Pulling wood out of the bush, lots of quesions.

[sawinredneck]

So how do you pull wood to the truck or trailer?
I have a guy telling me I need to buy a fourwheeler to drag poles to the trailer then cut them up and throw them on. We have been hand carying up to now. The soild is sandy and soft. You can bury a tractor quick like if you are not careful.
I can't see where it's a very advantageous idea. Lots of hassle, unhook the trailer, unload the fourwheeler, load the trailer, hope you don't sink it, and hope the fourwheeler can pull anything over the hills rocks and sand! Then load the fourwheeler and hook back up to the trailer. I will be doing this all alone BTW. Am I being pesimistic about my expectations of the fourwheeler?
That and they are pricey as hell!!! A lot of investment to pay off without a sure gain. I think he just wants a playtoy.

I have considered the Lewis winch, but I am not sure it's really all that practical either, and not really cheap either.

A winch on the truck isn't an option, I can easily be 100yds away from the truck, 80 acres.

A tractor would be nice, but just me, and an hour and half drive to a place you can't leave anything that isn't BOLTED DOWN won't work either. If they can't steal it, they will break it, or take of what they can so it's not usable next time!

So, ussually myself and a helper can cut and carry out two cord in three to four hours, how can I do that solo? I am so open to ideas right now!!

 

[cre73]

My fourwheeler has turned into my best wood cutting tool in areas I can not get my truck to. I usually cut smaller trees lets say around 12in diameter. With trees that small after felling I can drag the whole tree most times after getting it moving. On larger trees I will cut either six or ten foot pieces and drag them out, and believe me after getting a fourwheeler you will find all kinds of uses for it. One the handiest things i ever bought. One thing to keep in mind is the size and you will defiantly want fourwheel drive as an option.

 

[kyle1!]

So how do you pull wood to the truck or trailer?
I have a guy telling me I need to buy a fourwheeler to drag poles to the trailer then cut them up and throw them on. We have been hand carying up to now. The soild is sandy and soft. You can bury a tractor quick like if you are not careful.

A winch on the truck isn't an option, I can easily be 100yds away from the truck, 80 acres.

So, ussually myself and a helper can cut and carry out two cord in three to four hours, how can I do that solo? I am so open to ideas right now!!

All I can picture in my mind is Arnold pushing that grinding wheel around and around in Conan the Barbarian. You are carrying 2 cords, through sand, and a distance of 100yds :jawdrop: I would think a 4wheeler with sand tires would be much easier. A much cheaper option would be a heavy duty plastic snow sled or toboggan with a rope attached. Strap the wood in, sling the rope over your shudder and start grunting. is in order after that kind of work.

Brian

 

[ShoerFast]

Freeze-up is a good time to get into places to soft normally. (point being, you might be able to drive right up to the wood if the ground is frozen?)

Back in the day, even before like Deekers time, water sleds would wet roads to ice them and horses would skid the logs.

Ever find a real old huge horseshoe with real sharp calks?

Good chance they were logging in the winter:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/ashley/heritage/histories/images/cmr-pit06-FSM002_horseshoe.jpg

 

[Dok]

Here is a pic of my trailer. The four tires are on a bogey and work well off-road. It takes six trips to haul a cord, but I am always going up hill and don't like stressing the equipment. The quad is a four wheel drive Arctic Cat 500. For what you are describing I think a quad will be the best. The tires float rather than dig into the soft stuff.
Dok

 

[sawinredneck]

It's sandy soil, think Missouri or Oklahoma, grass and scurb brush on top, not "sand" as you are thinking of it. It's soft, and when wet, you are done!!

Shoe, with the inclimant weather we have been having here in KS frozen ground hasn't happened very often, and when it does you really don't want to be 90 miles away from where you ned to be!! Like the time I drov back in an ice storm, or the time I drove home on 3/4" of sleet!!

That's the key to all of this, 90 miles there, 90 miles back!

 

[Mike Van]

No easy route, you're either going to be spending some $$$$ or working like a mule - Tractor & 3 pt. hitch winch is the way I go, but I wouldn't leave it anywhere either. Only takes one idiot & you've got four flats & a hole in the radiator. Especially if they hate tree cutters.

 

[Dok]

If it is that soft I just don't know??? My quad will get further than the 4WD tractor in the mud. I have a trailer for the quads and put the wood in the pickup bed. I have a crew cab, so me, my wife, two sons and dog, two or three saws in the back and a trailer with my quad and a small one for the kids.

Oh, the quad has a winch, which is handy to move logs around. It will also help un-stick the quad, but I haven't had that problem yet.

If you are dealing with logs I guess you could use an arch and skid them next to the truck and block the wood there?

Dok

 

[bigjake]

we use a kawasaki mule and a quad its great for the limbs and brush. it all
sticks together and we drag it were we want.

 

[sawinredneck]

No easy route, you're either going to be spending some $$$$ or working like a mule - Tractor & 3 pt. hitch winch is the way I go, but I wouldn't leave it anywhere either. Only takes one idiot & you've got four flats & a hole in the radiator. Especially if they hate tree cutters.

No hate, just a HUGE drug problem out in that area, they are looking for easy money. No money? they get pissed and destroy it!

If it is that soft I just don't know??? My quad will get further than the 4WD tractor in the mud. I have a trailer for the quads and put the wood in the pickup bed. I have a crew cab, so me, my wife, two sons and dog, two or three saws in the back and a trailer with my quad and a small one for the kids.

Oh, the quad has a winch, which is handy to move logs around. It will also help un-stick the quad, but I haven't had that problem yet.

If you are dealing with logs I guess you could use an arch and skid them next to the truck and block the wood there?

Dok

Neat ideas Dok, but I have only enough room for one or the other. The trailer is 16'x80" and DEVOTED to wood! After a day of cutting and loading, I don't think I am oing to be to interesed in picking up a logarch or trailer to load ontop of my wood laden trailer!

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!

 

[coog]

I have both a quad and a 4wd tractor, and think I am cutting just south of where you are.The tractor is great, but the Arctic Cat with winch and log chain can drag big logs right to your truck.You have to really try to get one stuck.I think they are great tools.I'd like to try that logging arch behind it.

 

[sawinredneck]

I have both a quad and a 4wd tractor, and think I am cutting just south of where you are.The tractor is great, but the Arctic Cat with winch and log chain can drag big logs right to your truck.You have to really try to get one stuck.I think they are great tools.I'd like to try that logging arch behind it.

I am cutting just south of Toronto, a few miles straight south of Coyville. Fredonia is the closest "big town".

 

[04ultra]

Andy ......Just getter done!!!!

 

[sawinredneck]

Andy ......Just getter done!!!!

Thats what I have ben doing, but even I am not man enough to carry out two cord!

And BTW :censored: Lance!!!!

 

[coog]

I am cutting just south of Toronto, a few miles straight south of Coyville. Fredonia is the closest "big town".

Yep.I am cutting south of Sedan in Chautauqua County.

 

[Dok]

Do what I do, cut in the muddy places before it gets muddy. Later in the year cut where it isn't muddy. I cut at 7500' through Sept, maybe early Oct. After that it's 2500' and oak.

Edit- Oh yeah, Kansas! Doh! I guess it's all bottom land huh?
Dok

 

[gunnar]

cre73 and coog,

How do you guys haul the logs with your quads? Using chains and/or cable? what do you attach them to on your atv and how? It would be great if you could post some pics of your exact set-ups!

thanks.......

 

[sawinredneck]

Do what I do, cut in the muddy places before it gets muddy. Later in the year cut where it isn't muddy. I cut at 7500' through Sept, maybe early Oct. After that it's 2500' and oak.

Edit- Oh yeah, Kansas! Doh! I guess it's all bottom land huh?
Dok

Add to that all the natural springs and the fact that if you go down more than two foot in most places you hit solid rock (sandstone) you can kinda get the idea!!
coog knows exactly what I am talking about! It rains, you better get moving FAST!! But it's dry as a bone three days latter!
The sandy soil is my biggest reservation, you can't ride a motorcycle out there, it just sinks!

 

[MR4WD]

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.

 

[04ultra]

And BTW :censored: Lance!!!!

Why does that not surprise me.........