Any ideas on tools to help move heavy wood

[spacemule]

I hadn't seen those hi-lifts before and I just checked them out a little online.

Very interesting. I wonder how low they can go.

Maybe have a strap that hangs down with a hook to get even lower like their accessory for jacking a car by the wheel.

In terms of putting rollers under wood, generally the ground is not hard, clear or level enough on site.

Wonder who locally sells them for me to take a look at.

The highlift I used when I was a kid would go from a couple of inches up to nearly 3 feet. They're not that heavy, and have plenty of lifting power--plus no hydraulics to dry up or leak. Think of an old bumper jack on steroids.

 

[JohnL]

If you look back at some of the older pioneer/frontier technology, back to Egyptians building pyramids and the like, they developed a number of leverage tools to move heavy blocks of stone (sorry, could not find any good photos to paste here).

You could make a simple lifting frame or derrick out of wood or pipe that you carry with you. Set up an inverted 'V' next to your large log on the ground and attach ropes or chains connecting the end of the log to the top of the 'V' and continuing to your truck, winch, or come-a-long. Pulling horizontally should pivot the 'V' away from the log, causing the log to lift or stand up.

Be careful working alone!

Philbert

I was thinking along the same lines. A junkyard I used to frequent had an A frame on wheels with a chain hoist on the cross beam. It was wide enough to roll over the engine bay of a car so you could hoist the engines out then roll it away with the engine. You would lift the wood, back the trailer ender it and lower the wood. Only snag I see is making it collapsable so you can carry it, but strong enough to carry those loads.

 

[Stihl 041S]

You could make a split dogleg, maybe a foot to give it stability and make it easier to get under.

 

[Kingsley]

Intially commissioned for moving rocks, but could be adapted for moving and loading wood.

Eco Friendly!

Runs on Bio Fuel!

Fred offers leasing on the weekends I think?

the bad,

Extremely hard to find (some say impossible)

hard to move from job to job

Possible sick days throw a wrench in scheduling sometimes

Bronto-crane

 

[BloodOnTheIce]

This is how I move big pieces. Toro 520xi with a Quickway bucket loader.
Not mine but the same thing.

 

[B_Turner]

I love the idea of using a machine, but often it's a confined and unlevel site where I can't get anthing to the tree. Except a handcart.

I really am intrigued by the idea of a couple hi-lift jacks and I am going to pursue that notion for helping with standing up the blocks.

Once a round is stood up, the hard parts over.

 

[RiverRat2]

I've thought about a tractor for home, but often the real challenge is on site. Often the tree is behind someone's house with no room for a machine of any size. And generally the yard is sloped which makes it all even harder.

Also once home some of my neighbor's have tractors, big backhoes etc and I occasionally do enlist some help.

Here's a pic of my next door neighbor making life easier. This is the simple case as I load the stick onto blocks. Then I cut rounds off (in this case each round weighted 1000lbs) onto blocks off the ground and I cut the exact blocks I want out of the piece as the piece lays on the blocks.

I've worked out tricks and techniques for this type of case and it's really pretty straightforward.


http://www.billluce.com/pumkinjpgs/pumkinjpgs/8535_2.JPG

I would suggest a portable capstan winch or lewis winch some good ropes and a stand pipe welded a or bolted at high point to give you some leverage,,, I have seen a stand pipe, 4" on the front of the trailer and go for it You can install oversize Pipe sleeves with a locking bolt @ various places on the trailer so you can move it where you need it,,,

A flat bed truck with a set of gin poles and warn winch works good too and you can build it yourself for a reasonable price if you can find an old 3/4 ton FWD!!! and some old 2" drill pipe,,,

 

[scootr]

All 4wd shops have the HI-LiFTS. Great to have in your truck anyway, you can do a lot with them.

 

[clearance]

All 4wd shops have the HI-LiFTS. Great to have in your truck anyway, you can do a lot with them.

I have a couple, usually I use a bottle jack and blocks, cause it lifts the axle, right away. Hi-Lift jacks, Jack-Alls, have to be treated with a lot of respect, they have killed people.

 

[nilzlofgren]

I've rented one of these before, their great. This is Toros smallest one, and it will lift over 1000 pounds.http://www.toro.com/professional/sws/loader/wheel/22318.html

 

[Urbicide]

Labonville carries the jacks.

http://www.labonville.com/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=124&idproduct=392

There is also a 10% discount. See Labonville's home page for the details.

 

[abohac]

I regularly have to wrestle large (up through 1000 lb) blocks of wood so I can move them or cut them enough to get them into my trailer.

For example the last tree (a few days ago) I spent three days cutting on was 68 inches at the flare where I flush cut it. most of the rounds I cut were in the mid 40 inch range.

I usually work solo, and I want to come up with mechanical aids to make certain operations easier (guess I am getting too old ....)

I remember seeing in that famous book on chainsaw milling he used two modifed bumper jacks to roll logs. Great idea.

I have two operations that I find killer hard (solo) with big wood especially on the site.

1) Standing up a large round (say 40 inches diameter up) that is laying flat.
2) Getting my hand cart tipped back once I've strapped on a block that weighs over say 500 lbs (depending on the slope).

Anyone have any good ideas on tricks (tools) to make these two things easier? I am currently working about 3 trailer loads of wood and I need to figure out a smarter way to persuade the blocks to do what I want as I cut them.

Naturally I have various sized dollys, big pry bar and some very large cant hooks which are essential. But I need some new tricks especially for on site.

I have a Cat backhoe that works pretty well.

 

[Jake]

If the ground is firm enough, how about a pallet jack or a offroad pallet jack http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200326572_200326572

 

[Madsaw]

HHHMMMM,
Funn y no one metions the use of a few farm items and a fuse. Might just give this a try on a 8' by 30" oak log I have. One way or the other it will be split. Cordless drills are handy for the in the woods drilling jobs.
Bob

 

[Wood Doctor]

Back to basics: you are trying to load a trailer with big, heavy billets.

A winch and a pair of ramps should do it. The winch is so strong that it will drag the log right up the ramps. The log doesn't even have to be lying on its side. Any position would work because the winch is so strong.

Mount the winch securely about 5' back and as high as possible in the trailer with a bracket solid as a rock. That way the force it exerts is straight up the ramps. Preferably, you can move it out of the way when done.

Take a look at that log in the center of my pickup truck bed:

I loaded it on board with this simple hand winch assembly that I made in my work shop that fastens across the side racks:

 

[2dogs]

I have to move logs in much the same manner as you. With the network of friends we can use horses, a Gradoll (4X4 boom forklift), an ag tractor, a yarder, and various winches and handtools. Most often we use a bullrope and choker pulled by a truck. A low bed car trailer really helps out, my gooseneck ramp flatbed trailer is not used as often unless we have a forklift.

Here is a pic of loading a redwood log from 2 weeks ago. The log is rolled up on a 2X4 at the balance point and rotated so it is facing the trailer ramps. Then a rope is wound around it to pull the log up the ramps via my truck in the background. The log can be the length of a traler if it is a deckover like my gooseneck. Again pull the log onto a 2X4 at the balance point and spin around so it is lengthwise. Chock the log on the 2X4 and transport.

This is a Swiss hookaroon. It offers tremendous leverage and is a great help moving logs.

 

[B_Turner]

I ordered a hi-lift extreme 48 inch jack to check it out. I know it will be useful regardless.

Someone is going to make me a strap with two hooks for lifting wood off the ground (more on that later).

Once I get a chance to spend some time with it I will most likely buy another jack. Not sure the height I would want yet, the 48 inch was a guess.

The topic of moving heavy wood is a broad one, but the type of problem I am trying to help solve right now is manipulating large wood so I can cut specific blocks in the 4 to 6 hundred lb size which are generally then fairly managable. Particulary in confined and akward (and sloped) sites which seem to be common for some of the big firs I chase.

When possible of course I like to have a big machine drop the wood in my trailer!

 

[corsair4360]

Moving heavy wood

I think you are on the right track with the high lift jack, or sheep herders jack as I was taught they are called. Be careful with them, they can bash you if you are not careful.

In addition to your jacks, I would suggest two pipes with a pulley mounted in the middle that can be mounted on the rear of your trailer, and use the winch line to pull things up (they do need a vertical support either chain, cable from the front of the trailer). I believe this is what one poster suggested as a "gin pole". With the jacks and a flexible setup to get vertical rather than just dragging with the winch you should be set.

I understand all too well about being in the woods and needing to move a log in order to get it in usable form.

 

[KMB]

This is how I move big pieces. Toro 520xi with a Quickway bucket loader.
Not mine but the same thing.

Could you point me to a website that would have info on that loader? I'm interested to know about the ease of detaching the loader unit (and attaching an underbelly mower unit), and about lift weight capacity.

Kevin

 

[B_Turner]

The highlift I used when I was a kid would go from a couple of inches up to nearly 3 feet. They're not that heavy, and have plenty of lifting power--plus no hydraulics to dry up or leak. Think of an old bumper jack on steroids.

I bought a hi lift jack a while ago and have been finding it very useful. I still like the idea of a strap with a couple angle iron "hooks" to put under a big round to lift one edge off the ground.

Maybe I can find some nice heavy around 4" angle brackets at the hardware store and hang them from a nylon strap.