(800) 853-2651
SHOP NOW

Skidding Firewood Logs

Brian G. NY

Brian G. NY

Well-known Member
Found a couple of dead white ash trees the other day while out hunting.
Decided I'd like to get them out before snow flies. I need to buck them up and split them so the wood will be seasoned by next year.
The big one was a bit heavy but luckily, most all of the pulling was down hill.
The back blade on the old WD gives her some needed traction.
a135813.jpg

a135814.jpg

a135815.jpg
 
At least you have a loader on the front for some weight, and not fighting hills, or traction. I have to get my logs in a similar fashion, it can be hard on the tractor,or well.... as soon as you notice traction, weight or what have you, definitely time to stop, reduce the load or use another route. Mine is heavily ballasted and has a loader, I could not use it for this if it were not. I always wished there was a reasonably priced log arch that could be bought, or fabricated, it would make this task a lot easier and presumably safer. Often times rolling the log to where its least gouging in works well for me, its just the straight logs, some sort of skid plate would be nice.. LOL all in my imagination. I recently logged an area of dead, dying, or storm damage trees, towed them in to a header by my driveway, was smart enough to get that done before that rich loamy topsoil got slick, and boy does that change everything. Seems the ruts were minimal and very little dirt on the logs, I brush it off, wash or what have you before cutting anyway. That ought to make great firewood, I don't get a lot of oak off this place, we have it but much of it is young, more of it here than I thought, some is older, seems to be one of the best wood you can burn. I took an oak down on another farm nearby, something I've never seen before, I think it was barrel stave type oak, it had an aroma to it that smelled like whiskey, excellent firewood.
 
The log roads in my woods are Verrrry steep.
I do have a trailer on which I rigged up electric brakes but I haven't used it in a few years.
Fortunately, these white oaks shed most of their bark on the way down so don't accumulate a lot of dirt.
I was able to lift the butt end of the smaller one off the ground and drag it's "tail".
The big one was a little too heavy for that.
 
Billy, I think maybe the whiskey smells like oak rather than the other way around. LOL
BTW, I like the smell of any freshly cut wood. I like the smell of 0ak but when you cut a Black Birch, the woods smells like wintergreen. As a matter of fact, Black Birch trees are tapped and the sap is processed into syrup used for wintergreen flavoring.
Both red and white Oak are great firewood.So is Sugar Maple but according to Encon, Hickory is the very best NYS firewood followed closely by Hop Hornbean (Ironwood). I have a lot of both. The Hickory hardly ever dies but I find dead Ironwood all the time.
If either Red or White Oak is left to lay in log lengths, it will not season in several years.
It has to be cut to length and split before it will season out.
 
I think you are right, whiskey takes on the oak flavor, can's say much about it, can't drink those kinds of distilled goods LOL! We have a bunch of hickory at the other place and a nice little wood lot, older forest, I've never cut in there, but the power company when clearing did bring some huge oak out, my father has a nice supply of wood to keep his shed full.

That black birch I do not recall ever seeing, though there is a cluster of nice size trees in an old pasture, which is now a young forest, that look more like black cherry, but the bark never got rough, its smooth with traits like white birch, or black cherry when its young. I will have to look that one up.

And it does look we have some of those black birch, the bark in photos I just saw appear to be the same, taste test ought to confirm. It would seem like mint, this would deter rodents, I spotted one of these near the house, its funny how I recall exactly where all the odd ball, obscure trees are around this place, seems I always take note of trees for some reason or another.
 
Get a hood from a scrapyard or hedge row, pull the butt up onto it and use it as sled. Eliminate any chance of a sudden hang up. They make great stone boats also.
 
"I always wished there was a reasonably priced log arch. . ."

I've thought of building a log arch from the 3 point end of a junk Ford 501 mower. Nice heavy pipe arch with top link hookup at the top. Would have posted a pic but there isn't one in "implement photos" on this site. Then hang a 12 volt winch off the top, and you'd have a great outfit. Drag the log out of the brush with the winch, pull it up to where it is off the ground within the arch, and away you go.
 
Are you hooking the logs to the draw bar or blade? If it is the blade, be real careful that the log does not hook something and pull you over.
 

That long one I'd half the length and lift the 2 pieces with the drawbar over the butt end and drag it that way.I skid all my wood that way.Much cleaner for the log and adds weight for traction with no chance of the tractor going over backwards.
 
We think alike Mike. I have an old house trailer tongue that looks like it could be reinforced and used in a similar fashion. It's pretty light, but also pretty strong.
 
Picked up two chains for skidding a few logs and scrap sections. Thought of getting a logging hook/tong - not sure if that would be better or easier to use. Maybe just buck the sections and use the loader to get them out.
 
I would like to see that show up at my pace here in Calif. Wood is just not that plentiful. In the last 30 or so years I have managed to scrounge enough wood for the winters. Oak at over 300.00 a cord I try not to buy it. eucalyptus is the wood of choice here. Stan
 
I always try to use a short chain to the drawbar and the 3-pt lift to get logs up off the ground. Skidding in winter works good too.

Larry
 
will the downward load of the chain over the grading blade hurt the 3 pt hitch gears/hydraulics?
I did a number of heavy log skidding that way and the 3 pt doesn't go as high as it used too.
 
It could if the top link failed.Ive seen Ford and Ferguson tractors with the lugs broken off the top of the housing.
 
I put together a log arch for 200.00, all new steel.I did have the wheels and tires and a winch.It would cost more now.It raises the log off the ground.I have to travel a half mile on the highway.Projects made with scrap tend to look like scrap so I use new steel.
 
Billy,
To confirm that it's Black Birch, scrape some of the bark off and you should smell it right away.
When I was a kid my Dad told me about chewing on the Black Birch buds in the spring; I can imagine young American Indians chewing on them before a "date"; sort of like a breath mint.
 
I find ash burns well the first yr. also, especialy where it is already dead.If your hard up birch will burn ok the first yr .My beach trees have the beach bark dissease, I burned dead beach for 10 yrs before finaly cleaning all the dead ones out and thats at 5 cord a yr with beach you have to get em quick after they die or they get punky.
a135846.jpg
 
Nice looking wood Brian, that is just the way I like it. Not much while oak in my area. Ash like this one are my favorite .


<a href="http://s614.photobucket.com/user/DaninOhio/media/July2010003.jpg.html" target="_blank">
July2010003.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo July2010003.jpg"
</a>


Like to get my logs as close to the furnace as possible.
 
(quoted from post at 12:36:32 11/19/13) I always try to use a short chain to the drawbar and the 3-pt lift to get logs up off the ground. Skidding in winter works good too.

Larry
Click to expand...

Thats the way to do it Larry if you don't have a true logging winch or arch.
 
(quoted from post at 12:36:32 11/19/13) I always try to use a short chain to the drawbar and the 3-pt lift to get logs up off the ground. Skidding in winter works good too.

Larry
Click to expand...

Thats the way to do it Larry if you don't have a true logging winch or arch.
 
Doesnt make sense to cut up saw logs for fire wood.Ash makes beautiful door and window trim,flooring and furniture.I use poor trees for fire wood.Saw a video of some fools cutting up long tamarack logs that would have brought top price for sawing out long lumber,18,20,22 and 24 foot dimension stock.My scale stick goes out to 16 foot logs.A 24 inch log would saw out 425 board feet on a rotary mill, more on a band mill.Try buying ash lumber.
 

36, the problem is that often times theres no one available or affordable to cut the wood. I can actually buy pine lumber cheaper than I can have wood off the farm sawed out. That's form the Amish up here. If I had my own mill it would be different, but a decent band mill runs over $4K now and circle mills are getting harder to find. Sometimes it's just not in the cards to do what seems common sense. I agree it would be nice to be able to get those 24 footers though!

Whoever was asking about tongs or chains- if you have help tongs are faster. Alone tongs are a pain. Someone had to hold the tongs in the wood until the pull sinks them in. Handy with horses, not so handy with a tractor. Tongs also limit you to one stick at a time usually. Chains take more time on a single log, but they are the only option I can think of for multiple sticks. Chains are more flexible working alone for sure.

Someone else mentioned an arch. The arch spoken of is a wheeled trailer arch, not the so called 3pt "arch" that just a plate with a winch of chin slots on it. A real arch puts the weight on the arch wheels and get the front of the log up in the air even without a 3 pt.

Found a pic of a real arch- http://rootsofmotivepower.com/romp/logging-arch-hyster-rubber-wheeled
 
(quoted from post at 07:55:59 11/20/13)
..

Whoever was asking about tongs or chains- if you have help tongs are faster. Alone tongs are a pain. Someone had to hold the tongs in the wood until the pull sinks them in. Handy with horses, not so handy with a tractor. Tongs also limit you to one stick at a time usually. Chains take more time on a single log, but they are the only option I can think of for multiple sticks. Chains are more flexible working alone for sure.

..
Click to expand...

That was me, good info to know. Thanks.
 
Cable chokers can pull several logs.They are used with skidders.I use one to get logs out of spots that are too rough for the arch.Never used tongs,used to skid hickory out with a horse when I lived in MA.No hickory where I live now.Friend has a shagbark in his yard.He had a black walnut but a storm broke it down.I sawed a log from it on my band mill.A band mill is a much better investment than a pick up truck that will be a rusted out junk in 10 years around here.
 

Yup, forgot about cable chokers. They are an option but tend to be more for the pros.

I want a mill pretty badly. Just can't seem to find one I can swing. I built a barn with a chainsaw mill. That is some slow work I'll tell you! Had a 2100 Husky, rip chain, the works. It still took about forever to make a cant and boards took another lifetime or two!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

N
Galion 104H
Replies
10
Views
510
Nolbyone
N
TheOldHokie
Calm Before The Storm
2
Replies
36
Views
2K
DoubleO7
DoubleO7
A
Perfect fall day for making firewood
Replies
11
Views
372
Dachshund
D
RedMF40
Ace Splitting Maul v. Husqvarna: A review
Replies
15
Views
2K
SVcummins
S
A
Back to making firewood
Replies
9
Views
337
jddrawbar
J
Tractor Parts Tractor Manuals

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Copyright © 1997-2024 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters
Website Accessibility Policy

Back
Top