Pulling logs on the cheap

[Charles Wiggins]

I have an opportunity to get A LOT of firewood from a recent blow-down at no cost, except labor, gasoline, etc. One problem is that most of the trees are a good distance from the road, I do not have 4WD, a 4-wheeler, etc., and I do not need a towing bill from getting my 2WD truck stuck down in the woods 100 yards off the road. We went to get a maple that was only about 50 feet from the road, and, sparing you the details, it was a back-breaker of a day moving rounds out to the truck.

I recently saw Wranglerstar's video about the chainsaw winch that he was given, and thought it would be much more efficient to drag the logs out to the truck and finish sizing them there. A truck mount winch wouldn't reach all the places I'd need to go, so I started researching devices such as the Lewis Winch and the Portable Winch and everything costs way more than I have to put into it.

So, I started thinking about hand-crank winches. I've looked online at models from Dutton-Lainson & Fuller that seem pretty reasonable, like I could get started with under $300. Maybe later I could retrofit an old chainsaw or lawnmower engine to power it.

Has anyone ever done this? Any recommendations? Warnings? Frustrations? What's a reasonable winch weight rating range to be looking at?

TIA
Charles

[Larry Edgerton]

Rent a decent size tractor with forks for a day when you have them all ready and get them to the road, and loaded, with the tractor. About the cost of a winch and a whole lot easier. This is how I move my logs to the house.

[Charles Wiggins]

Larry,

That's a great idea, but I prefer to look for solutions that I can continue to use. Renting a tractor would lead me into a whole 'nother are of costs like trailer and trailer hitches. Plus, where the trees are located, there's nothing to keep someone from coming along and "poaching" the logs after I get them all cut, so I only take what I can cut in a day.

[Scott Shepherd]

Can't locate a friend with a 4 wheel drive that might want to split the logs with you? You use his truck in turn he gets some logs that you help him with?

[roger wiegand]

You'll make a heck of a lot less mess of the woods if you hire someone with a couple of draft horses to pull them out vs getting in there with trucks and tractors.

[Mike Lassiter]

I have an opportunity to get A LOT of firewood from a recent blow-down at no cost, except labor, gasoline, etc. One problem is that most of the trees are a good distance from the road, I do not have 4WD, a 4-wheeler, etc., and I do not need a towing bill from getting my 2WD truck stuck down in the woods 100 yards off the road. We went to get a maple that was only about 50 feet from the road, and, sparing you the details, it was a back-breaker of a day moving rounds out to the truck.

I recently saw Wranglerstar's video about the chainsaw winch that he was given, and thought it would be much more efficient to drag the logs out to the truck and finish sizing them there. A truck mount winch wouldn't reach all the places I'd need to go, so I started researching devices such as the Lewis Winch and the Portable Winch and everything costs way more than I have to put into it.

So, I started thinking about hand-crank winches. I've looked online at models from Dutton-Lainson & Fuller that seem pretty reasonable, like I could get started with under $300. Maybe later I could retrofit an old chainsaw or lawnmower engine to power it.

Has anyone ever done this? Any recommendations? Warnings? Frustrations? What's a reasonable winch weight rating range to be looking at?

TIA
Charles

Charles I heated with wood for many years and had sort of the same problem. Worse actually, I didn't have a truck at all myself. My father in-law also heated with wood and we cut together years back. later I got a truck myself, but had no place to cut. So I was always trying to get wood wherever I could. Living in the country there was always some logging being done that provided SOME access to the tops I could cut. I have had to carry wood by the arm load (as I suspect you did) from where it was cut to the truck. LOTS of walking and toting. Younger then, but still sore afterwards, but as it was "free" I had to get it when I could.

I think if you are talking about trying to use something like a boat winch to pull logs to your truck, you are going to be WORE OUT from cranking that handle. Not to mention, the time it is going to take for the distance covered. My understanding is you are thinking about winching logs to your truck or at least a lot closer before cutting them up into firewood, so you aren't having to carry everything so far. I don't think you will get much done if they are 50 foot or more away because you are going to spent so much time pulling the cable out, hooking up chains, or straps then winching the length of the cable and having to pull it all back out again and hookup shorter to pull again. That's going to be a lot of time and work.

[Jerry Bruette]

I think if you are talking about trying to use something like a boat winch to pull logs to your truck, you are going to be WORE OUT from cranking that handle. Not to mention, the time it is going to take for the distance covered. My understanding is you are thinking about winching logs to your truck or at least a lot closer before cutting them up into firewood, so you aren't having to carry everything so far. I don't think you will get much done if they are 50 foot or more away because you are going to spent so much time pulling the cable out, hooking up chains, or straps then winching the length of the cable and having to pull it all back out again and hookup shorter to pull again. That's going to be a lot of time and work.

All this plus the fact that your logs will probably be full of sand and other dirt which is pretty hard on your saw chain. If I was dragging logs out I'd wait until winter when there's a nice layer of snow to drag them on. they drag easier and don't get full of dirt.

[Brian W Smith]

I sort of understand your problem,as we've heated with wood for 30+ years....here.Have basically heated with wood all my life,growing up.

The best wood getter we ever had was an "early",man trans,Toyota 4 runner.When they still had vinyl interiors and straight fr axles.Nuthin like snaggin logs in style.Today,I'd grab an older(cheap) Jeep Cherokee,straight six,man trans.In certain mrks they're practically free.....man trans.....emission codes...etc.You just can't be looking anywhere 4-wheelers are present.Tractors are great but represent logistic problems if the wood,ain't on your property.Not dismissing them,they're great pcs of machinery.But riding around on an open tractor in freezing rain is just plain bad.

Fetching wood isn't for the faint of heart....between the nasty's involved with running a gang of smoke belching two-strokes.To the back breaking sport of "log wrestling".....It's mighty nice to be sitting in a heated cab of a Toyota or a Jeep,with a trailer being loaded,just sayin.

[Charles Wiggins]

I sort of understand your problem,as we've heated with wood for 30+ years....here.Have basically heated with wood all my life,growing up.

The best wood getter we ever had was an "early",man trans,Toyota 4 runner.When they still had vinyl interiors and straight fr axles.Nuthin like snaggin logs in style.Today,I'd grab an older(cheap) Jeep Cherokee,straight six,man trans.In certain mrks they're practically free.....man trans.....emission codes...etc.You just can't be looking anywhere 4-wheelers are present.Tractors are great but represent logistic problems if the wood,ain't on your property.Not dismissing them,they're great pcs of machinery.But riding around on an open tractor in freezing rain is just plain bad.

Fetching wood isn't for the faint of heart....between the nasty's involved with running a gang of smoke belching two-strokes.To the back breaking sport of "log wrestling".....It's mighty nice to be sitting in a heated cab of a Toyota or a Jeep,with a trailer being loaded,just sayin.

Brian,

I am sure your heart is in the right place, but I am not in a position to go out and buy another vehicle just to pull logs. That would pretty much defeat the whole "free wood" thing.

[Charles Wiggins]

All this plus the fact that your logs will probably be full of sand and other dirt which is pretty hard on your saw chain. If I was dragging logs out I'd wait until winter when there's a nice layer of snow to drag them on. they drag easier and don't get full of dirt.

Jerry,
Thanks, but waiting is not really an option. I am harvesting this wood for next winter, plus Rutherford County North Carolina does not normally get enough snow to make what you describe possible.

[Charles Wiggins]

I think if you are talking about trying to use something like a boat winch to pull logs to your truck, you are going to be WORE OUT from cranking that handle. Not to mention, the time it is going to take for the distance covered. My understanding is you are thinking about winching logs to your truck or at least a lot closer before cutting them up into firewood, so you aren't having to carry everything so far. I don't think you will get much done if they are 50 foot or more away because you are going to spent so much time pulling the cable out, hooking up chains, or straps then winching the length of the cable and having to pull it all back out again and hookup shorter to pull again. That's going to be a lot of time and work.

You're probably right, but sometimes, when you have more time than money, you do what you have to do.

[Jim Matthews]

+1 on muling these out.

It's the killer app for the original hayfed winch on four legs.

[Jim Matthews]

Anyway that you decide to haul out, skids will make the work easier.

Even last year's toboggan would help.
The concern I raise with a tensioned cable
is what happens if it slips loose,
or worse - breaks?

I've got to wonder how much ground you can
cover with a couple of Peaveys and some sapling skids,
cut onsite?

Uphill to the road, izzit?

[Peter Kelly]

Any reason why you wouldn't be able to chainsaw mill the logs in place? Could carry out boards one at a time.

[Bruce Pratt]

If you have the right anchor points and room to drive your truck, you should be able to use your truck with one or more snatch blocks and a long cable to extract the logs. If you need more power, check out how to reeve multiple tackle blocks to increase the mechanical advantage.