This week's tractor upgrades

[Jim Timber]

I still won't do dangerous work under these, but I can drive my woods at dusk and not pitch myself off the seat hitting stumps I couldn't see before.

These aren't overly hard on the eyes if you look at them. The 35W HID's in my atv are brighter, but God help you if you have to look my way at those suckers. Temporary blindness!

These LED's are softer, so you can get in and out of the tractor and not need time to adjust.

 

[foggy]

Not sure that this is a good deal.....but you don't see many used of these out there.http://brainerd.craigslist.org/grd/5222951131.html

I still don't see the point in a skidding winch. I just pull 'em. ;)

 

[Jim Timber]

I still don't see the point in a skidding winch. I just pull 'em. ;)

The difference is that you don't need to be able to back the tractor to the log to skid it out. You can pull from 165' away. Another benefit is that you can pull more than your available wheel traction since the winch engages the ground directly. You can also bunch several logs in a single turn - something that's tedious to do with the tractor.

That farmi is over priced. IMO They might get it, they might not. You definitely don't see many used for sale and that speaks volumes to how handy they are.

 

[tooln]

Something like that would be real handy if your doing some serious logging. Jim also hit the nail on the head with the description of using it.

 

[Jim Timber]

Something like that would be real handy if your doing some serious logging.

Which is why I bought one back in June. :p

Skidding 2 logs at a time was a pain when I had helpers to tend chokers for me (granted, they weren't good at it :eek: :D ). You have to position your first log, then back up or drag more chain out to it, choke it and pull it up next to your first log and unhook it, back up again to get back to where the two are, hook onto both logs again - now you're ready to haul your turn.

With the winch I back up to my butt log, pull the cable out to my last log of the turn, choke it, choke the other logs as I work back to the tractor, and when I get there I pull the rope to engage the clutch and pull the whole tree to the skid plate.

 

[Jim Timber]

Had a bright idea while at FF the other day on how to keep my chokers on the winch.

It's just 3/16 cable clamps, 5/16" wire rope, and 1/4" copper pipe couplers soldered on the ends to keep them from splaying.

Yep, I said soldered! The galvanized steel readily accepts flux cored electrical solder. You just need to get it hot enough, which is easily done with a propane torch. :)

 

[Jim Timber]

Hauling a little wood through the mud while waiting on my taconite.