Fabed up log skidding arch

I went out to my shop yesterday, and welded together this A Frame which bolts to a standard CatI cross drawbar. It is made from a peice of 3" channel, 2" angle iron, and some peices of pipe. Since we got the expected covering of snow last night, which covered the mud from the Jan. thaw, I went up to the sugar bush to skid out more firewood logs for the evaporators. I wanted to see how well the arch worked on my Kubota B2150 4wd. It met all my expectations and then some. I was a bit conserned about the front end lifting when the arch was way up. The only time the front even offer to raise was when I was bulling a log up over a stone ledge at one end of the woods. All I had to do was lower the arms and it settled rite back down. The choker ring is very handy also, allowing me drive the tractor up over the ledge and then snatch the log up over it. It not as handy as a winch would be, but this only cost me a dozen sticks of welding rod, couple of hrs, and some left over steel.
To elaborate a bit; the short chain that is threaded through the top of the arch, with the clevis and choker ring, is fastened to the drawbar of the tractor, so when the arch is raised it retracts, about 16" and raises the but of the log if hooked short, or allows me to move forward , when lowered, with the tractor to get out of a hole I have chewed down in. I need to weld on some more 5/16 posts to hook my extra chains on though. They slip around the pipe that I welded at the top to carry them and drag on the ground
Loren, the Acg

Loren : First will get you photos when finished. I have been in the shop for two days on about the same project except has a 12,000lb hydraulic driven ramsey winch built in. You arch really looks like it is paying off. I have sold KUBOTAS for 20+ years and the B2150 is ONE of the most underrated tractor KUBOTA ever offered. The three speed manual tns. and the 4 cyl engine really make a great little tractor. Be careful and do not flip over backwards but with the loader you should be petty good shape.

The 2150 is a 9spd. I work in the underbrush in Intermediate 1, a little over an idle, and once out on the skidway it pulls nicely in 6th/I3. The front only offered to lift once when I was snaging a log up over a 6' high stairsteped ledge. Just dropped the hitch and it settled rite back down and spun out. lengthened out the choker so I had some dirt under the wheels, raised it back up and moving again. A winch would have saved me from manually rehooking the choker. I can always mount a 12V winch, but this set up is working good and I'm in no hurry, these days.
Loren, the Acg.

they sure do skid nice on the snow, nice looking rig

Adirondack Kubota Guy?????

The old Ferguson drawbar still getting used all over the World?? And what a good use for it!
Sam

Sold a lot of B 2150s and can,t think of one that was not Hydrostatic in front of your three speed. In any advent I would think in the gear drive the clutch might be the weaker link but maybe not. The shifting on the Low/Med/High range had a habit of getting messed up IF folks did not take their time shifting. Still think the reason KUBOTA went away from them was the tractor offered too much for the bucks.

Pulling from that high on the tractor works till the stump hits a snag, then it is bad news.
An arch actually has wheels and a tongue like a propane tank carrier. The purpose is the same (to lift the front of the log, but with a trailer type system the tractor pulls from the drawbar height.
I believe in what I am telling you, it isn't a flame at all. Thinking about the loss of photographs. Jim

Throw some cut up logs in the bucket for added weight on the front end? I have a ford 4wd 1720 with a loader, it skids logs just like yours! Those compacts are handy in the woods.

what do you call the arm that supports a grapple on a modern day skidder or the curved arm extending off the back of a dozer with a winch set up to skid logs. I guess you didn't read down to the bottom of this thread?": Guess what-- I cut the trees down with a chain saw also, HeHe.
This sugar bush has been in operation for over 100yrs. I grew up in it and have skidded logs out of it since i was 8. I am pushing 65 now.I know a few things about geometry and skidding logs. Read further down in the post!!!. If a person is a newbee tractor operator, with a 8N don't try this!! I have been operating all kinds of equipment for years and notice this! Only 16" terf rear tires and the tractor does have a loader and a roll bar on it.
Common Sense and Experience Rules.
Loren, the Acg.

I needed to say what I did. I really enjoy your photos and wish you the very best of luck. Jim

JM,
I don't know why the range lever would be a problem. It is a bit hidden under the RH side of the seat. Mine is hard to get into Low range, because I have no use for gears that slow. I have a 60" belly mower for it and I mow in I2 and 3 (5th & 6th). H1 is about the same speed as I3, but reverse is too fast, unless I am plowing snow, at which time I plow in High range 1&2 & R. It will spin out all 4 wheels in 7th with 4 wheel tire chains on pavement. (no calcium or weights.) I bought the tractor used with just over 500 hrs., installed the loader and used it continuously for dirt work with the loader, mowing and working in the woods. The two stage clutch has never been adjusted since I bought it and shows no signs of needing adjustment. It is one tough little tractor.
Loren, the Acg.

Thanks for posting this Loren! I have a toolbar that I have converted to a three point "raiseable" trailer hitch, and your photos made me realize that I can chain to the drawbar and make the same setup that you have. I can't wait to try it out!

Paul

It sure looks quite useful, as you just need to get the front of that log to float via the short distance it needs to be lifted to do so. I'm not a big fan of towing logs with a tractor, but have no choice but to do so, and have wanted to make a tow behind log arch, and put like a 12v winch on it, just to lift that log a little, and not dig in or catch. At the moment, I am doing a similar thing with a multi hole drawbar that has an aircraft tug weight on it, I connect to the tractor drawbar, then leave slack between it and this drawbar/weight, chain comes out back over the top and I can put a 6x6 or something to raise it more, it seems to just lift the log enough. Sometimes the posts on here are identical to things you are doing, I thought it was great to see the tool you came up with to achieve the result.

On a safety note, I'm never in a hurry, always take my time to make sure the tow path is clear, and I've got no dangerous branches, limbs or other trees above or nearby and have been doing so or similar using equipment for many years. My old Ford, is well balanced with the loader on it, I have towed some heavy logs up hill and it takes a lot to get the front end light, put a few bucked logs in there and there is no worry, you'll lose traction first, again I am not a big fan of doing this, so I just take my time. I work in the woods alone, so I take even more time when cutting, I look carefully and keep my distance. I think felling is 10x more dangerous, as with the existing leaners and barber chairs and whatever else, one has to carefully plan a cut, put a line on to direct fall or contain a fall so you have a safe area while cutting. I have some large trees and logs that are leaners in the woodlot that I am not equipped to deal with, be nice to get them out, but sometimes you have to draw the line on whats safe and what is not, those I leave alone unless I can figure a safe way to deal with them. I hate seeing waste but if its going to do you in, certainly not worth it LOL !


When you posted the photos of the sugar house and surroundings and the amount of wood needed, I was wondering how the sugarbush was managed so it provides what you need. I've got more wood here than I could gather up in months of work but you can see that even then there is a finite amount. How many acres of hardwoods does it take to support something like that?