How do I pick up logs?

[jotul8e2]

Right now I do it with my two hands. But after extensive research with a perpetual calendar I discovered that I am not getting any younger. Last week I spent two hours cutting up some logs and loading them in my trailer - call it half a cord. Some of the larger pieces - even cut to 20" log length - must have been 75 lbs. or so. Frankly, by the time I had it all on the trailer I had had all the fun I could stand for the day. So 10 years, 15 years from now, would I be able to do that kind of loading? Doubtful.

I can see being able to run the chainsaw. I can see splitting - using a power splitter, if necessary. I can see stacking the cut, split pieces, and getting them to the stove. But I can also see grave difficulties picking up a 75 lb. log out of the depression it has rolled into, and then carrying it through the brush to the trailer. Much less 25 or 30 of them.

So, is there an answer? Something on the order of a backhoe bucket with a claw? Is such a thing made for, say, a 25 hp. tractor? I do not need such a thing now, but if I knew what to look for perhaps I could be prepared.

 

[CTYank]

I find it easiest to process the wood on site to a haulable size, sometimes splitting in halves, in rare cases in quarters, to a size I can jackazz out to the truck. The fact of all the water in just-bucked wood just makes hauling it more difficult. No problem here, since I'm going to split it anyhow.
Really big/tough pieces, a chainsaw can prep for the maul with some noodling/ripping.

 

[smokinj]

I look at the whole process as dropping weight, and as quick as you can. Best to lose that weight where it sets.

 

[TreePointer]

Some winch the big rounds and logs onto the trailer.

 

[Thistle]

Split what I can where they fall or already are on the ground.If nothing else,at least 1/2 or 1/4 the bigger rounds.Much easier as I've gotten older to carry more pieces that weigh much less than bust my nuts wrestling full rounds that are over 100 lbs each.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

I do split, by hand, the big ones where they lie. I also have the Bobcat that can pickup whole logs or you can load them in the bucket by rolling them in. Also I have found the use of a dolly helpful where I can roll big rounds right up into my box trailer. Also if you keep doing the work, you might be able to do it longer than you think.

 

[wkpoor]

Right now I do it with my two hands. But after extensive research with a perpetual calendar I discovered that I am not getting any younger. Last week I spent two hours cutting up some logs and loading them in my trailer - call it half a cord. Some of the larger pieces - even cut to 20" log length - must have been 75 lbs. or so. Frankly, by the time I had it all on the trailer I had had all the fun I could stand for the day. So 10 years, 15 years from now, would I be able to do that kind of loading? Doubtful.

I can see being able to run the chainsaw. I can see splitting - using a power splitter, if necessary. I can see stacking the cut, split pieces, and getting them to the stove. But I can also see grave difficulties picking up a 75 lb. log out of the depression it has rolled into, and then carrying it through the brush to the trailer. Much less 25 or 30 of them.

So, is there an answer? Something on the order of a backhoe bucket with a claw? Is such a thing made for, say, a 25 hp. tractor? I do not need such a thing now, but if I knew what to look for perhaps I could be prepared.

Can't believe nobody put you onto this thread yet.
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/74682/

 

[Shari]

In answer to OP's question: I use a dolly to get the rounds to the trailer and then, if I can't lift them, employ my winch. Easy peasy.

 

[jebatty]

Following the idea that the less handling the better, and also mindful of body wear and tear, I use my tractor to pull the cut logs out to the handling location, then I buck to length at that location, have the splitter on location and split to final size, then throw the splits into my trailer to haul to the stacking location. An alternative is to use the tractor to load the cut logs onto a trailer, trailer out to the bucking/splitting/stacking location, and then unload and complete everything at that site. I prefer the former method because it leaves all the mess out in the woods and there is no significant clean-up.

I burn 8-10 cords/year of aspen/pine, half in the wood stove in our living room that heats the house and the other half in my Tarm Solo 40 gasification boiler that heats my shop. Also, I keep 25 cords +/- on hand and always burn at least 2nd and often 3rd year dried wood.

 

[jotul8e2]

I find it easiest to process the wood on site to a haulable size, sometimes splitting in halves, in rare cases in quarters, to a size I can jackazz out to the truck. The fact of all the water in just-bucked wood just makes hauling it more difficult. No problem here, since I'm going to split it anyhow.
Really big/tough pieces, a chainsaw can prep for the maul with some noodling/ripping.

I would, and do, where I can. In fact, when I can I stack it there as well so that I only load and haul once. But often the ground is so rough that even finding a place to stand is out of the question. And brush and tree limbs can make it impossible to swing a maul. As for using a power splitter in these circumstances, there seldom is a level piece of ground open enough to work in.

The suggestion of a winch has merit. Perhaps I could rig up something on a pivoting boom.

Thanks much for the suggestions.

 

[TreePointer]

Winch mounted on utility trailer (w/pictures):
http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/130269.htm

I don't have this setup, but I've thought about it.

 

[smokinj]

In answer to OP's question: I use a dolly to get the rounds to the trailer and then, if I can't lift them, employ my winch. Easy peasy.

I will take whole logs that way for milling. I guess I like to leave the mess behind if at all possiable. Much easier to move a small splitt rather than a round...BUT I LIKE THAT IDEA!

 

[zzr7ky]

Hi -

Around here there there is some stiff competition for the smaller stuff, say 3" to 20" in diameter. Then interst drops off.

I keep my sledge and wedges handy. Ash, Oak, Maple I'll half or quarter if needed. Elm I'm not a keen on because it's not friendly as far a splitting goes.

I have also cut some pieces on the outside diameter to make them roll easier. Also used ramps...

If I'm fortunate enough to become a Seasoned Citizen some day, I will probably have a winch.

 

[muncybob]

In the process of doing this at a CL score...some very heavy/large cherry rounds to take care of. I'll noodle some if the homeowner doesn't mind the "mess", otherwise I'll trailer out my small tractor and use the bucket to load them for processing at home......nice to have options!

OP asked about a 25 hp tractor with claw, etc....mine is 22 hp(they make larger ones) and if you have the $$ the mfg. has a lot of attachments for it, just wish I had the $$ as I would love to have a grapple...and a trencher...and a larger bucket...etc etc

 

[Flatbedford]

I try to roll the big ones to the truck and then halve or quarter them for an easier lift onto the truck.

 

[wkpoor]

In the process of doing this at a CL score...some very heavy/large cherry rounds to take care of. I'll noodle some if the homeowner doesn't mind the "mess", otherwise I'll trailer out my small tractor and use the bucket to load them for processing at home......nice to have options!

OP asked about a 25 hp tractor with claw, etc....mine is 22 hp(they make larger ones) and if you have the $$ the mfg. has a lot of attachments for it, just wish I had the $$ as I would love to have a grapple...and a trencher...and a larger bucket...etc etc

I was on a job pretty far from home so I asked the owner if I could noodle up the large rounds in the yard. Tree was very tall and trunk stayed close to 30" straight up so there was going to be alot of cutting. He said sure no problem. Later that day the wife came home and man was she mad when she got out of the car looking at mountains of curlies. I tried to calm her by saying it was either this or an other hundred to go get the tractor. I told her if she had a tree company take it down ( I did real cheap for a 100.00) they would leave the big pieces unless she paid more cause usually thats not in the deal.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Right now I do it with my two hands. But after extensive research with a perpetual calendar I discovered that I am not getting any younger. Last week I spent two hours cutting up some logs and loading them in my trailer - call it half a cord. Some of the larger pieces - even cut to 20" log length - must have been 75 lbs. or so. Frankly, by the time I had it all on the trailer I had had all the fun I could stand for the day. So 10 years, 15 years from now, would I be able to do that kind of loading? Doubtful.

I can see being able to run the chainsaw. I can see splitting - using a power splitter, if necessary. I can see stacking the cut, split pieces, and getting them to the stove. But I can also see grave difficulties picking up a 75 lb. log out of the depression it has rolled into, and then carrying it through the brush to the trailer. Much less 25 or 30 of them.

So, is there an answer? Something on the order of a backhoe bucket with a claw? Is such a thing made for, say, a 25 hp. tractor? I do not need such a thing now, but if I knew what to look for perhaps I could be prepared.

jutul8e2, it appears you are looking ahead and you are wise in doing so. It seems as we age a bit things sometimes seem to get a bit more difficult. Although I can still lift a 75 pound log up and onto a trailer, I really don't want to do many of them. The body just is not what it was when I was 30! So, I do whatever is necessary to haul the wood out and so far I've not found any that I could not get out. I do it a couple of ways.

First, I have my trusty atv, but could also just use a garden tractor or if necessary, a large tractor but the atv is easy to get around with in the woods and it is a real mule when it comes to pulling power. In the following picture you see the trailer we are using at present. The side racks lift right off if you don't want to lift logs over them. If the log is too big I simply take out the end gate and roll them onto the trailer using a cant hook. The trailer is very low to the ground but if necessary, it will also tilt which can be handy for those really big logs.

Here is another way we can get some logs out if we don't want to cut them right in the woods.

Sometimes we drop a tree where cutting it up would pose a problem so then just pulling it out with a chain and then cutting it up or hauling it out whole is the sensible way to go. As stated, things sometimes get a bit harder to do as we age. So we just work with what we have to work with. It doesn't bother me in the least that I no longer cut with a big saw. It does not bother me in the least that I use an atv rather than the tractor. It does not bother me in the least that I have to use a hydraulic splitter rather than swinging an axe or maul. I still get the job done but it does take me a little longer than it used to.

 

[jotul8e2]

jutul8e2, it appears you are looking ahead and you are wise in doing so. It seems as we age a bit things sometimes seem to get a bit more difficult. Although I can still lift a 75 pound log up and onto a trailer, I really don't want to do many of them. The body just is not what it was when I was 30! So, I do whatever is necessary to haul the wood out and so far I've not found any that I could not get out. I do it a couple of ways...

Even though I have 50 acres, I have resisted ($$$$) getting an atv. The reason I asked about a tractor attachment is that I could maybe justify a (used) tractor for light snow removal, grooming the driveway, etc., etc.

But I can see that an atv would open up a lot of options. Right now I can only get as close as a 4X4 truck and utility trailer will get me - which seldom is far from the road or drive.

And the additional suggestions about a winch have given me some good ideas.

That is why I continue to use these forums - there is always someone out there who knows.

 

[firefighterjake]

jutul8e2, it appears you are looking ahead and you are wise in doing so. It seems as we age a bit things sometimes seem to get a bit more difficult. Although I can still lift a 75 pound log up and onto a trailer, I really don't want to do many of them. The body just is not what it was when I was 30! So, I do whatever is necessary to haul the wood out and so far I've not found any that I could not get out. I do it a couple of ways...

Even though I have 50 acres, I have resisted ($$$$) getting an atv. The reason I asked about a tractor attachment is that I could maybe justify a (used) tractor for light snow removal, grooming the driveway, etc., etc.

But I can see that an atv would open up a lot of options. Right now I can only get as close as a 4X4 truck and utility trailer will get me - which seldom is far from the road or drive.

And the additional suggestions about a winch have given me some good ideas.

That is why I continue to use these forums - there is always someone out there who knows.

Well for the record with an ATV and plow you can also do light snow removal . . . heck, I plow my entire driveway here in Maine and we don't exactly have "light snow removal" issues. Quite honestly I tend to use my ATV a lof of times like a small tractor . . . it doesn't do everything that a tractor could do . . . ie. no bucket, no winch, limited loads, but it does enough for me to get the job done . . . and then it has the advantage of "converting" into a play toy on my free weekends . . . riding the ATV trails on a tractor just wouldn't be all that much fun for me.

 

[bpirger]

Has anyone seen a dump trailer with a little lift gate? Rigging that up might make getting the bigger rounds into the trailer easier. Hydraulics are presumably already on the trailer....just a thought. I use my 3PT winch to skid everything right in front of the woodshed, where I buck and then split and stack. MUCH nicer than bucking in the bush and carrying everything out. As my Dad said, I used to get heated from every piece of wood about a dozen times....moving it so many times BEFORE putting it into the stove.

Someday when it is landscaping time for this house I am building (when not cutting wood!) I hope to have a miniexcavator. Then I can get someone to lift the log up, buck in the air, and that will really be nice compared to cutting everything laying on the ground. Toys, I mean tools, are great!


EDIT: I plow my 1000' through the woods, up hill, etc. driveway with an ATV exclusively. I think I plowed everyday this winter! I can readily plow 8-10" of light stuff....if it is heavy though best not to wait that long. I have been doing this since 2003 and I would highly recommend it. It is fast...I can clear my 1000' driveway in about 20 minutes. I'd say NO driveway damage results....unlike a truck or even backblade. ATV plow is light, and sometimes that is a pain as it bounces around too much, but no damage. I do beat the crap out of the plow though....and I've bought a second one...though didn't use it this past winter. Still pounding on the first until it lies in pieces I guess. I can plow the grass, sometimes do for the dogs, without any damage. Skidding is a little harder with the ATV and I found it not really acceptable to do. Everything has to be smallish...like in the pics above. The 3PT winch though can essentially skid in an entire tree. Depending on the size of the tree, but I tend to cut one into three sections and pull in each section, all at the same time. As my wife says, we have enough money invested in the firewood tools....it is almost like we are paying to be able to do all the work. I kinda hope heating oil goes to $10 a gallon, only to increase the investment satisfaction factor. No, not really....

 

[rustynut]

lots of good ideas.
Their was a pic of a 2 wheeled rig that lifted the nose of a log and hooked on a trailer hitch
to be pulled out with what ever you might have...........
Dont forget that back brace like the folks at H.D. have.......
they really make a diff
rn

 

[Backwoods Savage]

jutul8e2, it appears you are looking ahead and you are wise in doing so. It seems as we age a bit things sometimes seem to get a bit more difficult. Although I can still lift a 75 pound log up and onto a trailer, I really don't want to do many of them. The body just is not what it was when I was 30! So, I do whatever is necessary to haul the wood out and so far I've not found any that I could not get out. I do it a couple of ways...

Even though I have 50 acres, I have resisted ($$$$) getting an atv. The reason I asked about a tractor attachment is that I could maybe justify a (used) tractor for light snow removal, grooming the driveway, etc., etc.

But I can see that an atv would open up a lot of options. Right now I can only get as close as a 4X4 truck and utility trailer will get me - which seldom is far from the road or drive.

And the additional suggestions about a winch have given me some good ideas.

That is why I continue to use these forums - there is always someone out there who knows.

I can certainly understand why you have not yet purchased an atv. However, I will warn you that if you even get one, a good sized one, you will be amazed at how much you will use it. Of course I use ours a bit more because I have some problems walking most of the time so I just use the atv. We skidded a lot of logs this past winter and the atv did just fine. I plow snow for several neighbors. One of them is a large job too. Then there is our own. We have about 100 yards of driveway with a circle at the house. Also my wife likes to walk daily for exercise so I keep walking paths open all winter; close to a mile there. Then I also use the atv for working ground for food plots for the animals. I use it for hunting and have found that if I have my wife take me to where I am hunting, I leave no scent for the deer to pick up on. Likewise when it is time to quit. I have her pick me up. Many times I have deer near me but they are not afraid of the atv as they see me on it year around. I've had them stand right next to one of the food plots and watch me work it up! They get rather used to you after a while.

The point is, I can do almost everything with the atv that I can with a small tractor except I have no front end loader on the atv. I can do without a tractor but I'd surely hate to be without the atv!

ON the winch, Zap is the one who really uses the winch a lot. He loves his. I have yet to use ours much except for the snow plow but it has come in handy a few times. 4 wheel drive is a must.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Has anyone seen a dump trailer with a little lift gate? Rigging that up might make getting the bigger rounds into the trailer easier.

If you look at the pictures in my post above you will see the endgate comes right off the trailer and it will also tilt for loading or unloading.

 

[wkpoor]

Someday when it is landscaping time for this house I am building (when not cutting wood!) I hope to have a miniexcavator. Then I can get someone to lift the log up, buck in the air, and that will really be nice compared to cutting everything laying on the ground. Toys, I mean tools, are great!

You can't imagine how nice that is to be able to pickup the logs and just saw them off at whatever height is most comfortable. I have even put the log right over the trailer and bucked right into it. No more cutting 2/3thrds through and then rolling to finish the cut. I can take a huge pile and have it bucked to length in a hundredth of the time it used to take. If you do alot of firewood a grapple is major time saver and back saver. Probably worth twice what I paid in back savings.

 

[wkpoor]

Forgot to mention also I've gotten 2 log removal jobs because owner did not want them skidded out. Thats wasn't enough to justify anything but helped ad to the pile of justifications.