Moving logs advice

[Dizzer]

What do people use on site if there is no tractor or lifting machine to move logs onto mills . I have a lot of oak to mill up but have a mill that need the logs put on the track but there is no tractor. Is there a small bobcat with forks that can be hired for day or two please if anyone has advice on this it would be great

Thanks

[Kevm]

A mini digger and some soft slings would do it, easy to hire.

[agg221]

How big (diameter and the length you are cutting to) and how many?

 

The size will determine the weight, which will allow you to work out the lift. For up to about half a dozen or so 8' lengths of up to 3' diameter then parbuckling up a ramp with a small boat winch, or using an engine hoist are both pretty efficient. For something fairly straight and up to about 8-10' lengths under 2' dia a couple of people can roll them up with cant hooks (use chocks!). You can still do it with longer lengths but have to use two winches or work one end up and then the other, both of which make it slower. If it gets much about 3' then the point loading gets high enough that you have to seriously uprate ramps, or use a hoist on a very shortened jib, which makes it very slow and fiddly.

 

If there are enough lengths that manual handling would mean working over an extra day then I would hire in an appropriately sized digger, or see if there is a local farmer who will hire you his teleporter for the day - I've done this and it has worked out very well for all parties, particularly if the deal includes firewood.

 

Alec

[hawthornheavyhorses]

You can parbuckle logs on with ramps and a winch, we sometimes do this to get large logs onto forwarders (with horses rather than winches!).

Edited August 1, 2015 by hawthornheavyhorses