My method of handling firewood logs

Looking back over the posts from the last few days, I see a couple have posted pics of what they use to move their firewood logs with, so I thought I'd share mine. I use my 826 with this little boom on the back that I built. Any of you that are Ford enthusiasts may recognize that the "boom" of my lift is actually the "stick" portion of a Sherman backhoe that was on an NAA my dad bought. The backhoe was a piece of junk, so we took it off, and I built this from the stick. The only welding I did to the stick was the loop for my hook at the end of it, and a small chunk of pipe welded to the side of it where the legs attach that I put on it when I take it off. The cylinder was a stabilizer cylinder off the backhoe. I had to build the 3 point mount from scratch, but I think it works well. I have no problem picking a 20" ash tree 20'+ long fully off the ground. I can however hook onto up to a 32" tree and drag it with one end off the ground as long as it's around 20' or less. I usually back up over the log far enough to pin the one end under the 3 point bracket so it will lift the entire thing off the ground to a level height where I can cut it up. Even with no weight on the front end of the 826, it takes a pretty good haul to get the front end off the ground. If I'm just dragging logs out, I just drop the boom, back up and lift at the same time, and I can get my tongs to let go, then on to the next one. Pardon the missing sheetmetal on the 826, I replaced the radiator hoses and thermostat last week and was also measuring to see what kind of room I'll have for the turbo components I'm going to put on it from a DT358 I bought, and just havent put the tin back on yet. Also, a picture of my log splitter I built a few years ago.

Ross

I like it! Good work.

That's kind of like what the real logger use, a grapple skidder. The logger that cut our wood used a harvester that cut the trees off and put them in piles of about 2 cords each and the skidder would drag them to the delimber. I bet with that long boom the front end come up pretty easy!

heres how i move them
RICK

Ross, That is a nice setup, and I'm sure you have found other uses for it also. I am into minimum impact harvesting in the woods and my Kubota B2150 is great to get around in the woods without causing much collateral damage. Small maple saplings are vital to the continuation of our maple syrup operation.
I bet your setup is real handy when cutting the wood line back around the perimeter of fields.
Loren

We use "1011" one of our 1953 Model 70s to "skid" logs to the wood pile.