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minimum tractor size for log skidding

Started by TGofWNY, December 29, 2007, 09:55:32 PM

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Ironwood

Climber,

The one exception I would add is that Skidsteer tires ARE acceptable for the lawn, and HOLY #$%#@ is there a difference in the puncture resistance and rigidity, my tire guy could barely get the front on the rims they were so ridgid. I am constantly scruffing around old fence rows (rusty invisible half buried metal posts), glass, pieces of pipe and sorted metal, I can't even consider lawn tires, far as I am concerned it does a disservice to the customer to even put those wimpy thing on tractor like yours (no offense, nice tractor , and chipper too ;D), if you need to you can always add chains for woods work (but watch yer side walls, they are really thin on a turf tire). You should go to a tire shop that has each and compare, 2/3 heavier at least. .02 cent

           Ironwood
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

Climber

Guys, please don't take it to extremes. TGofWNY not asking for "constantly scuffing around old fence rows" tractor.
I have "those wimpy thing" on my tractor for almost 3 years commercially use every day and NO PROBLEM. I guess it's about what is around your property.
New tractor does not come with skidsteer tires. If some one have problem with tires can put them later for additional $$$.

thecfarm

At an additional $$$ is right.For what I use a tractor for,if I was to buy another new one,just to work it in the woods,I would insist on 8 ply tires to be put on.That's what I'm running now.But on the small tractor for the wife,we run the turf tires with hardly any air in them to smooth out the ride for her.A head injury reguires this for her to be able to use it.Just depend on what you are going to do with it.Like I say,you really need 2 tractors to do everything you want.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

woodmills1

howdy climber!!!!


I work with climber from time to time and everything he said is right on the mark.  His Kubota has performed way beyond what I first expected.  It has picked up logs so big, we pushed up on them to assist the hydraulics.  With those tires and the small rolling arch there is very little damage to lawns, yet It works even in snow.  I get probably 40% or more of my logs from climber and once again this year topped 100k in logs sold and cut on my woodmizer plus much firewood.  I contine to be amazed at the little bota.
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

Ironwood

Hey, I said Nice tractor! The thing is a work horse for sure, I just think,  why have the tires be the weak link, Let the axle or something break first. NICE TRACTOR.

              Ironwood
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

shinnlinger

I would show you my set up, but for some reason I am not allowed access to albums or some BS  I have put photos up here before so I guess I upset someone or something.

Any whoo, I have an 34 horse 4x4 kubota with loaded Ag tires that I use to mow my lawn AND skid logs for my mill.  If you do not turn sharp, the Ags really don't dig in on the lawn. 

I will say that unless most of my work was on concrete and construction sites, I absolutely would not get r-4 industrial tires.  My machine out performs my buddies 50 horse 4x4 JD with loaded r-4s in the woods and the feilds all the time...he thinks so too.  My neighbor has a 43horse kubots like mine but with r-4's and he HATES his tires, but both of us have some acerage

I have skidded many 30+ft pines over 20" in diameter with a simple little rig I welded up on the back.  I made some forks for the bucket to drop the same logs on my rails.

I would agree, 30+ horse and 4X4 with loaded tires are a must.  I prefer ags as the r-4s dig up almost as much but dont offer the traction.  Turfs might be OK especially with chains and higher ply ratings are nice if you have that option,  Hydrostats are also nice, but tend to be more $$$ intially and in the long run and I prefer shuttle shift for that reason.  It has taken me for a ride going down big hills, but if I go slow in low gear and rev the engine this is much less of a problem.

Good luck!
Shinnlinger
Woodshop teacher, pasture raised chicken farmer
34 horse kubota L-2850, Turner Band Mill, '84 F-600,
living in self-built/milled timberframe home

Furby

There is a simply solution to your pic problem and we can work it out.
The reason you can't get pics in, is because you never created an album and the pics you posted before went into a folder that was open to everyone for a short time.
That folder has been closed.
I'll send you a message in a minute. :)

Dave Shepard

If you go up and look at my Kubota, you will see it has the R4 tires, a requirement if you want to put a hoe on it, the ags technically won't take the weight. I have never found myself in a position where I felt ag tires would have made a difference. I have found that the R4s are almost as good as turf tires for floatation. I have done a very wide variety of work with my machine, and the R4s have proven to be the best choice.


Dave
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

johnjbc

I use a Kubota L48  49 H.P. and a little over 8000 pounds. And unless you are on level ground I wouldn't want any thing lighter. The only problems I have had are with brush.
Watch out for underbrush, don't backup. Buy a lawn tractor and a used 4x4 full sized backhoe.
I agree with Dave about the r4's



LT40HDG24, Case VAC, Kubota L48, Case 580B, Cat 977H, Bobcat 773

Larry

I've skidded well over a 100/mbf with a 1720 27 HP Ford in rough terrain...pics in my gallery.

So with the hindsight of experience what would I buy now?  I would want a big enough tractor to handle a Farmi style winch and be able to skid with it on the tractor.  I would want heavy and powerful enough to lift the maximum size log my mill can handle with the FEL.  Neither of these requirements can be met by my present tractor.  Guessing to meet those requirements I would need to be in the 50 horsepower range.
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

Don K

I'll have to agree that the R4 tires are a good tire. I grew up using ag tires and was dubious about buying my first MF tractor (33 hp) with them. It had 4wd and FEL. It would outpull my fathers 30 hp kubota with AG tires anyday. I'm not trying to start a tractor war either. I like all tractors, they all get the job done. It was strictly because the weight of the MF was a little greater, but I can go into wetter places than he can because the flotation is better. Also the traction is not that much different.

One big advantage I have found of R4 tires over Ags is that they will tote a much heavier load without squatting as much at equal pressures. That is a big plus with FEL and also heavy lifts on the 3 PT. I have updated to a 47 hp that is the same style as the 33 so now I can pull more, dig deeper, and lift bigger logs. ;D ;D. Now, if I can find the money I want a 60 ot 70 hp. :D :D


Don
Lucky to own a WM LT40HDD35, blessed to have a wife that encouraged me to buy it.     Now that\'s true love!
Massey Ferguson 1547 FWD with FEL  06 GMC Sierra 2500HD 4X4 Dozer Retriever Husky 359 20\" Bar  Man, life is getting good!

bull

Out of the 4 Kubota's I have owned the best woods machine was my 1987 L2550 GST 4x4 w/ 3pt skid plate. That thing would go anywhere and would skid 4-6 topless tree length red oaks with out any trouble. "20-40 footers " I used that machine in the woods for 13 years then sold it to a friend who's is still using it although he has not kept it up as well as he should. I updated in 2000 to an Ll4610 HST, great yard machine but no comparison in the woods.... I now have a 2005 M6800 w/ cab Works ok and has plenty of power but I am always worried about wrecking the cab, also requires wider trail and clearance for the height of the cab.....  My first Kubotas was a 1979 L 195 4x4 no loader skided single logs up to 20 ft was light in the front end,did the job but was just a little to small for any production.......
Could skid out 2-3 thousand ft a day and all the tops with the 2550. A 2 man crew 1 cutter and myself , skidding/bucking. everything was brushed to slash law requirments. skidways and landing were kept clean daily as well.....
I'm very fussy about My landing and woodlot...

Pilot

Climber's setup is pretty impressive, but what do you mean by pretty good sized logs?  Where are you located?  A pretty good sized log in Wyoming might be a 16" lodgepole, in Iowa a 24" oak with a 10' log on it, here in Oregon, a 42" Doug fir, 40 ft. long.

Don't think just tractor.  Here in Oregon a guy makes log arches to use behind ATV's.  They will handle a 2,000 lb., 24" log.  The ATV may be more maneuverable, easier on the ground because of lower ground pressure and maybe cheaper to buy.  It is surprising the range of attachments they make for ATV's.  Won't do all the things a tractor will do, but as others have said you need a separate mower anyway.  Google "future forestry products".

Furby

Future Forestry is now owned and operated by LogRite Tools in Vernon, CT.
You can contact them via their link on the left side of your screen. :)

Climber

Seeing is beliving.
jan 8 2008
white pine 5 feet wide 6 feet long



Any one need it? Woodmils1 didn't wont it. I'll give it for free. Yo just pay shipping. UPS is recomended.

:D

The Woodcooker

I have a cub cadet compact 4 wd 23 hp tractor with a quick hitch and a 25 in tong that attaches to the hook on the hitch.  I haul up to 27 in logs x 12 ' without a problem.  I wrap a piece of polyethylene around the drag end ( with a ratcheting tie down) and I don't get any mud or dirt on the log.  The terrain of my woods is moderate.  No Big hills, but some wet areas. 

The Woodcooker

23 hp Cub cadet with a quick hitch and a set of 25 in tongs,  the hitch and the tongs get the log off the ground( no snow plowing) and I cinch a piece of polyethylene 1/8 in around the drag end of the log.  I have no problem dragging a 27X 12' log through moderate incline woods with very wet areas.  ( I lay slabs of wood to help traction).

beenthere

Couple a comparative posts from The Woodcooker.
:)

Are we gonna see some pics of your rig?  We like pics... ;D ;D
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

ID4ster

I've used a 30 HP Yanmar (essentially a JD) equipped with a Farmi 351 winch. It wasn't powerful enough to do the job. It couldn't pull an 18" top diameter by 20' log up a slight incline. You couldn't even winch the log up the incline. The landowner sold it and replaced it with a 53 HP Kubota with the same winch and that works well. I've used a 45 HP Kioti equipped with a 4T Tajfun winch and that worked well. We personally bought a 55 HP Kioti and equipped it with a Fransgard V-4000 winch for logging on our property and it works very well. If you want to skid logs with your tractor and perhaps use it for other purposes such as snow plowing, hauling, powering a firewood splitter, etc., than go with a 40-45 HP minimum sized tractor with a 55 HP being even better yet. Unless you are going to be running some sort of processor than a 55 is about the biggest you need to get since anything larger is going to run into excess weight and compaction problems once you get it out onto your forest soils. If you seriously want to skid logs though don't get anything less than 40 HP and 45-55 is better.
Bob Hassoldt
Seven Ridges Forestry
Kendrick, Idaho
Want to improve your woodlot the fastest way? Start thinning, believe me it needs it.

shinnlinger

Here is my tree puller,

34 horse 4x4 with loaded AG tires.  Not in the bussiness, but it does the job for me



My skidder attachment on the back works well too, more of it is in my album, but I do not have this picture thing down yet. 

Thanks Furby for getting me this far.
Shinnlinger
Woodshop teacher, pasture raised chicken farmer
34 horse kubota L-2850, Turner Band Mill, '84 F-600,
living in self-built/milled timberframe home

Furby


bull

shinnlinger thats the ticket. next one up from the 2550... is it standard,gst, or hst.... Go Kubota 8)

shinnlinger

Bull,

It is an '85 L2850....why the 2850 is 34 horse and the 2900 is 29 horse I have no idea.  I think the 2550 was 28 horse.

I have what I call a forward reverser "shuttle shift"  4 forward and reverse gears with a high low range.  Does that make it a standard?

I am very pleased with what I have done with this tractor.  From plowing (I put a wing blade on mine) to mowing to logging to milling to building , I have frequently asked quite a bit from it and it has always delivered.

I think if I had to get a new tractor it would be close to this one in power.  MOre is always nice but for an all around machine, mid thirties can get it the bigger stuff done but still not tear up the yard and the budget.
Shinnlinger
Woodshop teacher, pasture raised chicken farmer
34 horse kubota L-2850, Turner Band Mill, '84 F-600,
living in self-built/milled timberframe home

beenthere

shinnlinger

Do you have a pic of that wing you put on yours? :)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

shinnlinger

 Here is the wing...



I have dial up and have not really figured the photo thing at this site...I find it a pain the rear actually, not the site, I think this site is great, but I'm not smart enough to work this the photo upload thing.

Anywhoo, I hope there are no rules against this, if so delete this, but if you want to see more of the wing (which I find works really well for pushing snow banks back) go to nettractortalk.com and check out the homemade implements section.
Shinnlinger
Woodshop teacher, pasture raised chicken farmer
34 horse kubota L-2850, Turner Band Mill, '84 F-600,
living in self-built/milled timberframe home

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