How much weight am I lifting

[mswabbie]

I have a 16 foot, four thousand pound log on the ground. How much weight am I lifting if I lift only one end of the log? I would like to buy a tractor with a front end loader, and know that I cannot afford one that has a loader that would pick up the whole log. I am thinking that if I could lift one end , I could back my trailer underneath it and then winch it the rest of the way. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ryan Willock]

Depending on how high you lift it you'll be lifting 2,000+lbs.

 

[Crofter]

Depends on which end of the log you lift too!

 

[MasterBlaster]

Dam good physics question.

I never took physics.

 

[Nickrosis]

Weight in that sense is measured in units of force, like Newtons.

To use English, Ryan was on track. You'll be lifting over half the weight of the log if you pick up the butt end or less than half the weight if you pick up the top end, diminishing to none of the weight as you approach 90° with the log. To paint a picture, imagine you had the log sitting on two scales, one on each end. The narrow end will have <2000 lbs. showing on the scale. The wide end with have >2000 lbs. on the scale.

To lift, all you need is an ounce more than that weight to move the log up, again, diminishing to 0 as it approaches vertical. What are you trying to do with the log? How many do you have?

 

[mswabbie]

I have a lot of mature pecan trees, the average diameter is 26". If and when the pecan sawlog market opens up, I need to fell the trees, move them to a central location, then call my local saw mill and he will come pick them up. I am trying to figure out how to move them to a central location.

 

[Newfie]

Use a Farmi 3 point hitch winch. Move big dog logs with it.

 

[Crofter]

There are little logging arches made with rubber tires like 8.25-20 and a winch like boat winch that you can move an amazing log with.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Man, frig all those answers. I wanna know. I bet it's closer to 3/4 the original weight. No physics/calculus dudes out there? DBabcock? Weren't you MIT, or something? We have a wide gene pool here, where is the formula?

 

[P_woozel]

I'll put it down on closer to half. :blob5:

 

[glens]

If the log has no taper and there is no wind blowing either direction along its length and both points of support are at the very ends and are at the same height, they will divide the weight evenly.

If one support point is lower than the other it will carry more weight, with the final result of the log rotating in an end-for-end manner, that <i>all</i> the weight will be born by the lower point when the log becomes vertical.

If the log has taper, the larger end will have to be supported higher than the other for both support points to bear the same weight.

If the wind is blowing along the length of the log it will have the same effect as a taper with no wind.

 

[Crofter]

Master blaster. you are lifting it in the middle. Go to one end or the other! sheesh!

 

[MasterBlaster]

How much weight am I lifting if I lift only one end of the log?

Sheesh back atcha! :blob5:

 

[Nickrosis]

So what are you gonna get?

 

[Tree Machine]

Cheaper than a tractor, for sure.

 

[Tree Machine]

And then the guy who brews the beer checks it out (a good friend to have )

This log is maxxed out as far as length, but it can manage quite a bit more in girth.

 

[NeTree]

So... what are the registration/light/plate requirements on that rig? I know, you can only speak from your home-state perspective...

 

[DDM]

I Bet this rig Doesnt fish tails?

 

[IndyIan]

How far did you trailer it like that? No trouble with the cops? I could see arguing that its a farm implement if you own a farm.

 

[max2cam]

I have a 16 foot, four thousand pound log on the ground. How much weight am I lifting if I lift only one end of the log? I would like to buy a tractor with a front end loader, and know that I cannot afford one that has a loader that would pick up the whole log. I am thinking that if I could lift one end , I could back my trailer underneath it and then winch it the rest of the way. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

You might consider building a strong tripod and attaching a heavy-duty come-along and then lifting one end of the log that way. You would have to roll the log over an attaching chain like I do, or I suppose better yet you could use a tong.

I am using this method for 8-foot green full-of-sap red pine logs up to 24" diameter and it works slick. And my tripod is just made of balsam poles 8-feet long and only about 4-5" diameter. A beefier tripod should work for your larger logs.

Lots cheaper than a tractor and front-end loader.