Winter logging

[slowzuki]

Pulling a 12" dbh spruce out of a mixed stand. There are white spruce, eastern (northern) white cedar, eastern white pine, tamarack, fir and other mixed hardwoods.

There is a snowblower on the back of the tractor so I have to back out with the loader. The skid distance is about 300 m so I pull to a cleared area about 100 m then hitch 4 or 5 of these logs to finish up the trip.

I am making a road around the edge of our property so we can pick which trees we want for building our shop.

The deer are stripping the cedar slash each night after I cut.

 

[Boondox]

Nice! I didn't get enough wood harvested last fall, so will need to resume harvesting soon otherwise I'll have to wait for mud season to end...and that seriously reduces my drying time! Plus, skidding logs in the snow would protect the grass in our meadow. But boy do I worry about getting stuck! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Pete

 

[slowzuki]

My gf doesn't sympathize with the rush to beat spring! I'm crossing a swamp area and the work will have to end in late March, enough wood or not!
Ken

 

[Youare]

That picture makes me want to get out into the woods again but there is too much snow and ice right now for the equipment I have. We had a cover of snow before the cold weather got here so there is not much frost in the ground in the woods.

I was talking to a local logger last week and he figures there is only 3 more weeks of winter logging left then mud season begins. I did harvest a few trees along the road last week while doing a little timber stand improvement.

That looks like a nice straight stem you got there. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Randy

 

[slowzuki]

Makes me want to be out there too! Staring out a window right now from my desk, I'd rather 2 days in the office and 5 days of hard work any day!

The snow is about knee deep but the tractor compacts it quickly. Near the top of our property the snow is drifting to about shoulder deep. Had to cut it open with the blower.

My biggest worry is slashing open a tire in the snow on something. I already put a 1/4" deep gouge on a rear tire. Not my tractor and tires are 800$ a pop!

Ken

 

[Knight9]

Ken,

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The snow is about knee deep )</font>

Only knee deep? Does that mean NB didn't get hit as hard as NS with that snow storm the other day? News said some areas got up to 95cm of snow! Unreal.

Kevin

 

[slowzuki]

We got 2 cm in Fredericton /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Moncton (about 1.25 hr drive away) got what is in the attached pic plus another foot!

This is a coworkers house. The garage had disappeared in another 2 hrs!

 

[Knight9]

Man, and it's been +5 or so for two weeks here!! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif Our snow is going fast!!! Why can't we get some of that!!!

Kevin

 

[Egon]

It wasn't unreal Kevin. Just darned deep and heavy.

Egon

 

[Boondox]

With no new snow in the forecast for the next several days, and thanks to this thread, I'm sorely tempted to ask for time off from work and to use the long weekend to clear a path to a few maples earmarked for the firewood pile! Let's see...clear snow on Friday, switch to the logging winch and start harvesting trees Saturday and Sunday. I can think of plenty of worse ways to spend a weekend!

Pete

 

[nobull1]

Here is a pic of our house the driveway is about 30 feet longer than you can see.We had almost no snow until this storm.Could not plow with my 1 ton, most yards had 3 to 4 feet.So put the Kubota to the test and worked fine, was the only way to open driveways up.Put about 12 hours on her and my left leg knows it hst would have been nice.

 

[frank_f15]

BOY that lloks like fun! wish i was close enogh to give u a hand /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[nobull1]

Yes it's pretty cool to go into 4 feet of snow in low 2 and push until you can't no more than dump over to the side than back up do it again.I just got the L4300 recently and was the first real test.Drop the bucket and go, loaded tires and 43 hp make some difference.I had been using a L275 for the last 7 years not in the same league at all.The only real problem is I make more money plowing 3 to 4 inches than 38, it just takes too long.I will say though it is a tractor playground fairly light snow ,lots of it and everyone is your friend /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gifHere is another pic just does not do the amount of snow justice

 

[slowzuki]

I know what you mean about time. I assume with just a few inches you use your truck. When I borrow the tractor I'm often asked to chase down drifts. Spend more time plowing than doing my work!
Ken

 

[Wannafish]

No bull,
There must be something wrong with my monitor...it looks like your ROPS is in the down position /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif. I'm sure that can't be so. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[nobull1]

I can push about 2 feet of snow without too much problem.38 inches nah.Tried a driveway, snow was smashing into my plow lights figured I was only going to break something.Here is a pic of my truck I weigh about 6 tons with plow and counterweight and still not big enough

 

[nobull1]

LOL Your right to put it in or out of the garage in front of tractor you have to put it down or you will do a back flip.6 months of the year[summer] it will be in my big garage and I can keep it up all the time.This up and down rops gets to be a pain but what can you do.Funny thing my L275 just went in without folding[it couldn't] and the L4300 is just a couple inches too high

 

[Knight9]

Egon,

My uncle was out here in Edmonton on the 18th heading back to his home in Halifax on the 19th. Pretty sure he ended up sitting in Toronto for a day or so. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Sure was some wild footage on the news.

Kevin

 

[Egon]

Kevin; I was sitting in the sunroom with my feet on the hot water radiator watchin it snow and blow and snug as a bug in a rug.

The next day required about eight hours of iron shovel and moving stuff around.

But what really hurt was the extra 15 cm. we got a few days later.

Egon

 

[frank_f15]

i beleive u are a right on the snow, can;t bet a fel or blower for moving a lot of snow. plows can only push so much.

BEAUTIFUL blue color sky in your picture tho. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif