introducing le fetch.... tracked skidder bombardier

[pinefeller]

if pictures are worth a thousand words......


..... in my spare time ;D

[thecfarm]

pinefeller,welcome to the forum.
First question,where do you live?
Second question,can I have a turn?  ;D
Have a sawmill? Or what is the use for the wood that will be behind it?

[pinefeller]

have 70 acres in chichester nh. got hammerd...no smoked by a local logger before i bought it so im (hopefully) going to be retrieving all the blown down remnants of whats left of my wood lot after they, and the wind and ice had their way with it. i have a thomas mill that i rebuilt to saw it up (redesigned guides, more bunks, trailer, yada yada ya.) the wood has been tipped over for a while but the fw should be ok and the pine will probably be a little holey and stained but ill find a use for it somewhere. wanted something small so i could squeek around the regen. i love little pine trees ;D. its should also come in handy for winter excursions with my two boys(a little warmer than a snowmobile. they are too big to both ride with me and too small to ride their own). still got some work to do sheetmetal ect. and fine tuning. hopefully it will be done done before snow.

ha just noticed you also have a thomas same mill

[pinefeller]

[danbuendgen]

Have you pulled a hitch with it yet? Looks very narrow. I wonder how it will be on side hills. Looks like a sweet rig. What does it have for a motor and winch?

[thecfarm]

Are your bunks movable? Looks like they are above a support and can't be moved. Looks like the tongue can not be removed too.
Paint some inch marks on those log stops. I have 3-4-5-6-7-8 inches on mine. This way when I am edging the slabs,flitches,I know how high to put my supports. 4 inches is really 3½ inches and so on. Each one is a ½ inch lower. So if I want a 4 inch board from a flitch I set the support at 4 inches and I know I will clear it by a ½ inch.
I bought the extension from them,I can cut a 20 foot log. Never have,but when I roll a 16 foot log on,I have 4 feet of rail left over instead of 6 inches.  I also got the 20 hp motor too. Have not even started it this year,even though I need to build a sugar shack.

[Ed_K]

 Do you have a pict. of the remodeled guides? I'm rebuilding a baker ez mill and want to build some guides with rollers, instead of the flat metal ones.
That bombardier would work great with a forwarder trailer.

[pinefeller]

le fetch is 4', 5' wide blade wide 251 chrysler industrial motor 3 speed standard. 2 speed mile marker hydraulic winch 10.5k. i wouldnt want to do side hills with it,all ready flopped it on its side (with three kids in it, wife was not impressed >:( no one was hurt nice slow roll ). definately have to walk your trail before trying to drive. pulls pretty good so far. i havnt tried freighting it up yet and im only  running two slides at the moment. $$$$ length of the hitch will be its Achilles heel. go light and go often ive been told.... so it will do one full length maybe 12' hardwood tree cut in half or maybe 200bf pine would be my estimate it should weigh around 6.5k so eventually ill really need a worm gear winch and ditch the planetary winch. if you got one lyin around for for cheep cheep cheep or free im all ears!

so nope not a high production machine, should be a good time pulling wood with my kids though lol :D i went right trough it mechanically and that sucked...was it really poor shape total hack owned this somewhere along the line. and he didn't own a grease gun evidently. i do fabrication so the cage and steel was stuff i had lying around (minus the 100' feet of 2x2 tubing) the sheet metal is 250 gal oil tanks i flattened out that i acquired from a friend .

after running 518 grapples and a 548g and a 640d its definately discouraging but it is what it is :laugh:

ill have to start a separate post on the mill but to answer your question...i bet thomas could build a better machine for the same cost if they came down and checked out my rig. look close my back stops are on the opposite side and yes the bunks are welded on and so is the tounge but the mill can still be separated from the trailer if need be. where my bunks and clamps are positioned i can saw down to 3' length logs. my guides allow me to saw 30'' square edge one inch boards and i believe i can fit a 42''? ish x 17'2'' log on the mill if my memory serves me correctly. i still need to build some toe boards for taking out taper ( in the works, still workin out the details in my brain) also want to move the throttle and push handle to the other side to stay out of the saw dust and be on the same side as the adjustable guide. also reworked the lube delivery so it only comes on when the saw is at full throttle<---- awesome. so far probably got at least 50mbf through it, still havent hit the back stops but they are also on my operator side now so i can see them. i graduated fron unh t school in '13 and and ran their lt300, and a friends lt40 before i bought this mill used from a friend.

ps i hate typing so i dont want to hear any complaints about it. im usually throwin chips or burning metal so i never got good at this. ;D. i still havnt perfected the 25 hour day yet either to find the time!

[pinefeller]

and yes i would love a self propelled forwarding trailer!!! for le fetch ...would be like an f4 dion i think they were called.

[Czech_Made]

That is one cool machine you got there  ;D

[bigblue12v]

I like le fetch, goes along with the wheeled mini skidder I built last year. Also I like your mill. I'd like to get or build one someday. Be neat to have. Thanks for posting, keep us updated with action pics!

[pinefeller]

Hmm... been a while since i've said much.  Anywho, had to shelve the tracked buggy for now and went back to workin in the woods for a spell chopping and skidding for a fellow in gilmanton NH that had a deere 540b sitting idle.  Meanwhile i got a new machine im expecting delivery of tomorrow. hopefully. and the 540b is coming back to my place for repairs before it has catastrophic failure in the woods.

[711ac]

so eventually ill really need a worm gear winch and ditch the planetary winch. if you got one lyin around for for cheep cheep cheep or free im all ears!

Does the Milemarker winch not work well? I do have a Ramsey worm drive winch, I think 8000#, it was off the upper deck of a roll back truck and I horse traded with a guy a long time ago for it. I'm not sure if it will be an improvement from the MM winch, and it will be very slow, but I'm temped to give it to you. You remind me of me 20 years ago! I'm maybe an hour+ northeast of you in ME.

[pinefeller]

you got my attention on the winch!

Hey 711 ...acres? thats awesome ! the bank threw a fit when we wanted to buy land and it basically added 2.5% on to our mortgage...ugh 

anyway  im pretty sure ive already grenaded something in the mm pulling a large maple log, so now it only works in low range back to the drawing board. too bad the high range was a little under powered but the perfect 'walking speed'. low is slower than death lol. hopefully the old skidder i just picked up is in better shape than le fetch.

im pretty sure the worm winches were also used in pto configurations and pretty speedy that way, so maybe with a little gearing or a faster pump it wouldnt be too bad. it should also hold a load better than putting pressure on the planet gears like the mm. 

if you are into fabrication trees and wood production i got a lot of cool things going on at the farm down here, i just dont have the time to photo document my life :D besides my i phone crapped out so im back to the old flip-job that doesnt do pictures. (i refuse to spend $500 on a piece of plastic and glass, or finance it into my phone plan for that matter!) id rather spend it on off road diesel or welding wire. ;D.

gotta go for now just stopped for lunch & sawing all morning and i still need to shoot over and clean up my landing on my last job before the skidder gets moved out. ttyl

[711ac]

you got my attention on the winch!


if you are into fabrication trees and wood production i got a lot of cool things going on at the farm down here,


That's why you "reminded me of me". This was my last wood's type project build.
oops, I forgot the torturous procedure for pictures here, and have [I have typed a profane word that is automatically changed by the forum censored words program I should know better and could be banned for doing it] hughesnet internet service, and I'm stupid on a 'puter. :D

[pinefeller]

took it out for a little stretch today...




i like my treefarmer better lol

[campwags]

I am just up the road from you, in Alton... I likes your ride.   ;D 
Do you do fabrication of skid plates?  Just got a new Kioti NX4510 that has an exposed belly.

[thecfarm]

I would think you could sneak that through the woods easy than a treefarmer.
campwags,cutting on your own land?
I've been getting on mine own land since '93. Cut for logs for about 4 years. Just have to keep the limbs short and cut roads. Yes,it takes time,but my woods look nice. Also helps to have a OWB to burn up all the limbs too.  ;D I cut my limbs no longer than 2 feet,when I plan on leaving them in the woods,run my saw up and down the limbs for soft wood. I cut the lmbs about 2 feet long while on the tree. Yes,takes time,but my land in hard to get around on,with rocks,knolls,wet holes and trees I want to leave. This let me drive through my brush. Maybe dumb luck,but never had any damage,from a limb on the ground. Also the cable on a 3 pt winch,can keep me away from a problem area too.

[campwags]

Yes, I have been cutting on my own land.  Have good trails and winch to the trail and then skid them out.  I just don't want the tractor to end up like my Kioti DK65 "Woods" tractor.  :embarassed: ;D


This is what I would like for my new tractor...


I talked to them about that very tractor... but my local dealer had a much, much better price, and they don't sell the Forester protection package separately.

[pinefeller]

theres no point in sneaking on my land it was flattened before i got it

the 'seed' trees they left have all since blown over.... and the slash!!!

myself i am a master "sneeker" in the woods i do a neally nice job, lop everything down in to little pieces and no hangers, leaners or buffed up trees. my high grading jobeslook better than any mechanical crews selective cut.

i originally built the bomber to salvage my lot

i bet ive sawed 10mbf this summer from the tip overs and ive only cleaned up 1/3 of my lot! 15 crds boiler wood, and probably another 20crds firewood i havent even processed yet.

I am just up the road from you, in Alton... I likes your ride.   ;D 
Do you do fabrication of skid plates?  Just got a new Kioti NX4510 that has an exposed belly.

yup in the spring, just get a price on a factory made one(if available) to see if its economical for me to build one

[mike_belben]

Good stuff man.  I reckon theres a universal shortage of TSI going on in this country.  With the rate of successive cutting, i think big prime timber will become a thing of the past someday.  Itll eventually be big yard trees and forests of pulp and tie.

[pinefeller]

besides the rain forest id venture to guess America has the most raw natural resources in the world and we are constantly finding new ways to squander it more expediently. i want to a seminar on being more productive in the woods and after 2 hours it amounted to loggers need bigger equipment to move more wood to the mill faster  >:(

even being a younger guy, this topic gets me pretty hot under the collar. theres no consideration for the future. greed

[mike_belben]

Im pretty sure siberia has the most natural resources. 

As for us, i dont entirely disagree, a few greedy people in the wrong places can surely mess up entire counties or even states, regional industries, etc.  I  could write a novel analyzing the causes but its probably another waste of time.  Im teaching my boy to grow premium trees before i teach him to cut them. And writing it off as the best i can do.

  Will it make a difference?  I dunno. Makes me feel better about the world atleast.

[pinefeller]

yeah same here. ill never get to "cut"my lot, but my kids will sure have some nice inventory by the time i tip over ;D. im going to have a trail network that will cut the property into sections that will have good access in manageable blocks. ill be weeding for the next 40 years, running my mill, growing x-mas trees, selling firewood and logging. hopefully the kids will take it all over and have some appreciation for it.

it the best i can do.

[mike_belben]

Good on ya, Dad.

[teakwood]

Why has siberia the most natural resources mike?

I think africa is pretty loaded too

[mike_belben]

Im not an expert, but i believe ive read siberia having the most timber, gas, coal and now diamond.  I think africa is where the bulk of radiactive substances comes from. 

America has plenty of resources.  Its also the most regulated and costly place to extract them.

[Peter Drouin]

UNH, says our trees are growing faster than we can cut it.

[pinefeller]

well dog-gonit we're all trying to flatten this place as fast as we can! i can hear a buncher most any day around hear and im working on the neighborhood lol..... that lorax story is bogus i tell ya. the only thing that stops trees from growing is houses.  an interesting paradox really....

[Novascotiamill]

Thats a cool machine but be carefull as many have posted. They are popular in newfoundland for dragging moose from the woods. An oufitter I used back in the early nineties geared one up with a seat to accomidate a handicapped hunter. The guide rolled the machine and killed the hunter.
Another hard luck story ,unfortunately Ive got more than my fare share,but it helps to learn from others mistakes.

[pinefeller]

ive already flopped it on its side once ( thats why i built the cage though) still needs some finishing. its mostly a conversation piece/toy at this point.

[lopet]

ive already flopped it on its side

Shouldn't told us.  Now we wanna here the story and how the Treefarmer got it back on its tracks.  ;D

[pinefeller]

oh your going to love this....  so back in the days before the treefarmer....a sad time, buck when i just went to work and got a paycheck only dreaming of the bittersweet joy of owning my own very own skidder.....  im out with my boys and my niece.....i know "gasp"!... no one was hurt.... anywho, we we putting around out on the back forty bushwacking and under the ferns i didnt see about a 8'' diameter rotten log that i unknowingly drove up on at an angle, which in itself wouldnt have been too bad but there was a chuck hole behind it and when the machine broke over the top of the log the right front dropped in that hole and the blade dug in. well, buy that time you could pretty much reach out and touch mother earth from the cab and she just kind of gently rolled one er side and my oldest son landed in my lap. a quick check revealed everyone had all their fingers and toes, so we hooted and hollered like the kids during ''freestyle" at a monster truck show and climbed out of the cab like rock stars and hoofed half a mile back to the house.  8)that gave me just enough time to come up with a good alibi on why we were walking instead of driving and make the kids pinky swear not to tell ma.  little turds threw me right under the bus soon as we strolled in :D. so i walked back with a jug of oil and a come-a-long, winched it back over dumped in a gallon of dino juice (its was probably due for an oil change anyway)and drove her home. tada  :D :D :D and thats the epic roll over story.

[lopet]

Lucky no one got hurt.
I knew you're gonna get burned before I got to the end of the story.  ;D ;D Kids  :D

[pinefeller]

it'll be a good memory when they get older and look back lol

[mike_belben]

Hold my beer boy..

[pinefeller]

i need more sliders lol

 

 some field edge reclaiming 

[thecfarm]

 Yes you do.I run 6. Sometimes all 6 are used,sometimes only one. I do as you do,but sometimes I only end up with one stick in the chains instead of 10. But most times it works.

[pinefeller]

well im pretty cheap ...uh thrifty i mean, and i wasnt sure how good it was all going to work out. im pretty shure it'll all be ok, so maybe ill jump for a few more. still needs a faster winch thats the only thing i dont like about it all so far. maybe i can finish up the sheet metal this summer after dinner.

[g_man]

i need more sliders lol

 

 some field edge reclaiming

When I try to do that I lose half of them in the first 100 ft. You must have a secret but I can't see it.
gg

[thecfarm]

First off,put the chain back farther than you would on a big log. Just as you see in the picture.
Second,winch it up high,this way when the front ends go up the twitch is still off the ground and no slack. That clump of wood hits the ground and no longer tight,there it goes. Time to play pick up sticks.
I lay down a chain and put small wood,or limb would onto the chain. My wood for the OWB. I have had 6 bunches like that before. Can be a bother to get the chains out. Most times I just unhook the chains and dog the cable back in and drive forward.

[pinefeller]

well, with the little wood they're easy to wiggle around so i set up the choker so they roll in, then pull them up a little and step on the slip hook, if they arnt cinched up tight, go to the end and wiggle the sticks from the tops.  they have to have enough weight and be up off the ground to keep the choker tight. you can also double wrap small bundles.....like a chinese finger trap. i got a lot of little tricks ive figured out. a smooth skid trail helps a lot too. that skid was about 1/4 mile. it works on big wood too. when i uesd to run a 640d deere a 548 would make bunches ahead of me then id grab 2 or 3 bunches usually so big you couldnt get a 10' choker around them.

i normally run 6 (540b) or 8 (C5d) 9 on the 640!  but im using what i got for now. its a challenge, i enjoy the rigging. it does feel pretty good when you pull a sweet hitch in and dont have any go UA on ya.

[lopet]

Before you need more sliders you need to get that blue paint of the "old "ones. :D
Sorry couldn't resist.

[pinefeller]

well if thats how your going to be....i might as well move 3x as much wood while im wearing that paint off ;D

[mike_belben]

Pickup sticks is not my favorite.  I have really tried to find ways to manually handle each piece of wood less (since the rate on firewood is so low here)




I used to load pieces on the trailer, bring them home. Load them on the forks, drop one end, run it over, scatter the whole pile, swear, back up, get out, restack etc.  

Then i made a few of these and what a difference.  



I bring cribs to the work,  put them out of the way if not full and not needed, bring them home on my goosneck with one strap and no worries, stick em wherever until im gonna cut. then just buck the whole pile in one shot when i do.  You guys with forks on your FELs might wanna consider making some cribs.

[pinefeller]

so if you put  uprights every 16'' then you could cut up the whole crib at once with a long bar or just make the cribs like 2' wide and flush up one end of the sticks i guess it depends how pickey your fw customers are or if its just for personal use.

[mike_belben]

A middle bolster would help a little.  The small stuff like this thats easy to lift i tend to run through the roller rack and cut each piece where it wants to be cut. Its pretty fast when im in the groove.  The cutoffs fall into a wheelbarrow and then i stack on pallets.  One for short pieces, one for long.  Odd junk is cast off into my own pile.    

When im bringing home trailer loads of mixed stems i unload and sort with the bobcat.  Under 8" diameter go in a bunk and theyre heavy enough to hold still while i buck the whole stack with a 36" bar right next to the pallet. Then just one hand split and into the pile.  Bigger stuff goes to the splitter pile. 

[Ed_K]

 I did the 2'x2'x8' box cut with a 24" bar and it was dang hard work. Load wood, cut it,saw get stuck when wood binds after cutting, pull 16" pieces out split chunks and throw on truck. It was to much work an wore out my shoulders which still hurt 5 yrs later :(.
 Also tried cutting to 4' then splitting it, then use the box and it still was too much.