skidding logs

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wood junky

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I have a sizeable oak to remove on a buddy's farm 40" dbh. it is about a mile from the house barn area. rocky hilly terrain, the tools I have at my diposal are. small kubota tractor, bobcat s-250, p/u trucks, my back.

I was thinkin about skidding out the logs with the bobcat- most powerful and easy to get into the cutting grounds.

Has anyone used a bobcat for skidding ---thoughts??

Yes i will take some pics.

Kevin
 
Rocky Hilly Terrain + Bobcat + Big Log = Trouble :confused:

Any way you can beg/borrow/steal/build a logging arch on wheels, or even a skidding cone to help drag the log?

A 40" oak log is going to be HEAVY

Ian
 
this tree presents is a very simple drop but the removal is tough. I have thought about renting a machine... Maybe I just need to suck it up and take it round by round. I need something to do this winter. All winter.

K
 
If you have access to a bobcat, why wouldn't you just use the loader to move the rounds? You never mentioned if you want this for lumber of firewood? But i am assuming firewood since you speak of taking it "round by round"

I don't know how much your bobcat can lift, but if it is just firewood, you can easily transport it out of there. The size of the machine will dictate how many round you can take a time.

Remember, especially in rocky/hilly terrain you speak of, it's better to underload than overload. Take it easy at first and get comfortable driving in those conditions.

You could even split the wood right where the tree is dropped, make it alot easier to handle.


Craig
 
I have a sizeable oak to remove on a buddy's farm 40" dbh. it is about a mile from the house barn area. rocky hilly terrain, the tools I have at my diposal are. small kubota tractor, bobcat s-250, p/u trucks, my back.

I was thinkin about skidding out the logs with the bobcat- most powerful and easy to get into the cutting grounds.

Has anyone used a bobcat for skidding ---thoughts??

Yes i will take some pics.

Kevin


Think I gave the 5th green...:clap: :clap: :clap:
 
Rounds.jpg
 
Moving round bales up and down a hill is scary enough with a skid steer. Add the rocks and uneven terrain, it could end badly. Skid steers aren't known for their ground clearance, and hanging up on a rock would be bad with a load. Keep the bucket low and your weight up the hill. I would try to get something different if I were you.
 
I've skidded some big ones with my farm tractor...

standard.jpg


Maybe you can talk someone with a "decent sized" tractor to come over and help you, even if you have to pay them a little?

I sure hate hearing about big logs being cut up for firewood!

Rob
 
keep it as lumber is the first goal

I would like to use it as lumber primarily-but if the removal becomes too difficult then I may just-go the fire wood route.

I have to lay it out and see what will fit. Maybe I can take some pics this weekend and get some ideas.

The tractor idea is not out of the question. just adds a new layer of complexity-potentially damaging someonelses machine that they need to earn a living-weighs heavily on me. esspecially when I am doing this as a hobby.

K
 
Computerusers pic kinda jarred my memory.
You say the tree is 40" dbh, thats just a little smaller than diameter of the block I have on the Bobcat in the pic. The machine was also maxed out!
If you do a little math.....a single 20" thick block at 40" diameter will weigh in around 950 lbs. It's not going to take to much wood to stop the little Kubota in it's tracks.
The Bobcat S250 is a pretty good sized machine, twice the capacity of my 743. So you will be able to lift and carry a log 40" to 50" long. Skidding ability will depend on the terrain.
If you can get the log out of there in pieces big enough to mill, your next problem is finding a mill that will handle a 40" diameter log. Around me that isn't going to happen. Another option is to get someone in with a swing mill (Lucas or Petersen) and mill on site, then haul the lumber out.
I think you might be blocking, ripping and splitting on site.

Ed
 
I just "split" those big logs full length with my chainsaw, and mill the halves on my bandmill... No big deal at all...

You could split the log now, and then skid each half out... It will just make skidding that much easier...

Rob
 
You might have nailied it

I just "split" those big logs full length with my chainsaw, and mill the halves on my bandmill... No big deal at all...

You could split the log now, and then skid each half out... It will just make skidding that much easier...

Rob

I think sawyer bob got it, I will try to skid out 1/2 logs.

I am also thinking about fashioning a cart of sorts- I have an old tow truck dually axle, that I imagine I could lash the log to at about 3/4 of the length and drive it out with the Bobcat.

adventure abounds now if summer would end in jersey so it is not smoking hot in the woods that would be great. 80 and humid today.

k
 
Update

Ok so the tree is on the ground!!.

it turns out that the tree was 24" not 40 as I was first told and it was showing signs of rot with mushrooms growing on the outside.

Worthless for lumber--2/3 the size I expected so we dropped and cut it up for firewood, to be spilt on site and taken out with the kubota.

No doubt that I was a little disaponted but the fall was still cool. Single notch and drop, It had been attempted before so there were a variety of 1/2 notches and cuts around the trunk.

I reset below the existing cuts did a notch and watched it fall, good times.

thanks for everyones advice

Kevin
 
As a general practice I would have set my cut above the original attempts, but of course that being said not having seen the actual tree.
 
As a general practice I would have set my cut above the original attempts, but of course that being said not having seen the actual tree.

it would have been more accurate if I said that I used a failed attempt at a notch to start my cut and basically expanded on the attempt. It feel safe and neat.

When i saw the notch and cuts I thought about how to approach it. above it presented its own set of issues one side of the tree would have been head high. and the cuts were visable. If it went bad the only thing it would hit is some small tulip poplar.


I really enjoyed the stumping and letting the 7900 sing dogged in and pivotting around to clean the stump.

Now to plant some ????ake mushrooms in the fresh cut.

K
 
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