small skidder

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dozerman37

ArboristSite Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Messages
52
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Location
western MA
anyone use a small skidder here for doing thier firewood with? i am currently using a tractor and it pretty much stinks. why dont we show some pics?
 
Yup. Started out doing it by hand, then a Lewis winch (pos), then a winch on a pickup, then a Milemarker winch in the bed of F450, then a winch on a small log-grapple trailer.:dizzy:
The ONLY way to skid logs is with a log skidder (duh).:clap:

But now we're buying logs delivered since we didn't have time to do it all, and the John Deere 440B is for sale:cry:
 
I use a John Deere 4310 with a norse 390 winch. Can move a lot of wood with it. Hey ohiowoodguy that is a very unique paint job on that old 440!:clap:
 
I use a John Deere 4310 with a norse 390 winch. Can move a lot of wood with it. Hey ohiowoodguy that is a very unique paint job on that old 440!:clap:



We used a tractor with a 3-pt log grapple, but it was very slow (compared to a skidder), did more damage than the skidder- because we had to make many more trips, was very unsafe, and tractors in the woods seem to get the :censored: beat out of them.

The original yellow gives me a headache, so we used alot of green like the new big machines.:greenchainsaw:
 
If you're only doing your own firewood, then the easiest way is to cut and split it right in the woods, then stack it in the back of an old jeep or other capable rig and haul it out.

I knew a family that did almost 200 cords a year this way, using a couple of mauls and an old army jeep. They were NOT scared to work..and they were in fantastic shape..the main maul guy was built like a greek god. One day he got mad at home and pulverized a heavy wooden living room chair with his bare hands. Literally crushed it inwards and then ripped it apart.
 
We used a tractor with a 3-pt log grapple, but it was very slow (compared to a skidder), did more damage than the skidder- because we had to make many more trips, was very unsafe, and tractors in the woods seem to get the :censored: beat out of them.

The original yellow gives me a headache, so we used alot of green like the new big machines.:greenchainsaw:

I have never had a problem with a tractor in the woods. Use them daily. And have not beat the tar out of any of them. It is more up to the operator of the machine on how it is going to get beat up. Used correctly a tractor with log chains is just the same as a skidder.

Ray
 
I use my 38h Kubota and a boom pole with tongs - I love it. Granted you can only get one log out at a time, but with forks on teh fron now I can load up the front with 8' logs, drag a big one with the tongs and be balanced going up the steep hills we have.
 
dozerman you don't mention how big the tractor is. If you have a 3PH just lower it over a log chain it properly, lift it and away ya go.
 
A skidding winch for a tractor will be like night and day difference. That is where I would start first.

That said there is not much money to be made dragging wood out of the woods. We learned long ago that it was too expensive and tied up way too much capital to go to the woods and fetch logs. So now the logs are bought by the truckload and there is no shortage of supply. My brother has loggers that bring him logs and only want to be paid once per year. He has two of them like that and they use the money for their big game hunting costs. You can't beat using someone elses sweat equity for free for a year.

Unless you have an endless supply of your own wood, then a skidder is a big expense to buy and to maintain. Then if you need to move the logs on the roads to get them back to your storage area then you need a truck with a loader or you need to cut and split at the woods. And moving a skidder is very expensive if you do not have a truck/trailer combination big enough to move it, so there goes more capital.

My brother pays, delivered to the yard, clean with zero dirt, snow skidded logs that are straight and all hardwood cost ~$30 face cord in CNY. That is a chunk of change but the wood is prime and stacked up on site and does not have to be paid for most of the time unit fall hunting season. The big part of that is there is zero capital costs to get those logs in the yard. Anytime more are needed 50+ loads can be delivered in less than a week with just a phone call or two.
 
I have never had a problem with a tractor in the woods. Use them daily. And have not beat the tar out of any of them. It is more up to the operator of the machine on how it is going to get beat up. Used correctly a tractor with log chains is just the same as a skidder.

Ray

:monkey:Give it time. I guess alot of loggers are smacking their foreheads for paying huge $$$$ for machines that are no better than tractors:dizzy:
 
reply savageactor7

i use a yanmar 336d its a 33hp diesel 3point hitch. i lift the logs up off the gorund with 3pt hitch for skidding. it will pull some big ones. i can skid two count em 2 saw logs 18 in diameter 12 ft. or 2 or 3 firewood logs 10-16'' diamter no problem tractor could handle more too. i get 210 per cord split/delivered up here in western MA southern VT where my customers are. its not bad pay when i go at it. now im getting saw logs and pulp out. pulp pays zip, just enough to eat and wipe my rear. i want a skidder bad tho. i have a decent size lot of my own. i do about 8 to 10 or so hitches a day and get out like about 1/3 to 1/2 a small log truck load of firewood logs. a winch would be ideal. for now i wrestle with a long chain and get em pretty quick enough. the 3 point hitch defntly is the best invention since sliced bread.
 
I don't like getting dirt in my logs. I load them on a running gear and pull them out. I am building a rack on the running gear right now so I can stack mor logs on at once.

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Billy
 
:monkey:Give it time. I guess alot of loggers are smacking their foreheads for paying huge $$$$ for machines that are no better than tractors:dizzy:

And a tricycle tractor at that. We have 4 4x4 JD tractors of different sizes on the farm. None of them are close to my skidder in what they will do in the woods. I don't use my skidder to cut and bale hay, and I don't use my tractor to skid logs. The price of a small tractor 8-15k will buy a good used skidder. Or you could probley buy a skidder with just the money you save on fixin the tractor.
 
And a tricycle tractor at that. We have 4 4x4 JD tractors of different sizes on the farm. None of them are close to my skidder in what they will do in the woods. I don't use my skidder to cut and bale hay, and I don't use my tractor to skid logs. The price of a small tractor 8-15k will buy a good used skidder. Or you could probley buy a skidder with just the money you save on fixin the tractor.

Not saying that my A will pull as much as a skidder but it was not close to the price of a skidder. I paid $1500 for it. The 440 skidder is $10K. My repair bill for the last year is $15 to have a rusted bolt removed out of the bottem radiator tank. I am not saying that my A will pull as much as the 440 but operating cost are far less. And I can work on my A. Parts are cheap and easy if you know where to look. Complete major overhaul is only $700 for parts. That is one of the reasons I went with it. Under full load it is only 3.4gal per hour. I am not saying that one is better than the other. I am just stating what works for me. I use mine not to just pull fire wood but also pulls logs. The A has no problem with 400 board feet. I have heard that 440 will only handle 5-600.

Ray
 
I don't cut enough to own a skidder, but have seen them work. In my opinion, there ain't an AG tractor in the world that will run logs like a skidder....
 
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