Extraction options on a very challenging site

[openspaceman]

Could you not fell a load and get someone to winch it all uphill to the edge of the wood, but leaving it just within the edge of the wood so you can deal with it as and when you get chance? sub 12" poles shouldn't be too bad to handball if you're converting it on site.

 

If it's steep, I'd not worry messing around with tracked barrows or ATV's.

 

I'd like to know the distances involved but I agree with you, once you start extracting uphill winching becomes attractive.

 

I used to high lead from a spar tree on the ride edge with the pulley on a long strop and tractor winch offset to enable a decent stack to build up.

[slack ma girdle]

Two wheel drive tractor(50-60hp) and a pto winch will set you back £2000, and solve most of your problems.

[aspenarb]

Two wheel drive tractor(50-60hp) and a pto winch will set you back £2000, and solve most of your problems.(quote)

 

I was thinking the same and the tractor would sell for the same when your finished with it.

 

Bob

[devon TWiG]

In the past I have tied / slung a heavy duty pulley quite high in a tree 5-10 metres above ground run a rope through it , effectively a static crane , then tied 1 end of the rope to the log the other to a loaded pick uo 4x4 then drive forward to pull the log ( of a reasonable size ) up the hill and then drop on to the track where I want it to ... simples .... with a bit of practice and 2 men it can be a very cheap, efficient , slick operation , if you want you can tie a second rope to it , through a fork , tie it off whilst in the air , back your truck underneath it then carefully lower it ( arb dismantling style ) into the back of your truck / trailer ! If the farmer will assist with tractor you could scale up a lot but take care !!!

[Charlieh]

depending on the size timber and terrain if its small thinnings and your using it for firewood I can recommend a petrol winch a proper forestry one with fast haul in, I am using a mercian and it has a 500kg pull and 40meters of cable on the drum and its ideal for small stuff, you ratchet strap it to a tree and then it functions as a normal forestry winch pull the rope and it throtles up and pulls in. This combined with an Iron horse is cracking for small timber on very steep and boggy terrain.

[Chris Sheppard]

depending on the size timber and terrain if its small thinnings and your using it for firewood I can recommend a petrol winch a proper forestry one with fast haul in, I am using a mercian and it has a 500kg pull and 40meters of cable on the drum and its ideal for small stuff, you ratchet strap it to a tree and then it functions as a normal forestry winch pull the rope and it throtles up and pulls in. This combined with an Iron horse is cracking for small timber on very steep and boggy terrain.

 

Any pics Charlie? Sounds a useful tool.

[Mike Hill]

Hire a D6 or similar Dozer,blade some tracks down the slopes and Pull the logs up behind the machine.

[Charlieh]

Any pics Charlie? Sounds a useful tool.

 

I dont actually but to give you some idea of the site we were using it on last week, after a bit of learning! We are skidding 12ft larch saw logs to the landing where the alstor is parked in this photo as the terrain in here is the limit of what we would extract on, its steep and uneven with very limited access. The alstor only just fits up the paths to extract up and its a bit hairy on some of the turns with a drop off at the edge

[Charlieh]

Mikes idea is also a very good one, theres a lot to be said for improving the infastructure into the woodland as it will increase productivity and significantly reduce extraction costs longer term. Wish the owners of the site in my picture would get a digger in for a few days!

[Bren.]

One of these might do it for you.

Ransomes MG6 Crawler Bulldozer | eBay