Anyone have ideas for me on what to use for small logging operation,
I don't want to spend a lot on getting the wood out. Would rather put in the
Labor and time and do it with minimal equipment. I have a tractor, gator and
Small dray on wheels. Any tips on homemade rigs to get wood out to a landing.
Will be almost all cedar so at least it will be light wood. Thanks

check out Firewood Hoarders Forum

I have a “skidding arch” for behind my ATV and it is amazing! I can pull tree length 20-24 inch hardwood with it. I bought it for about $700. Great investment!

Definitely.... look into a log hauling arch. It's the secret to moving log length material out of the woods without tearing up your ATV or tractor.

pb

As others have mentioned, get yourself a log arch. This little Farmall Cub generates about ten horsepower but can haul fifty foot long spruce logs with the aid of a log arch. .

Probably not what you want to hear but everything smaller works fine until you get into big timber, mud or steep ground. Maybe buy a used skidder for 10 grand, do your job and sell it? Get all or most of your money back. You didn't say the size of the job/timber or what the terrain is like.

My skidding arch is slightly different than the one pictured. When you pull ahead it lifts the log up a trolley system. Back up and it drops the log. It isn’t a skidder but it will go on ground that a Tree Farmer or John Deere can’t.

Thanks for all the info guys, 160user do you have a make/model of yours so I can look it up?
Jack391 I have about 4 40's of cedar and some tamarack, I'm just looking to to clean up most of the blow
Downs of cedar posts/bolts. Will be doing most of it in the winter sice a lot of it is low land. Just trying to
Offset some of the taxes. Maybe looking to take out a couple semi loads a winter.

Ttt

Mine was made by some guy down by Minneapolis. It is far superior to any other one I have seen.

Norwood Mills makes a nice log arch as well.

Look into a skidding winch. This will pull logs out of just about anywhere. Plus it functions much better than a skidding arch.

I have more tools and ideas that may be helpful.

If you want more info send me a PM.

I have seen woods that had heavy timber(white oak and hickory) taken out by horses and mules and they had very minimal damage. Small equip. like your talking also leaves minimal damage. If conditions arent right you cant operate, thus not gut the whole woods. You can also reduce damage to trees by pulling out shorter logs With longer logs you cant make the turns and will rub every tree on the sides of your trail. A small tree does not seem to matter until 30 yrs later and its hollow or bad at the base, still may grow but will never be first rate anything. You can make you one good road in the best place as far as no ditches or hills and then drag to that from the sides and you may have rubbed trees but at least its all just in one trail opposed to dragging all over the woods.

What are you pulling your arch with? When a skidder cant go any further that's where the cable/winch comes into play......

If you ever used a winch you wouldnt go back. They are nice if you cut a tree on the other side of some good trees, you dont have to cut the trees to get to it , you can just winch it thru. Also many times you cant go forward even if you can hook to, you have to pull up 5 ft till you run into a tree then back up and rehook, etc. You can also put a plate under the end of the log to keep from running in the ground.I would think backing any thing up to a tree in the middle of a thicket would be rough and if you have to pull it out to get hooked, then might as well just pull it home.

I still aint for sure if you cutting firewood or logs, just now seen the word cedar so might be for a bandsaw? What I do for my firewood and an occaional saw log, ( dont know size of your tractor) is load them on a bale fork and haul them out. I can make it between all the trees with 9 footers. Since I cut 18'' wood that works out even. Then when I get to the road I can put them on a trailer on pickup and take home 3 mi. Usually on my last trip out I try to get some 15 or 18 footers and take on the tractor, sometimes have pull in at a culvert to miss a combine or tractor.

If you have enough tractor its alot easier to carryout than drag. Even more trips is easier.

Even small limbs that are straight and long enough I haul home and pile up then make me a x frame saw horse and put on as many as it will hold and cut all at once. my wife likes little round wood but I just wont cut it til I started doing that.

160user - I would like to see your atv in action pulling a tree length 20-24” hardwood log! That would be a tremendous feat. Is it hard on the ATV? They don’t seem to be built for pulling like a tractor.

Posco - very impressive little Cub. Those tractors certainly earned their keep in just about all terrain for just about any use. Ten horsepower, low speed, and plenty of torque. The compact tractor is nothing new!

If a guy has a tractor, an inexpensive way to skid logs is to get a 3 point hitch boom pole and attach log tongs on a short chain. Raise the end of the log and skid away. I did that for 30 years until I upgraded.

Thanks for the info guys, I will look into the log arch and the skidding winch

I am using either a little Polaris 4 wheeler or my 700 Ranger. If I can’t pull it with the Ranger loading the box with firewood for weight really helps. It works the machine but you just go slow in low range and I skid on snow so that helps too. Obviously straight logs pull easier that a crooked one. Getting the butt end of the log up in the air 2 feet is a huge help as well.