grade 70 chain hook welded to each side to hook on the rub rails of the trailer.  The steel is oriented with the 4" vertically.

  I pull the log along side the trailer at the end of the ramps.  I use the tractor loader (without forks) to push, roll, and lift the log up the ramps and on the trailer.  I think the largest log I loaded so far was that Ash 17', 32" log I described above.  I'm sure I can load a bigger log this way, but since that's the biggest I can skid to the yard it hasn't mattered so far.

  I will get some pictures of the ramps and post a little later.