Like a kid waiting for Christmas morning... FX85 coming from Canada

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Jim Timber

Jim Timber

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Joined
Jul 4, 2012
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Brainerd, Mn
I decided that PTO power was the way to go for skidding and that I'd rather spend my summer logging than building a winch in the time I could be in the woods. So last week I dropped the hammer on a Wallenstien FX85 (the replacement for the discontinued FX90). Dealer is a buddies kid's employer, who cut me a nice deal if I pick it up at the distributor's warehouse (an hour closer than their shop, so it works out well for both of us). They gave me a 10 day ETA, which means it should be there by Sunday. I called yesterday to see if we had a firm arrival time yet, but the distributor hasn't responded. :(

Getting my tractor was a quantum leap from skidding with the ATV, and getting the winch will be another.

Choker stuff from Westech will be here Friday.

The anticipation is killing me! :crazy2: :laugh:

20150513_104315.jpg
 
with all that nice equipment jim you could put a few of our "PNW" logger friends to the unenjoyment line!!!! turning out a few semi loads a day will be a easy money maker with little sweat.... HARDWOOD'S ISN'T THEIR LINE OF PROSPERITY OR EXPERTISE ANYWAYS, so not to worry about the employment office on that end???? just be careful not to become a farmer logger or is it logger farmer?....... both can be addicting and prosperous!......... happy cutting or harvesting neighbor.
 
I have no idea what my productivity is going to be like. :laugh: I'm cutting wood that needs to go; so if I can recoup some $$$ for the gear out of it, it's bonus. Heck, I don't even know how much wood I'm culling with this stuff. :laughing: I just know I've got like 25 acres with a lot of 14+" aspen that's starting to drop tops on me under high winds, and I'm gonna do something about it. I have more aspen than that, but the rest is peppered amongst my red and bur oaks. There's some blocks I'm hitting hard first, and then I'll be going after select trees on the rest of the property.

My management plan says 588 cords to be cut in 2017, but I don't know if that's everything but the red oak, or what. My plan writer just said 7 cords/acre harvest to release the red oak. That'd be the basswood, ash, maple, bur, and birch too. I'm not going to call him and ask either. I hope he lost my number. :chainsaw: I'm as green a logger as they get, but I'm having fun and still have all my fingers and toes.

Hater's can pucker up and smooch my white hairy exit. I'm living life on my terms and keeping food on the table despite being gimped up enough to quit and collect SSDI while parked on the couch. I'm no mooch and I'm not done kicking `til they nail the lid on my coffin and bury me! (or I can't move my arms anymore - whichever comes first :p ) My nerve damage does slow me down some days. I just try not to let it bother me. When I have sensory issues, I switch tasks and/or think about what to do when my body cooperates again. Some days are short, some are 14hrs with no breaks. The tractor actually helps since I can take the load off my hands. With the atv, if my hands went wonky, I had trouble driving because gripping is what I lose feeling from. There's been a few times I wondered if I was leaving the atv in the bush and walking back to the cabin. The tractor has power steering, so as long as I can palm the wheel and knock the shifter around, I'm good to go. :)
 
I guess they meant business days after all. Supposed to be in Wed or Thurs next week.

Looks like I'll get to work on my stump grinder while I wait. :D
 
Jim Timber said:
I guess they meant business days after all. Supposed to be in Wed or Thurs next week.

Looks like I'll get to work on my stump grinder while I wait. :D
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You're going to like that skidding winch. I bought a new Wallenstein FX 120 last year and am impressed with its skidding power although it doesn't compare to the JD 540B it replaced.
 
They changed a bunch of specs on the new bush pilot revisions, and one of them was pulling power and line speed. The new ones are faster with less grunt. I wanted a NOS fx90 but they didn't have any left. Bumping up to the 110 was $600 more, and I did give that some thought. Most of my good wood (oak/maple) is under 24", so I don't really need the power for those (they'll be select cut at harvest), and the stuff I'm removing with haste is <16" aspen which should let me tug multiple trees at a time without working it hard. If I have to double back the cable on big stuff occasionally, I'm ok with that.

A real skidder is only faster if you have room to drive it. One of the reasons I'm not hiring out my logging is because I don't want the clearance between trees needed to get a 9' wide machine around the parcel. There's still evidence of the harvest in the 70's, and their access trails that haven't grown over. I can drive the tractor anywhere a pickup can go. With the winch I can leave big trees and skid around them if I can't drive where I need to. I don't expect to approach any harvest speed records. I'd like to be done by bow season. :D

My neighbor had a hot saw come in 2 winters ago and it took out all the understory getting his crop trees. I know I'm going to have some damage, but I hope I can limit it better than they did. I might fail, but I'm going to try.
 
Goodies came today.

IMG_20150612_165612.jpg


The FX85 winch line is set up with a micro midget and designed to choke the last log directly. I figured I'd add a couple more and try using cable chokers, but will still have the chain sliders on there too. Then I got some of the good slip eyes to replace my spring latch crappy ones (the hooks are fine, the gates are all broken/mangled).
 
Jim Timber said:
Goodies came today.

IMG_20150612_165612.jpg


The FX85 winch line is set up with a micro midget and designed to choke the last log directly. I figured I'd add a couple more and try using cable chokers, but will still have the chain sliders on there too. Then I got some of the good slip eyes to replace my spring latch crappy ones (the hooks are fine, the gates are all broken/mangled).
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Those are nice...so handy!
 
Onya Jim. Regarding your future thinning plans, I see a self-releasing snatch block on your to-do/buy list, if you don't have any yet.

Might also be worth looking into the remote controlled option, especially if you have the contacts for discounts. If there is one thing I regret about my tractor winch, it's not getting the remote option. If there are two things, it would be not getting the remote or a double drum model.
 
I've only ever choked with chain, or the occasional winch line on my atv. All the pro's use the cables, so they must be ok right? :)

Thanks Kiwi!

Yes, a self releasing snatch block is in the plans before too long. I'm also looking at how to make the radio controlled parts. I need to get the winch before I get too far into that, but it's certainly something I'll be pursuing.
 
I've never used 'em either. Chucker might be right and they wear out quick, or they might be a godsend. The theory looks good to me, so I figured I'd give it a go.

They took the chain pockets and hook rails off this model with the re-do of the line. If I had noticed that, I might have tried harder to find a 110. Looks like I'll be adding some ammo cans before long. I need to rig up some saw scabbards for it too.
 
dancan said:
All nice stuff there !!!!!!
I uses those same choker hooks but slides for the chains , I've not played with the cable chokers and slides , I'm just a hack .
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Loggers around here all use cables, they are stiff and, therefore, easy to poke under a log. Chains can be difficult to push;). We just skid some firewood, but I have not had any problems with the cable chokers wearing excessively.
 
Chucker was saying they don't hold up in rocky areas, and I can see why that would be the case. My heavy harvest areas aren't particularly rocky, even though there's 25-30% gravel/rock in the dirt directly beneath the humus layer. There's field stones scattered around, but it's not like my cables would be raked over them time and again.

@$20/ea, I figured it was worth a shot for the weight savings walking out to the trees.

The chain hooker is a common gizmo, but it's one more thing to drag along with the heavy chains. :)
 
Jim Timber said:
Chucker was saying they don't hold up in rocky areas, and I can see why that would be the case. My heavy harvest areas aren't particularly rocky, even though there's 25-30% gravel/rock in the dirt directly beneath the humus layer. There's field stones scattered around, but it's not like my cables would be raked over them time and again.

@$20/ea, I figured it was worth a shot for the weight savings walking out to the trees.

The chain hooker is a common gizmo, but it's one more thing to drag along with the heavy chains. :)
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Gotcha.
 
Got it all installed/working and set out to figure out a quick way to handle chokers. There's nothing on this thing for un-hooked rigging. It's like they expect you to miracle yourself from the shed to the downed trees. :wtf:

Aside from that somewhat significant oversight, and the fact the back cover (black vented stamped steel) isn't rigid enough to not vibrate and rattles; this sucker is very well made.

I have a design in my head for ammo cans on the sides with integral saw scabbards. Should be cake to build and will solve part of the storage issues.

In the mean time, I'm using some spring clips hooked through the safety screen. We'll see how it works over the weekend and go from there.

I also debadged the giant vinyl bush pilot sticker and replaced it with a much more prudent SMV sticker. I'd probably be fine without it in my neighborhood, but it's one less technicality for my ex-cop neighbors to whine about.

20150618_211125.jpg
 
Nice!

There's nothing on this thing for un-hooked rigging.

What are the two prong thingies sticking out the side for? That the green cord (?) is hanging from?
 

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