Box Scraper hauling logs

[Chilly807]

I have a log arch I use with an ATV, I built it that size because I didn't have the tractor at the time.

The tree deflectors in front of the wheels are a real time saver, before I added those I spent a lot of time swearing and trying to shift loads sideways. Remember, the arch won't back up easily (at all) with a log loaded on it. With them added, you can hit a tree with the arch while cornering and the whole arch simply shifts a few feet sideways and you keep going.

If there's one drawback to it, it's the problem of handling big wood without a winch or hydraulics. If you wanted to add a hydraulic winch to an arch and power it from the tractor hydraulics, that would definitely help.

One thing to consider is this, however: By the time you build or buy an arch (mine cost me about $200), add a winch, cable, chain etc, you can buy a good used logging winch for not a lot more money.

I bought a new-to-me Norse 290 (6500 lb pull) that the previous owner had bought new but never used. For less than $3K I have machinery I can use for 20 years and sell for almost what I paid for it if I keep some paint on it and look after it. They are also good in that you can haul from up to 200 feet away (further with extension chains or cable) from where the tree is without cutting roads or trails which makes selective cutting easier. A lot depends on the type of forest you have. Open woods with a hard bottom is easier to get by without a winch.

It sounds like you're in the same boat a lot of us are, you have a small scale wood harvesting job to do, and the easy way to do it (tractor and winch) is fairly expensive. The flip side is that the cheaper way to do it is harder on you labour wise, and may tear up the woods more.

Sean

 

[jpm1]

I'm really kind of confused on this issue. We have cut wood for about 40 years now and at one time 500 - 1000 cord a year. We always skid our logs and never gave it a thought about getting dirt and mud on the logs. Our woods is muddy, hilly and rocky, we have almost all conditions, and even flat ground we chose to skid. We had two saws running and touched the saws up every night with the chain grinder. It actually took longer to get the chain off and blow off the saw than to grind it. Some people say grinding eats a chain up fast, IMO i'de grind instead of filing a chain, get a better job. Could it be the issue of sharpening a chain? No big issue. My dad taught me to file a chain when i was about 5 or 6 years old so ive done my share of chains. Also i must add we did not hade a skidder we used 2 Belarus 400 tractors with farmi winches. I now use Mahindra and Kioti and the same Farmi winch. . .John

 

[Gordon Gould]

If you can pick up one end of the log it will stay clean any time of year unless you pull it through a swamp. If you have a swamp to go thru wait til it is frozen and they will be clean.

Arches are great but there main purpose is to be able to pull heavy logs with equipment with limited traction that couldnt pull them otherwise. Keeping logs clean is a second benifit of them. They are a nuisance to jig around if you are in the woods.

 

[Chilly807]

... wait til it is frozen and they will be clean.

That's my plan of attack as well. I try to wait until the ground freezes hard or is bone dry in summer. I much prefer winter, no flies, I stay cooler, and no leaves to deal with on hardwoods.

Our only problem is the window between freeze-up and deep snow not being long enough to get it done. Up to about a foot or eighteen inches of snow is no problem, beyond that it gets tiresome.

Sean

 

[arrow]

Just thinking out loud here.

A quick hitch could be used to lift, secure and control the butt end of a log. Cat 1 QH is 27" wide so your logs would fit nicely.

Then place a two or four wheeled fat tire dolly toward the middle of the log. Probably would have to be secured with chain and binder. Then tow away.

Hmmm. Maybe one of those half baked ideas.

Not at all.

 

[arrow]

As a retired logger, I absolutely love posts like these. It shows what others are doing to accomplish their tasks with minimal investments (after the tractor that is) You do not say where you are but "frozen ground" gives clues that if you live in a region of such, then you also get snow. As I see it where one of your criteria is clean logs, you have a couple of options. 1. skid your logs out when there is snow cover using the simplest of techniques as previously described utilizing the 3 pt hitch draw bar and a clevis with chain hook. 2. Use something such as this (LogRiteTools's Channel - YouTube) to get the tailing end of the log up off the ground. This one will only do 16" logs not because of its width, but because its tongs not able to spread further. You can notch the end of your log to better accept the cradle tongs which should be now cut to 17' to allow for the notch. I would not consider skidding with the box blade whatsoever. Depending how extensively you are going to do this, would set the mark for any future tool investment such as the cradle. The Log arch trailer gives you the benefit of skidding cleanly at any point of the year and eases the tractor strain greatly.

 

[Chilly807]

Not at all.

The problem I see is how do you get the dolly under a 1000 lb log? I guess you could lift it with the loader and then slide the dolly under, then move back to the front and hook up to haul. Quite a bit of maneuvering around, my woods roads are pretty close quarters to do that.

Sean

 

[arrow]

If you can pick up one end of the log it will stay clean any time of year unless you pull it through a swamp. If you have a swamp to go thru wait til it is frozen and they will be clean.

Arches are great but there main purpose is to be able to pull heavy logs with equipment with limited traction that couldnt pull them otherwise. Keeping logs clean is a second benifit of them. They are a nuisance to jig around if you are in the woods.

Love the low body mount of your dump. Makes it easier for the tractor.

 

[Ken45101]

We had two saws running and touched the saws up every night with the chain grinder. It actually took longer to get the chain off and blow off the saw than to grind it.

That's one of the reasons I file mine on the saw. I can file it quicker than I can take it off.

My opinion on grinders: done right, they can do a good job. But done wrong, they take too much off and may damage the temper of the tooth.

For a while, I did use a Dremel. Worked good but a good file does just as good without the risk of damaging the teeth.

Ken

 

[Chilly807]

That's one of the reasons I file mine on the saw. I can file it quicker than I can take it off.

My opinion on grinders: done right, they can do a good job. But done wrong, they take too much off and may damage the temper of the tooth.

For a while, I did use a Dremel. Worked good but a good file does just as good without the risk of damaging the teeth.

Ken

Pretty much my thoughts as well. A friend of mine in Sweden stands his saws up on the end of the rear handle and files them that way, I usually either sit them on a flat surface or put the bar in a vise.

Sean

 

[arrow]

The problem I see is how do you get the dolly under a 1000 lb log? I guess you could lift it with the loader and then slide the dolly under, then move back to the front and hook up to haul. Quite a bit of maneuvering around, my woods roads are pretty close quarters to do that.

Sean

My thinking was more generalized regarding a "dolly" as any kind of wheeled device under the end of the log. If one considers the LogRite junior arch, this device can lift the end of the log and with the handle pulled over the log, acts as a self engaged dolly with no need for use of the tractor to pick up the end of the log. There is a video at the Logrite site showing this use as described.

 

[Cantoo]

I have a thread on arbouristsite that shows some of my equipment. My stoneboat loglift would work great for you.
http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/153256.htm

 

[Gordon Gould]

That's my plan of attack as well. I try to wait until the ground freezes hard or is bone dry in summer. I much prefer winter, no flies, I stay cooler, and no leaves to deal with on hardwoods.

Our only problem is the window between freeze-up and deep snow not being long enough to get it done. Up to about a foot or eighteen inches of snow is no problem, beyond that it gets tiresome.

Sean

Sean, No truer words have been spoken. Especially the part about the flies and the deep snow.

BTW - on an earlier post you made about a year ago you showed those deflectors on your arch wheels. Well I used that idea and put them on my trail mower. Havent tore a tire off the rim since. Thanks

 

[Ken45101]

Our only problem is the window between freeze-up and deep snow not being long enough to get it done. Up to about a foot or eighteen inches of snow is no problem, beyond that it gets tiresome.

We don't get enough snow to work in here and we don't get a solid freeze up. All we get is enough to make the ground very greasy. Add that to the steep hills on the place here and it makes things difficult.

Ken

 

[taborekle]

I've had good success scooping and curling up some good sized oak logs with my bucket and toothbar. I can usually push them against another or stump to get under them and curl the bucket enough for them to stay on. If that doesn't work I use a peavy to roll them on to the bucket. The safety caveat is stay low and go slow when moving them. I like this method because I later cut them up for firewood or lumber and I hate dragging them through the dirt if I'm going to use the chainsaw on them later.

Should be no problem. Put the FEL over one end of the tree, chain the log to the FEL and LIFT ONE END OF IT. The FEL on my B2920 can lift 1000lbs, so the OP's B3030 should have no problems with this.

I found that this worked very well for me, as the FEL sticks way out in front, it was easy to position it over one end of the tree. You don't have to really lift the tree very high, just a foot or two off the ground. Having FEL control over the tree also means it's easy to swing the FEL around with steering, and you can lower it quickly should you need to. In my opinion, this is a great option for the OP as he doesn't need to by any additional equipment.

Larry

 

[taborekle]

I really dont think his B3030 is capable of lifting a 1850lb log with the FEL:confused2:

Sorry about my previous post. It was meant to address this and in my haste I click on the wrong post. So I was trying to answer the above concern that the FEL can't lift a log of 1850 lbs (which it can, just one end, which is all you need for dragging).

Larry

 

[wcampbell47]

I believe I read in one of the posts advice was given to drop the 3 point if the front end became airborne. Dropping the 3 point is good but also be ready to disengage the engine power from the drive train - ie clutch the machine. If the airborne condition was caused by the butt of the stump coming in contact with an immovable object (like an old stump) just dropping the 3 point could get you killed. IMHO stop the forward motion of the tractor to be safest.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I believe I read in one of the posts advice was given to drop the 3 point if the front end became airborne. Dropping the 3 point is good but also be ready to disengage the engine power from the drive train - ie clutch the machine. If the airborne condition was caused by the butt of the stump coming in contact with an immovable object (like an old stump) just dropping the 3 point could get you killed. IMHO stop the forward motion of the tractor to be safest.

You are absolutely right. I dont know how a hst works but on my geared tractor I set the hand throttle and use my right foot for the steering brakes and the dif lock. My left foot has nothing to do but it is always available and ready to stomp on the clutch to disengage power to the wheels.

 

[wcampbell47]

The problem I see is how do you get the dolly under a 1000 lb log? I guess you could lift it with the loader and then slide the dolly under, then move back to the front and hook up to haul. Quite a bit of maneuvering around, my woods roads are pretty close quarters to do that.

Sean

Well I envision the log being chained up tight against the top of the quick hitch and raised as high as the 3 point will go. Push the dolly back toward the center of the log as far as it will go by hand. Use chain and binder to secure the dolly. Lower the 3 point to put weight on the dolly. Drive forward.

Disclaimer: never done this before, just thinking out loud.

Another half baked idea. Place an old car ramp under the log to be skidded that is chained to the quick hitch. Using the angle of the ramp to elevate the tail end of the log drive forward a few feet, then place and secure the dolly.

Where there is a will there is a way as my Dad used to say. LOL

 

[LD1]

Sorry about my previous post. It was meant to address this and in my haste I click on the wrong post. So I was trying to answer the above concern that the FEL can't lift a log of 1850 lbs (which it can, just one end, which is all you need for dragging).

Larry

If you are implying that he lift one end with the fel and drag in reverse with the fel, that is not a good idea either