Quad setup for firewood/ skidding

[strtspdlx]

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.

You'd be surprised how far a good plan goes when you need something to work. Do I expect to professionally log with my setup. No. I do expect I can drag full length trees out of the woods with the proper setup for my current quad.


Regards-Carlo

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Cantoo has the right idea. If you want to move a lot of wood with a small machine put it on wheels. If tree length is what your thinking, get a second log arch or set of wheels on the tail end. Check out LogRite arch and junior arch videos. Doesn't have to be pretty, just has to work. As for dragging, when using horses, a seasoned team would begin a pull off angle to break the friction. Much easier for them to start moving then a dead straight on drag.

 

[Jeff Lary]

Although I personally have never seen them from the inside they tell me that one of the gears in the transmission is about the size of a golf ball. You already know this but the need for care is great with a 4 wheeler they are not a substituent for a farm tractor.
I have some right to think this way because I have a Suzuki LTF 250 2 wheel drive 4 wheeler identical to yours in every way except the 4wd. I bought it new in 1987, for 10 years or more I hauled every stick of fire wood with mine 6 cords per season. But I did it on a trailer on pretty good woods roads .When all the wood is split and the trailer is loaded it hauls 1/3 cord per trip 18 trips per season.
In the woods I used to use my Allis Chalmers then my brother bought a JD 420 crawler so I used that some too. In 2009 I bought my 1995 L-2950 4 wd Kubota tractor and Normet ( Farmi Winch JL 250).
I now own a 2009 Polaris Ranger that hauls the trailer full of split fire wood and the Kubota is the rig in the woods with me. Be very careful you wont get hurt I don't think most likely you will be moving slow in low range,... but one snag and too much traction on the wheeler something will give and ----SNAP no more wheeler transmission.

 

[redfin]

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.

I used the excact quad the op has for a seasons. My buddy lent it to me. Even though only 250cc it is an amazing machine with the 4lo gearing. I wish I could find one of the pics I have of that bike loaded. I would stack rounds on the front rack for weight.

 

[mbergeon]

I've posted this before:

I carry everything on the front of the quad in a box made to hold everything:

It has a fold down shelf to sharpen and fuel saws.

I haul a lot of wood in the gator and dump it in front of the OWB.

This year I got a new tractor, so I'll be trying that out too

 

[redfin]

I've posted this before:

I carry everything on the front of the quad in a box made to hold everything:

It has a fold down shelf to sharpen and fuel saws.

I haul a lot of wood in the gator and dump it in front of the OWB.

This year I got a new tractor, so I'll be trying that out too

Probably an odd request but after I sell my full size backhoe I'm planning on buying a fel about the same size as yours. I'm planning my shop build now so would you do me a favor and measure the overall length of that machine please? I want to make sure the shed I'm building off my shop is deep enough.

 

[strtspdlx]

My wife helping me with firewood. That little sled pulled a TON of wood. All loaded up between quad and sled I could do about half cord. Give or take a little. It's no fun when you can't see anything though.


Regards-Carlo
Edit: I used to stack wood high enough in the sled to match the highest stack on the quad. Tied everything down and it was always a bet between my wife and I on if the sled or quad would lose a piece of wood first. We had a lot of fun that year.

 

[mbergeon]

Probably an odd request but after I sell my full size backhoe I'm planning on buying a fel about the same size as yours. I'm planning my shop build now so would you do me a favor and measure the overall length of that machine please? I want to make sure the shed I'm building off my shop is deep enough.

There it is on a 16' car hauler, 3 point is just over the front, rear gate almost closes, I'd want 18' minimum, plus attachments. If you have forks on add a few more feet.

As always, build your barn twice as big as you "need" today, you'll fill it up fast.

And sorry OP for the thread drift...

 

[strtspdlx]

It's fine. I'd like to know dimensions for a shop. Once I get a house I'll be researching shops and deciding how I want to build it.


Regards-Carlo

 

[square1]

a good plan

Your "good plan" involves loading ~100 lbs. of gear, two people, and rounds of firewood on a 300 lb. 250 cc ATV and skidding out full length trees to save making two trips?
Safe, cheap, easy...pick any two
Sorry for telling you something you don't want to hear.

 

[strtspdlx]

Your "good plan" involves loading ~100 lbs. of gear, two people, and rounds of firewood on a 300 lb. 250 cc ATV and skidding out full length trees to save making two trips?
Safe, cheap, easy...pick any two
Sorry for telling you something you don't want to hear.

I'm young and naive. And I know that. But when I ran loads last winter with this quad in anywhere from 1" to 8" of snow it very well suprised me how well it could handle loads with the low gearing and the differentials locked. I should also mention most of the trees is end up skidding if I don't build a log arch will
More then likely be less then 22-20" diameter. And no longer then 10-12' long. As the trail I run has its fair share of tight turns. Once I get the gate up
In our house pen I can run straight shot through that. But for now I have to take the twisty trails. I'm not running too far. Maybe 1/4 mile at the most.


Regards-Carlo

 

[Jeff Lary]

That must be a whole lot different than my 250cc if you can skid a 22 inch diameter 12' long green hard wood log. If you really can do this and have done this your atv life will be fading fast right before your very eyes. There is no way to do such a thing and do it slowly and carefully .Not trying to be an azz to you but I been working up logs, both hardwood and soft wood, tree length and log length ,Summer and winter for many many years,.. I know what I know I guess. Good luck

 

[strtspdlx]

If I built a log arch I'd assume it could be done?


Regards-Carlo

 

[cantoo]

As long as you build the sliding chain style arch you would be ok with a light weight wheeler. Do a search and you will find the type I mean. When you drive ahead the chain slides up a rod and lifts the end of the log, if something happens and you stop the log drops on the ground which stops it. My wheeler is an 800 and my Steiner is no toy and sheet happens real fast.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

Slow and careful. It can be done. I've done it.

You do have to know your limitations. Sometimes I skid 8-10 footers with the ATV, but when things get too big, I go home and get the tractor. As long as the OP doesn't try to take the whole thing at once, it will work. Don't go cross-slope, stay in the relatively flat areas, stay out of the muddy spots, etc. etc. etc., and you will be surprised how quickly the wood stacks up.

Another thing to consider would be adding an auxiliary cooling fan for the engine. Mine has one, and it definitely helps when I am skidding in Super Low / Differential Lock range.

 

[strtspdlx]

Cantoo
What caused the Steiner to go up on its side like that?

Kingofgeeeks
I had thought about overheating the quad which my wife has already done. I
Mainly use it in winter. And my runs are so short. The process would be something like drop the tree limb it buck it to between 8-12' size dependent and attempt to skid it. If I can't skid them out of the woods it's not that big of a deal. I can run my chainsaw mill in the woods. But I have a spot cleared up by my shop so I don't have to deal with the brush and flammable stuff in the woods. I'll just have to be a bit more careful in the woods.


Regards-Carlo

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

In my experience, the Suzuki's cool well, when you're moving. The problem is that you don't get much airflow in Super Low when skidding, and the engine is turning a lot of RPM's. I bought this King Quad with the cooling fan already on it, and I definitely notice a difference, no matter the weather.

 

[strtspdlx]

I want to say mine may have a cooling fan already on it. But I'll have to double check that.


Regards-Carlo

 

[NSMaple1]

I'm young and naive. And I know that. But when I ran loads last winter with this quad in anywhere from 1" to 8" of snow it very well suprised me how well it could handle loads with the low gearing and the differentials locked. I should also mention most of the trees is end up skidding if I don't build a log arch will
More then likely be less then 22-20" diameter. And no longer then 10-12' long. As the trail I run has its fair share of tight turns. Once I get the gate up
In our house pen I can run straight shot through that. But for now I have to take the twisty trails. I'm not running too far. Maybe 1/4 mile at the most.


Regards-Carlo

I use an ATV a lot for wood. But I have never tried or even thought about skidding logs. The thought of cutting thru accumulated dirt is enough of a put off, I guess. But you will get the most out of your ATV by using a trailer. I have a walking beam trailer I found used, it's great in the woods and handles rough ground better than the ATV. I welded a receiver hitch to the back end of it, so when I set out for the woods I have the trailer behind the ATV, and my splitter behind the trailer. I go right to where the tree lays & do all processing there. Much easier to handle splits than logs, and it take no extra effort to toss splits into the trailer right off the splitter. Then I drive the trailer right to my stacking spot. That's bigger stuff. If it's smaller stuff or limb wood, I take the sideracks off the trailer & replace with poles & pile long lengths on it. Whatever I can get on there in 8-10' lengths or even longer without worry of herniating myself. Then when it's full, I drive the trailer to my piling spot & cut to length right on the trailer, like a sawbuck. After I get a bunch heaped up from doing that, I split it all. I can do 1/3 cord +/- at a time like that, it takes 10 minutes to cut that 1/3 cord to length doing the sawbuck type thing.

Lots of tricks to use.

 

[McPherson]

That's the setup i'm using now, will take more pics with saws on when i'll go cutting again (Wd-Thr probably).

The setup the old man I log with. VERY impressive with tracks. Again, for this setup or mine, key is going logical, slow but steady!