Skidding Winches

[4570Man]

I use a cutting touch to cut cable. I don't have a cable cutter, and bolt cutters mess up the end.

 

[CalG]

A cut wheel on a 4-1/2" side grinder works well.

 

[Gordon Gould]

A cut wheel on a 4-1/2" side grinder works well.

That's what I use too. Tight black tape on the cable and cut thru the tape.

 

[Gordon Gould]

We've been talking about cable cutting methods and tools and if you have never done it you should know that using an ordinary hacksaw is also easy. If you don't have an angle grinder, torch, or cable cutter just put a couple tight layers of black tape on a 3 or 4 inch section of cable, hold it in a vice, and cut thru the tape. It cuts clean and easy and the tape will hold the cut ends together nicely.

OldPath I wonder about using a torch and sealing the ends, I've never tried it. It seems to me fusing the ends together might make the cable stiff and hard to make the tight loop for the hook because the wires were not free to roll or slide in the bundle. Or is that not a factor ?? Just curious.

gg

 

[Baby Grand]

We've been talking about cable cutting methods and tools and if you have never done it you should know that using an ordinary hacksaw is also easy. If you don't have an angle grinder, torch, or cable cutter just put a couple tight layers of black tape on a 3 or 4 inch section of cable, hold it in a vice, and cut thru the tape. It cuts clean and easy and the tape will hold the cut ends together nicely.

OldPath I wonder about using a torch and sealing the ends, I've never tried it. It seems to me fusing the ends together might make the cable stiff and hard to make the tight loop for the hook because the wires were not free to roll or slide in the bundle. Or is that not a factor ?? Just curious.

gg

Cut it with the grinder, using tape or a few wraps of soft wire, form the loop, then fuse the cut ends with the torch?

 

[Gordon Gould]

It was pretty wintery here this morning. But a great day to work in the woods.



I am thinning some pine.





Wrapped the chain around the butt an extra turn on this one so the log would roll out from behind the stump before it was winched out thru the little hole.





Then skidded it out.



gg

 

[NHbotanut]

Gordon

Never thought about putting an extra wrap on the log to move it from the stump. Thanks for the tip.
I haven't been able to get out in the woods yet due to kids activities & it's still too wet for in a couple of places.
I need to cut in a new skid road to access a new area this summer.
I'm hoping to get up to camp the first weekend in June.

 

[Oldpath05]

I tried all these ways mention on cutting cable, every way leaves a frayed end, and tape dont hold up, torch is ok-ish. Mig welder is the best, clamp the cable in the vise<snug, with some good cable showing, ground clamp on, .030 wire in the mig welder, heat on high-ish, cut/weld the bad cable off, quickly-ish> take the cable out of vise, take Ford wrench and peen over the red hot end of cable on the anvil part of the vise, now you have a very nice sealed cable end in a matter of minutes, your welcome. A stick welder will also work with 3/32 6011.

For those of you that have a cable cutter in the woods with you or at the shop, I strongly recommend safety glasses, I seen someone cut cable with no PPE, that was a bad day for him.

 

[Oldpath05]

It was pretty wintery here this morning. But a great day to work in the woods.

View attachment 466441

I am thinning some pine.

View attachment 466442

View attachment 466443

Wrapped the chain around the butt an extra turn on this one so the log would roll out from behind the stump before it was winched out thru the little hole.

View attachment 466444

View attachment 466445

Then skidded it out.

View attachment 466446

gg

"But a great day to work in the woods.)" <<Let's see you say that again in a few weeks..........
Why did you cut that pine? looks kinda smallish, have a bad side, not straight enough.....Couple of those pics are showing your doing a fair amount of select cutting, winching between trees with ruining them is not easy. My select cutting method is similar, cut the crap and try to leave the good in good shape.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I skidded out some BIG logs yesterday, here's two of them.

I skidded this beech without cutting the logs out of it,

Here's the top to it,

It was all a son of a beech to get out too!!! I had to snatch block/double line it to get it up out of a deep ravine/soft spot...

This one was a bit easier to get/skid, so I did cut the logs out, 17 footers,

SR

 

[jimmysisson]

SR, do your beech have the dread beech bark disease (fungus)? I have a beautiful stand that is slowly succumbing to it, hate it. Those stems look fungus-free.
Jim

 

[Sawyer Rob]

SR, do your beech have the dread beech bark disease (fungus)? I have a beautiful stand that is slowly succumbing to it, hate it. Those stems look fungus-free.
Jim

Not that I've seen... but they do generally go hollow in the center, when they get bigger...

Here's the front "wagon load",

SR

 

[Glrret]

This is my new setup. 55HP w/Igland 4501.


I'll get some action shots from the wife soon, she take picture while I work.

 

[Oldpath05]

Not that I've seen... but they do generally go hollow in the center, when they get bigger...

Here's the front "wagon load",

SR

Do you prefer that type of trailer vs a trailer with wheels on back, or is it just a good all around happen to have haul stuff trailer?

 

[Sawyer Rob]

That's a wagon in the pict., not a trailer and what makes it so nice is, it's VERY easy to hook and unhook it, loaded or not. It also will haul a LOT more and is better off road...

MUCH easier to hook and unhook "doubles" too, as I do pull doubles quite a bit,

I have both, but I prefer the wagon for this kind of work...

SR

 

[Mikejeakins]

This is my new setup. 55HP w/Igland 4501.


I'll get some action shots from the wife soon, she take picture while I work.

I see on your Profile that you retired out of the Army. What did you do in the Army? I was in the Army from 1993 to 1999. I was a Light wheeled Mech..

 

[Glrret]

Mikejeakins, thank you for your service this great nation "Brother".

I was in the Army from 1975 to 1998, I had several MOS's 12B: Combat engineer, 62B: engineer equipment repair, 17K: Ground Radar systems, 17M: Ground sensor systems, 96R: Radar/REMBASS, and for the last 10 years I was a 96B: Intelligence analyst. So I did my time and served with pride for the better part of 24 years.
I have a son that is currently serving as a Major at the Pentagon and another so who served for 8 years and didn't like the way things were changing so he go out last year. My brother-in-law just retired this past spring with 24 years of service in EOD.

My father who just past last month, also server in Germany in the 40's and a tanker and Korea in the 50's and an MP.

I only hope that someday this country is able to regain its glory, and that all those that gave the ultimate sacrifice didn't do it for nothing in the end.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Do you prefer that type of trailer vs a trailer with wheels on back, or is it just a good all around happen to have haul stuff trailer?

I'm with Rob, I much prefer a wagon over a single axle trailer for the same reasons, hooking/unhooking is much easier especially when you only have one tractor to work with. They take a bit more skill to back up than a single axle but well worth it.

 

[Oldpath05]

The only issue I'd have with wagon vs trailer is the loss of tongue weight, I rely on tongue weight for tractor traction. If I could afford the choice of a perfect trailer, it would be a tandem power trailer with log loader for me, with an option for a dump bed for moving dirt.

 

[BarnieTrk]

The only issue I'd have with wagon vs trailer is the loss of tongue weight, I rely on tongue weight for tractor traction. If I could afford the choice of a perfect trailer, it would be a tandem power trailer with log loader for me, with an option for a dump bed for moving dirt.

Hmmm,,, (as I ponder with my coffee...) I never considered what the differences are between a wagon vs. trailer. I see that two-wheeled vs. four-wheeled seems to be a common distinction. However, if it is a tandem axle TRAILER, that doesn't make it a wagon, right? Maybe if the axles do not articulate together as tandem axles do, then the two vs. four wheels distinction applies. Although I didn't see any reference to it, I also think the ability for the front axle to be able to turn/steer is part of their distinctive differences as well?

BarnieTrk