Quad setup for firewood/ skidding

[strtspdlx]

I have a 4wd Suzuki 250 four wheeler. I know it's not the biggest or most powerful or anything like that. But it's what I got. I'm looking for ideas to outfit the quad so I can go into the woods and being two saws. A 2.5 gallon gas can. Bar oil gallon jug and miscellaneous saw related tools. If also like to be able to bring a chain or two for skidding and a come-along to pull down or directs trees/drag trees to a point I can hook them and go. I'd also like to have room for a peavey. I have an ms460 with 28" b&c and a 455 rancher with 20" b&c. So I'd like some ideas on how to set this up so I can fit all this on the quad and possibly put another person aside from me on it. I already have a small trailer for firewood rounds but I'd like to not make two trips. If you have pictures post them up. It does have racks front and rear.


Regards-Carlo

 

[svk]

Great questions:

Here are a few ideas:

Fasten a carrying box to the rack(s). Front is better than back (which gives you room for a passenger to sit on the back) provided it doesn't interfere with a handlebar mounted headlight. A rubbermaid tote or a couple of dairy cases work well. You can also custom build one from wood that could have dividers to keep things from moving around.

You can buy a chainsaw scabbard that bolts on to a wheeler but I just always put something soft down to prevent excessive scratching of the saw and just strap it down to the rack with a bungee. You can get pretty good at strapping it with some practice and only need one strap which makes removal much easier.

Your saws may "siamese" together meaning the bar of each saw(in a plastic scabbard of course) slides into the handle of the other saw. Then you can strap both of them down together.

 

[strtspdlx]

I forgot to mention the quad came with a lace tie down stretchy thing that clips onto studs on the rack. I'll have to get pictures. I had originally wanted to make scabbards out of cutting boards that I could easily slide off and on the rear rack so the saw hangs off the back of the quad. I didn't want the front just I case I ran into something and so it doesn't fully block my view. I'm just worried about stumps and what not sticking up catching the bar.


Regards-Carlo

 

[DrewUth]

It all seemed real easy to accomplish until you mentioned being able to carry a passenger.

Is it an old LT-4WD? With the gear and range selection levers up in front of the seat? Those things are awesome, I would love to own one. Totally indestructible.

I agree with what was said about about carrying the weight on the front. If you have too much weight on the back, they become impossible to steer as the front tires just push. I would make sure the rack used up all available space up front- i.e. it went fully across and protruded maybe 6" in front of the "bumper". If you aren't handy with a welder and metal, a heavy sheet of 1" plywood clamped to the existing rack with some small u-bolts would provide a great platform. Add some eye bolts at each corner, and maybe even a light frame on top out of 1-by-1 to keep things from sliding off, and you have a real "flatbed" on the front.

Could even duplicate it for the rear. If you can weld, angle iron (got any old bed frames around? They are perfect!) makes a great frame, and you can add expanded metal. The plus of that is you can get bungees through the expanded metal and around the frame.

 

[strtspdlx]

I do like the flatbed idea for the front. I had thought about building. Box to hold all the cans and tools for the front. If I could figure a way to protect the saws and myself with them up front I would do that. I've gone over the handlebars one too many times and I'd think hitting a chainsaw wouldn't make it very pleasant. This is what I'm working with. And yes. Very indestructible. Pulled about 3/4 cord off wood out of the woods in 8" of snow. Wood was on a sled though.


Regards-Carlo

 

[Jere39]

As a lazier guy than you, I just stack saws, Cant hook, wood, . . . in whichever cart or trailer I drag to the woods. Or, in this case, down my driveway to assist a neighbor process a tree that came down in a storm.

I bought a scabbard for my saw, installed it, didn't like how it exposed my saw to brush, limbs, and other things hanging over my trails, so I pulled it off, put it back in the shipping box and laid it on a shelf in my garage (available for a very reasonable restocking fee).

I built a very compact, but very usable log arch that works great, but I use it so infrequently, I'd hardly miss it if I didn't have it.



And, when I am actually moving wood in volume, I found this trailer that holds an easy half cord is a good size for my ATV



I hope you share pictures of whatever you come up with. I am always ready and willing to adopt someone else's great ideas.

Good luck

 

[strtspdlx]

At some point I'd love to
Build a small lot arch. I
Doubt my fourwheeler will pull whole logs out of the woods without one.


Regards-Carlo

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

I'll have to take pictures this weekend, but my LT-300 has a sterilite footlocker from walmart attached to the rear rack with u-bolts. I'm still working on a better solution for carrying saws on the front.

My one grandfather has an LT-250 like yours, and has an old dresser drawer u-bolted to the front rack. It works great for a lot of things - just the right size and doesn't get in the way.

 

[Jere39]

At some point I'd love to
Build a small lot arch. I
Doubt my fourwheeler will pull whole logs out of the woods without one.
Regards-Carlo

I gathered the materials (except the winch) from among a pile of stuff I had accumulated around the farm over the years. I traded a cord of oak to a welder friend to put it together, then I splurged on two cans of JD green from TSC. I am amazed how easily my garden tractor and/or my ATV pull a sizable log once the front end is raised. More useful is the fact that with that front end raised, and only a couple inches, the log tracks nicely. It goes where I want it rather than steering itself. There are dozens of examples of home made log arches. Quite a few folks include a much longer hitch so the entire log can be raised, or have added a little tail cart to lift the back of the log onto a little cart. All good ideas, and probably important for people harvesting logs to take to a mill. I cut for firewood, and don't mind if the back of my log drags in the dirt, mud, ice, or snow.

 

[strtspdlx]

Had to post a video... I'll probably never use it but now I have to build one.


Regards-Carlo

 

[svk]

I gathered the materials (except the winch) from among a pile of stuff I had accumulated around the farm over the years. I traded a cord of oak to a welder friend to put it together, then I splurged on two cans of JD green from TSC. I am amazed how easily my garden tractor and/or my ATV pull a sizable log once the front end it raised. More useful is the fact that with that front end raised, and only a couple inches, the log tracks nicely. It goes where I want it rather than steering itself. There are dozens of examples of home made log arches. Quite a few folks include a much longer hitch so the entire log can be raised, or have added a little tail cart to lift the back of the log onto a little cart. All good ideas, and probably important for people harvesting logs to take to a mill. I cut for firewood, and don't mind if the back of my log drags in the dirt, mud, ice, or snow.

That's a really slick outfit you have. I have a lot of rocks in my woods so I would do the exact same but just add taller tires for more ground clearance.

 

[cantoo]

I have lots of pics here of my different setups but here are a few for you to consider. In the one with the load of limbs you can see the plywood box I made for the 4 wheeler.

 

[strtspdlx]

Cantoo
Those trailers look like a good Idea. How do you load them?


Regards-Carlo

 

[NSMaple1]

I've got all that stuff semi-permanently stashed on our Arctic Cat 454. Plus a passenger seat. I'll try to get a couple pics over the weekend.

 

[svk]

She's mine, all mine mua ah ah.

 

[cantoo]

strtspdlx, I load them by hand but I actually only used them a few times. Access to my cutting area is tight during crop times so I go in with small equipment. During the rest of the year I use my Kubota L35 and bigger wagon. I used the little setup to go in and clear up 25 years worth of downed by weather branches laying on the ground. Cut that stuff up with my buzzsaw and it went right into the owb. Takes a long time to get a cord using small equipment but was also fun. Couple of loads of ash on the bigger wagon. Racks are 24" high, I put a decent load on them old tires. I have 2 more running gears but haven't had time to put log beds on them yet.

 

[ole yukon]

I have a trailer that was made from an old boat trailer. I have hauled many loads of wood on it through the years. Sure beats the old days of trying to use a wheel barrow to get the wood out to the truck

 

[Jeff Lary]

Cantoo that is a nice load of wood there nice and clean.

 

[square1]

Judging from the responses so far, a 250 ATV probably isn't going to do what you are asking (look at the machines being posted as examples). It definitely will create some safety issues for you / your passenger. If you hope to gather wood and carry that much gear with your current machine a trailer would be your best bet., even at that it better be on flat stable ground.

 

[McPherson]

I'll take a picture of the box I made for my ATV and post it. Fabbed a saw holder and bolted it on the box. Works great, but for a 28in bar could be problematic the way it is now. Could modify the setup.