pulling a trailer with skidding winch

[bitternut]

Finally got around to adding a trailer hitch to my Norse skidding winch. It works well for taking my trailer into the woods where I can unhook it and then winch cull trees to the trail for blocking. Then I just load the blocks into the wagon for hauling out. The big blocks I roll into the bucket and load them into the trailer with the front end loader on my tractor. Saves a lot of log length skidding damage to trail side trees. I also don't have the problem of muddy logs which gives me longer chain life.

I just plasma cut a hole in the dozer blade, added some 3"x3"x3/8" angle for re-inforcement of the blade and a length of 2" ID receiver square tubing. Welded it up with flux-core wire and slapped on some fresh paint. Now cutting firewood is a lot simpler. Seems like they should come with a hitch to begin with but I guess not everyone wants a hitch on their winch and it would add to the cost also.

[Sprucegum]

Nice work  8)

You could give up your wild ways and become a full-time welder  ;D

[leweee]

Great job Herb 8)
That's giving me insentive to modify my winch.
Yes "Handyer than a knob on an outhouse door" ;D

[Bro. Noble]

We use a 4WD tractor to skid with.  We bought an old Tulsa winch and rigged it on a #pt hitch and power it with the pto.  We put a hitch on it and pull a log wagon with it.  We use the tractor to skid and load the wagon as well as out log truck.  It works for us and I'msure you will be very pleased with yours as well.

[Ed_K]

 I welded a 2" ball hitch on my fransgard winch, but I like your setup better. One thing I didn't think to do was to weld it low on the blade, now I have to be careful to not dump the wood off the back of the forestry trailer.

[scsmith42]

Bitternut - very well done!  Thanks for sharing.

Scott

[thecfarm]

Nice pictures and a good idea.Better than taking the winch on and off.

[mike devlin]

Bitternut(when I was a kid we called them 'butternuts' and you and I are the same age..still kids.) What do I do to see that picture? Mike

[Dave Shepard]

Welcome to the Forum! I don't see the pictures, which is odd, as the pictures are usually forever stored in the Forestry Forum Gallery. Maybe they were lost for some reason.

[beenthere]

Old post by bitternut from 2006.

[Chuck White]

You don't see the pictures because the original most likely deleted them from his gallery!

[Jeff]

And it looks like he deleted the photos way back about then as well, at least before 2007, as I have back up to then. :-\    Shame, That is why we have the standards on photos we have today.