Turkeyslayer
Smells Great
lol, I had the same problem up until a few days ago. Now when you right click it is the bottom option "copy link location" then paste that in the "enter URL of your image" box.
New Tractor and Winch
- Thread starter Turkeyslayer
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lol, I had the same problem up until a few days ago. Now when you right click it is the bottom option "copy link location" then paste that in the "enter URL of your image" box.
the grapple is pretty awesome, i can load a trailer, i pick the logs up to waist high and buck them right in the grapple, being very careful of course not to hit a tine. the only problem is the clown that wired it, left the fuse block outside the cab, it got wet now won't work so i have to rewire it. the loader is an alo 670 which is a bit on the light side, i hope to upgrade to a stoll loader someday. i also dont have the tires loaded yet so it gets light in the back end when moving the large pieces, so no sharp turns.
bpirger
ArboristSite Lurker
I ordered the FX90 and it should be here next week. Hope to get a bunch of stuff in while there's still snow...though not quite as much as we have now! Another foot dropped today.
TS, what are you using for chokers? I think Wallenstein supplies the 5/16" chain chokers. Dealer quoted me about $60 each...didn't want to budge. No thank you. The 1/4" chains are somewhat cheaper (about $20-$25) and I've seen the 5/16" for about $35-$40. I want to go chains vs. rope...my wife practically demanded it. Too many hand punctures from frayed rope.
TS, what are you using for chokers? I think Wallenstein supplies the 5/16" chain chokers. Dealer quoted me about $60 each...didn't want to budge. No thank you. The 1/4" chains are somewhat cheaper (about $20-$25) and I've seen the 5/16" for about $35-$40. I want to go chains vs. rope...my wife practically demanded it. Too many hand punctures from frayed rope.
Turkeyslayer
Smells Great
Right on!!!! I don't think you will be disappointed. I am using the Wallenstein chokers which I worked in with the deal when I bought the tractor and winch.
Turkeyslayer
Smells Great
So have you got your winch yet? If so have you tried it out?
LumberjkChamp
ArboristSite Operative
He's problably having so much fun pulling wood like an SOB that he has failed to remember to check back in to give us an update.
bpirger
ArboristSite Lurker
Argh...just lost a lot of writing!
Just came in from using the winch. I'm pleased! Install went fine, and the winch works very well.
Great pulling in snagged trees and seems to pull anything I have tried. My snatch block didn't get here yet, and I tried to pull something out hoping it would "turn the corner" hinging around another little tree, but it didn't seem to work as I hoped. So the redirection seems like it would be used quite frequently. Woods are quite dense.
I need to do some smart planning, identifying my crop trees and figuring out what I should cull. I have 44 acres and was logged back in '98 just before i bought the land. It's fun!
Working in the snow is a PITA. Still have 1' everywhere and 2' in many places...and I post-hole up to me knees with nearly every step. But that will soon be gone.
Skidding on the driveway is a little muddy now...really have to try and schedule this work in the late fall when the ground is frozen before we get a huge pile of snow. Logs are a bit muddy when I get them back to the woodshed.
I dropped a couple of crappy cherrys and a red oak today...pulled them in, and now have about 2 cords split and stacked in the woodshed. We spent about 4 hours working. I skid the load to the shed, block into about 22" chunks, and my wife and kids run the splitter and stack. Not bad! My woodshed can hold about 16 cords and I hope to get it filled this spring. I have to burn this wood in the fall, so it won't be as dry as I like. Hopefully that will be enough for 2 years.
I installed a Garn gassifying "outdoor" boiler this fall. We love it. Heated all the radiant and DHW this year, haven't burned a drop of oil since Nov. We burned about 1.3 cords per month...where my cords here are 24' x 4' x 22" or so...not 16", so they are "big" cords. I have a 2500 sq ft house with infloor radiant. I have to hook up the radiant in the addition (1000 sq ft) and the shop/garage (2200 sq ft) this summer, so next year I will have a bigger load. BUT, I have been dumping a good amount of heat into the ground using an old buried and barely insulated pex line. I installed a new line but didn't get a chance to hook that up before going "on-line" with the Garn. When I do, I think I will stop dumping about 25% of each Garn firing into the ground. That should cover the addition. And hopefully the garage/shop heating to 50 or so won't take all that much. We shall see. If I can heat everything with 8 cords I'll be a really happy man.
So far, very pleased. Winch seems very strong and well built. No issues yet. The tractor is a 5245 Zetor, so it is fairly big, so I haven't pulled it around too much yet.
I did buy the 1/4" chain chokers from Bailey's...and they seem to work just fine. It is a dream to hook them up. I can see why folks in the business would opt to have a remote control...one does quite a bit of back and forth walking to skid things in. But for a weekend warrior, its great. Pulling out snags, all sorts of things fly around as branches get broken, etc. so being well away (at the tractor) is a good place to be!
Two questions:
1. Do you leave your PTO drive on all the time, or do you turn it on to pull things in and off when not actually pulling? I left mine on, and I hope that way I carry out the winchline that I wouldn't lose a finger if it suddenly started pulling back in. Shouldn't ever happen....
2. My only "concern" that I feel is if the clutch pulling line where to get tangled and wrapped into the PTO driveline. That would be a real mess, until the tractor was shut off or stalled out. Just have to be careful and keep track of it.
Thanks for your tremendous help and reviews. I kinda felt like I had used the thing before I did...with all the pictures and direct comments. I'm not very familiar with machinery, so I get apprehensive quite easily, but I think this will serve to keep me very safe! I don't want to be the guy who dies cutting firewood!
The one thing I find myself thinking about is a wagon attached to the back of the winch to get the logs up off the ground totally. Seems like if I had a "flat bed" with an no actual bed, just some cross bars parallel to two axles, if I could pull the logs up onto that wagon, (maybe pulling the winchline over a pully mounted on a "pier" in the middle of the wagon), then I could drive them through the mud and to the woodshed...then block the logs right on the wagon...letting the blocks fall to the ground. Then I wouldn't have to be cutting on the ground all the time. A grapple loader is obviously crazy for my needs...but I could see sometime finding some old running gear from a hay wagon and given this a whirl. By the time I got everything winched into the wagon I could easily have skidded the load to the woodshed! And if I do this in the fall on frozen ground without much snow fall, I'd also be just fine. But it sure would be nice cutting everything up in the air! More room in front of my shed and a bolt on grapple would also likely fit the bill! I think the grapple bucket has to be one of the most useful things. I'm really surprised they aren't much more common on all the little compact tractors that folks have.
Just came in from using the winch. I'm pleased! Install went fine, and the winch works very well.
Great pulling in snagged trees and seems to pull anything I have tried. My snatch block didn't get here yet, and I tried to pull something out hoping it would "turn the corner" hinging around another little tree, but it didn't seem to work as I hoped. So the redirection seems like it would be used quite frequently. Woods are quite dense.
I need to do some smart planning, identifying my crop trees and figuring out what I should cull. I have 44 acres and was logged back in '98 just before i bought the land. It's fun!
Working in the snow is a PITA. Still have 1' everywhere and 2' in many places...and I post-hole up to me knees with nearly every step. But that will soon be gone.
Skidding on the driveway is a little muddy now...really have to try and schedule this work in the late fall when the ground is frozen before we get a huge pile of snow. Logs are a bit muddy when I get them back to the woodshed.
I dropped a couple of crappy cherrys and a red oak today...pulled them in, and now have about 2 cords split and stacked in the woodshed. We spent about 4 hours working. I skid the load to the shed, block into about 22" chunks, and my wife and kids run the splitter and stack. Not bad! My woodshed can hold about 16 cords and I hope to get it filled this spring. I have to burn this wood in the fall, so it won't be as dry as I like. Hopefully that will be enough for 2 years.
I installed a Garn gassifying "outdoor" boiler this fall. We love it. Heated all the radiant and DHW this year, haven't burned a drop of oil since Nov. We burned about 1.3 cords per month...where my cords here are 24' x 4' x 22" or so...not 16", so they are "big" cords. I have a 2500 sq ft house with infloor radiant. I have to hook up the radiant in the addition (1000 sq ft) and the shop/garage (2200 sq ft) this summer, so next year I will have a bigger load. BUT, I have been dumping a good amount of heat into the ground using an old buried and barely insulated pex line. I installed a new line but didn't get a chance to hook that up before going "on-line" with the Garn. When I do, I think I will stop dumping about 25% of each Garn firing into the ground. That should cover the addition. And hopefully the garage/shop heating to 50 or so won't take all that much. We shall see. If I can heat everything with 8 cords I'll be a really happy man.
So far, very pleased. Winch seems very strong and well built. No issues yet. The tractor is a 5245 Zetor, so it is fairly big, so I haven't pulled it around too much yet.
I did buy the 1/4" chain chokers from Bailey's...and they seem to work just fine. It is a dream to hook them up. I can see why folks in the business would opt to have a remote control...one does quite a bit of back and forth walking to skid things in. But for a weekend warrior, its great. Pulling out snags, all sorts of things fly around as branches get broken, etc. so being well away (at the tractor) is a good place to be!
Two questions:
1. Do you leave your PTO drive on all the time, or do you turn it on to pull things in and off when not actually pulling? I left mine on, and I hope that way I carry out the winchline that I wouldn't lose a finger if it suddenly started pulling back in. Shouldn't ever happen....
2. My only "concern" that I feel is if the clutch pulling line where to get tangled and wrapped into the PTO driveline. That would be a real mess, until the tractor was shut off or stalled out. Just have to be careful and keep track of it.
Thanks for your tremendous help and reviews. I kinda felt like I had used the thing before I did...with all the pictures and direct comments. I'm not very familiar with machinery, so I get apprehensive quite easily, but I think this will serve to keep me very safe! I don't want to be the guy who dies cutting firewood!
The one thing I find myself thinking about is a wagon attached to the back of the winch to get the logs up off the ground totally. Seems like if I had a "flat bed" with an no actual bed, just some cross bars parallel to two axles, if I could pull the logs up onto that wagon, (maybe pulling the winchline over a pully mounted on a "pier" in the middle of the wagon), then I could drive them through the mud and to the woodshed...then block the logs right on the wagon...letting the blocks fall to the ground. Then I wouldn't have to be cutting on the ground all the time. A grapple loader is obviously crazy for my needs...but I could see sometime finding some old running gear from a hay wagon and given this a whirl. By the time I got everything winched into the wagon I could easily have skidded the load to the woodshed! And if I do this in the fall on frozen ground without much snow fall, I'd also be just fine. But it sure would be nice cutting everything up in the air! More room in front of my shed and a bolt on grapple would also likely fit the bill! I think the grapple bucket has to be one of the most useful things. I'm really surprised they aren't much more common on all the little compact tractors that folks have.
Turkeyslayer
Smells Great
Two questions:
1. Do you leave your PTO drive on all the time, or do you turn it on to pull things in and off when not actually pulling? I left mine on, and I hope that way I carry out the winchline that I wouldn't lose a finger if it suddenly started pulling back in. Shouldn't ever happen....
For the most part I only turn the pto on when pulling, although on occasion if I have to walk back to re-rig or roll a log I will leave it on. My tractor has independent pto so it is just a push of a button on to engage and disengage
2. My only "concern" that I feel is if the clutch pulling line where to get tangled and wrapped into the PTO driveline. That would be a real mess, until the tractor was shut off or stalled out. Just have to be careful and keep track of it.
I tied a loop in the end of the clutch line and loop it over the rear implement light, this way it is not hanging down and can not reach the drive shaft. Just remember to take it off the light when unhooking the winch from the tractor, as I have tried to drive away more than once with it still hooked to the light
Sounds like your getting some good use out of your new winch, and the more you use it the more productive you will become with it. Also feel free to post up picks of your setup, we really like pics around here
ktm250rider
ArboristSite Operative
PTO off unless pulling. I used to leave it on until my close call. I had one hand on the clutch rope and the other I was trying to loop the line around the lower pulley. The position that I was in, as I tried to loop the cable, I kept pulling the clutch line unlowingly. Came very close to running my fingers between the cable and pulley.
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bpirger, there are pics of my firewood wagon on this thread. It might work for some of your trees and save a few tips. I built it to save mudding up the trail and to take right in the bush. We load it with the loade or just haul it in and handthrow the small stuff onto it. I live 15 miles from the bush so it saves me some trips. The bonus is cuting it right on the wagon. I'm going to get a winch one of these days.
http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/153256.htm
http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/153256.htm
bpirger
ArboristSite Lurker
That trailer is just what I have in mind. If you can get stuff up onto it, should be able to cut everything right on the trailer and let the blocks fall. SWEET.
Brought in about 12 full cord with the winch this past Spring....no complaints. Snatch block is essential for getting around other trees....got the 4.5 ton I think it was from Bailey's and it is worth every penny. About $75 or so. I have had NO problems with the set-up...including the "smaller" chain chokers. I got four, but I think I will get maybe 4 more. I think I can pull more than what I did, and when I start skidding from a farther distance in the bush, I'm going to really care about having 6 chokers vs. 4. But all in all, the FX90 has been great.
Cutting all the smaller tops on the ground is a drag. I guess what I need is to drag everything over a "car lift" and then lift everything up about 3'. Now that would be nice.
Just thought I'd post an update...it has been a long time. Anyone considering the FX90, I would recommend.
Brought in about 12 full cord with the winch this past Spring....no complaints. Snatch block is essential for getting around other trees....got the 4.5 ton I think it was from Bailey's and it is worth every penny. About $75 or so. I have had NO problems with the set-up...including the "smaller" chain chokers. I got four, but I think I will get maybe 4 more. I think I can pull more than what I did, and when I start skidding from a farther distance in the bush, I'm going to really care about having 6 chokers vs. 4. But all in all, the FX90 has been great.
Cutting all the smaller tops on the ground is a drag. I guess what I need is to drag everything over a "car lift" and then lift everything up about 3'. Now that would be nice.
Just thought I'd post an update...it has been a long time. Anyone considering the FX90, I would recommend.
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bpirger, the trailer works great but it has one huge flaw. It seems to disappear very often, I haven't seen it since I took those pictures. I had it at my brother in law's place and a neighbour or 2 seen it and borrowed it, I'm not even sure where it is anymore. I've just been cutting braches off the tops we bought and only bringing a load of rounds home in my truck once in awhile. I'm going to have to go looking for it soon though.
Beefie
Addicted to ArboristSite
Well it has been some time since we have had any winch threads so I figured I would pull this one back up. It really adds versatility to your wooding setup by having a winch. I am just hoping that we will have some more pics up here soon. We love pics here , especially tractors,winches, wood ,chainsaws,etc......
Beefie
Beefie
Turkeyslayer
Smells Great
Hi Beefie. It has been waaaay to wet around here for working in the woods with a tractor. Hopefully we will get a bit of frost in the ground soon. I have a bunch of dead and dying ash trees in the ravine that will need to be felled and pulled out this winter. Right now I have been making due with this.
bpirger
ArboristSite Lurker
I'm still winching as well, hope to get some more this weekend....and maybe I'll even think to take some pictures!
No problems with the winch....still takes a good amount of time to get the damned tree winched out of the woods. Back and forth...back and forth! Efficiency has picked up some...just seems to take a good amount of time to lop of the smallests branches of the top, etc.
No problems with the winch....still takes a good amount of time to get the damned tree winched out of the woods. Back and forth...back and forth! Efficiency has picked up some...just seems to take a good amount of time to lop of the smallests branches of the top, etc.
Beefie
Addicted to ArboristSite
Hi Beefie. It has been waaaay to wet around here for working in the woods with a tractor. Hopefully we will get a bit of frost in the ground soon. I have a bunch of dead and dying ash trees in the ravine that will need to be felled and pulled out this winter. Right now I have been making due with this.
Holy Crap that's a load on that ranger. Looks like a 1/4 of a cord per load. I hear you on too wet. We are just now getting some frost in the ground, I should be able to get back to one of my cutting sites now. How has the tractor been now that you have had it awhile, any issues?
Beefie
Beefie
Addicted to ArboristSite
If you are going to be in the woods might as well have a camera, We like pics here, Glad you are starting to get the hang of it.
Beefie
Turkeyslayer
Smells Great
Good to hear everything is working out for you!
The tractor has been great. I used it alot in my farm operation this summer pulling wagons with no issues, I even pulled in a gravity wagon full of corn (around 180 bushels) to the local co-op this fall. I had to gear down to 1st gear high on the one big hill, but other than that it pulled it just fine.
CRThomas
ArboristSite Guru
Used tractor
I bought a used tractor two month later the rear end went out fixed it three months later rod went thru block. I could have bought new one for repairs out of mu pocket o I bought a new one had 10 hours on it crank broke Massey ferguson ship me a brand new one at no cost. I only buy new stuff now just got my new fork lift cat. No used stuff for me repairs on heavy equipment is out of this world.
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