Dealing with the big rounds....poor mans way.

[avalancher]

I dont have a tractor, and rely solely on muscle and a couple of winches to get my wood home and on the pile.
How do you deal with the big stuff?

First, I line the winch with where the wood is at, over the side, or in this case off of the tail end.


Then I cut the big wood into lengths that my winch can handle. In this case, three rounds worth. I then cut it into rounds, leaving the last six inches or so and winch it into the trailer.Once on board, i finish the cuts leaving the big rounds.


Once the big rounds of the tree are loaded, I load by hand the little ones to fill the trailer to capacity, either by how much weight I can handle, or if its light stuff how much before stuff falls off. In this case, weight dictates the load.



Then comes the part that requires a little muscle. I back the splitter up to the tail end of the trailer, split the small stuff, and then muscle the big stuff on to the splitter. I use the trailer as a large table, as it splits the half away form me falls back on to the trailer so that you dont have to lift from the ground.



I have toyed with halving the large rounds, even quartering them, but I found that this method is far faster. Halving takes time, chain tooth wear, and I found that by pulling them in is far faster than taking the time to cut them up.

 

[Marc]

That's not all that "poor." Smart though.

I cut my rounds to about 36" and split them with a maul where they are small enough to pick up by hand.

 

[savageactor7]

The trees to big for my tractor to pull I cut the bigger rounds into halves or quarters...just lay the saw length wise along the bark and away ya go.

Then they were other times, ground conditions permitting, I'd bring the splitter to the site and do 'em up. Whatever works with less time is what I do

Your rounds are way bigger than mine though...I'm only cutting 18-20", Nice tandem axle trailer ya got there avalancher

 

[TJ-Bill]

Works for me.. I try to when ever possible cut the large piece into 16" chunks and then use 2 Pulp hooks to get them into the truck or trailer..

 

[aandabooks]

Hey avalancher,

How big is that winch you've got? I have an extra 1500 lb ATV winch laying around and am wondering if it would be worth rigging up. Also, is it just attached to the board or do you have a plate up there?

Thanks

 

[avalancher]

Hey avalancher,

How big is that winch you've got? I have an extra 1500 lb ATV winch laying around and am wondering if it would be worth rigging up. Also, is it just attached to the board or do you have a plate up there?

Thanks

I have a 3700lb winch, but I started with the 1500lb like what you have. It will work, just its slow and the pull is limited. If you are patient and willing to either work with smaller stuff or use a snatch block your winch will work fine. It beats hauling by hand at any rate.Give it a try, and make sure you keep an eye on the temp of the winch,to many pulls in a short period of time will burn the winch up.
I have mine mounted to a plate, available from Warn, costs around the 50 buck mark. Here is a picture, it allows you to move the winch where ever you want. I have even pulled it out of the trailer and carried it and the battery to use on pulling over a tree that was close to house before knocking it down. It works great.

 

[avalancher]

Here is close up of my winch assembly to give you a better idea. Get a good deep cycle battery, it will pull all day long. I also opted for the 30ft remote, you can walk the hook and the remote out to the wood and never have to come back to the winch for anything. Just power out the cable as you walk.
The snatch block was found at TSC for 30 bucks, it has held up under the toughest pulls.

 

[strongback]

If that's a poor man's setup mine must be downright destitute. My poor man's solution involves cutting the rounds to 16" and then splitting them with a maul/wedges into chunks big enough to keep me from having to make a million trips back and forth but small enough that I don't get a hernia. Under about 200# just gets thrown on the truck/trailer "as is".

 

[husky455rancher]

i agree i think its actually a nice setup, i wouldnt callt a poor mans setup by anymeans. i noodle everything with the mighty 455 to liftable chunks. i was ontop of the world when i got a old crapsman tractor to pull my 30"x48" lawn trailer. thats how i get the wood outta the woods, it sure as hell beats carrying by hand or using a friggin wheelbarrow lol.

 

[avalancher]

If that's a poor man's setup mine must be downright destitute. My poor man's solution involves cutting the rounds to 16" and then splitting them with a maul/wedges into chunks big enough to keep me from having to make a million trips back and forth but small enough that I don't get a hernia. Under about 200# just gets thrown on the truck/trailer "as is".

Ah, well, poor man by the standards set on the boards here. I read some of the posts where guys got log loaders, skid steers, tractors, log lifts, etc and I get a little envious. Plus, I get a lot of ribbing from neighbors who enjoy giving me a hard time about not springing for a tractor. I have over 600 ft of rock walls on my place, all brought home the same way as firewood, dragged on the trailer with a winch. The neighbors are convinced I am nuts, specially when they see me take an entire day of prying,pushing, and grunting moving a single rock off of my trailer and all say the same thing, "buy a tractor already!"

 

[beerman6]

I get that also...

I just had a deal fall through for a old Kubota with a FEL

 

[Wood Doctor]

Here is close up of my winch assembly to give you a better idea. Get a good deep cycle battery, it will pull all day long. I also opted for the 30ft remote, you can walk the hook and the remote out to the wood and never have to come back to the winch for anything. Just power out the cable as you walk.

The snatch block was found at TSC for 30 bucks, it has held up under the toughest pulls.

Hey, I just thought of something. Can you find another piece of that heavy duty angle iron, about 3" longer than the distance between the irons on the side rails of the trailer?

If you can, bolt that on top across the side rails toward the back of the trailer, say 3' to 4' from the ramp. Then bolt the winch to that. By doing so, you (1) place the winch closer to the log being dragged, and (2) the angle is better for the cable so you gain power. You can make the winch assembly removable with wing nuts on the bolts that fasten it to the rails. Perhaps you could use knock out pins, but the torque twist might call for bolts.

Just a thught...:monkey:

 

[avalancher]

I get that also...

I just had a deal fall through for a old Kubota with a FEL

I feel your pain! I am in the market for a decent tractor, just waiting for the deal of a lifetime to come my way. Even with the ecomomy, prices sure seem to stay up there for tractors.

 

[avalancher]

Hey, I just thought of something. Can you find another piece of that heavy duty angle iron, about 3" longer than the distance between the irons on the side rails of the trailer?

If you can, bolt that on top across the side rails toward the back of the trailer, say 3' to 4' from the ramp. Then bolt the winch to that. By doing so, you (1) place the winch closer to the log being dragged, and (2) the angle is better for the cable so you gain power. You can make the winch assembly removable with wing nuts on the bolts that fasten it to the rails. Perhaps you could use knock out pins, but the torque twist might call for bolts.

Just a thught...:monkey:

Good idea except for one thing, you want the winch as far away as possible from the wood to begin with for two reasons.
One, the farther away you are, the more power your winch has. As each wrap of the cable around the drum, you lose pulling power. The winch has the most power when there are no wraps around the drum.This is usually the most critical time because often the log is hung up on branches, etc and the extra pull is necessary. I often throw small pieces of round limbs under the log to act as rollers for the heavy stuff, and you need the extra pull to get out of the brush and on to the rollers.
Second, you want the first wood coming on to the trailer to go all the way forward so that you have more room for more stuff to come on. If you place the winch at the back, you are going to have to move the winch right back to the front to move the stuff forward.

 

[Mike PA]

If possible, I take the splitter with me. Pull the truck and splitter along side the logs and have at it. In no time I have a split load in the back of my truck.

When pressed for time, cut logs to length and heave 'em in. More than one person may be required. That is the real poor mans way!!

 

[Philbert]

I dont have a tractor, and rely solely on muscle and a couple of winches to get my wood home and on the pile.

Nice post. Informative. Thanks.

Philbert

 

[avalancher]

A nice big round sitting on it's end may make a good platform for the winch to sit up on while pulling. Raising it gives it more pull up the ramp.

Do you have a remote switch to operate the winch?

If that sling were to come off or break that block may head towards the winch at high speed. Not a good place to be standing.


Nice set up!

Yeah, I have a 30ft lead for the remote. In most cases it allows me to walk the hook and remote right up to the wood being pulled, although the cable does go out 45ft.
As far as the block coming back like a bullet, good point. Dont need something like that removed in the emergency room.

 

[mysawmyrules]

I would be happy with a tree up here that I could have a problem moving the rounds. Pine and spruce up here not a problem most 20" or less.

Jon W

 

[stihl sawing]

The really big rounds get noodled. Then they can be handled. I have a winch on my trailer but it's so slow i can cut em with a saw faster.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Winch Mounting

... Second, you want the first wood coming on to the trailer to go all the way forward so that you have more room for more stuff to come on. If you place the winch at the back, you are going to have to move the winch right back to the front to move the stuff forward.

:agree2: My truck racks are high enough to allow all but the biggest logs to slide under the cross piece. So, I can mount the winch closer to the ramps. I never thought about the wrap consideration for mechanical advantage. Good point. Using my hand-powered mechanical winch, I always have had enough leverage to drag even the mosnsters. Electric would be different.

Oh, and BTW, keep up the good work!