Pulling wood out of the bush, lots of quesions.

[iowawoodcutter]

Why would you want to pull your wood OUT of the bush? I try to keep my wood in the bush as much as possible.

 

[cjcocn]

... I have heard of guys unable to pull a moose with the winch, so I have to wonder how well they really work?

I can drag an eight inch Oak by myself already. I am after production, I'd like to drag four of them, or sections of the two footers I happen on. I am in it for the money, not for fun, I want to cut and go home as fast as I can!

I live in the muskeg and my Polaris Sportsman 500 can drag a moose out of the bush like it isn't even there. No winch required, just rope it to the quad hitch and go. I had to cross 2 creeks to get to the moose and a truck or tractor not only wouldn't make it across the creeks, but would have sunk in the mud before and after the creeks. The quad walked through without a problem.

On one occasion I took my quad to haul in a load of birch. I also had my 16' trailer with me. If you can load them from the ground to the trailer, then set up your ramps to drive the quad off the truck onto the trailer and then onto the ground. Use your quad to pull your logs into a pile about 12 or so feet behind the trailer, drive the quad back up the trailer then onto the truck. Then back the trailer up to the pile of wood and start loading.

The biggest of the birch was probably only 15" - 16" so I just towed them and loaded them in 16' lengths. I couple of times I hauled 2 logs at a time with the quad and it didn't notice the extra log.

If you buy a 4x4 quad and upgrade the tires before you leave the shop (to a more aggressive tread with thicker sidewalls) then you'll be happy with what it will do for you.

HTH

 

[sawinredneck]

300 yards is nothing for a winch. I'd buy a warn 8274-50; They're more powerful, tougher and faster than other winches in it's class. Cheaper than a quad. Buy a couple hundred feet of extra cable in probably 75 or 100' lengths...

Run out your 100' of winch, and add two extra lengths. Reel in 100', take out a length of cable, pull out your winch and start over. This sucks, but it's better than carrying out wood 100 yards 18" at a time.

I mean that's what I do if I don't want to bring my quad. I have the most powerful quad currently produced and it still won't out pull an 8000 pound winch.

All things I have considered. I can get by a lot cheaper and easier with bull rope than cable. But this is woods and I have a 16' trailer on the back and am doing good to get in close most times, much less have a semi-straight shot on anything. Also most trees are small so it takes quite a few of them to fill the trailer, lots of this way and that way running around finding wood.
And unwinding a winch isn't much fun and a bit time consuming, then doing it three times per load......
I would do better with 600' of bull rope and a capstan winch!
I get the idea, and apreciate the input, but this is where a mule (the animal) would rule!

 

[Highclimber OR]

Sounds like a good hand truck with bigger tires at least, that's what I use and it seems to save the back, but a tailgate hoist works great in that situation. I like it because you can carry 3-4 blocks on the average where as it would normally would be one. Would that help?

 

[sawinredneck]

Sounds like a good hand truck with bigger tires at least, that's what I use and it seems to save the back, but a tailgate hoist works great in that situation. I like it because you can carry 3-4 blocks on the average where as it would normally would be one. Would that help?

I have actually, and looked at them with interest!! The ground is too rough for a wheelbarrow, tried it, do these work better?

 

[Mike Van]

You'd need two guys to make this work - But, how about out where the trucks on good ground, hang a snatchblock up somewhere, run 3 or 4 hundred ft of cable or bullrope back to the woods, have a good 'hitch' ready to go with a choker on it & drive away ? When the hitch gets to the snatch, the guy unhooks, walks the line back to the woods as the driver backs up? Gotta beat the lugging by hand? No?

 

[savageactor7]

sawinredneck in your current situation a simple heavy duty wheel barrow would be the best productivity booster. I've been in your situation and sometimes less is more.

"ground to rough for a WB"... that just can't be right.

 

[sawinredneck]

You'd need two guys to make this work - But, how about out where the trucks on good ground, hang a snatchblock up somewhere, run 3 or 4 hundred ft of cable or bullrope back to the woods, have a good 'hitch' ready to go with a choker on it & drive away ? When the hitch gets to the snatch, the guy unhooks, walks the line back to the woods as the driver backs up? Gotta beat the lugging by hand? No?

Lost all my help (I can't blame them!!), it's all me! NO HELPER!! Thus the point of this thread!

 

[Mike Van]

You probably worked 'em to death! You gotta get 'mechanized'

 

[mattmc2003]

If you can get a small tractor or four wheeler in, why not a small truck. Get an old beat up 4wd ford ranger or s10 or something of the sort. You can haul or drag more than any 4wheeler, and you could surely find other uses for it too. the 4wheeler sure seems like a lot of trouble. Get a good trailer to go behind the truck. Load the truck and bring it out and put it on the trailer. then go load the truck again, come out and hook up to the trailer, and go home.

 

[gink595]

I've never used a 4 wheeler to cut wood with, seems like it would be slooooowwwww! I like doing a lot in a little time, the faster the better
My setup consists of a 2 man crew, the boy running the machine and me running the saw, for only being 3 he can operate the controls:greenchainsaw:

 

[sawinredneck]

If you can get a small tractor or four wheeler in, why not a small truck. Get an old beat up 4wd ford ranger or s10 or something of the sort. You can haul or drag more than any 4wheeler, and you could surely find other uses for it too. the 4wheeler sure seems like a lot of trouble. Get a good trailer to go behind the truck. Load the truck and bring it out and put it on the trailer. then go load the truck again, come out and hook up to the trailer, and go home.

Put two cords of Oak on a 16'x80" double axle trailer and drive it 90 miles home. Then we can talk!!
I used to do it with an F-150 V-6 five speed. NEVER AGAIN!!
I am trying to get to where I can do by myself what myself and a helper did in the same time.

 

[sawinredneck]

I've never used a 4 wheeler to cut wood with, seems like it would be slooooowwwww! I like doing a lot in a little time, the faster the better
My setup consists of a 2 man crew, the boy running the machine and me running the saw, for only being 3 he can operate the controls:greenchainsaw:

You guys are killing me!!!

ONE truck, ONE trailer, ONE person (ME), TWO cords of wood with and F-150.
The Bobcat don't fit in the bed so well does it?

 

[ericjeeper]

Is the local McDonalds hiring?

This seems like waaaaaay to much work to gather firewood to sell..
I am pretty fortunate to live on the family farm with 100 acres. and 60 of it just timbered.Lots of tops.. I cheat a little I bought a small bulldozer to drag the trees to a couple of different landings.
I have a 4x4 tractor It does ok.. But it darned sure ain't no dozer..
I just can not grasp how much a 4x4 quad could pull.weighing in at under 1200 pounds with rider.My tractor weighs at least 6k and has brand new tires on it with fluid in the rears..And some of the tops it will not pull puzzle me.
Now the dozer on the other hand will either pull it or come darned close to pulling the 1/2 inch chokers in two.
My buddies dozer will pull a brand spanking new cat choker in two before it will slip a track.. I have seen it happen first hand.. yes it was my new cat choker to boot.

 

[mattmc2003]

Well you still gotta haul a four wheeler too. I didn't realize it was 90 miles to get firewood. All those miles and hauling equipment sure is a lot of expense for firewood.

 

[gink595]

You guys are killing me!!!

ONE truck, ONE trailer, ONE person (ME), TWO cords of wood with and F-150.
The Bobcat don't fit in the bed so well does it?

Well your method don't sound very fun!

Well see if your already haulin a trailer, you can haul the Bobcat back and forth, you'll have all that empty bed space for wood. And just being a one man crew you shouldn't have to pick up much wood if you do it right.

 

[mattmc2003]

Bobcat behind a v6 f150? If anything, get a small 4wd tractor...very small. Like a yanmar or something. Maybe not even 4wd. Save some space on the trailer for it and load the bed to. But i'm betting the double axle trailer loaded with wood is more than enough for the truck anyway.

 

[gink595]

Put two cords of Oak on a 16'x80" double axle trailer and drive it 90 miles home. Then we can talk!!
I used to do it with an F-150 V-6 five speed. NEVER AGAIN!!
I am trying to get to where I can do by myself what myself and a helper did in the same time.

90 miles, WTF why so far, I must have missed some of this conversation somewhere. Yeah I wouldn't haul equipment unless you could take a sh*t load home in one trip. But for 2 cord nahh, it wouldn't be worth haulin equip.

 

[gink595]

Bobcat behind a v6 f150? If anything, get a small 4wd tractor...very small. Like a yanmar or something. Maybe not even 4wd. Save some space on the trailer for it and load the bed to. But i'm betting the double axle trailer loaded with wood is more than enough for the truck anyway.

Hmmm, I never seen or heard of a V6 in a F150, in the Rangers but never the 150's sure it ain't a 300 inline 6?

 

[hanniedog]

Gink595 you better be kidding about your boy running that skid loader. If not it is an accident just waiting to happen. A child of that age has no business running any type of machinery.