How to get the wood out of the woods....??

[rubantin]

I have 3 acres of land.. narrow and deep. About 2 acres of it is wooded... I only want to cut the leaners and dead wood... here is the problem... I have a bad knee and some of it is a really long haul--we don't own a tractor or skidder... most of the wood is 16" or less... I have considered buying my 6 year old son a small cheap quad and putting a wagon on the back...

Any creative ideas out there?

oh... and my wife is pregnant..

could buy a mule...lol

Russ

 

[sawyerDave]

Logging arch

The logging arch is the cheapest way for you to go. What a logging arch is is an axle with an arch between the two wheels. how it is made is up to you and your level of inginuity. currently I am using the axle off of an old agricultural sprayer with wheels off of an old combine steering axle for added clearance. What you do to skid timber with one of these is to jack up one end of the log and chain it to the axle, then tow it with whatever vehicle is most practical. if you search logging arch you probably can find several sizes of these units that you can pattern one of your own design after. Good luck:fart:

 

[EastwoodGang4]

Hitch the team

Tie a rope from the log to the wife and the boy and stand behind with a bullwhip. LOL just kidding man.... The quad idea is pretty good maybe spend some quality time with your son and teach him the joys of firewood cutting and ATV ing. The arch skidder is a good idea too but you still need something to pull it with, they work really well.

 

[trimmmed]

Get the mule

 

[TooTall999]

I have considered buying my 6 year old son a small cheap quad and putting a wagon on the back...

Any creative ideas out there?

oh... and my wife is pregnant..

could buy a mule...lol

Russ

At 6 years old your son is too young and too small to be operating a quad over 50cc,too small to be hauling timber.As an employee of one of America's largest atv manufacturers,I feel it's important that people realise that full size quads are not meant to be operated by anyone under 16 years of age.The age/size regulations are in place for a reason.I don't mean to come off as a hardass,but we get to hear all the time about tragic accidents involving full size atv's and underaged-undersized operators.

 

[John Ellison]

I think you need an arch and some mules. Then since your wife is pregnant she can ride.

 

[wdchuck]

Been in the same predicament, no 4wheel drive, one man operation, and had the toddlers with me.

When the ground is frozen or nice and dry, get in there with a vehicle, try to find a path that doesn't require much cutting/clearing, doesn't have to be straight, and just use what you have.

Do your cutting when the wife and kids are in the house, and when it's time to load up your trunk or truck bed, get the 6yr old out for the small stuff and kindling.

Watch the Red/Green show for some alternative methods of operation, there's gotta be a way to include duct tape.

 

[logbutcher]

Transport Options

You asked, here it is.
1. Look at the DR Home Products (Vermont) motorized walk-behind carriers. About $1000. For the small area it could work. Fell, Buck, carry.
2. Logging arches could work. But you've got to get the arch to the log with an ATV. Then dragging the log in dirt does wonders for the saw chain. Arches or trailers behind ATVs don't back too well. Why not get a small trailer pulled by the ATV. Cut, buck, carry.
3. Get a friend, neighbor with a small tractor or ATV to share the wood.
4. You can drag some wood out with one of those plastic sleds IF there's some snow.

We get 5-7 cords, TSI, and some pulp wood out with an ATV and small trailer out of the 60 acre woodlot each year. When the ground is frozen it's easier. :biggrinbounce2:
Good luck.

 

[046]

here's a link worth looking at..

http://www.rockisland.com/~tom/tools.html

 

[Rick Alger]

How to get wood

I have twitched out wood with my horse for neighbors on a fifty/fifty share. Perhaps you can find an interested horse person. (Amish?)

 

[WadePatton]

I've used a utility cart behind the ATV in that situation...works great. From cart to truck is not bad because the wood is up off the ground.

Now I'm using a modified cut and tote method: I cut the biggest stuff to stove length and then cut the smaller stuff into 2x or 3x lengths. I then tote it out like fence posts. Re-cut in the woods or tote it to the house that way. The longest pieces are 6' long, so they fit in the truck fine.

It helps to have good boots and lifting technique. Less lifting and fewer trips this way.

My ATV is out of commission right now.

on edit:

Mules. After seeing mules skidding logs on "Dirty Jobs", I think that's the only way to go when it come to big stuff. For firewood--maybe a team of large dogs.

 

[ktm rider]

How about one of these? they are only as wide as my Yamaha Rhino and have a 6 ft. bed ( that also folds flat) dump bed, 4wd with diff lock and they are only about $4,500 !! This will be my next RUV for sure. My buddy has one and he had so much cut and already split wood on it ( with sideboards) that he was doing small wheelie's driving it home !!!

Or one of these for the quad

 

[bytehoven]

Could you make yourself a truck wide path thru the middle, perhaps angling the path to help hide it?

I guess I should also ask if you have a 4x4 pickup.

A decent ATV and cart will cost you some cabbage. However, it would be alot of fun to use.

It sounds like you will hjave some fun harvesting wood on your property.

Where are you in Delmarva?

 

[NWnewguy]

KTM Rider, who makes that rig in your picture? I think I have seen one before , but I don't think it had a dump body and I know it wasn't painted quite like that one. The one I have seen that looks similar had the name in Korean or something and I couldn't read it.

Also if you only have 2 acres you could just use your riding lawn mower and carry a half dozen logs at a time and it should work OK.

 

[Finnbear]

How about one of these? they are only as wide as my Yamaha Rhino and have a 6 ft. bed ( that also folds flat) dump bed, 4wd with diff lock and they are only about $4,500 !! This will be my next RUV for sure. My buddy has one and he had so much cut and already split wood on it ( with sideboards) that he was doing small wheelie's driving it home !!!

Where can I find more info on that little truck? That would be a great thing to have at my hunt camp to run around on 155 acres hauling wood out.
Finnbear

 

[rb_in_va]

The truck in ktm rider's post looks like an import of some kind. Looks kind of like an Isuzu with a shorter bed.

 

[rb_in_va]

KTM Rider, who makes that rig in your picture? I think I have seen one before , but I don't think it had a dump body and I know it wasn't painted quite like that one. The one I have seen that looks similar had the name in Korean or something and I couldn't read it.

Also if you only have 2 acres you could just use your riding lawn mower and carry a half dozen logs at a time and it should work OK.

Aha! It's a Daihatsu Hijet.

http://www.daihatsu.com/motorshow/tokyo04/hi_tr/index.html

And one for sale on ebay!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/daih...010QQitemZ200079543066QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

 

[wdchuck]

At 4' wide that little truck with a 500# hoist off the back for larger rounds would be the cats meow for getting firewood, low impact on the terrain, tight turning radius, dump capability, put a rack on it somewhere for the saws. And cheap on gas.

 

[jerseydevil]

Is that thing street legal? Can they be purchased new in the us, without jumping through hoops? Pretty cool looking and practical.

 

[rb_in_va]

Is that thing street legal? Can they be purchased new in the us, without jumping through hoops? Pretty cool looking and practical.

Don't you wish US auto makers would com eout with something like that? I asked a seller on ebay if the Hijet was street legal. Will post the answer when I get it.