chain chocker vs old school bell style

[cutter88]

recently started working for a contractor with my machine and noticed there chockers have a diffrent style bell with a smalll piece of chain conecting them to the mainline instead of the old stle bell that hooks directly to the chocker.... anybody have input and whats better or easier to work with??

[thenorthman]

Have not heard of these (although pictures would help....) but it sounds like a cheap way to wear out a mainline faster than a normal slider which is pretty fast already... also I would keep an eye on the link that attaches it to the mainline cable could quickly cut right through it.  Its that or they where running chain chokers and decided against it, went back to cable chokers, and had to modify existing sliders

[240b]

sounds like a homegrown solution.

[cutter88]

no there not home made and the still have a bell that slides on the main line... the short piece of chain just makes ur chocker mor manooverable... i bought a set today ill take a picture when i get them on so u can see... all the guys that skid for tembec and domtar up here use them apperently...

[240b]

sounds like your taking about a "new england" style cable choker.   slider on main line and hammerlock to three
links of chain on cable choker. labonville an wallingfords sell'em.   the ones with china made bells are junk.

[cutter88]

yep thats exactly what i ment and the bells arnt china made, made by gray which is a good brand

[thenorthman]

So an expensive solution to a nonexistent problem?  Chokers are made of cable therefore they are flexible, sliders should slide and bullet ends should move freely enough to spin in the slider, so where do they need to be more maneuverable?  At the winch line so it don't kink it as bad?  Seems like another sales man made a bunch of money selling an "improved" product...  But maybe I'm just a jerk.

[cutter88]

lol from what i see i makes it less of a cluster (if I type this word again I will be banned!) at the main line im sure it dont mafrence buti do no all the guys skidding with us say theyed never go back to the outher style so ill try it for my self an see

[240b]

So an expensive solution to a nonexistent problem?  Chokers are made of cable therefore they are flexible, sliders should slide and bullet ends should move freely enough to spin in the slider, so where do they need to be more maneuverable?  At the winch line so it don't kink it as bad?  Seems like another sales man made a bunch of money selling an "improved" product...  But maybe I'm just a jerk.

If you got 15/20 sliders yeah,It does make a difference. They work way better in certain kinds of wood. And yes,I've used both kinds.

[thenorthman]

15-20 sliders is something I didn't take into account, that would be a pain the the...  Its pretty rare to see more than six chokers hanging around here.  You guys should save up and buy a grapple skidder ;D  Whats it take to hook all them up an hour or so?

[cutter88]

i skid hardwood and white pine so i only have 6 chocker but yes i have seen a 664d my buddy bought it came with 17 5' chocker hangen off it, im guessing it must have been used for skidden small jack pine and black spruce

[ga jones]

I have a couple of those. there just a cable choker with 3 links of chain on the end. There made so you can use them with chain type teardrop slides. Im not a big fan Id rather use chains.Three links really isnt enoughI put a mid link in mine and added about 1 foot of chain.If your used to chains you wont like them.There still a cable (no adjustment).

[captain_crunch]

Problem is God  could not push a chain chocker under tight log whear as cable chocker nubbin will eventually get shoved thru. Not to mention cable chocker is only about 4 times stronger than chain

[thenorthman]

I'm think'n that this cable vs chain is a little like conventional vs humboldt, or husky vs Stihl.  And your all wrong!  :D  And yes chains are for firewood hacks yarding with pickups...

[loggah]

Chains will stay on a lot better when you are yarding wood down steep slopes behind a skidder because you cal choke them up tight in the keyhole link. generally pulling wood on the level ,or pulling trees with tops on them to whole tree chippers i used cable chokers. Don

[redprospector]

I'm runnin' 10 chokers on my 440b. It can get to be a tangled up mess.
I only run that many when I'm pullin' the little stuff from thinnings for fire prevention. When we had a market for logs I only ran 5 chokers.
I'm not going to get into the arguement over chain or cable. I use cable, if the logs are small and don't have enough weight to keep a 1/2" choker tight, I drop down to 3/8" chokers.
All I can say is it's a lot easier to keep track of 10 chokers if you keep them straight. I can't imagine running 17 chokers.

Andy

[captain_crunch]

For years we run 4 5/8 chorkers behind 404 Timberjack Never had problem with em comeing loose unless to close to end of log. or  log was too small to bother with under 6 " was left in bush Got bunch of  chain chokers bought from out of bussiness logger

[ga jones]

Theres only one logger i know that uses cables around here. All the guys i know use chains.Ive tried cables and dont like them. The chain hook will get under any log that a cable will.

[captain_crunch]

Wish I would have talked to you before all chain chokers went to their just reward in China

[cutter88]

i worded that wrong from the start my chockers are cabe they just have 3 links of chain at the top were the hook to the main line with a ring and a hammer lock makes the cable chocker alot more manoverable and the rings are alot nicerto deal with then a big bell