Will this work?

[Wife'nHubby]

I've got some good sized oak and locust to split. Some of the rounds are quite large (20"-24"). Let's face it - they are heavy(!) and I'm running a horizontal splitter so somehow I've got to get them on the splitter. In the past I have made a ramp and rolled this size up but I think I'm getting too old to do that anymore. Also I would prefer not to have to noodle them (lack of extensive saw experience on my part).

I've got a crane like this:

which I originally wanted to install in my trailer but I am being told my trailer is not sturdy enough to handle it. (Okay, I'm facing it, my trailer is old...... like me. )

I was thinking.... can I somehow mount the above lift to something like this:

and then use the hitch on my SUV as dead weight for the crane?

Specs for the above are here:

crane:
http://www.farmandfleet.com/products/440315-pickup_truck_crane.html?lref=/catalog/find.aspx?t=crane

hitch extender: http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/trailer-hitch/hitch-extender-with-step-97685.html

Suggestions on the above idea are appreciated! Alternate suggestions also appreciated.

Shari

 

[wdchuck]

Shari, the gist of that plate inserting to the hitch and mounting to the hoist seems like it will work fine for what you want since the rounds are pretty light at 200#s or less.

Just how did you get such large rounds home in the first place?


Oh, those roofers put a dandy roof on, should last more than 50yrs.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

Shari, the gist of that plate inserting to the hitch and mounting to the hoist seems like it will work fine for what you want since the rounds are pretty light at 200#s or less.

I guess my question is, do you think the plate on that hitch extender is thick enough/sturdy enough? Alternately I could just get a straight hitch extender and have a thicker steel plate welded on.

Just how did you get such large rounds home in the first place?

Where there is a will there is a way - especially when it's free wood. Seriously, I used a winch on the trailer and/or our over sized dolly.

I kind of blew out the cross support towards the rear of the trailer bed hauling the oak. Hauling any more wood is on the back burner until I get that section of the bed reinforced.

Oh, those roofers put a dandy roof on, should last more than 50yrs.

Oh shoot! Did you stop by and we were out? The roofers did a really good job, nice guys, professional, even cleaned up the mess daily. It took me a while to find someone I thought would do a good job. I would recommend them! Having them here kind of cramped my style getting my wood split and stacked as the dumpster was blocking my direct access to the stacking area. Oh well, wood splits easier when it's cold outside.

Shari

 

[Steve NW WI]

Pretty sure I wouldn't trust bolting it to that step. I'd personally just get the hitch extension, and weld that sucker right to it. But if you want to be able to take it off and mount it elsewhere later, get a decent (1/4" thick or more) plate welded to the hitch, then bolt it on.

I think we talked about this once before, and I mentioned some outriggers if ya want to get fancy with it.

Noodling ain't hard at all, and you don't even need to get all the way through. Get most of the way, whack it with a maul once, and voila, 2 pieces. Biggest thing to watch for while noodling is that your saw doesn't plug with them big stringy noodles. As far as skill level, I suspect you've got plenty. It's no more complex than bucking a log laying flat on the ground.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

Steve,

Yes, we did talk about this before but so much has gone on around here I seem to have forgotten more than I ever knew! "Outriggers" - that's the term I was searching for - now I can go back and search for our previous discussion.

Shari

 

[Steve NW WI]

I beleive this is the thread:

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=137007

 

[Rookie1]

Im with Steve. If you want the hoist get a stronger plate welded to a square tube for hitch. Also noodleing is pretty simple if you ask me. Only thing is it makes a mess. Ive said it before,I wish we lived closer to each other cause Id be happy to help you. Anyway keep us updated.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

I agree; yes, I could noodle but the old saying goes something like "If you don't feel safe don't do it." By the way noodles make great fire starters. I've got bags of them in the garage.

Shari

 

[tomtrees58]

on small ones its ok but oak is 66 lbs a cubic foot it wont work on 4 ' oak

 

[beerman6]

I weighed a freshly cut red oak round,it was 26" across and 23" tall=476lbs...and I had 17 of them on the truck.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

I weighed a freshly cut red oak round,it was 26" across and 23" tall=476lbs...and I had 17 of them on the truck.

Heh heh heh - and that's why they are hard to roll - even on a hard surface. That weight would also explain why the back end of my trailer's checker plate deck 'went soft' on me after hauling this stuff home. To be fair, I think the stuff I have is, what, white oak? And max size is about 24" dia. x 22" long. My max loads were maybe 5 largish rounds on my little 4'x6' trailer - still a lot of weight. The leaf springs/axle/fender clearances were fine but it was a tote.

Shari

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

... I would prefer not to have to noodle them (lack of extensive saw experience on my part).

Not needed! Just do it! It's not difficult at all.


As for the hitch, I'm with the others - I would not trust it with the kind of side loading you're going to put on it.

 

[2FatGuys]

The torsion applied to the hitch receiver with the "crane" extended enough to clear the size rounds you mentioned would likely twist the receiver from the hitch. At the very least, the rounded edges of the insert might wedge themselves into the receiver. I wouldn't mount the crane in the receiver without outriggers to take the side loading.

+1 for noodling!

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

The torsion applied to the hitch receiver with the "crane" extended enough to clear the size rounds you mentioned would likely twist the receiver from the hitch. At the very least, the rounded edges of the insert might wedge themselves into the receiver. I wouldn't mount the crane in the receiver without outriggers to take the side loading.

+1 for noodling!

:agree2:

 

[sunfish]

I used to just pick up the big rounds, but now my back is paying for my wild youth I now noodle or split in half, or quarters before they go on the splitter.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

Okay - got it - I will 'noodle'!

Should be interesting.......

Shari

 

[Larryofmichigan]

Moving big wood

I've gotten several loads of free wood from a tree trimmer. He delivers them near my wood shed. He used to deliver smaller stuff, but he dosen't bother with this anymore and runs it thru a chipper. He only delivers big logs or chunks 2' in diameter up to 30 inches or so in diameter.

I was intimidated at first, but now have a routine. I chain saw the logs to 18-20". Then I wrestle them onto a cheap harbor freight dolly (the bigger blue ones), then wrap a ratchet strap around it, grab the top of the dolly, and pull back with all I've got. Once it goes over center and is balanced, I can move it to my horizontal splitter.

Contrary to other comments, I like a low splitter height. I put carpet scraps on the ground, and get on my knees to split. Then my wife gets the small stuff to the splitter, I split, and she stacks.

For the big stuff, we together roll, pivot, or whatever it takes, to get the wood to the low splitter beam, then pivot the wood so it falls and just catches the beam, then we both lift it and pivot it onto the beam, then pivot it again so it's in a position to split. It's all physics and common sense.

By the way, I'm only 5' 6" and ~150 #, and my wife is 5' 2" and ~ 106#, and we"re both in our sixties, so it can be done, at least for now.