Four wheeler plow and/or winch for moving logs in the woods

[PA Fire Bug]

I am planning to buy a used four wheel drive four wheeler to allow me to access areas of the woods where I should not drive my wife's new CR V. I expect that a winch could be helpful for moving logs. Do any of you find a plow useful in the woods for moving logs or clearing brush. I don't need it to move snow since I have a snowblower. Thank you.

 

[Tonty]

I haven’t used either, but we do use a chain sometimes to pull small trees/logs with. I think a winch would be more useful in that situation than a plow.
When I bought a four wheeler, I kept telling my children, “These things are dangerous. You have to be careful because you can roll them.” Guess who was the first to roll it? 🤔

 

[peakbagger]

IMHO, a 4 wheeler is kind of small for moving logs around and in my woods, the plow might last 10 minutes. I do use a gas powered capstan winch. with a few snatch blocks to clear trees in the way I have hauled logs long distances. Ideally its lot faster with two folks but even with just myself I have hauled some large logs out of the woods to a landing. I should buy a skidder cone but have not gotten around to it yet.

 

[Tonty]

I agree. You wouldn’t move large logs with a four wheeler. I think it would be easy to burn the clutch, belt, or break something.

 

[bholler]

The only way I see a 4wheeler being useful for moving logs is with a winch unless they are pretty small.

 

[peakbagger]

My brother bought a log arch years ago for his Honda Foreman to move large logs. Yes it did work but had its issues and it was obvious that it was hard on the honda. A lot of the pulling load on a log is surface friction with the ground. Tip it up on one end so that most of the log is not rubbing on the ground and it hauls out much easier. When I use my capstan winch, I use the snatch blocks to on the line to keep the log up off the ground.

 

[DonTee]

I have a friend who uses a small trailer with his ATV to move firewood. He cuts the tree into rounds and loads up the trailer. He pulls it out of the woods load by load. He can actually move a good bit of wood that way.

The other option is an arch like mentioned above. I would not try to drag logs without the arch though. I drag logs with my tractor and logging winch, and it takes quite a bit of effort to move logs sometimes. I don’t think an ATV could handle that for very long.

Another option is to get a small tractor. You could drag logs with that. For the price of a used ATV you can get something like an old Ford tractor or similar. It’s not as fun, but is more useful for work.

 

[xman23]

There not a skidder. You'll tear it up. But I do use my ATV 300 cc rear wheel drive to tow a cart. It's a Northern steel with balloon tires. The combo works nice in the woods. I also tow the splitter out into the woods where I'm bucking a tree up. Much better than loading big rounds. Fairley flat ground.

 

[Jags]

I think you would also be disappointed in how much "log" you will be able to push with a plow. Lots of friction and grabby bits on a log.

 

[blades]

atv for tool transport, small trailer ( with tires that won't go flat) for moving rounds out of woods . winch on atv is meant forgetting your self unstuck. Most 12v winches have a very short working load time and a long cool down period after and they draw an ungodly amount amps. plow in woods - no except for clearing snow from groomed trail. doesn't take much to stop you dead in your tracks if the plow edge catches some small protrusion. you really don't want to know how fast a 15000 # truck ( or an atv) with a plow catching the edge of something can be stopped dead and the consequences there of.