Tips and tricks yarding softwood logs

[Saiso]

Morning everyone!
As some may already know, this cutting season I will be cutting a lot for various reasons. Mainly because 1) we need firewood 2) we need to prep for our off grid house being built in a couple years.

I will be cutting more softwood logs this year in order to get them milled for our house and also to sell to make money.

My concern is, moving and yarding those bigger logs (8ft to 16ft probably) without a skidder, tractor, or any heavy machinery. Just a young man, a couple pulp hooks, a small truck and a trailer.

Our local mill said he can come with his tractor and mill and do the work on my land but if I can make more money by bringing the logs there, that option may be considered. Unless the logs are too big and heavy for myself.

What have you done without any equipment in the past? Do you just avoid the bigger logs all together? Certain tools to make it easier? Just make sure to stretch and do yoga in the morning and go all out?

I’ve worked with decent sized logs at 8-16ft long before but I suspect some to be bigger than what I’ve handled before.

Bigger softwood species would be balsam fir, white/red spruce and tamarack.

Some of the income (if any) will go towards a compact tractor this year. So this is hopefully just temporary until busy season starts at work.

Thanks!

 

[buzz sawyer]

What diameter?

 

[Saiso]

What diameter?

Varies. Theres a spruce stand not too far from the camp road that are between 30-48 Cm DBH or so. Some will be bigger than that. There’s over 24 individual trees in that little stand.

I’m guessing anything that I can lift off the ground, because I’m hard headed, I’ll try to yard with a pulp hook but was looking for tips to perhaps save my back

 

[Leeroy]

Have you considered an Alaskan mill for some of your own lumber?

 

[Saiso]

Have you considered an Alaskan mill for some of your own lumber?

Have yes. It’ll come sometime after a tractor purchase and after our house is built. Our local mill is literally a couple minutes drive, all back roads. I’m there quite regularly buying rough wood, talking, etc. I told him I’d be interested in buying one of his mills when he wants to slow down. He’s got about 5.

 

[buzz sawyer]

If you haul the logs to the mill, you have to haul the lumber back. I would lean towards bringing the mill to the logs for less handling. Do you have room to stack the lumber for drying as you take it off the mill? For logs that size, you would get more yield with a bandsaw mill than a chainsaw mill.

 

[Saiso]

If you haul the logs to the mill, you have to haul the lumber back. I would lean towards bringing the mill to the logs for less handling. Do you have room to stack the lumber for drying as you take it off the mill? For logs that size, you would get more yield with a bandsaw mill than a chainsaw mill.

He’s got 5 band saw mills. Wood mizers

You’re right about hauling the lumber back. I might get him to come deal with the bigger stuff but I’d still like to bring smaller loads to him because I feel it might be quicker to earn a few bucks than to always wait for him.

 

[northmanlogging]

Get 100' of cable, 10mm or so bigger is better, a snatch block, a couple of chockers.

Hang snatch block 10-20 feet up a solid tree, run cable through it to small truck, and the other end to logs.

If possible you can use existing road/trail to keep the truck on,and drag a considerable amount of wood in next to the road.

From the sounds of it, you could even fall em tree length, limb em, and pull the whole works in in one go, maybe even 2 at a time, for sure if they are bucked first

 

[2dogs]

Parbuckle up ramps onto a deck over trailer.

 

[old CB]

Northman is telling you right. Skid the logs with truck power. It's usually a 2-person job: one driving and one watching the progress of the log and signaling the driver. If the traveling log butts up against a keeper tree, you need to stop and redo. Sometimes it's just a matter of levering the log one way or another. A skidding cone can be handy, especially on level ground. I use one sometimes, but in our mountain terrain it works and doesn't work.

Also, depending on your truck and the load you're skidding, you may need to put a load on the truck (ballast) for traction.

Northy says cable because he's a pro, dealing with huge, heavy logs and lots of 'em, and cable is what spools off the tail of his skidder. For your application, you could probably do with rope. I skid a lot of trees--medium size, but I think that's what you'll have--with rope. I use 1/2" stable braid (Samson, I think) and CMI snatch blocks. 150 or 200 foot of rope and a couple snatch blocks will get you a lot of material out of the woods. Just watch you don't get in a bind--snap that rope and it's like a shotgun blast, could take yer head off if you were nearby. (Done it once when a log stopped against a hidden stump. Won't do it again.)

 

[northmanlogging]

I like cable, cause it don't get cut... Also tends to not have as much spring force as rope does, despite some blatant advertising on behalf of some winch line manufactures.

Might be a good idear to go ahead and get 2 snatch blocks one for redirection when needed the other for lift

Toss a half cord of firewood in the pick up truck and get one end of a log off the ground you'd be surprised how much wood you can move in a couple days.

 

[Saiso]

Wow thanks a lot guys. I’ll give that a try once the snow melts!

Should be quicker and better than my two legs.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Know anyone with a skidder or dozer setup with a winch (with log arch would be ideal)?
Log arch- https://www.brokentractor.com/c/john-deere-dozer/winch-fairleads-and-log-arch/

Or place to rent on (dozer at least)

I wouldn't want to use a pickup in the woods as a skidder unless it was an old beater and it was fairly smooth and dry land without a bunch of thick underbrush.

Iyou are expecting to build a whole house out of 24 logs?

 

[Saiso]

Know anyone with a skidder or dozer setup with a winch (with log arch would be ideal)?
Log arch- https://www.brokentractor.com/c/john-deere-dozer/winch-fairleads-and-log-arch/

Or place to rent on (dozer at least)

I wouldn't want to use a pickup in the woods as a skidder unless it was an old beater and it was fairly smooth and dry land without a bunch of thick underbrush.

Iyou are expecting to build a whole house out of 24 logs?

No, the closest and easiest stand consists of probably 30 trees that are breaking and showing age, so I’m gonna tackle those spruces first.

Then at our future homestead area. Clearing for house/garage, driveway, backyard, building a trail around some sugar maple to make it my wood splitting area.

I plan on making one or two big strip cuts across our second 50 acre lot and skid out the softwood logs for income, hardwood logs for firewood.

I also have quite a bit of hardwood logs already cut on most of my trails so those should be easy to load on the truck.

There are some people local to me with skidders and/or dozers but I’m afraid the cost of renting equipment may influence the money I can make.

I’m thinking of contacting banks and see if I can afford a small loan for a compact tractor to help skid these out. Would save a lot of time = More production = money quicker = can pay off that small loan in no time.

 

[square1]

Search capstan or lewis winch. Some sort of portable winch, a snatch block or two, and a small selection of chains and / or straps is probably the best bang for your buck to get started.

Edit to add: Once your back is hurt / injured it is a problem for a long time, sometimes for life.

 

[old CB]

The portable winch runs about $1500 last time I looked. Good tool. I use one in areas where the pickup cannot get to. Its capacity is limited to smaller loads than what a skidder or a pickup or tractor can pull, but then its cost is less too. One person can operate the winch, as your eyes are always on the work.

One note on hanging snatch blocks for a redirect (change in direction)--you have to be careful not to overload the tree you attach to. We pulled a tree out of the ground one time.

 

[Saiso]

The portable winch runs about $1500 last time I looked. Good tool. I use one in areas where the pickup cannot get to. Its capacity is limited to smaller loads than what a skidder or a pickup or tractor can pull, but then its cost is less too. One person can operate the winch, as your eyes are always on the work.

One note on hanging snatch blocks for a redirect (change in direction)--you have to be careful not to overload the tree you attach to. We pulled a tree out of the ground one time.

Right on man, thanks a lot!

 

[2dogs]

What diameter logs are you thinking about moving?

 

[Saiso]

What diameter logs are you thinking about moving?

I’ve yet to visit our second lot to see where I’ll be targeting, but most of them will be between 30-50cm DBH. Some likely bigger. Mostly balsam fir, spruce and tamarack. Hardwood can be cut to stove lengths so not worried about them.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

Some times a tractor has no value and some times priceless. There are always ways to get a job done on a budget. I can move a 72'' x 14' log with my F 250 so can you. Trailers are cheap to build and modify as needed. Skidding a log to a place where they can be loaded is not difficult either. When I need to move some thing heavy I grab limbs that are straight to use as rollers under a log. Attach a cable or chain so that both sides that are being pulled stick a row of limbs in front of the log and pull away. Very large logs can be moved this way because the log is not being dragged but rolled. For loading pull your trailer along side of the log and place two ramps enabling the log to be rolled onto the trailer. Once loaded chain it down deliver it and return for more. You can pick up two HF 2500 LB winches for a $100. Place the winches about 8 to 10' apart with two cables or chains around the log spaced equally and pull side ways with the log rolling onto the trailer. There are several threads concerning this. Find a used lawnmower and mount a automotive alternator to charge the battery(s) to power your winches. There are several threads on Google with DIY lawnmower powered generator. Yes it will take some time to set up this but once done it is still yours. Thanks