Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[goeduck]

Those are nice. A lot of places around here sell firewood in those.

Does the tote come with the wood?

 

[Loaderman22]

I've seen some beautifully designed logging arches from Logrite, but they are a whole lot more expensive.

As far as not technically a tractor -- it gets the job done.

From what I've seen, about 10 times the price. I do like their designs though, they're longer so you can get the entire log up off the ground, & a bit more forgiving when backing up. This one from Northern is very short, not the easiest to back up when you are driving in the woods over sticks , stumps, 1/2 rotten logs, etc. Picking up the whole log would keep the bark cleaner, less wear on chainsaw chains, less dirt in bark, so less dirt on LD & GG's basement floors! Less wear on 4 wheeler or tractor pulling, & less wear on trails. I get these lumps of dirt & leaves near the corners in the trails. The log drags up these clumps, then sometimes will roll when I get to a tighter turn, leaving the clump in the middle. But yes, my system works for me, this way I only pick up logs right as they go one the splitter, then right into a IBC tote or wood crate. I move the crate to outside the door with the loader, & only move the split pieces by hand to carry into house & toss in stove.
My neighbor always says, firewood gets you warm 4 times : cutting it, splitting it, stacking it, & burning it.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

There ARE times when one of those Logrites would have really been handy! I sure could of used one on this job,

I had no other choice than to skid into a sand pit, to load.

SR

 

[joeyd]

My 330 gallon wood containers. These can be filled and emptied thru the side holes. My tractor forks work fine for moving them around. The bins keep the wood off of the ground. A small tarp is used over the top to allow the wood to dry and keep the wood dry.

I use the same containers for my wood, they work great!

 

[John_Mc]

From what I've seen, about 10 times the price. I do like their designs though, they're longer so you can get the entire log up off the ground, & a bit more forgiving when backing up. This one from Northern is very short, not the easiest to back up when you are driving in the woods over sticks , stumps, 1/2 rotten logs, etc. Picking up the whole log would keep the bark cleaner, less wear on chainsaw chains, less dirt in bark, so less dirt on LD & GG's basement floors! Less wear on 4 wheeler or tractor pulling, & less wear on trails.

Most of the Logrite Arches will suspend the whole log, up to some maximum length. However, when pulling with an ATV or UTV in hilly terrain, just lifting one end can actually be an advantage: I would not want to try to stop going downhill with an ATV pulling a 2000# log fully suspended. With just the front end lifted, you at least get a bit of braking action from the other end of the log dragging on the ground.

 

[Loaderman22]

Most of the Logrite Arches will suspend the whole log, up to some maximum length. However, when pulling with an ATV or UTV in hilly terrain, just lifting one end can actually be an advantage: I would not want to try to stop going downhill with an ATV pulling a 2000# log fully suspended. With just the front end lifted, you at least get a bit of braking action from the other end of the log dragging on the ground.

Stopping?? What's that? I am fortunate that the house & log splitter area are on top of the hill, so all my skidding is uphill, but you do make a good point.

There have been a few times that the ATV in 4WD low would lose all traction dragging a big log up the last bit of hill. The last time was a big piece of Birch, it was a bit twisted so one end wasn't really off ground, just too much friction. I had to go get the loader to pull it the rest of the way up. I just find the ATV faster & more maneuverable. I don't have to cut trails to every down log, at only 4' wide, I can weave my way in.

 

[Jstpssng]

Do you ever use the ATV winch to drag a log? I've known people to cut 10 cord loads of treelength pulpwood using their 4 wheeler. It's great low impact forestry.

 

[4570Man]

Do you ever use the ATV winch to drag a log? I've known people to cut 10 cord loads of treelength pulpwood using their 4 wheeler. It's great low impact forestry.

Electric winches aren’t made for that kind of work. They have a very short duty cycle. They’d burn up in short order doing that. Even if that didn’t happen you’ll pretty quickly deplete the atv battery since the charging system can’t handle that load.

 

[John_Mc]

Stopping?? What's that? I am fortunate that the house & log splitter area are on top of the hill, so all my skidding is uphill, but you do make a good point.

I'm faced with the opposite situation. My house is on the lower end of my property, so I'm coming downhill when loaded. The other property I own jointly with some other families in the area has its road access at the low point (and has steeper slopes than most of my own property), so it's downhill loads there as well. It's enough of an issue that I was happy the used log forwarding trailer I bought this fall had electric brakes added to it - and I'm in the process of figuring out how to rig my tractor with a brake controller (it will have to be manually activated, since my tractor does not have a brake light circuit to act as the trigger for the controller).

I just find the ATV faster & more maneuverable. I don't have to cut trails to every down log, at only 4' wide, I can weave my way in.

I hear you on not wanting to build a trail to every log. My solution to that was a logging winch with 230 feet of cable on the 3 pt hitch of my tractor. Generally, I can get close enough that I only need to use 100-125 feet of it, but on rare occasions, I've used all but a few wraps on the winch drum with a 20' chain extension on the end.

 

[Loaderman22]

Electric winches aren’t made for that kind of work. They have a very short duty cycle. They’d burn up in short order doing that. Even if that didn’t happen you’ll pretty quickly deplete the atv battery since the charging system can’t handle that load.

Agreed. I have an ATV 3500# winch. It's still in the box, just haven't had the time, & only got the ATV stuck once, so haven't really needed it. But even a top quality winch won't last for skidding.