Forestry mods

[John_Mc]

In another thread in the NH Owning/Operating section, wolfie1959 asked about the forestry mods I've done to my tractor. Rather than drift way off that topic, I've started a new thread here. Most of this is already up here on TBN somewhere.

I'd love to hear from others what they've done to their tractor for working in the woods.

Here's my set-up. My tractor, A NH TC33D is on the small side for this type of work, but I'm not trying to make a living at this. It fits my needs and gets the job done. I can also get in to tighter spaces and work on smaller trails than I could with a larger tractor. If I were starting over, I'd probably go one frame size up (I was debating about a TC40 when I ended up buying this TC33D back in 2001.)

This photo was taken during a neighborhood effort to clean up storm damage after a big wind storm in late October 2017:

Sundown GR40 Forestry Grapple on the front (looks identical to the Frostbite Grapple, but as I learned later, the Frostbite is a bit better built. However, I've had no problems with the GR40 - it can handle far more than my tractor can anyway.) The narrow profile makes maneuvering in tight spaces in the woods a lot easier than with my bucket or a wider grapple on. Grapple function is operated by some hoses run up from one of my rear remotes. I probably should have gone with adding a 3rd function to the joystick, but I already had the remotes, so this was an inexpensive way to go.

Uniforest 35E logging winch on the back 230' of cable, 7700 lbs pull. The size is a good match for my TC33D tractor. (Uniforest has since updated the 35E to the Model 35M: similar specs, with a few improvements.) The model 35E did not come with their removable trailer hitch, so I bought one from a larger Uniforest winch (the 35M comes with the hitch). It turned out the 35E was already drilled to accept it. I substituted pins for the mounting bolts that came with it, so I can get it on and off without tools. That hitch was designed for a pin hitch. I had a local fab shop make me up a 2" receiver hitch, which I now use instead of the factory-made hitch. Original and new receiver hitch:



The limb risers and FOPS (falling object protection) were done by a local fab shop a few miles down the road from me. You can see the limb risers angling up from the front of the tractor. The part over my head has expanded metal to protect from falling objects. I used expanded metal so I could still get a good view of what is above me. If I were doing it over, I'd probably use solid metal - or maybe mostly solid with a short section of expanded metal along the front edge for upward visibility. I added this a few years ago when driving along one of my woods trails and a branch fell, bouncing off my roll bar and grazing my shoulder on the way to the ground. It was not a windy day, and I had not been out doing any logging activities. I did not bump the tree - it was just a random dead branch falling. If the timing had been a split second different, it would have landed square on my head, and I wouldn't be writing this today. I decided the woods had given me a "friendly warning".

There is a belly pan underneath made of 1/2" steel plate. (I'd have been inclined to go thinner, but the guy at the local fab shop has done a number forestry mods on various tractors, and he strongly recommended it.) Most of it is mounted on the subframe for my Woods Backhoe, which simplified the design & mounting a good bit. Ahead of the main pan is a smaller piece that attached to the front of the main pan with a tongue & groove. The font edge of that connects with two bolts to the tractor. It's light enough to remove easily when I need to change the filter it protects. All of this was done by the same fabrication guy who did the FOPS/Limb Risers. He is a really thoughtful fabricator for things like this.

The chains on the rear tires are studded OFA EKO 8 (a.k.a. "Euro-style" chains). I've tried V-bar studded Ladder Style, and V-bar Duo-grip chains. The OFA EKO chains are more expensive, but are a far better chain for my needs.

Added tire valve stem protectors on the front wheels, so I don't rip them out when driving through brush. They are made from a piece of metal pipe welded on to the rim. I'll try to get a picture of these at some point. My rear tires are Calcium Chloride filled (no one around here had Rim Guard back when I bought the tractor). If I ever have to replace the tires, I'll have the valve stem protectors added to the rears as well.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Here are a couple of little things I did to make thinks more convenient out in the woods.

Mounted a key retractor on the ROPS to keep the winch control rope from dragging on the ground or catching under a tire when I forget to stow it properly when I readjust the tractor position.





Made some brackets to mount the cant hook on the winch where it would be easy to grab.





gg

 

[Gordon Gould]

Also some bolt-on choker hanger brackets





A saw vise for holding the saw while sharpening. Made from a stump vise.





Valve stem protectors that bolt on by sandwiching the rim so I didn't have to break down the tires and weld them on.





gg

 

[John_Mc]

Thanks, Gordon. I think I saw your stump vise and the Cant hook mods a while ago. I was meaning to copy them on my tractor, but never got around to it. Hopefully this time I'll be inspired to get around to it.

I need to find a better place to store my chokers. Up to now, I've been putting the hooks in my safety screen, and taking up excess slack by hooking the ends on the chain grab/tow slots built in to the winch. It works well until the chain bounces out of the slots and drags on the ground - then when I back up, I tear up my guard screen when I drive over the chain end and yank on the hooks attached to the screen.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^
I haven't done it with this winch yet, but on my last one I cut notches into a piece of angle iron to hold the chains, then welded the angle-parallel to the ground- onto the winch frame. The ends looped over a piece of rod welded onto each side of the winch.

I feel left out, I have a 35M but didn't get the hitch. It must be something they've just started. It did come with a decent chainsaw holder though... which I quickly numbed with a log. luckily my saw wasn't in it.The Uniforest is a good winch, the only thing it's lacking is a decent owner's manual.

I would like to see how some of you have attached your limb risers to the existing ROPS. It's something I need to do but don't want to drill or weld on it. If you saw my welds,,, AKA "bubble gum" you would understand.

 

[John_Mc]

I would like to see how some of you have attached your limb risers to the existing ROPS. It's something I need to do but don't want to drill or weld on it. If you saw my welds,,, AKA "bubble gum" you would understand.

Here are some shots of how mine is attached:

I think there were pre-drilled holes there, possibly to mount lights (I could be wrong about that. If he did drill new holes, I'm a bit bummed about that, but I'm not really worried about any adverse effect on the strength of the ROPS). However, it would not be difficult to extend the tabs further back (and maybe add a couple of bends to partially close them up behind the ROPS, then run the bolt through the overhanging part, so it clamps onto the ROPS, rather than bolting on. I thought the idea of using a round pipe for the FOPS frame (with the rounded clamp), rather than square tube was a good one: it meant not having to match up angles. He mounted the pipe to the ROPS, built up the rest, then when all was in it's final position, he welded the pipe to the bracket.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I would like to see how some of you have attached your limb risers to the existing ROPS. It's something I need to do but don't want to drill or weld on it. If you saw my welds,,, AKA "bubble gum" you would understand.

I have seen a couple excellent threads in the BuildItYourself section on this. I am trying to remember enough to do a search. One guy who posted a great thread and does quality work is from Va and cuts locust fence posts and bush hogs some very steep ground. I know his name but can't think of it now.

I made some ROPS clamps from 1/4" bar stock to mount a tool box rack and saw holder.









gg

 

[fitter1]

This reply is to Mr.G.G.,I have the same grapple and like those red extenders you have there. Are those custom made? Do they interfere with the bolt on rock plate?

 

[Gordon Gould]

This reply is to Mr.G.G.,I have the same grapple and like those red extenders you have there. Are those custom made? Do they interfere with the bolt on rock plate?

They are an option offered for the Igland GR20 grapple which is very similar to our Frost Bite. The hole spacing was perfect but I had to grind just a little as the flange on the Frost Bite is different. I don't see why the rock plate won't go on there with some longer bolts. I have not used the rock plate yet.





gg

 

[Gordon Gould]

I have seen a couple excellent threads in the BuildItYourself section on this. I am trying to remember enough to do a search. One guy who posted a great thread and does quality work is from Va and cuts locust fence posts and bush hogs some very steep ground. I know his name but can't think of it now.

gg

I was sitting having coffee with the wife and DieselCrawler jumped into my mind.

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/customization/346672-jd-3005-full-cage-rops.html?highlight=

gg

 

[fitter1]

Thanks GG.

 

[Steve 3650]

Great ideas.
I have a Wallenstein FX85 skidding winch. I broke the cable. The cable is 6x36 with a button head swage. Wallensteins intent was to use the 165' cable as a choker.
What cable would you replace it with and how would you have the end set up?

 

[John_Mc]

Great ideas.
I have a Wallenstein FX85 skidding winch. I broke the cable. The cable is 6x36 with a button head swage. Wallensteins intent was to use the 165' cable as a choker.
What cable would you replace it with and how would you have the end set up?

I'm not a fan of using the main cable as a choker. I'd put a grab hook or a keyhole on the end, so I could attach a separate choker. Replacing one of those if it gets damaged is a whole lot easier than replacing the mainline cable.

If I'm not mistaken, Wallenstein sells that winch with a 3/8" (10mm) cable. I prefer swaged cable: the surface is less "grabby" than the regular stuff but it can be tough to find in this size, and it costs more than the non-swaged stuff.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I agree with John on not using the end of my main line as a choker. The end section of a cable sees enough abuse already in bunching up sliders and skidding out a hitch. As a side note it was seen in a recent thread on self release snatch block problems that using the main line wrap around choker caused the hitch to jam on the block instead of releasing.

I prefer a hook on the end of my cable. It gives me more options. Sometimes you just want to hook up quick and not mess with a key hole or you want to hook onto a chain that has no free end that will go thru a key hole like a couple chokers I have with a grab hook on the end so I can make then into a long choker or a chain on a car stuck in the ditch. Or maybe you have a choker whose free end is stuck under the hitch you just dropped. Put the hook on it and drag it out from under as you as you leave. This is just my preference and why. On the other hand one of those key hole cable end fittings that Hud-Son carries makes a nice clean cable end. Way cleaner than a hook and 3 clamps. And you can get a hook by adding another chain in the key hole. So it all come s down to personal choice.

gg

 

[Steve 3650]

Thanks John and Gordon. Your opinions are much appreciated.
I can't wait to try Gordons method to protect valve stems. A couple of months ago I snapped a valve stem on a tire filled with rim guard.
Thought about trying to carefully weld something to the wheel except one tire has a tube in it.

 

[John_Mc]

Here is a (not very good) picture of the keyhole cable end fitting Gordon mentioned that is sold by Hud-Son. I have it on the end of my winch cable. My winch originally came with a grab hook. I switched it out when I was replacing the cable a few years ago. I had only really needed the grab hook a couple of times up to that point, and had experienced multiple times where my choker had gotten knocked out of the grab hook when winching in logs. (Of course, once I took the grab hook off, almost immediately I ran into multiple situations where it would have been handy to have.) As Gordon mentioned, It does make for a clean installation: no extra cable clamps needed (those are my sliders to the left). The swivel also prevents a log rolling down a side-hill from twisting up the cable.

And here's a shot of the valve stem protectors I mentioned earlier. They were made from a section of steel pipe, with one edge cut out to allow easier access by air hoses or pressure gauges. (No, that's not rust around them. One of these days, I'll get around to cleaning the mud off and painting over the primer that is on there now.)

 

[Steve 3650]

A couple questions about the keyhole cable end fitting.
Do you install it on the cable yourself, or does it require a special tool?
Is it specifically for hooking a chain choker into it, or can you also use a cable choker with a button end?

Steve

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^
You install it yourself. Swivel End Fitter - T3 - Hud-son


I have one for my cable end but concur with others that a grab hook is a lot more versatile. I like to pull in one or two logs at a time but depending on tree size may go out with a half dozen trees on a twitch. The grab hook makes it a lot easier to hook and unhook a chain.

 

[spitter]

What size woods loader is on your tractor your tractor I know if my 7308 had a grapple on it it would never pick up a stick like that. A7308 is a stock loader for a tc 33d . I have stick envey.:ashamed::drink:

 

[John_Mc]

What size woods loader is on your tractor your tractor I know if my 7308 had a grapple on it it would never pick up a stick like that. A7308 is a stock loader for a tc 33d . I have stick envey.:ashamed::drink:

It's a Woods model 1012 loader. (The dealer advised against the model 1016, which would fit, but risked resriously overloading the front end of the tractor The big selling points for me over the stock 7308 were that it has larger dump and rollback angles and a bigger lift capacity than the 7308. The larger rollback makes scooping up and transporting a full bucket easier. The larger dump angle increases the chances that it will actually dump whatever I've got in the bucket (we have some clay soils in a lot of places here in the Champlain Valley of Vermont, and getting that stuff to dump can be a real problem sometimes).

The larger lift capacity is obvious. I'm generally very careful and baby things along when I'm near the max I can lift. The picture above was White Pine. Not a particularly heavy wood. Hear is another of an American Elm that I needed to move during a volunteer work day for a firewood donation program I help organize in our community. I'm thinking it was 17' long X 17" average diameter (I do remember calculating that it was over 1400#). The height in the picture was the highest I could get it off the ground before the loader hit its limits. I'll only carry something like this very slowly and over smooth ground. In another situation, I'd have skidded it or rolled it. I was actually quite relieved the landowner who was donating the wood was saving this for a saw log, since American Elm is a pain in the butt to split, even with a hydraulic splitter.

These kinds of situations are where I wish I had ordered the TC 40 I had been considering when I bought the TC33D. On the other hand, I can get the TC33 into places in my woods where I could never get a larger tractor.

A year or so after I bought the loader, NH sent some engineers on a tour, visiting various dealers and seeking input. The dealer brought them out to visit me, since he knew I used my tractor for more than just mowing the lawn and carrying garden mulch. They spent a fair amount of time asking me why I'd chosen the Woods loader over the 7308. A couple of years later, the TC33DA came out. It featured their new 14LA or 15LA loader, with specs similar to the Woods loader I had.