cable loader log truck

shortlogger · February 09, 2012, 08:03:30 PM

I noticed on another post that Okrafarmer had a GMC truck with a cable loader,I was starting to wonder if I was the only one left . Every time I go by the local scrap yard I see another one getting cut up,it breaks my heart to see the way of life that feed so many families around here for so long ending .So my question is who else still has one in use? Or is it just a thing of the past ?

Okrafarmer · February 09, 2012, 08:22:07 PM

We were under the impression that ours was home-made in a back alley somewhere. Were they manufactured? Ours is rather shoddy and decrepit. I pulled the swing cable loose from its clamps yesterday. We've broken it and had it fixed numerous times. Here is another picture of it.

We load it with the Bobcat whenever possible. That cable hoist system is very dangerous. We've had several minor injuries and several near misses with it. Sometimes, like with the heavy logs we loaded today, we have to use both the cable lift AND the Bobcat to lift the logs up and on.

Okrafarmer · February 09, 2012, 08:24:19 PM

Uh, yeah, the second picture is my avitar photo. That was taken during the warm/hot part of last year. That was a load of serious white oak, and yes we had to use both the cable and the Bobcat to lift the big ones on.

Okrafarmer · February 09, 2012, 08:28:03 PM

Quote from: shortlogger on February 09, 2012, 08:03:30 PM
So my question is who else still has one in use? Or is it just a thing of the past ?

We're the only ones still desperate enough to use one, I guess..... I have never liked that rig ever since we got it, but it was a step up compared to the various things we were doing before. The Bobcat was a big step up, too.

shortlogger · February 09, 2012, 09:10:00 PM

There were some company's that built them my friend has one with a center loader with a hydrolic rotating boom. Mine is different than yours it has a longer boom and the cable runs on the outside with moveable snatch blocks for different lenght logs one at the base of the tower that can be moved left or right of the boom to account for hillsides and log positioning it works very well but it can be a little dangerous but quiet effective . If I can figure out how maybe I can post se pics tommorow

sawguy21 · February 09, 2012, 09:25:17 PM

I would be concerned about weight on that truck. Is it highway legal?

Side loader · February 09, 2012, 09:38:17 PM

It's a dying breed. Okra farmer has a basic "big stick" loader. The original was built by brown manufacturing that may have later been known as taylor machine works located in Louisville, Mississippi about an hour north of where I live. I also use a cable type loader from yesteryear known as a "side loader." I have a regular knuckle boom now but use the truck regularly. The side let's down by a cable system and can lift the log on to the truck. It's neat for small time logging. There are still a few "big sticks" around here but they are becoming few and far between.

shortlogger · February 09, 2012, 09:52:05 PM

Thoes side loaders look like they would be hard on welds the way they toss the logs on the truck

Okrafarmer · February 09, 2012, 10:25:03 PM

Quote from: sawguy21 on February 09, 2012, 09:25:17 PM
I would be concerned about weight on that truck. Is it highway legal?

Don't worry, tuliptree (yellow poplar) is one of the lightest hardwoods in North America. It is lighter than it looks.

Side loader · February 09, 2012, 10:28:30 PM

I would say so. But you can "bed" the bottom of the "bed" with some smaller wood to cushion the impact. OR you can let the arms down and load it about 3/4 full with a tractor grapple front end loader. Then raise the arms and finish out the load with the light wood on top. Works like a charm. The really big logs that make the rear end of the tractor light are no problem for the side loader.

shortlogger · February 09, 2012, 10:45:45 PM

The thing I like about my cable loader is it is also a yarder I cut trails through the woods and with 120' of cable i can pull the logs to the truck I have tried skidding with the tractor unless the timber is real skattered I can get a load out quicker with just the truck and decent ground.

Okrafarmer · February 09, 2012, 11:30:29 PM

Taylortractornut · February 10, 2012, 01:40:51 AM

There were several home built versions of the stick loader built like that here to as well as side loaders. My friend William Davis built a log loader like this for a local man a few years ago. He had a 4 speed transmission chain driven off the pto. It then ran into a light 3/4 ton truck rear end that he made an axle shaft winch on . He built a large headache rack and tower for it and mounded the boom on some large truck axle bearings. He had a short boom with a heel rack on it to. For swinging purposes he put 2 small cylinders on either side of the tower with a pulley under each. Then ran a cable from one cylinder wrapped around the swing post and down to the other cylinder.

It works good pulling logs to the truck fro mthe woods. The back bolsters on the truck were removable and he left the fith wheel in place. I aw the rig and trailer going down the road about 50 miles away a and see it on occasion.

lumberjack48 · February 10, 2012, 05:20:37 PM

My uncle bought a new 1959 International tandem drive truck. With the truck he all so bought a new Ramey cable loader, one of the first ones.
He really got good at throwing the bucket, he would throw it like 20+ feet to reach wood with out moving the truck.
When the first knuckle boom came out they had loading contests, a good cable boom operator could beat a knuckle boom.

The Ramey my uncle bought had a longer boom then this one.