What machinery is best to move stuff on a slope

[Slad]

We have some woodland, <20 acres, which is on a steep slope - 100m from top to bottom.  Road access is possible at the top and bottom but we don't have anything other than domestic cars and trailer (and driving in the wood is probably too difficult).  The wood is a mix of mature coniferous and some deciduous (W8).

 

Getting wood down to the house is tricky; getting equipment up the slope is also tricky.  We don't want to spend just fortunes, just make life a little easier as we manage the wood and feed the log burners.

 

What would you suggest please?

[doobin]

All depends upon how much timber you are talking about and how long the drag is? Full lengths or rounds/chopped timber? I presume you are just taking out the odd tree here and there.

 

Little tracked dumpers are handy for all sorts and not too much money, however load capacity is limited.

[dumper]

It really depends on your budget, small tracked dumper will work down slope little tractor and winch will work both ways, old landrover and electric winch will do odd jobs but not for long overheats or with a hydraulic will work all day 100 m would leave a 30 m gap in the middle if your not trying to make money could be overcome

[Woodworks]

Maybe a winch? Get the wood to the top with it where you process and trail it back to home 

Portable Capstan Winch Specialist - Treadlight Forestry

TREADLIGHTFORESTRY.CO.UK

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Treadlight Forestry specialise in portable capstan winches.

 

[gdh]

It depends how steep it is but it's surprising where a digger (and decent operator) will go when going straight up. They can shift a lot in 1 day, especially if it's already felled.

 

It sounds like you want everything down to the bottom which is easier and a winch could work but it's risky if you're winching and it takes off downhill.

[Slad]

Yes, we mainly want wood downhill.  At the moment, just clearing out the dead trees/leaners for winter, plus the recent ash dieback/suicides. I can cut to whatever lengths but we'd like to get 4" lengths and bigger logs down to split at the house.  A big tractor can make it up the slope; I tried a 1.5 T digger and it was not going to happen.  Would a gaitor or polaris handle steep slopes?

 

Are tracked dumpers stable enough when full going down a 1:1?

 

Thanks for the thinking on the winches.  Everything could be done by gravity as I can get the logs across to the top of the main slope. I've got lots of rigging gear; are there any big downsides to sending wood down on a continuous loop of rope?  I can use an ID for control...  Am I just going to shred my ropes?  I've got 12mm polyprop I don't mind losing, but it is very "dynamic", and you need swivels everywhere or you end up with blue dreadlocks.

 

 

Edited July 25, 2021 by Slad

[Big J]

1 in 1 isn't drivable. 

 

This is 1 in 1.45 with a purpose build machine and me (experienced operator) driving it. This is very unpleasant and you get some slippage, even on dry ground and certainly if you've got much of a load on it.

 

 

If you've got 20 acres, it's commercially viable in all likelihood. I'd just get a commercial forestry contractor to come in and quote for it. They'll have the experience, machinery and manpower to do the work safely and you might even make some money out of it. 

 

1 in 1 slopes are not the kind of place I'd even want to work, and I do this for a living.

Edited July 25, 2021 by Big J

[Marc Lewis]

Skidding in pole length could be an option.

[Guest Gimlet]

A four-legged machine that eats hay and farts and has Clydesdale stamped on it's arse.

[AHPP]

Could you zipline it? Rope tied high up a strong tree at the top, choker your wood and clip onto the rope, have someone at the bottom tension the rope (car, digger etc). You’d only have to carry rope, choker rope/slings and biners up the hill.

Obviously take care to not bombard the car with sliding logs. Redirect pulley not very high up a tree or something.

 

 

 Edit: The more I think about it, the more I think you’ll be lucky to get away without a haul line of some kind. Adds complexity. Pulling downhill with a Norwegian reeve most realistic but if you have the inclination, the full English (reeve) is available.