skidding logs with tractor?

[Ryan]

Some of you may have seen my post regarding a small woodland I have purchased the timber from for firewood. Its 90% Norway spruce of about 20 years old and most of it is in the 6-10" range. I am felling and stripping manually with chainsaws , Im I no hurry to do it as it as much a hobby as anything. I wish to cut the trees into 16ft lengths and take them about 200m across a field to the road side using my tractor, an 885xl International 4WD for collection by artic timber skelly.

 

My question is should I use the front end loader and make up some kind of a grab and carry the timber out or would I be better to skid them out behind the tractor using a chain and maybe some kind of attachment to lift the butts clear of the ground? I'll probably make a grab for the loader anyway to help with stacking the logs for collection.

I saw this on youtube and thought it was a good idea. I want to be able to carry several lengths at a time as there is 12000 to come out. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WolPsDoUaCE]farm tractor with skidding lever - YouTube[/ame]

[Stephen Blair]

Skidding makes a mess and gets the trees covered in dirt.

12000!

I think you need a timber trailer.

[NI Tree]

it can also be very hard on your tractor

[leotandoh12]

Skidding makes an awful mess, and with the amount you have you would be better hiring in a forwarder to extract. Would you be stacking it at roadside, because I wouldn't imagine a lorry picking up 12000 lengths that are not stacked to 2 meters high. Where abouts are you?

[renewablejohn]

If you dont want the expense of a timber trailer and have the time to play than a back actor and trailer axle can extract the timber cleanly.

[Daniël Bos]

12000 tons!

That's about 450 artics.

Presuming a (very very generous) yield of 100t/acre, you're talking of clear-felling 120 acres.

There's no way one person with one tractor is going to make that happen, so shall we assume it was a typo? (Especially as you said you got a Small woodland...).

[timberonabike]

As mentioned above, skidding it will rip the ground up quicker and leave product covered in mud and stone.

Forwarding trailer would be ideal, but on a budget, some forks/grab on the front loader and a farm trailer would do. We've had to use forks and farm trailer for stuff that the forwarding trailer won't lift.

[leotandoh12]

I guess you mean 12,000 pieces not tons?

[woody paul]

Just read your other post, as it is a clear fell job a farwarded hired in or get you own timber trailer is the best bet. Skidding timber is time consuming with chains/winch tongs on back of tractor are quicker if just line thinning.

[Ryan]

I guess you mean 12,000 pieces not tons?

 

12000 tons!

That's about 450 artics.

Presuming a (very very generous) yield of 100t/acre, you're talking of clear-felling 120 acres.

There's no way one person with one tractor is going to make that happen, so shall we assume it was a typo? (Especially as you said you got a Small woodland...).

 

Yes its 12,000 trees and not tons and the majority are no bigger than 8" in diameter. the whole site is about 5 acres. It hasnt been thinned or maintained. I thought skidding would be fine as I have access across a very broad front maybe 300m and not tied to a lane or track and can take a different route almost every time.

 

As its only for personal firewood I wish to keep the cost as low as possible. I have a small engineering workshop an could manufacture most types of grab or simple machine if there was something which would be useful.

 

I do wish to stack them in an adjoining yard for artic collection.