Carrying big stuff, tips?

[bobh]

Should you need any advice from a professional woodcutter, I am based near you, and although I'm away all week I'm home at weekends and would gladly pop down to see you.

You'll probably find that the most important training for chainsaw use will cost you a lot less than you think and the peace of mind it gives you will make it worth every penny. I would strongly advise against training via you-tube as there are some serious muppets putting "training" videos on there.

 

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Really generous offer here, you could learn a lot by taking Pasty Muncher up on this offer

[agg221]

Will the owner let you clear the undergrowth enough to make tracks? How large is the woodland and what's the ongoing situation longterm?

 

For a handful of trees, having a word with the farmer about dragging to his field and paying him to come along with the tractor and trailer to get it down to the access point is probably the cheapest and quickest way. I have access to a wood and clear the standing dead for milling, so I feel your pain. I use a wheelbarrow for getting small stuff in and out and periodically extract whole butts by paying either the local farm labourer who has access to a tractor and is amenable if slipped a tenner, or the bloke next door who is building his own house and has a dumper (I pay him in firewood).

 

A wheelbarrow does work, and can carry a fair amount, although it gets hard work pushing it. The alternative is a pair of old wheels on a short solid axle, then lash bits over it and drag (like a makeshift logging arch). If you go this route, leave the lengths fairly long, about 6-10ft, as it makes dragging easier. I do this sometimes if there are tops up to about 18in dia worth milling.

 

If it's a longer term thing with ongoing access you could consider powered transport. If the site is level a dumper works quite well - I have now bought an old half ton Benford dumper which fits in my 8'x4' trailer and will carry rather more than half a ton in a load if I want it to. It will also drag something pretty serious.

 

Getting some training of some form is a good idea - it doesn't have to be formal as you don't need tickets - finding someone (such as Pasty Muncher) who can give you a good idea on what to do may be sufficient.

 

One thing though - I would seriously advise having a suitable winch and knowing how to use it on hung up trees. One day it will happen and you really want to know what to do when it does before you have the choice between leaving a hanging tree to kill someone else and risking killing yourself through ignorance.

 

Alec

[Alycidon]

Thats what I was thinking or even better access to the field next to the wood. That will likely only be clear of crops for a few days but no reason why the timber cannot be stacked next to the field then loaded onto a vehicle in August.

 

A

[dirty boy]

Should you need any advice from a professional woodcutter, I am based near you, and although I'm away all week I'm home at weekends and would gladly pop down to see you.

You'll probably find that the most important training for chainsaw use will cost you a lot less than you think and the peace of mind it gives you will make it worth every penny. I would strongly advise against training via you-tube as there are some serious muppets putting "training" videos on there.

 

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Hi Pasty Muncher, that's a fair point, I like to think I have a fair degree of common sense, so take the YouTube stuff with degree of caution.

 

Whereabouts in Suffolk are you based?

[Pasty Muncher]

I'm up in Lowestoft myself so wouldn't be a problem to come and see you if you want.

 

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[bigdave]

i cleared a load of windblown trees last year from a wood that had really bad access issues i used my high tip dumper as it was narrow enough to fit between the trees!!

 

then for the nostalga we used the girlfriends donkeys to skid out full lenght trunks which was a hell of a lot quicker than the dumper & wished i`d of thought about it & sooner!!!!

 

eyore & piglet could skid out 3-4 trunks in one go & moved a lot quicker than the dumper could!! i only got 1 trunk in the dumper buck cut up & 1-2 chained to the back any more & the dumper strugled to make progress

 

donkey power is the future!!!!

[Shane]

I use my tracked barrow

 

 

How do you manage to push the trunk up that hill with that strop in front of the barrow - quite brilliant!

[bobh]

It's easy - just man up a bit

[leafcut]

I appreciate they are expensive but have you considered a "portable winch", petrol driven, can pull a lot of weight over considerable distance. If you could man handle the logs to the field edge then you would have a straight run with the winch. Maybe you could hire one, downside is that it would take a fair bit of time-its an option open to you and would save a lot of back breaking work. I would gladly help you, I have a large agricultural quad, a stein arbour trolley and my L200 has a powerful winch. The judicious use of ropes etc and your onto a winner. Down side is I live up in Sunderland. Good luck and let us know how you solved this rather large problem, regards...Nick Pearson, Timberline-Roe Ltd.

[felixthelogchopper]

I'm up in Lowestoft myself so wouldn't be a problem to come and see you if you want.

 

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You have probably already thought of this but it would be a good idea to offer advice about the more specialised 1st Aid requirements when you do.