3 point hitch lifting/pulling concerns

[yanmars]

I have a Cat I MFWD 45 horsepower tractor. I was asked to help skid heavy logs up muddy, fairly steep hills. A real struggle as the tires mud up quickly and it is a slippery mess and traction is lost often.
Anyways I put a steel cross bar that fits in the two lower units of the 3 point hitch. The arms on those are about 5/8 thick steel. Logs are chained to the cross bar to lift and then I pull the logs. Concerned that may cause too much strain on the 3 point hitch system as it was designed more for bush hog mowers etc, not heavy lifting and pulling.
I do have a bar I slide into
a low receiver type opening that appears would be more substantial to pull on and with except that has no lifting capability so the entire log for the most part would have to dragged in the mud as opposed to just the end if it could be lifted in part above the mud.
I thought I read recently somewhere on this TractorbyNet site about not using the 3 point for such work. If one remembers they could direct me to is by name and date. Otherwise ideas would be welcome. May have to wait until it freezes or is drier next year. Also my brother has offered his skid steer but unsure that will work with skid steer tires under the conditions above. Thoughts and ideas are welcome. May have to rent a bigger or different type of equipment?

 

[i7win7]

skid heavy logs up muddy, fairly steep hills.

$$$ a skidding winch
$$ a log arch - has wheels & lifts front of log
$ ladder, chain and snatch block. Use ladder & chain to mount snatch block high in tree at crest of hill, pulls log above the ground, reattach rope or chain to log & 3pt to pull log out of woods

 

[CalG]

Run a chain to the draw bar to do the pulling. "Lift with the tool bar, pull with the draw bar."

Gan'pa taught me right!

 

[Roadworthy]

I don't know about pulling with the three point but however you pull be sure the connection to the tractor is below the centerline of the rear axle. You do NOT want to be doing a wheelie going up a hill. That's a recipe for disaster.

 

[CalG]

Take a look here

Pincher Turns Tractor Into Log Skidder

Tom Repko has the ideal attachment to turn your tractor into a log skidder. The mechanical engineer and woodlot owner developed the 3-pt. hitch skidder to harvest firewood and thin Douglas fir trees o...

www.farmshow.com

The lifting and the pulling are two different systems.

 

[jeff9366]

I put a steel cross bar that fits in the two lower units of the 3 point hitch. The arms on those are about 5/8 thick steel. Logs are chained to the cross bar to lift and then I pull the logs. Concerned that may cause too much strain on the 3 point hitch system as TPH was designed more for bush hog mowers etc, not heavy lifting and pulling.

The steel cross bar is known as a CROSS DRAWBAR. They are made of mild steel, so they will bend, rather than snap, if overstressed. In timber work, you rarely encounter a straight CROSS DRAWBAR.

The CROSS DRAWBAR has two advantages: 1) It lifts one end of a timber, reducing friction over most of its length when pulled. 2) It lifts one end of a timber so that the timber is LESS likely hang up on a rock, root or a burrow, instantly pulling tractor up onto its rear wheels, especially pulling tractor loads uphill. (I have personally experienced this, skidding logs over flat ground with a REAR/CENTER DRAWBAR attached to a Deere 750.)

MORE: 3-Point Hitch - Tractor Three Point Hitch CROSS-DRAWBARS


TPH was designed more for bush hog mowers etc, not heavy lifting and pulling.

Tractors are designed to PULL over level ground.



a low receiver type opening that appears would be more substantial to pull on and with except that has no lifting capability so the entire log for the most part would have to dragged in the mud as opposed to just the end if it could be lifted in part above the mud.

The rectangular attachment which fits into this receiver hitch is known as a REAR/CENTER DRAWBAR. Receiver is attached directly to the tractor frame. Attached load is pulled at or below level of the rear axle. This is the correct point at which to attach heavy towed loads.
Tow slow so that the timber will not hang up on a rock, root or a burrow, instantly pulling tractor up onto its rear wheels, especially pulling tractor loads uphill.

MORE: Rear/Center Tractor Drawbar // USE TODAY


One reasonably SAFE way to skid logs up a slope is using a Three Point Hitch, PTO-powered log-skidding-winch. The tractor remains on flat, unchurned ground at the top of the slope.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=COMPACT+TRACTOR+LOG+SKIDDING+WINCH




I was asked to help skid heavy logs up muddy, fairly steep hills.

You cannot enjoy a tractor if you are dead.

 

[timbatrader]

pulling uphill is hard I use a long steel cable and a snatch block at the top of the hill so the tractor is pulling downhill while the log is going up the hill. Some times I pull all the logs to staging point half way and then move the snatch block to a higher location doing it this way I get logs up hills that the tractor can only just make it up unloaded without pulling anything it sounds like a lot of work stropping unstropping etc but it works effortlessly and in the long run is much easier for me

 

[Cycledude]

I have skidded lots of wood using the 3 point in the raised position and it works great ! But yes you do need to be careful about lifting the front end sometimes, it has never caused me any significant problems. A little common sense is probably the most important part.

 

[LD1]

Lifting AND pulling with the 3ph really don't pose a danger to the 3ph. The 3ph is made to handle whatever the tractor can pull. Think of plows in the ground, or rippers, or a rear blade

However the concern is a backflip. Mad worse by pulling up a hill. You need a significant amount of front weight. Like a loader. But still risky going up a steep hill

 

[Egon]

I have skidded lots of wood using the 3 point in the raised position and it works great ! But yes you do need to be careful about lifting the front end sometimes, it has never caused me any significant problems. A little common sense is probably the most important part.

Add a load into the bucket and it helps keep the front end down.