The right tractor for towing/forestry work

[4570Man]

Guys….I think the objective here is to not get stuck in the first place. A metal track bulldozer is unmatched. Well, maybe a dual quad articulating tractor could come close. They work nice with a pull pan, but the OP wants something under 100HP, not 500HP

A quad track couldn’t beat the dozer. They don’t don’t have the bite on the tracks a dozer does. And the dozer can come in any size you want.

 

[fruitcakesa]

Wow, thanks for all the responses!

@4570Man @oosik @Hay Dude Thanks! It appears the trailer doesn't have the hydraulic break assist feature but that is an option I can get on the next one. I will look and see if air breaks are possible as well.

@DieselBound thanks for added break information. I've never heard of surge breaks but do know the trailer has optional hydraulic break assists. It just appears the one I got might not have that option installed. It doesn't have a PTO shaft or added hydraulic cable aside from those to control the grapple.

@tradosaurus Great point about underbody protection! I've added skid plates on my off road vehicles and those saved me from some damages. I never considered it for a tractor but it makes sense.

@LD1 You are correct. I apologize for the lack of clarity on what I referenced as hills. The contour of the property is moderately steep to steep going from 600ft above sea level to 550ft on one side and from 550ft to 700ft (some 15% slopes) on the other side, essentially in the middle of 3 mountains. 5.6 acres of the parcel is greater than 25% steep slope. I don't plan on taking the tractor close to that 25% slope - and have service trails I am rebuilding to allow some access. I am worried about the tractor sitting on the 8% or 10% slopes while I load. My off road vehicles don't have much of a problem.

I am considering just a bare tractor since I don't have a need for the loader "just now". I would get the loader if it would improve weight or reduce pushing the tractor as you mentioned.

@MossRoad Thanks for the lookup link, Mahindra didn't provide that to me when I called and it seemed as if they really just didn't want to help. Their advice was "contact a dealer"...

@ddbackhoe I missed that, thank you! It looks like I need a much bigger machine.

@ptsg Thanks! I was worried about getting something too small... I wouldn't want to attempt pulling a log trailer with a lawn mower. Those photos were awesome.

@dodge man My current objective is clean up, pulling felled trees out of the forest and salvaging whatever they can be used for. The property hasn't been maintained in atleast 7 years. I would likely do more work with the tractor but primarily the need would be in towing out the trailer. The trailer has a winch to skid up logs next to the trailer and a loader to lift them.

@fruitcakesa Thanks! I think getting a grapple fork loader would be ideal, I just hadn't considered it as an primary need. It appears I need to consider that option. I like the M6040. Do you haul on rough terrain?

I have nothing but rough, steep, hilly wet terrain on my Vermont hillside.
I have learned the limits of my tractor and operate it accordingly when in these conditions,
Low and slow is usually the best course most of the time.

 

[Bavarian]

Whatever you decide to buy, be careful when using winches on tractors with a park position on the gear leaver. It is a mechanical stopper in the transmission that can and does break if the pulling forces are too high.
By the way, there are hydro tractors available up to 500 hp. They might be outside your budget.

 

[Egon]

Kinda getting carried away here?

 

[Ortimber]

I can’t stress enough how much better a dozer is over a tractor for forestry work. Even in the best working conditions, sticks, stumps, rocks, limbs, etc are hard on tractors. I live on and selectively cut timber on my property. My tractors see very limited use in forested areas. The safety factor on a dozer has to be worth something as well.

 

[Farmer495]

Many small forestry operators here use a small fwa tractor and grapple wagon. My opinion is that are NOT an issue in the woods, at least in the woods I cut out of, normally you are going very slow and simply pushing the clutch in stops you in the woods. Most grapple trailers here are not used in highway haulage situations of any distance, that's the job for the truck hauling.

You don't have to load it full either....

The guys in harder going usually used an old truck frame for the grapple and bunks and set up PTO shaft to drive the truck rear axle, 4x4 tractor and powered trailer pretty handy.

 

[bkibler]

I regularly use my L5740 - with chained and loaded tires - to pull a 10K dump trailer up and down logging roads. The chains make a huge difference: I wouldn't think of going in the woods without a full set of logging chains. Heck, in a pinch, it can pull 80k lbs uphill, through a foot of fresh snow

 

[FERLING]

Is there a way to tell if the tractor I am considering would have enough towing capacity?

Three Point Hitch tractors are designed to PULL. I speculate that almost all 4-WD compact tractors with R1/ag tires filled with liquid can pull a trailer at least 3 X their bare tractor weight specification.

Consider (hard) foam filled tires if you will be in the woods 200 engine hours per year or more. Punctures and rolling tires off the rims are real possibilities in woods work. I have experienced both misfortunes.

I do a lot of woods work in terms of property maintenance involving transportation of fallen mature Oaks and Pines to a community burn pile. I pull timber with chains. I have no experience with specialized logging equipment nor logging.

Have you researched log skidding winches, which I think would be almost mandatory for your applications?

VIDEO:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tractor+skidding+winch+attachment

Mahindra 4530 Dimensions​

2005 - 2020 Model year 2005-20082010-2020 30 Series Utility tractor

Dimensions Length:134 inches
340 cm
Width: 72.5 inches
184 cm
Weight: 5567 lbs
2525 kg



Are there alternative vehicles (tractors) that I should consider - eg, a skid loader vs compact?

A skid loader or compact track loader are designed to push and lift, not pull. Both variants are likely to be much more costly than a tractor of equivalent towing capacity. Tracked equipment is very stable and has low ground pressure but tracks are maintenance intensive relative to wheels.

VIDEO:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tractor+vs+skid+steer

Valtra (brand) tractors from Finland and Brazil are used as much in forestry work as ag work. Note the bulbous tires, probably radials, for float in bogs. Florida uses some Valtra tractors for highway right-of-way mowing.

VIDEOS: valtra forestry tractors

Own a 45M attached to Workmaster 50 New Holland. This is the way to go for pulling logs. Expensive but you can put tractor in safe place, pull cable to log and bring log to tractor. Keeps tractor out of woods and tires off of hidden stumps. Works really great pulling logs up hills instead of trying to get tractor down hill to log and then pulling up hill to top.

 

[mk2133]

My father in law DIED using a tractor for logging. He was 56. He would grab a log with the 3pt hitch and pull it thru the woods to de-limb it. His son watched the whole thing happen in a flash. Tractor flipped over on him when the tree must have got snagged on something. I don't believe the inventors of the tractor had logging in mind when they put it together. Right tools for the right job?

 

[tradosaurus]

My father in law DIED using a tractor for logging. He was 56. He would grab a log with the 3pt hitch and pull it thru the woods to de-limb it. His son watched the whole thing happen in a flash. Tractor flipped over on him when the tree must have got snagged on something. I don't believe the inventors of the tractor had logging in mind when they put it together. Right tools for the right job?

So I assume he didn't have the ROPs up?

 

[MossyDell]

I knew of a doctor died that way, towing a log with a chain, getting hung, and tractor flipped backwards in a flash. No ROPS.

 

[JWR]

I see no mention of log skidders here. Are they not capable of pulling loaded trailers ? I thought the OP mentioned pulling logs out of hilly terrain, etc. plus the trailer duty. I DO NOT have experience in this area but I do see a lot of log skidders in hilly areas. Isn't this what they are made for ? Why not ?

 

[Jrasband]

My father in law DIED using a tractor for logging. He was 56. He would grab a log with the 3pt hitch and pull it thru the woods to de-limb it. His son watched the whole thing happen in a flash. Tractor flipped over on him when the tree must have got snagged on something. I don't believe the inventors of the tractor had logging in mind when they put it together. Right tools for the right job?

Also, what the heck was he trying to de-limb trees like that for?

 

[tradosaurus]

Also, what the heck was he trying to de-limb trees like that for?

Roll bar and seat belt would have prevented that death.

 

[yubh8tn]

I use my Kioti CK4010SE shuttle shift for grub work in the forest in super hilly terrain of Blue Ridge Mountains. I am not pulling huge full size trees and I know its smaller than most would use. I cut trees into 8ft logs to make it easier to move. My woods are thick and tight and I purposely bought the strongest tractor this size (that I could afford) I could for this purpose. All that being said I am super wary of the danger I am in and try to think everything through before doing anything. Personally I would rather drag a log than pull a loaded trailer on these hills. I do wear a seatbelt and rollbar but I also know that if the tractor rolls into a tree that comes across the cockpit, I am done. I have thought about welding more bars for added protection just for that reason. I'm not doing production work so I take my time, just cleaning up my place.

Anyway, if I was pulling a trailer up or down hills that is loaded I would want 4wd brakes and possibly trailer brakes, otherwise I wouldnt try it.

 

[jyoutz]

Hi,
I haven't really posted on this forum but have spoken to several of you by pm, soaking in all the wisdom that i can. I am considering purchasing a tractor with the primary purpose of towing a log loader and doing forestry work. Up until this year I've been reluctant on investing in a tractor primarily because of the maintenance requirements. I think the right tool for the right job approach is something had focused on, leaning towards frugal options.

Currently for basic skidding and yard work I've had relied other off road vehicles, which to my surprise is meeting all but one my requirements. Some logging work, specifically loading heavy 24"+ dia trees, has become a challenge and while I could manage I wanted to invest in something that made it easier. This year I bought a used log loader, a Metavic 1400 loader with 18RF trailer and started looking at the best towing options. I will be primarily using off road trails with some steep and hilly terrain, mildly hard soil (clay like), on mostly forest populated land. As such I need something that can tow this heavy trailer up/down hills and not fall apart. I have focused on identifying tractors that provide stability and power for the work, and quickly realized there is a lot to consider. With the hills, I felt full body steel frame tractors with 4WD would be best. I don't plan on loading the trailer up to its max capacity and will likely load a minimal amount on most trips.

I found a used 2006 Mahindra 4530 4WD w/o a loader available that seems to check all the boxes with exception to towing capacity, which I understand isn't something normally included on manufacturer specifications. The engine has 42hp and has less than 900 hours on it. I've done some basic research and understand there may be some issues which the tractor could have.

I am planning on down grading the trailer, moving the loader over to the new trailer to reduce the total weight
Current estimated log loader weight- Metavic 1400 + Metavic 18RF: 4125lb (18500 payload)
Future estimated log loader weight- Metavic 1400 + Metavic 17RF: 3225lb (14000 payload)

Is there a way to tell if the tractor I am considering would have enough towing capacity? Are there alternative vehicles (tractors) that I should consider - eg, a skid loader vs compact?

I appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!

I’m not exactly sure how you’re going about operations, and whether you are doing this as a commercial contractor or just on your land. I’ve never seen a logging operation where the log trailer is towed anywhere but on the road. Logs are skidded to the landing where the trailer is parked, then the trailer is towed on the road. If you are doing this commercially, you should really consider a used log skidder, not a tractor, then a different tow vehicle for the trailer on the road. If this is a homeowner project, then perhaps you can skid logs to the landing with a tractor, but as others have mentioned, towing a trailer that weighs more than the tractor is a dicey situation.

 

[ddbackhoe]

I use my Kioti CK4010SE shuttle shift for grub work in the forest in super hilly terrain of Blue Ridge Mountains. I am not pulling huge full size trees and I know its smaller than most would use. I cut trees into 8ft logs to make it easier to move. My woods are thick and tight and I purposely bought the strongest tractor this size (that I could afford) I could for this purpose. All that being said I am super wary of the danger I am in and try to think everything through before doing anything. Personally I would rather drag a log than pull a loaded trailer on these hills. I do wear a seatbelt and rollbar but I also know that if the tractor rolls into a tree that comes across the cockpit, I am done. I have thought about welding more bars for added protection just for that reason. I'm not doing production work so I take my time, just cleaning up my place.

Anyway, if I was pulling a trailer up or down hills that is loaded I would want 4wd brakes and possibly trailer brakes, otherwise I wouldnt try it.

Working in the woods, one of the more dangerous things. Here’s a good read to, hopefully, help.

Anyone build a HD canopy with brush risers?

I am mounting new LED light bars on the factory canopy frame. I have been needing to build a HD canopy and brush risers for awhile and the time seems right. The canopy will bolt to the ROPs and be wider/longer than the factory one. Looking for ideas if anyone has done similar

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[yubh8tn]

Working in the woods, one of the more dangerous things. Here’s a good read to, hopefully, help.

Anyone build a HD canopy with brush risers?

I am mounting new LED light bars on the factory canopy frame. I have been needing to build a HD canopy and brush risers for awhile and the time seems right. The canopy will bolt to the ROPs and be wider/longer than the factory one. Looking for ideas if anyone has done similar

www.tractorbynet.com

Thanks for the link, that gives me some ideas.

 

[JWR]

Roll bar and seat belt would have prevented that death.

Well, maybe. It sounds like that guy who was killed was pulling using some attach point above the center of the rear axle. That is just asking for trouble and generally no reason to do it.