Try to angle the nose of your sled more to a 40-45 degree angle to relieve the plowing pressure so the nose of your sled is lifted as you pull or get you a log arch with wheels to lessen the power needed to pull your logs
I actually made it so when the chain pulls it, the whole plate tips forward a bit, lifting the rear of the skidder a little and still allowing an angled approach to the ground moving forward. I think the issue right now is the chain just runs through the front of the plate and nooses the logs instead of pulling on the front of the plate with a separate tie down chain to hold the logs to the skidder.
I made something like that years ago. I wasn't happy with it. I ended up building a log arch. Works a lot better for me. Logs a nice and clean when I buck them up.
I like the skidder because it's easier to maneuver through the woods, I think I would end up getting the arc wheels hung up on trees and bushes, but cleaner lumber would be nice. Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for watching and commenting, That's a great idea, but I like it for a different reason. The biggest inconvenience using the skidder plate is where to store it while not in use, this winter I'll look at ways to make a flip up hitch storage mount. Getting the logs off the ground would be nice, however I pull hundreds of pounds, if not close to a thousand, the quad just couldn't handle that.
I used to skid whole trees out with my tractor to a landing and then buck them, I found that I went thru a lot more chains because the wood is so dirty, some days I would dull a dozen chains. I switched my strategy when I bought my ATV and a small trailer, I now buck the tree where I dropped it and usually get by cutting all day with the same chain on my saw.
@@twosawacres8096 It is much easier snaking my ATV with a trailer thru my woodlot than the tractor, ATV is four foot wide compared to my tractor which is six foot wide.
A strascico è un pochino antipatico io avevo provato con due pattini tipo slitta ma ho lasciato perdere. Due ruote e teste sollevate e via che si va 😊😊
Thanks for watching, I've had many similar comments, I may make something with wheels in the future. But as I've mentioned to others, I use this to skid log out of the woods where it's pretty tight maneuvering, so the skid plate is really the only option, as there really isn't any way to back up with any sort of trailer. Now maybe a skid plate with a couple small wheels or rollers on the sides or bottom could work...? But even as is, I think I might make another one even lighter weight. The first one was almost entirely 3/8 plate steel, weighed around 65lbs, this new one comes in around 35-40 and it's 1/4 plate. I'm thinking 1/8 or 3/16 plate for the bottom and 1/4 for the teeth. I'd like to get it to around 15-20 lbs. And as for the quad, I've been using it this way on and off for 6 years, I just make sure i'm in low and take it easy.
make a trailer for the quad the polar makes a great trailer too you need a trailer your just going to smoke your belts using that put an axle under it and tires
Thank you for the comment, someone else has mentioned a log arc as well. However, for my purposes, it would be very unpractical, I'm maneuvering within fairly thick wooded areas where I constantly have to back up. With the skid plate, I can pick it up and carry it on the quad while I'm repositioning to skid out the next haul. While I'm using it, I'm always in 4 low, and been doing it on and off for 7 years now on the same belt with not one hint of burned belt smell. If I were skidding in a more open area I'd completely agree. I wish I shot some video of the haul I did just a few days ago, huge Elm on a nasty hillside, backing up the hill I'm pretty sure I was approaching the max tip angle. Don't think it was worth all the effort for 5 or so face cord.
Thanks for watching and the comment, many folks have mentioned a log arc or wheels. I agree that it would pull better, but where I'm skidding logs out from, I couldn't imagine trying to maneuver any type of trailer... I wish I had filmed some of the skidding I did last week, I was backing up a monster hill, in the woods, with natural mogul's, just to get to some huge Elm I fell in early summer, no way would a trailer of any type work for that. But looking back, I don't think the work getting it out of there was worth the amount of firewood...
Nice IDEA!!!
Thanks, works well, still needs some fine tuning.
Try to angle the nose of your sled more to a 40-45 degree angle to relieve the plowing pressure so the nose of your sled is lifted as you pull or get you a log arch with wheels to lessen the power needed to pull your logs
I actually made it so when the chain pulls it, the whole plate tips forward a bit, lifting the rear of the skidder a little and still allowing an angled approach to the ground moving forward. I think the issue right now is the chain just runs through the front of the plate and nooses the logs instead of pulling on the front of the plate with a separate tie down chain to hold the logs to the skidder.
I made something like that years ago. I wasn't happy with it. I ended up building a log arch. Works a lot better for me. Logs a nice and clean when I buck them up.
I like the skidder because it's easier to maneuver through the woods, I think I would end up getting the arc wheels hung up on trees and bushes, but cleaner lumber would be nice. Thanks for the comment.
Like the wire for taking up the slack
I originally added the wire to the last link in the chain so it would be easier to feed the chain under logs, found a better use for it...lol
May be if you pull from higher pl on back of 4 wheel drive, so its not bogging in so much
Good idea.
I like your build, have you considered mounting it on your hitch, less drag if you could get your plate off the ground I think
Thanks for watching and commenting, That's a great idea, but I like it for a different reason. The biggest inconvenience using the skidder plate is where to store it while not in use, this winter I'll look at ways to make a flip up hitch storage mount. Getting the logs off the ground would be nice, however I pull hundreds of pounds, if not close to a thousand, the quad just couldn't handle that.
Makes the work easier.
The purpose of any tool.
I used to skid whole trees out with my tractor to a landing and then buck them, I found that I went thru a lot more chains because the wood is so dirty, some days I would dull a dozen chains. I switched my strategy when I bought my ATV and a small trailer, I now buck the tree where I dropped it and usually get by cutting all day with the same chain on my saw.
How do you get timber out of areas too tight for the trailer? That's why I'm using the skidder, but I completely get the saw chains!
@@twosawacres8096 It is much easier snaking my ATV with a trailer thru my woodlot than the tractor, ATV is four foot wide compared to my tractor which is six foot wide.
A strascico è un pochino antipatico io avevo provato con due pattini tipo slitta ma ho lasciato perdere. Due ruote e teste sollevate e via che si va 😊😊
pretty cool idea if you could make one that would hook to the back with wheels it would be alot easier on your machine . but good idea .
Thanks for watching, I've had many similar comments, I may make something with wheels in the future. But as I've mentioned to others, I use this to skid log out of the woods where it's pretty tight maneuvering, so the skid plate is really the only option, as there really isn't any way to back up with any sort of trailer. Now maybe a skid plate with a couple small wheels or rollers on the sides or bottom could work...? But even as is, I think I might make another one even lighter weight. The first one was almost entirely 3/8 plate steel, weighed around 65lbs, this new one comes in around 35-40 and it's 1/4 plate. I'm thinking 1/8 or 3/16 plate for the bottom and 1/4 for the teeth. I'd like to get it to around 15-20 lbs. And as for the quad, I've been using it this way on and off for 6 years, I just make sure i'm in low and take it easy.
make a trailer for the quad the polar makes a great trailer too you need a trailer your just going to smoke your belts using that put an axle under it and tires
Thank you for the comment, someone else has mentioned a log arc as well. However, for my purposes, it would be very unpractical, I'm maneuvering within fairly thick wooded areas where I constantly have to back up. With the skid plate, I can pick it up and carry it on the quad while I'm repositioning to skid out the next haul. While I'm using it, I'm always in 4 low, and been doing it on and off for 7 years now on the same belt with not one hint of burned belt smell. If I were skidding in a more open area I'd completely agree. I wish I shot some video of the haul I did just a few days ago, huge Elm on a nasty hillside, backing up the hill I'm pretty sure I was approaching the max tip angle. Don't think it was worth all the effort for 5 or so face cord.
Hook it Closer pull Better
Some Weehls are a good Thing ,realy !
Thanks for watching and the comment, many folks have mentioned a log arc or wheels. I agree that it would pull better, but where I'm skidding logs out from, I couldn't imagine trying to maneuver any type of trailer... I wish I had filmed some of the skidding I did last week, I was backing up a monster hill, in the woods, with natural mogul's, just to get to some huge Elm I fell in early summer, no way would a trailer of any type work for that. But looking back, I don't think the work getting it out of there was worth the amount of firewood...
@@twosawacres8096
Its your Business ,but you wasting a lot of Power and the Ground looks not so good after sliding .
@@heikowalter8239 totally agree, but I only skid out of the woods, after that the tractor and dump truck take over!