Old Man Boom Setup

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Quacker152

ArboristSite Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2011
Messages
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Location
New albany MS
At age 18, I took over cutting firewood in 1979 after the death of my father. I haven’t missed a year cutting since. Now in my fifties I am finding it is necessary to change the way I work. My coworkers laugh when I complain that my chainsaws keep getting too hot and must be rested more often!!! As some have said on AS, I am finding more big trees to workup, making it very hard handle for an “old man”. What follows is my system to handle large rounds without hurting so bad when I get back to work Monday!!

After inheriting a 1979 Ford F250 4x4 that was my father-in-law’s. I looked at HF to get ideas for a loading boom to use in 3 places; truck, trailer and splitter.

I used the mount from a 10 foot mesh satellite dish. The mount slips over a 3’ pipe. The main boom arm is 2” box steel, with an extension piece sliding inside with a HF snatch block pulley mounted on the end. The support jack is a 4 ton making the boom easy to raise and changing the hook distance back and forth from the mount pole.

The winch is a HF Badland 2000#, $49.00 with coupon. The included winch remote is made to mount on a handlebar, it will work but I modded a Ramsey winch remote that I had laying around because it was stronger built and a longer cable is needed.

A marine battery powers the winch to load and unload trunk and trailer without charging.
AS member tbow made me a battery box to protect from big rounds crushing the battery.

Pipe was scrounged to make each custom mount for the 3 places. The truck mount is bolted through the stake hole, to the bed and frame. The trailer is the same way and the splitter was just finagled on.

Moving the boom is very easy, it lifts off the pipe; walk off truck tailgate onto trailer, slipping it onto the trailer pipe. Long battery cables allow the battery to sit on the tailgate while boom is being moved.
The tongs were from a flea market for $35.00. They worked better after I sharpened the points.

Using the boom last year, I found some changes were needed. The remote was lengthened. Also extended the boom base around 10 inches.
The tongs needed the hook chain shortened.
The winch relay wouldn’t go down sometimes, needing smacking with a stick of wood. Luckily I had purchased the year extended warranty, so I have a new one to start the season with.

Using the snatch block, the winch had no problem lifting any round I cut. Most of the time I used a single line with no problem! It’s better if the ground is level while loading, the round weight will swing the boom around. It is hard to swing a large round uphill.
Using the single line you can pull a round quickly to you then lift it.
Splitting large rounds is a lot easier, I hold on to one side and keep working it down. Then lift the other half to work it.

In the images you can see hydraulic pump I made to power my splitter. After selling our old ford tractor, I had to barrow one to split with. I made the unit from a Briggs 11hp elect. start, a pump, tank and hoses from a John Deere combine. They are mounted on a pressure washer cart. It works great, has plenty of power. I still use it even though I now have a 3010 John Deere to run it. It takes the load off my hydro pump, which is very expensive to replace.

I hope I have covered it all. I will answer any questions, if I can!!

Multiple Photo's to follow.
 
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Great plans, great execution, great pictures. Who says innovation is dead in America.

BTW, I too am an old DU guy working at a more "steady" pace. I like to let my saw cool after every tank of fuel mix. And, I bought an ATV for the fetching. The smaller cart puts me on the seat more, and wrestling the rounds less during an average day. But my steady pace is off-set by fewer distractions, so I am probably getting more done than I used to.

Keep Cutting,
 
Beam too low

Get that beam at waist height so you don't have to bend over so much. Or better yet the height of the truck tailgate and just roll the rounds onto the splitter. No need for that fancy log picker upper :msp_razz: :msp_thumbup: for the fabrication skills I have none.

Brian
 
When Woodcutting is over

I thought I recognized that truck!!!!!!

I have seen him out deer hunting in that before.

BOT.jpg


fake%2520gun.jpg


Same guy that has the satellite dish on his duck blind!!!:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:
 
Your Crane

You have come up with a great setup for sure. I have a crane in the back of my pickup and have been toying with the idea of some type of one for my trailer.

When you mentioned being on unlevel ground and the round swinging around to the lower side I know exactly what you are talking about.

You may want to try this --- where the crane body slips down over the support post drill some holes through the body into the post. Now a pin can be slipped into that hole to keep the crane in a steady position. I know what you mean about trying to push a hanging round uphill into the bed.

If you have any bugs in your setup just keep working on them because you came up with a good idea for sure.

Nosmo
 
Gotta love the old fords, my first was a 78 f150 300 six 4 spd. Still have it for plowing duty. I really like the use of a simple crane, I am working on mounting a similar set-up on a kinetic splitter.
 
Nice crane set up!
I have one on my truck that I built, I bought a set of 40 dollar 4 gauge jumper cables and wired it to the battery of my truck, I have 175 amp quick connects at the crane. I am now going to expand my uses back there, a set of jumper cables, a winch in the receiver, the uses are endless. If you shop around you can find the quick connects pretty reasonable.
 
I used the mount from a 10 foot mesh satellite dish. The mount slips over a 3’ pipe. The main boom arm is 2” box steel, with an extension piece sliding inside with a HF snatch block pulley mounted on the end. The support jack is a 4 ton making the boom easy to raise and changing the hook distance back and forth from the mount pole.
I have to admit, I liked your post a while back and didn't spend enough attention to it cuz it looks like a great set-up! I'm also thinking about a little crane to put on a little log trailer to pull with my lawn mower, or just to use next to my sawhorse to load it up. I've looked up the mount you have used, the questions that I have are:
-Do you slide the mount just over the pipe, no bearing or something used? Do you grease the mount to make sure it turns easily?
-How thick is the steel of the main boom (the 2" boom), the pipe and the mount?
-What's the most you lifted with the crane so far?

I've seen these sort of cranes in shops but nothing that really fits my needs, so I'll probably build one myself in the future.

this is great! i was just talking about making something like this this past weekend, my buddy told me i was nuts.
That's a compliment ;) show him how nuts you are and make it work! That's what I do when they tell me that.
 
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I've looked up the mount you have used, the questions that I have are:
-Do you slide the mount just over the pipe, no bearing or something used? Do you grease the mount to make sure it turns easily?
-How thick is the steel of the main boom (the 2" boom), the pipe and the mount?
-What's the most you lifted with the crane so far?


Yes the mount just slips on each of the 3 mounts, grease does help and spinning it round a lot of times at first.
The 2 inch and the insert is 3/16 i think. one pipe is 1/4, other 2 are 1/8.
I have lifted 30x 24long green oak rounds with no problem.
Look at the HF model like this, it is a lot thinner and has a BIG load limit.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-ton-capacity-pickup-truck-crane-with-cable-winch-37555.html

Tim
 
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Man this is such a cool idea. I've been thinking I need a setup like this. My FIL has been loading me out at the farm with the Bobcat but then I have to off load and I'm getting some heavy stuff lately. I'm still what I consider pretty young, 41, but had an abdominal hernia operated on about 1 1/2 years ago and the wife doesn't think it would be a good idea for me to keep lifting the big rounds.

Great thread on the setup and the how to. I work at a bodyshop and I bet if I get the pieces my guys will install it for me or at least help out of fun. Time to start putting a little money aside

:yourock:

Rep Sent
 
I've looked up the mount you have used, the questions that I have are:
-Do you slide the mount just over the pipe, no bearing or something used? Do you grease the mount to make sure it turns easily?
-How thick is the steel of the main boom (the 2" boom), the pipe and the mount?
-What's the most you lifted with the crane so far?


Yes the mount just slips on each of the 3 mounts, grease does help and spinning it round a lot of times at first.
The 2 inch and the insert is 3/16 i think. one pipe is 1/4, other 2 are 1/8.
I have lifted 30x 24long green oak rounds with no problem.
Look at the HF model like this, it is a lot thinner and has a BIG load limit.

Pickup Truck Crane W/ Cable Winch

Tim

Thanks for the info! Yea we have the same sort of cranes too over here. But the reach is pretty limited, I'm thinking of making one my own with a greater range.
 
Yes the mount just slips on each of the 3 mounts, grease does help and spinning it round a lot of times at first.
The 2 inch and the insert is 3/16 i think. one pipe is 1/4, other 2 are 1/8.
I have lifted 30x 24long green oak rounds with no problem.
Look at the HF model like this, it is a lot thinner and has a BIG load limit.

Pickup Truck Crane W/ Cable Winch

Tim

Hi again: I have that crane shown in the link to Harbor Freight. I made a couple changes in the setup. I have added a baseplate which is 1/2" thick and is approximately 12" x 18" wide. I also changed the winch (put that one on a cherry picker). I changed it to a 2,500 pull hand crank one and when I use a snatch block to get a double line pull I can really move some big ones.

What I wanted to let you know is greasing those posts has been mentioned. An easy way to keep them greased without removing the top is this. In the top section close to the top or maybe in the middle too - drill and tap a hole for a grease zerk. My HF model has a zerk in it.

Nosmo
 
Tim if you squint your eyes a little that looks like a machine gun mounted in the back of your pick-up. When I first saw the picture I thought if was from the mideast.:msp_biggrin:
As we grow older we have to learn how to work smarter rather than harder. I like it.
Come by to see me some time. I need to sell someone some saws. Tom
 

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