Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[Oldpath05]

The tie rods on the Kubota tractors I have seen are ahead of the front axle but well above the front axle. My thinking is if you want a skidder then buy a skidder. If you use a tractor in the woods then don't use it like a skidder and run it thru the slash and over stumps. Keep it on a clear road and keep the roads clear. Or try to be careful and add protection. Even then expect damage. There are to many parts that can't be protected and just aren't rugged enough for forestry use. Tires for instance. Compare standard tractor tires with forestry tires. There is a reason they make forestry tires.

But stuff just happens even just working around the dooryard. That's life.
Just my 2 cents.

gg

I would've bought a skidder if it came with a FEL, PTO, three point lift and was under 25k. So being the add-on specialist that I is, for the possible damage that I was able to for see, from the experiences that I accumulated over the last 50 years of cutting and hauling wood in about a dozen + different ways.

The first thing I added was skid plate in the first week, followed by a protective box around fuel filter that had a sign on it saying, HEY STICK HIT ME. In the first year of owning my tractor, I added a beefy roll cage with limb deflection screens at hands reach because I just dont get a thrill out of the constant aggravating job of trimming limbs on every woods trail, however I do acationaly trim some limbs on the main outgoing woods road, so now after 10 years I finally do have Kuuboota skidder that will turn around in the smallest places.

 

[Jstpssng]

Let me know when you want to work on a load of cedar. Two weeks ago had a ft of snow so now figuring on around 10" more, should be a blast.

I wish that I had some cedar; I don't think that the 3 trees on my property would take long to cut. :laughing: I spend enough time in it when I'm on the job. Today I laid out about 30 acres to be cut next month... if we still have winter.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Of course I'd want a skidder. Used to drive em. The tractor will have to do as I cannot afford a skidder and buying a used (read "used up") skidder is like buying a tumor that was removed from someone else.

I've under armored my tractor but I still bent the tie rod that is "above and behind" the front axle. There are woods and then there are woods and rocks and stick ups and no "roads" to consider. Any tractor that lives at my house best be able to stand up to how I have to use it. And although I think Kubota makes some of the best machines, An L3000 something Kubota at my place would have been a weekly tie rod fix without fabrication of some sort.

I agree with what you are saying. That is the point I was trying to make. I was just saying what I do not what I think you all should do. I said it is difficult to protect a tractor as demonstrated by your bent tie rod in spite of the under armor you added. So it seems we pretty much agree. It is up to the owner what he buys for a tractor and how he uses it in the woods. I doubt that your woods are any rougher than mine or that your tractor has spent more time in the woods than mine. But I guess you could say I baby my tractor because I keep it on a road. When I used the term road it is symbolic. To me a narrow swath thru the woods with the stumps cut very close to the ground and clear of boulders and slash is a road. They are a lot of work to make and keep clear but I find them tractor friendly. It is just the way I prefer to do it and I have not incurred any damage to my dainty L3010 in over 15 years. This isn't an argument - just different strokes for different folks.

gg

 

[Jstpssng]

I agree with what you are saying. That is the point I was trying to make. I was just saying what I do not what I think you all should do. I said it is difficult to protect a tractor as demonstrated by your bent tie rod in spite of the under armor you added. So it seems we pretty much agree. It is up to the owner what he buys for a tractor and how he uses it in the woods. I doubt that your woods are any rougher than mine or that your tractor has spent more time in the woods than mine. But I guess you would say I baby my tractor because I keep it on a road. When I used the term road it is symbolic. To me a narrow swath thru the woods with the stumps cut very close to the ground and clear of boulders and slash is a road. They are a lot of work to make and keep clear but I find them tractor friendly. It is just the way I prefer to do it and I have not incurred any damage to my dainty L3010 in over 15 years. This isn't an argument - just different strokes for different folks.

gg

I feel the same as you; as long as the brush stays trimmed back I can run my small pickup down my main trails. I learned early on with my last tractor, after cleaning out the fuel sediment bowl on a Saturday morning, destroying my plans for the weekend.

 

[arrow]

I agree with what you are saying. That is the point I was trying to make. I was just saying what I do not what I think you all should do. I said it is difficult to protect a tractor as demonstrated by your bent tie rod in spite of the under armor you added. So it seems we pretty much agree. It is up to the owner what he buys for a tractor and how he uses it in the woods. I doubt that your woods are any rougher than mine or that your tractor has spent more time in the woods than mine. But I guess you could say I baby my tractor because I keep it on a road. When I used the term road it is symbolic. To me a narrow swath thru the woods with the stumps cut very close to the ground and clear of boulders and slash is a road. They are a lot of work to make and keep clear but I find them tractor friendly. It is just the way I prefer to do it and I have not incurred any damage to my dainty L3010 in over 15 years. This isn't an argument - just different strokes for different folks.

gg

What saves a woods tractor much of the time is a winch. You living in Vermont (was in Ludlow just last week. Their property taxes are nuts!) I wouldn't think our woods are much different. I've logged my property for 40 years and you cannot tell where I've been. I dunno, I guess it's my dumb arse way of payback for all the damage the logging outfit I worked for caused where you could see where we'd been 15 years later. I'm the sensitive type.

I've always said nothing beats up machinery better than the woods.
These things are freakin cute: Awassos MD Mini skidder

 

[goeduck]

I believe his are in front as well on his L3400. I guess Kubota never figured their owners might take their smaller L series into the woods. The least they could have done was to fabricate guards owners could have just slapped on.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...135801-protection-l3400-steering-linkage.html

 

[Creamer]

You keep doing this and you will have tractor that bends in the middle and I don't mean atricuted eather.

The load on the front isn't much - probably about 5-600 lbs but I use the 3 pt a lot. I do take it slow though when I am carrying stuff this big. That little guy is pretty tough.

 

[Gordon Gould]

What saves a woods tractor much of the time is a winch.

Exactly !! Another thing we agree on.



gg

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I also agree, I pull logs out of places, with my winch that I can't drive into, without cutting a lot of new trees out, quite often...

And cutting new growth tree's is something I don't want to be doing in MY wood lot...

SR

 

[4570Man]

I got a load of sawmill rejects. It’s been too muddy to get any other wood around here.