Wire Rope

[WinterDeere]

Personelly I would not use cable as over time the little strands
that brake off can stab you and it don't feel very good

We call them "meat hooks" in sailing. We have wire halyards and standing rigging, in my boat class. All stainless, but it still frays and gets stabby, with time and wear.

 

[SmallChange]

I usually use 5/16" or 3/8" chains with a grab hook on one end and a slip or choker hook on the other. I also have premade 3/8" cable chokers that feature a slip hook with a socket for the small lug on the end of the cable, which makes it easy to pass under a log. And, I also have 5/16" cable I cut into pieces a few feet long, to wrap around trunks; I put both ends into cable grips.

One main concern with cable is that it is much easier to damage. Dragging a log over rocks or pavement will break lots of wires!

I think lang lay cable would work better for this kind of thing than ordinary lay cable. In ordinary lay, wires are twisted into strands in one direction, and then the strands twisted into cable in the other direction. In lang lay, both twists happen in the same direction. An ordinary lay cable has wires that run along the cable length on the surface, making it easier to slip, but a lang lay cable has wires that run circumferentially on the surface, so it grips.

If you were picking a cable to use to saw through something, lang lay would obviously be the way to go.

But I can't find the stuff for sale!

 

[mikennh]

50 feet of 5/16" grade 70 chain will fit in a standard ammo box. Chain doesn't kink, doesn't fray like wire, and stores so much easier.

 

[TreePointer]

Over the years, I've used cat chokers, chain chokers, and skidding chokers from Westech Rigging Supply. Very pleased.

I have bought choker cables, chain hardware, arborist equipment, ect. from these guys. They are squared away.
They can fabicate your cable exactly as you like (install thimbles and swage the ends).

Westech Rigging

Same here. Over the years, I've used lots of logging gear (skidding chokers, chain chokers, etc.) from Westech Rigging Supply. Very pleased.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

Though cable may be the right thing for some applications, I think a chain--or pair of chains as already suggested--is the better option.

 

[EdwardL]

Over the years I've had winches with steel cable, for getting firewood. Eventually the cables would have wire strands that broke, and cut you handling them.

Now I have synthetic rope on the winches, chain with a log choker on on end (they cost about $12, simple to put on), and I've strung 2 and 3, 20 foot tow straps together if I had to pull a log from father away. I use quick links to hook tow straps together.

Sometimes I've gotten fire wood from the national forest where an area was logged over, and an 8 in log would fall out of the grapple, and the logger say I'm not going back for it... So I did.

My point, I would not use a cable for what you want to do. A chain on the log and tow straps to the tractor will work just fine and are a lot safer.

 

[BlueKnife]

I want a wire rope assembly with a thimble already crimped into the ends. I am looking for a 3/8in 50ft wire rope I can use to pull trees over or logs out of the pasture. Any recommendations where I can buy it?

FWIW, you should consider getting a cat choker, rather than just a cable with eye's in both ends. Much nicer to use. Don't have to feed the entire cable through the eye in order to choke it around a log. This place, Logging Chokers from Westech Rigging Supply has decent prices. You may be able to find it locally by looking up logging supply places.

 

[BlueKnife]

For those suggesting chains, yes, they have their place. Cable chokers though can do things that chain or synthetic rope cannot. It's really handy to be able to push a cable through a small slot under a log, something that chain and synthetic rope cannot do. Synthetic rope does not hold up well for skidding. They all have their place.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

Besure slip hook has lock lever that keeps chain from falling out of hook though....

View attachment 819350

good idea but in practice when pulling trees in the bush those lock levers seem to last about ........ hmmmm......... 1 minute.

these "c" hooks be about same price, available all over, and will outlast my remaining years.

Cheers

 

[WinterDeere]

Now I have synthetic rope on the winches, chain with a log choker on on end (they cost about $12, simple to put on)...

I'm really surprised this is holding up for you. I race sailboats, and we use nearly all vectran and dyneema lines in various configurations, often jacketed as double-braid in nylon or polyester for better handling or running. But winch cables I've seen appear to be just single braid vectran or dyneema, which has a host of issues for skidding logs, including poor wear resistance and very poor UV resistance. You must go through a lot of it?

For those suggesting chains, yes, they have their place. Cable chokers though can do things that chain or synthetic rope cannot. It's really handy to be able to push a cable through a small slot under a log, something that chain and synthetic rope cannot do. Synthetic rope does not hold up well for skidding. They all have their place.

Cable can do a lot of things chain can't, but with regard to skidding logs, I'd say the only legit advantage is pushing it through a tight gap under a log without having to roll the log onto it. Pushing chain can make one feel impotent.

these "c" hooks be about same price, available all over, and will outlast my remaining years.

One step ahead of you there. Switched two of my most oft-used choker chains to these hooks just ten days ago: