ATV in the Woodlot.

[wradman]

atv

i've got a couple of honda atv's they've been to hell and back ,if your going to work them hard no you don't need a low range,stick to a gear drive tansmission and stay away from the belt drives they heat up easy and they really don't like to get in the water.

 

[IndyIan]

Log Arch

I just borrowed my neighbours home made log arch this weekend. Does it ever work well behind the atv! Its set up so that the pick up point is about 4' back from the front of the log so for my 11' logs they have hardly any weight dragging on the ground. I was in about a foot of snow so there was friction but from just the tires rolling but I moved a 20" spruce 11' long which I wouldn't be able to skid normally uphill in those conditions. On flat ground the motor was hardly working.
Ian

 

[matt9923]

I have a Yamaha Grizzly 700 and i can pull a ton of wood up a hill and threw snow, even with the stock tires. Its a great quad and onley had a cv boot rip and regular oil change and front breaks every 6 months and 1 year on back breaks. I never need all that power for work never go over 1/4 throtle when working but for fun and getting to the work spot without trailer i use most of it. I can get thew things cant even walk threw with this macine.
Matt

 

[Zackman1801]

some people use those articulating vehicles, i cant think of the name right now but someone who used to be on this site, or mabey another who lives up here in maine used to use one, and he had good success. i saw a picture of him hauling a big pine about 2' in diameter with it. looked cool. I would like to try to log with an ATV but for the price its hard to justify, for a decent new or used one im looking at 5Gs and i could get an old skidder for 8-9 and have a night and day difference in productivity and performance. Btw i wonder how well one of those 6x6 or 8x8 things would work with an arch attached to the back and a good winch, could use them all year round since they have tracks. anyone ever used one for logging.

 

[Nuzzy]

Holy thread resurrection Batman!

 

[bowtechmadman]

No complaints w/ my Arctic Cat 650 TRV...the extra 8" of wheelbase keeps it from wanting to get tippy w/ a good load on the trailer.
I do a little of everything w/ it as seen in the pictures...haul wood, haul my saws, plow snow, trail rides w/ my youngsters, wife liked it so much she got herself a 400 TRV.

 

[maplemeister]

I thinking of buying a Honda Rancher (350cc) to get around my property (800'x800') to haul firewood and push snow..
Do they have the capability of pulling a 4x5 trailer up and down hills with a load of wood? What about tongue weight rating?
Should I consider something bigger, Recon (650cc) ???
Please don't recommend a tractor or a skid steer, this piece of property is very undulated.
Thanks

Hello Nodipnomore:
I have a 350 Honda Rancher with the electronic shift and used it to pull out around 12 cord of hardwood blocks from a local woodlot this past fall. I cut the trees and blocked them on the spot and then took them down to a nearby road via a 10cf tow behind trailer, where I put them on my larger road trailer for the trip home. Terrain was rolling but not particularly steep. The Honda had more than enough power and traction for the job but I also had good dry conditions most of the time I was in the woods. I plan on cutting again off this same lot in the spring and want to try a larger trailer behind the Honda. I am thinking at least a 4'x5' to cut down on my trips to my road trailer. As I mentioned, I did not get this combination into any real steep terrain but I would caution you to experiment cautiously with your load limit behind the ATV. Don't get your trailer heavier than your ATV on a steep grade or you will probably be taking an unpleasant if not dangerous ride down the hill. Green hardwood weighs up very fast and caution is definitely in
order here. If you are on flatter ground all the time, you can get away with a lot more weight in the trailer. In a nutshell, it's not power you'll be lacking, it's stopping ability.

Maplemeister:

 

[matt9923]

hers my rig. sometimes with a spliter but this is my 1/2 home made trailer. was a flat bed landscape trailer i got from my freind he used on his nursery. Then i welded tube steel on and made the sides out of 2x3s and OSB. Also have other sides for full loggs. This thing can hold alot of wood and the 700cc grizzly pulls it like nothing.
This 4 wheel steering traior has advantages over a regular one. It fallows your exact tracks so its good in tight woods and their is no load on the atvs irs.
Matt

 

[bowtechmadman]

Nice rig Matt

 

[matt9923]

Nice rig Matt

Thanks

 

[ASEMASTER]

500tbx

this thing is unbelevable for doing small time woods work with the tire upgrade you go most anywhere you want.

 

[matt9923]

Nice but iv also had pretty bad luck with arctic cat also,
maybe i am just to hard on stuff..... How did you build the skidded? you should make some plans for it.

 

[matt9923]

How do you get the pics to show up without clicking on them???

 

[ASEMASTER]

How do you get the pics to show up without clicking on them???

can't remember had just enought luck to get them posted!
the arch is someting I just threw together.

 

[spankrz]

i have a 1994 honda fourtrax 300 4x4.
it has a 5 speed transmission ( L,1,2,3,4+R)
the tongue weight is rated pretty low, i think below 50.
however, i have pulled tailors with a tongue weight much higher.
on several occasions, i have pulled a 8x6 loaded up to the two-foot rails with oak. it does fine, and always has enough torque to get it up the hills.
to answer your question, the 350 ranchers arent as solid as the 300 fourtraxes were, but one would do everything you described easily.

 

[IPLUMB]

Here's my rig. And I usually haul a 3x5 trailer behind it. It has a 4000lbs winch on it.

 

[matt9923]

Here's my rig. And I usually haul a 3x5 trailer behind it. It has a 4000lbs winch on it.

WHat is it rihno? and what kind of bridge is that? looks really nice!
Matt

 

[IPLUMB]

WHat is it rihno? and what kind of bridge is that? looks really nice!
Matt

Yep its a 660 Yamaha Rhino. Thanks I just got done building that bridge in My wood lot. Its made from used bar joists remove from a mall remodle. The where for the 2nd floor in a wharehouse.

I mixed and poured 6500lbs of concrete (BAGS:jawdrop for footings. The decking is 2x8s

 

[matt9923]

Yep its a 660 Yamaha Rhino. Thanks I just got done building that bridge in My wood lot. Its made from used bar joists remove from a mall remodle. The where for the 2nd floor in a wharehouse.

I mixed and poured 6500lbs of concrete (BAGS:jawdrop for footings. The decking is 2x8s

Oh joy mixing concrete LOL i used to do that but my freind owns a masonary buisness and he lends me his portable mixer he has about 8 of them and 4 cement trucks. Also a local place rents trailers an dyou pay fo rteh concrete and you traile rit hom epower it and bring it back no mixing on your part but u onley have 30 min
Matt

 

[IPLUMB]

Oh joy mixing concrete LOL i used to do that but my freind owns a masonary buisness and he lends me his portable mixer he has about 8 of them and 4 cement trucks. Also a local place rents trailers an dyou pay fo rteh concrete and you traile rit hom epower it and bring it back no mixing on your part but u onley have 30 min
Matt

Don't get me wrong, I had a electric mixer that would only hold one bag at a time. But it is still alot of work. I'm a Plumber and have broken up my far share of concrete for basement baths and remodels.