The very best tractor attachment for loading firewood into trucks with a tractor is?

[KiwiBro]

Biggest volume grapple bucket you can get within the SWL of the FEL?
Root rake with grapple?
Just the biggest bucket your tractor can handle and learn to use it (with a tooth bar) to not pick up too much debris?
Something else?


What would you recommend and why?

Thanks.

 

[TreePointer]

I don't have one yet, but I like the idea of some sort of grapple with tines closer together to keep the logs form jamming in between them. My 6' FEL isn't very efficient at scooping logs and it isn't extra large or heavy duty, but it's much better than loading a truck/trailer by hand.

The grapple allows you to move longer logs to a landing or processing area without having to get off the tractor to hook up skidding chains/cables. Moving remaining brush into piles is also more easily accomplished with the grapple.

 

[GeeVee]

Rock bucket with a grapple attached, either factory or modified.

 

[redheadwoodshed]

I would have to say the very best is the one you can afford.:msp_biggrin:Unfortunatly, for me that's 2 poles and some chain.Look up parbuckle if you don't know what it is.Kinda hard on the trailer, but it works.

 

[Rudolf73]

Turkeyslayer has a nice set up, heres a link

http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/116946.htm

 

[1grnlwn]

It takes a helper, but I like the lifting tongs on the end of our fork attachment. It works for the big/huge rounds, which is what we like. Sorry no picts, we are usually to busy working when we are scrounging wood.

 

[Laird]

I don't load a pickup with them, but plain old forks move logs around pretty easily.

 

[CentaurG2]

For split wood, a chain conveyor or an articulating loader with a rock bucket. The conveyor will give a nicer clean product but it is labor intensive. Rock bucket works as long as your customers don’t mind a little debris in with the load.

 

[redheadwoodshed]

This is my dream machine!View attachment 211301

 

[KiwiBro]

I don't have one yet, but I like the idea of some sort of grapple with tines closer together to keep the logs form jamming in between them.

That has been my thinking too. To keep weight down, maybe even just, say, 1/2" rod spaced at around 2" centres between the existing tines. Double thumbs to make it easier to grab uneven loads.

Here's a bunch of grapples on one page. I'm thinking the double econo grapple with some mods. Does that sound about right?

The key thing for me is to have the maximum possible volume of split wood per lift, within the constraints of a FEL with max lift of 2400 lbs.

Also to carry logs and to clean up slash when land owners want to see nice piles for burning when the careful and considerate chainsaw guy has been and gone.

 

[KiwiBro]

Rock bucket with a grapple attached, either factory or modified.

Wouldn't a rock bucket with grapple arm/s still hold debris when I'm loading split wood into trucks, which is why I've shied away from them.

 

[KiwiBro]

This is my dream machine!View attachment 211301

la la la la....I'm not listening...la la la la la...can't hear you...la la la

 

[blackdogon57]

How big is your tractor ?? You need a lot of weight behind you to push a grapple or bucket into big piles of wood.

 

[KiwiBro]

Turkeyslayer has a nice set up, heres a link

http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/116946.htm

He has plenty to answer for. I blame him for my current buying spree, although I'm not convinced his bucket+tooth bar+grapple set-up is optimum but it sure is a good (possibly the best) one-attachment plan.

 

[KiwiBro]

How big is your tractor ?? You need a lot of weight behind you to push a grapple or bucket into big piles of wood.

around 6000 lbs with loader, pto winch, filled tyres.

 

[cantoo]

Kiwi, I have several buckets for loading firewood and I hate them all. Pics are on "My Firewood tools" thread. I have a regular bucket with a 2 tine joined grapple on it, no good, too much junck picked up with the wood. I took the grapple off and mounted it onto a stone fork type bucket, better but not what I hoped it would be. Regular bucket with a toothbar on it but no grapple, works but all the junk still. 60" manure bucket with 8 or 10 tines on it about 6 or 8" apart and about 30" long, this one works the best but is too narrow to get a good bucketful. I think the best type would be a stone fork style but one with the round tines on it and not the 1/4" flatstyle I have. Problem with it is that the brush will wedge in it.
Save yourself some grief and rent before you buy. I'm a collector so having 10 buckets isn't an issue with me, my wife might have her own opinion.

 

[ks_osage_orange]

I just use the clamp on the bucket pallet forks from northern tool. Move 8 to 10 foot logs from where i cut to my wood stacks and block them right where I stack them. Simple, relatively cheap, and easy off and on. you could easily use the forks to load logs on a trailer, and the trash would be minimal. Just have to have a way to unload them. To me this is where a grapple would be better.

View attachment 211412

 

[cjnspecial]

The best is a westendorf 3-d loader. I saw a cane farmer using one and it was the cats ass.



<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/giN9rrgRwyI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Diesel nut]

This works pretty good...

 

[Diesel nut]

The hoe is rated to lift 7300 lbs and the bucket has no problem with it. The bucket is a "Notch" brand rock grapple bucket. It could use a little larger cylinder on the grapples as it will not hold on to real heavy things such as the root ball in the picture. But the hoe couldn't pick it up anyway so I guess it didn't matter. If I remember correctly the bucket cost around $2500.