Suggestions on how to haul logs?

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Srbenda

Burning Hunk
Dec 27, 2009
117
PA Horse Country
I had a few trees taken down by the semi-hurricane, back in August.

I have some oak and locust, and they were straight trees, so I had them cut into 8' sections and left by the road. I now need to move them to another section of my property where I plan to have a portable sawmill turn them into board.

However, I can't figure out how to move them.

I tried putting a rope around them, and my tractor (20hp) just spun it's wheels. Then, I screwed a big circle eye bolt into the wood, and hooked it to a winch, and promptly straightened the eye bolt.

Are there some rigging ideas that you have? I can hook them to my truck, and pull them, but I need some ideas how to hook them up safely. I just need to drag them about 200 yards down the road...

Ideas?
 
is there anyway you can spin the log with something,... this way you can roll them towards the destination???
 
I have very similar cuts from the same storm... jockeyed them around the property just by wrapping a nylon tie-down around one end, hooking the other end of the strap to a 21hp Deere, and dragging away. Tractor spinning wheels suggests they're... stuck?
 
How large in diameter are they? Could you fix one end of a long rope to the ground, run the other end beneath the log center then around the back of the log ... And over the top, back to where the ground rope is fixed. Now pull the top rope with truck to roll the log. Has worked here in the past...
 
If the truck will move them, why not just use a chain? Hook the chain around the ball of your tow hitch if you have one.

pen
 
Can't believe your tractor wouldn't pull them... I'm thinking they must be some fairly large diameter logs for that to be the case. Last year I was hauling some 6-7 ft, 12-14" diameter pine logs out and I just lifted and carried them out on my shoulder.
 
Easiest way and quickiest is use a skidsteer loader with a set of pallet forks.
 
hman said:
Easiest way and quickiest is use a skidsteer loader with a set of pallet forks.

might as well just fire the helicopter up!

pen
 
I use a device known as the wheel. This is not sacasm. I have a little dolly with two wheels, about the size of wheel barrow tires, about two feet apart. For some reason we call it "the wheel"

Anyhow, using the wheel, one person can readily move a long heavy I beam or pipe or log.
 
If you get one of the pintle/ball combination hitches, it makes it a little easier to get a chain around it. Does the tractor have a 3 pt lift? Getting the lead end off the ground even a little makes a big difference. My tractor isn't much bigger than that and has no problem with 24" logs as long as I pick them up a little. I run a chain from the draw bar over one of the ballast boxes and use the ballast box like a skid plate.
 
A "20hp tractor" can be a riding mower or a compact utility tractor. What are we talking about here?
 
Srbenda said:
I had a few trees taken down by the semi-hurricane, back in August.

I have some oak and locust, and they were straight trees, so I had them cut into 8' sections and left by the road. I now need to move them to another section of my property where I plan to have a portable sawmill turn them into board.

However, I can't figure out how to move them.

I tried putting a rope around them, and my tractor (20hp) just spun it's wheels. Then, I screwed a big circle eye bolt into the wood, and hooked it to a winch, and promptly straightened the eye bolt.

Are there some rigging ideas that you have? I can hook them to my truck, and pull them, but I need some ideas how to hook them up safely. I just need to drag them about 200 yards down the road...

Ideas?

Ya, what make & model tractor here? Especially since your truck will move 'em but the tractor won't. If you do this often enough there are some slick 3 pt attachments to move good size logs around with.

+1 on getting the lead end off the ground a bit. Be careful dragging 'em down the road since the chain can dig in/scrape up the road.
 
Only 200 yds? I would buck it, maybe split the big rounds and wheelbarrow it out. It's labor intensive but this is what I have to do during wet seasons when I can't get my tractor up the steep muddy incline into my woods. I moved about 4 cords anywhere from 100 to 800 yds through mud, snow, slush with a barrow. Yes, I am insane :D (but it got me back in shape).
 
mtneer said:
Only 200 yds? I would buck it, maybe split the big rounds and wheelbarrow it out. It's labor intensive but this is what I have to do during wet seasons when I can't get my tractor up the steep muddy incline into my woods. I moved about 4 cords anywhere from 100 to 800 yds through mud, snow, slush with a barrow. Yes, I am insane :D (but it got me back in shape).

Doubt he'd want boards that short %-P

pen
 
Pen,I've moved and pulled logs out of the woods with a Bobcat skidsteer loader.It's not like I was talking about a skidder.I was only making a suggestion without any of the sarcasm!
 
Get a trailer and roll them onto it.

Whoever ends up doing the sawing won't be too fussy about sawing stuff that has been dragged through the mud or across dirt.
 
Srbenda said:
I had a few trees taken down by the semi-hurricane, back in August.

I have some oak and locust, and they were straight trees, so I had them cut into 8' sections and left by the road. I now need to move them to another section of my property where I plan to have a portable sawmill turn them into board.

However, I can't figure out how to move them.

I tried putting a rope around them, and my tractor (20hp) just spun it's wheels. Then, I screwed a big circle eye bolt into the wood, and hooked it to a winch, and promptly straightened the eye bolt.

Are there some rigging ideas that you have? I can hook them to my truck, and pull them, but I need some ideas how to hook them up safely. I just need to drag them about 200 yards down the road...

Ideas?

Home made dray made for less than $10

Dray-2.jpg


Haulinglogs4.jpg


Haulinglogs1.jpg
 
OK, Craftsman "garden tractor".

The Toyo can pull 'em no problem, I just need an idea how to attach something (chain, rope, tow straps, etc) to the actual log so it will stay on.
These are red oak logs, about 24" diameter, and 8' long.

They are definitely not lightweights...
 
Look at picture 3 of my post for attaching the logs.
 
Backwoods Savage has the right idea. Gets them off the ground - it's low so you should be able to roll them right on. You could go one step further & get a couple of wheels on the front if it, then your garden tractor should be able to handle them too. If they are to be milled, I would do what I could to avoid dragging them directly on the ground.
 
Srbenda said:
OK, Craftsman "garden tractor".

The Toyo can pull 'em no problem, I just need an idea how to attach something (chain, rope, tow straps, etc) to the actual log so it will stay on.
These are red oak logs, about 24" diameter, and 8' long.

They are definitely not lightweights...

You use a slip hook on your chain instead of a grab hook.

The slip hook grabs, the grab hook slips.
 
hman said:
Pen,I've moved and pulled logs out of the woods with a Bobcat skidsteer loader.It's not like I was talking about a skidder.I was only making a suggestion without any of the sarcasm!

I've done the same. W/ chains on they don't do badly at all. But if the guy has easy access to one I doubt he'd even consider hooking the truck or the 20hp craftsman to it.

pen
 
Maybe you borrow a trailer? With a helper you could lift one end of a log onto the back of the trailer then slide the log all the way up. That would keep you from dragging the log and getting it full of dirt and grit. Sliding a bunch of logs is going to do a number on your road, too. A trailer will prevent road damage.
 
A friend of mine used a car hood, courtesy of the junk yard, as a sled. Flipped it shiny side down, cut a hole in the curved front to pass a chain through,
and connected the chain to the log. Then pulling the log by the chain, the front of the log nestled into the hood, and the hood took all the abuse of the
ground, rocks, stumps, grass, etc.
Worth about 2 cents....
 
I like your logging dray, Backwoods Savage!

I agree with others--get the front end off the ground somehow, and skidding will be MUCH easier. Log arch, dray, skidding cone, old automobile hood, etc. Whatever fits your budget or you have around.
 
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