3 point log skidder

[Grizzly Adams]

This is what I ended up with. It was rather a quick build and the good MIG welder is in IA for a few weeks.

The crane extension with the log tongs is to lift the logs to get a choker chain around it.


I found this one on criags list, but I could not get to it before he sold it to someone else.


So I decided to build one. My son is the welder. I strarted looking at ideas by google image search. I found some good ideas on tractorbynet.com and youtube. After thousands of miles of driving, planning it in my head, I came up with a plan to combine these two ideas.

 

[cantoo]

I like it.
I always mount my hooks on an angle inline with what I'm pulling. If you look at yours you will see that they are too vertical and all the pressure is on the small piece of the hook. I've broken lots off that were welded like that. I take a grinder and cut off the back part of the hook so it lays on the correct angle. If you 5" to the right of the left side hook you will see what's let of a hook. The top hook is pretty straight when the lift is in the lower position but when it up in the lift position it is pulling correctly. I don't have time to build stuff twice so I put twice as many hooks on as I need and eventually I run out of hooks.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

I like it.
I always mount my hooks on an angle inline with what I'm pulling. If you look at yours you will see that they are too vertical and all the pressure is on the small piece of the hook. I've broken lots off that were welded like that. I take a grinder and cut off the back part of the hook so it lays on the correct angle. If you 5" to the right of the left side hook you will see what's let of a hook. The top hook is pretty straight when the lift is in the lower position but when it up in the lift position it is pulling correctly. I don't have time to build stuff twice so I put twice as many hooks on as I need and eventually I run out of hooks.
View attachment 386729

All my grab hooks are weld-ons.

The 3 at different lengths on the boom for the log tongs are only to lift the log up to get a choker chain around the log and to skid piles of brush with a choker cable. The 4 across the attachemet are for skidding and just lift the butt of the log off the ground.

I know what you mean though. I hope to not have to modify it, but I know that I will when I get to test this out. I plan on adding a ball mount later and the boom can be replaced with a top link. I can put on a few grab hooks horizontally like you have if it will be helpful.

I always used to buck the log where it fell, then load it. Now I want to skid it home, then buck, split and stack in a central location.

 

[cantoo]

I always just use regular hooks and cut them as needed. The regular hooks go on sale all the time, the weld ones are never on sale. Or I just use whatever I buy at auction sales. That pic doesn't show it but hitches are both receivers, I weld receivers all over the place. So much easier to change out to whatever you want to. I have a 36" boom that goes in the top one for some extra reach. My weight box also hooks onto the short one that is in the pic. The bottom hitch got a little bent when I got stuck a few weeks ago.

 

[rwoods]

Below is my setup for my little compact Deere. It works well for it size. First designed my me as a poor man's fork lift so it doesn't have a dedicated chaining point. I skid very short distances and I try to stay on the tractor. The cat's meow component is the hydraulic top link.

This is the best picture I have in fork mode. The link arm broke while I was pushing around a 4' diameter red oak stub. If you look close you will see the 2" receiver tube tucked between the rails.




In "skidder" mode. The boom attaches with two hitch pins. With the lift of the top link, the frame will snag obstacles before the log so there is a little less leverage to topple me. Nonetheless you don't want to be skidding much on a side hill with a lightweight tractor or setup like mine as a log can roll you pretty quick and/or damage the boom. I stick to level ground or at least "fat" inclines or really tight woods where the log has little room to get squirrely.



Ron

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Below is my setup for my little compact Deere. It works well for it size. First designed my me as a poor man's fork lift so it doesn't have a dedicated chaining point. I skid very short distances and I try to stay on the tractor. The cat's meow component is the hydraulic top link.

This is the best picture I have in fork mode. The link arm broke while I was pushing around a 4' diameter red oak stub. If you look close you will see the 2" receiver tube tucked between the rails.

View attachment 386778


In "skidder" mode. The boom attaches with two hitch pins. With the lift of the top link, the frame will snag obstacles before the log so there is a little less leverage to topple me. Nonetheless you don't want to be skidding much on a side hill with a lightweight tractor or setup like mine as a log can roll you pretty quick and/or damage the boom. I stick to level ground or at least "fat" inclines or really tight woods where the log has little room to get squirrely.

View attachment 386784

Ron

After I got it hooked up the tractor, my father said, "Now we need some forks". Thanks for your post. That will be my next build.

Can you post some close ups of where the forks hook on?

 

[rwoods]

It's dark when I get home and I don't have any close up on file. But it is pretty simple. The bottom side of the frame is 1/2" by 6" bar stock. The forks have a hook to them which fits perfectly over the 1/2" bar. The one drawback is I haven't come up with a clamping system and you can lose a fork if you lower the fork on something. On the good side the forks don't have the extra weight of those that hang up high. I don't have a clue as to what they fit - I just picked them out of the pile at a scrap yard. Since you can weld (I can't), I am sure you can pick up the more common hanging forks and fabricate a mount for them. Ron

 

[watsons dozer]

first off as a question when you skid at an angle do you have issues bending the arm that is pulling the log? I wanted to do something like that with my build but fear of bending it stopped me. second off, just as an idea, I put a grader blade to push with on the bottom of mine, any flat steel would have worked, I have yet to not find a use for that blade. but its just an idea to add to what looks like a great design,

 

[rwoods]

wd, if you are asking about mine, I don't have any bending issues as the tube is fairly heavy wall and it is gusseted at the attachment points and is relatively short. Ron

 

[watsons dozer]

ron I see yours and its a nice one, I was talking to grizzly. sorry I should have been specific

 

[Jetterbug]

I just love this site

 

[Grizzly Adams]

first off as a question when you skid at an angle do you have issues bending the arm that is pulling the log? I wanted to do something like that with my build but fear of bending it stopped me. second off, just as an idea, I put a grader blade to push with on the bottom of mine, any flat steel would have worked, I have yet to not find a use for that blade. but its just an idea to add to what looks like a great design,

My boom is very heavy gauge, but I only plan to use it to lift the log to get a choker chain around it anyway. I have not had the chance to use it. Got it done as far as we did last Saturday and Sunday was too warm. The ground has to be frozen or I will tear up the alfalfa field where I am currently working on. Well, not since before the deer gun season when the ground was dry. I am more afraid that the frame will fold before the boom arm would bend if I were to skid sideways with it.

The I-beam at the bottom was 5' and I intended to use it as a push blade but I cut it down to reduce the weight.

 

[ustzhenya]

The one drawback is I haven't come up with a clamping system and you can lose a fork if you lower the fork on something.

 

[rwoods]

Grizzly, it looks like all you might need is a set of forks like mine and you could hang them off your existing beam. I just now took some pictures for you. Ron

Forks:



Frame:



Close up of fork rail:


Boom:


Close up of boom attachment end: