Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[Citydude]

Ouch! Glad your OK!

 

[Thomas]

Dang GG glad your okay,just another hazard when working in the woods alone.

 

[Oldpath05]

That's some hard earned experience OldP. It's good you know how to apply some heat and weld on a couple splints to keep going.

I had a new winch experience right after that last ice storm. My control rope was kind of stiff - think frozen rope. I gave it a couple pulls with the pto off and figured I was good to go. I winched in the first hitch and it stopped where I wanted it to at the back of the tractor. What I didn't realize was that the stiff rope did not fully retract around those little control pulleys so the clutch was still partially engaged but slipping. When I bent over and unhooked the chokers so the chains were free the cable started winching in. When the sliders and hook hit the top pulley they whipped upwards making the chains whip upwards. They caught me on the side of the head. Knocked off my hard hat, bent up my glasses, and I had a sore jaw. Lucky that was all. First time anything like that ever happened.

gg

WOW thanks for posting that story, sounds like something that would happen to me and since I do most of my firewood gathering in cold weather, I'll be on watch for that frozen rope thing from now on, it's bad enough when things break, even worse getting a sore jaw besides or some other injury.

 

[Oldpath05]

Unlike today. Well, the temp's are about the same. I see that you have stops mounted to the top of your bucket to keep the logs from rolling up the sides, over the top, and slamming down onto your hood. (And don't ask me how I figured that out so quickly. ) I've been noticing the way that you and another Maine member RustyIron have your tractors set up for logging. Nice job, I may borrow some of your ideas.

Or yesterday, I wanted so bad to go in the woods, but not in this weekends crappy weather. Those stops on the top buket has saved my hood numerous times, I start watching one thing and when I'm not watching something else, that something else lets go, almost like the surprise effect, just cant seem to watch more than two things at once. Those top bars are temporarily pined, can be slid back and repined or taken off.

 

[Jstpssng]

That's some hard earned experience OldP. It's good you know how to apply some heat and weld on a couple splints to keep going.

I had a new winch experience right after that last ice storm. My control rope was kind of stiff - think frozen rope. I gave it a couple pulls with the pto off and figured I was good to go. I winched in the first hitch and it stopped where I wanted it to at the back of the tractor. What I didn't realize was that the stiff rope did not fully retract around those little control pulleys so the clutch was still partially engaged but slipping. When I bent over and unhooked the chokers so the chains were free the cable started winching in. When the sliders and hook hit the top pulley they whipped upwards making the chains whip upwards. They caught me on the side of the head. Knocked off my hard hat, bent up my glasses, and I had a sore jaw. Lucky that was all. First time anything like that ever happened.

gg

Ouch! Thankfully it wasn't worse. My last tractor/winch was never kept under cover; so after a rain event like we're having now it wasn't uncommon to have the clutch disc freeze to the flywheel. I learned to check it, and thaw if needed.

 

[Green Acres Homestead]

My father always told me that it is unbelievable all the different things that can happen and that's why it is one of the most dangerous profession. Everybody makes mistakes and with this job a mistake can kill you. I say that I had my fair share of knocks but nothing to serious. Don't matter how much it hurts I keep coming back for more. Once logging is in your blood it don't leave no matter how much it hurts.

 

[Jstpssng]

Or yesterday, I wanted so bad to go in the woods, but not in this weekends crappy weather. Those stops on the top buket has saved my hood numerous times, I start watching one thing and when I'm not watching something else, that something else lets go, almost like the surprise effect, just cant seem to watch more than two things at once. Those top bars are temporarily pined, can be slid back and repined or taken off.

I spent yesterday cleaning up the last two storms, and part of today refilling my wood box. I wanted to work on the load of spruce I'm cutting; but between the snow on the trees and the knee deep stuff on the ground it didn't happen. Right now there's too much on the ground for my tractor to go anyways except on my existing trails or within winching distance from the plowed road; plus I won't be able to get a truck here to haul it until the ice on the road subsides.

 

[Gordon Gould]

WOW thanks for posting that story, sounds like something that would happen to me and since I do most of my firewood gathering in cold weather, I'll be on watch for that frozen rope thing from now on, it's bad enough when things break, even worse getting a sore jaw besides or some other injury.

I put a knot in the clutch control rope right at the top where it goes into the small pulley. Now I can tell at a glance if the rope is fully retracted allowing the clutch to be fully disengaged.

gg

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Gordon, mine came with that knot already in it... I guess now I know what it's for... lol

SR

 

[Gordon Gould]

Gordon, mine came with that knot already in it... I guess now I know what it's for... lol

SR

One time I was over a friends place. He had a Wallenstein winch. It had a knot in the rope. I asked him what it was for. He said he wasn't sure but probably so you wouldn't loose the rope down inside. Some how I remembered that little knot and put one in my rope as a marker. Probably what it is really for. You always said Wallenstein's were better SR - guess that proves it...:laughing:

gg