Log Arch

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Those were my thoughts exactly

I just bought an Artic Cat atv and thats what I had in mind.
 
tell ya what, ive always looked at the rigs that haul propane tanks would make a VERY nice log arch!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but you NEVER see them for sale!!!!!
 
I use my ATV a lot for “logging”. The small foot print in the woods is great. On small logs it work fine, stuff over 20” well…
Arches that lift the log off the ground seem like a good idea. The problem is breaking. I can see a lot of issues with this being used on anything but flat land.
Arches that keep one end of the log on the ground seem safer, but with the obvious disadvantages.
Surge brakes can only help.

Best of luck.
 
MJR, good point & it is something i have thought about while going down a steep grade(and i have lots of them) with a load of logs behind my Kodiak. Or should i say that the "Scchpink-ter-meter" began twitching uncomfortably. One load or one tree will easily out-weigh the 'wheeler, and i have no trailer brakes.....yet. With visions of jack-knifing dancing thru my head i guess it is time to get serious about trailer brakes. Surge would be the only eway to go, so do they make them for such a small load/trailer?
RD
 
All good points

You would have the option of letting the butt end drag on the ground. That would slow the down hill descent but it might still be a problem if you were on any sidling.

Ill let you know how mine does when I get it fabd up. Too many irons in the fire right not. Too many ideas and not enough time and money.

I am gonna hit the scrap yard today...Maybe get lucky.
 
I use my ATV a lot for “logging”. The small foot print in the woods is great. On small logs it work fine, stuff over 20” well…
Arches that lift the log off the ground seem like a good idea. The problem is breaking. I can see a lot of issues with this being used on anything but flat land.
Arches that keep one end of the log on the ground seem safer, but with the obvious disadvantages.
Surge brakes can only help.

Best of luck.

What about a skid or dolly to use under the end your dragging? It would reduce the strain the arch would take.
 
Surge + brakes/hubs.....$$$. I am thinking something more ...elemental, like a friction brake on a wagon. I could engage it before a slope, then dis-engage at the bottom. A curved metal plate to push on the tire tread welded to an arm.......hmmmmm.
RD
 
A Prony brake – interesting. Physics flash back – bad. The problem with a system like this is, if it is not simple it will not be used. Getting on/off machinery is a PITA.

I remember a while back seeing a picture of an ATV skidding out a log. It looked like a ¼” steel plate bent like wide U. The log was attached on one side the other side was chained to the ATV. When the ATV drove away it lifted the front end of the log up – like a cam. Still have my stopping issues.

I also had ideas of a single bar with anchor holes in it with wheels. Lift the end of the log with a jack. A simple L-bracket attached to the log with a cordless drill would help with this. Lag bolt the wheeled bar on, lower the jack, attach chain to log and ATV and go. Still have my stopping issues.

Bottom line – ATV’s are not made for skidding logs. Back to physics, Mass * Velocity = DEATH.

Good luck.
 
Skid Plate

WE built one and it works well when you slow down it sets the log down on the ground to be used as a break. if the hill is that steep it slides down the hill on it's own just let the log go on its own ,then hitch back on to it.
this is the arch i built out of an old trampoline and wagon hubs, it needs a little longer tounge and new winch.
 
I was going to build one but realized the the cost of the steel, time and other material was more than it would be to buy one, or about the same.
There are a lot of different designs out there. I think Future Forestry has some good ones, they have a site. For a few grand you get a killer arch, you might think it is expensive and it is but...
I did build just an axle to carry one end of a log and then pull the other end with a loader. That was easy, well as easy as anything else.
The difference between a skidder and a real arch is that the arch can carry the log instead of dragging it. Dragging logs is not good, at least for me.
 
Oh yeah, I had an idea just to winch the logs on a trailer from their position when felled. There is an arch hoop on the trailer which works for loading and unloading. hell the steel for that was expensive plus the mig wire and all the bull that goes with making something that actually works. It carries more than one log and can get into tight spots.
If that is not feasible for you then I would use an arch. If you build one make it strong because it will take a beating in the woods for sure.
 
I too would like brakes on my log trailer, but don't, so I limit where I go with it. When on hilly terrain. its slower going, but I haul 1 log at a time to the trailer. With this

IMGP04491.jpg


Not the best pic of it, but I chain the log close to the 3 point, and lift the front of the log. When going down hill, I lower the log so I am dragging it at that point. Log brakes if you will.
 
Nice looking arch Asemaster

Should be simple to add some tongue length. I was at the scrap yard yesterday and I figure I can build an arch like the one in the drawing I posted for about a hundo. Its amazing what gets dumped there.

I picked up a five gallon bucket of new galvanized nails, about half a five gallon bucket of new galvanized bolts, washers and nuts, a 30 inch length of 3" C channel, three pieces of 1" round 24" long, and one piece of 4x6 angle 12" long. The total bill on my purchase was 17 dollars. (.17/pound) I figure the nails and bolts would have cost several hundred dollars new.

I left six buckets of new nails there. Proabably should have gotten them too. My wife says its a disease....
 
Is anyone able to get the schematic off mother earth news to enlarge? Want to build one but would like to see the schematic they have but can't get it to a size that is readable.
Thanks!!
 
Mother Earth News

I talked to the editor at Mother and she told me that they would fix that drawing. So far they havent. I just sent an email asking if the would send me a full size copy. If they do I will mail it to anyone that wants it...MIKE
 

Latest posts

Back
Top