moving logs onto the sawmill

[maple flats]

I have a Peterson swingblade sawmill and loading logs onto the mill must be planned. The sawmill has a main track that runs at ground level along each side and a carriage carries the sawhead/power unit along the rails while sawing lumber. Originally I made some ramps to roll logs up, short removable bridges to cross the rail and then finished rolling the log into position for sawing into lumber. Then I got a set of clamp on forks for the loader bucket. This worked good for logs up to about 800#, but that was my limit way out front of the bucket on a 25 HP tractor and no power steering (PS).
Then I bought an 8000# excavator and I began using it to place logs. I could now lift about 2500# logs, by placing 2 HD slings on the ground and rolling the log with the excavator bucket, then hooking both ends of each sling to the bucket tooth (one sling on each side). This worked ok, but was time consuming.
Yesterday I designed and built (with my brother's welding expertise) a log tong lift bar. It is 4' long and it is bolted across the open top on the excavator. On each end of this 4' bar (2" x 4" heavy wall tube) is a lift loop. To each I have a set of tongs that can open up to 32". Now I just have to drive up near the log, on the ground or in a stack. I lower the lift bar with the tongs over the log. I do need to orient the tongs so each the log and and then make sure the balance point is between the tongs. With the dozer blade down I can even lift 2500# logs up to about 8' in front of me. Once lifted I bring the load close to the machine, lift the blade and proceed to the sawmill. When near the track on the mill, I put the blade down for better reach and I can place the log exactly where I want it, and very easily. I tested it today and it worked perfectly. My guess is that my slings will only be used on high grade hardwood from now on (the tongs put a dent in the log where they grab the log, not an issue for framing lumber, but not pretty on high grade hardwood for furniture etc).
I love it when a concept proves to do what I hoped it would.

[maple flats]

Oh, I'll have to get some pics someday and post them.

[spud]

Sounds like a lot of fun. I have been wanting to buy a mill for many years. Is there any money in selling rough cut lumber?

Spud

[maple flats]

Some, but not much for me. I have very little inventory that I keep. What I do make on it mostly comes from custom sawing. The last 3 years I've only custom sawed at my location, but in the past I did several where I went on location. I just don't seem to have the time anymore. I have never advertised my custom sawing, I seem to get all I want by word of mouth, referrals or friends suggesting me to their friends. My biggest jobs I've sawed on location for lumber to build a barn, a barn addition, a summer camp and the oak for the flooring on a large home. Most others were smaller 1 or 2 day jobs. If someone wanted to do custom sawing full time they could do well with just a little advertising, if they had a mill capable of sawing enough board feet an hour. My Peterson winch production frame mill will saw 300-500 BF/hr with me running it on framing lumber and 2 good tailers to remove the lumber. A younger man and some mechanization to keep the lumber moved could do even better. On one job where I was just sawing 12' 2x6's for a barn addition I sawed 700 BF/hr with 1 tailer, but that was my fastest ever I think. With an automatic Peterson I could likely more than double the production, but that was more than I wanted to invest. The biggest reason I got the mill was to finish my sugarhouse and then build a new home someday.

[GeneralStark]

Nice work figuring a good solution to loading logs. Moving logs around is no joke and it pays to have the right tools.

I have a rapidly growing pile of saw logs on my property as a result of clearing for a driveway and a building site. We are hiring a guy with a portable band mill to come turn the pile into building material for a new sugarhouse and future house. His mill has hydraulic forks that lift the log onto the mill as well as hydraulic log rollers so all you have to do is roll the log off the pile and peavey it onto the forks, then position it on the mill and start sawing. Seems like a slick set up and it was fun to watch him on another job.

I'm quite sure having the wood custom sawn won't save us any money, but many of the trees we had to take down are just perfect for sawing and I couldn't stand to buck them up for firewood or pay to have them removed.

7943

[spud]

It sounds like the person cutting for you has a Wood-Mizer or a TimberKing mill. I have been wanting a TimberKing 1600 but the wife thinks I'm crazy. If I sold all her jewelry and shoes I could buy two mills:lol: I have about 30 cherry trees in one section of my new property that I would love to turn into lumber. On average these trees are 16-20 inch with 30+ foot stems. I also have about 30 real nice yellow birch that are 18-24 inch with 20-30 foot stems. I hate to cut them for firewood but I will be cutting them next summer when I set up my new woods.

Spud

[PerryW]

My log yard in from of my bandsaw is pitched downhill and the mill was installed about 16" lower (behind a 16" high retaining wall. Even the biggest logs can be rolled downhill (across removable oak planks) and onto the bed w/ a peavey. Of course, that doesn't solve the problem of rotating the cants. (doh!)

[maple flats]

That would have been nice, but my land is flat, thus my handle, maple flats. Besides, when I get a trailer full of logs I need to unload them, this will be faster than before, by far.

[western mainer]

7945
This is what I use, It came off a small log truck and I reworked it for the tractor.
Brian

[maple flats]

I've been looking for a grapple for about 5 yrs, the rig I made is just to use until I find a grapple.My excavator can only pick 2500# so I need to find a grapple that doesn't use up too much of that lift capacity. Before I bought a new tractor 2 weeks ago, I looked at a new Valby grapple with rotor that would have worked. After buying the tractor I decided to make what I did and wait a while before getting a grapple. If I found a decent used one I'd likely get it, but new is out for a while.

[lpakiz]

Brian,
That looks a lot like a John Deere 3400 Rotoboom. They were very, very handy, even with their smaller stature. We used them in the 70 s, mounted on a 350 or 450 crawler.......

[jimsudz]

Hey Maple Flats, have you ever thought about putting a thumb on your excavator. Put logs perpendicular on end of mill offset and grab the log and swing over and on the mill. Not to familiar with the Peterson, have seen at Bonneville but its been a few years.

[maple flats]

Yes I have, I've looked at both mechanical and hydraulic thumbs. One would work OK but I'd have far better all around use if I had a grapple. My thought was that if I added a thumb I'd never get a grapple. Thus I made the lift I did, knowing it will work but not be handy enough to be satisfied with forever. Doing a hydraulic thumb or grapple will require an additional valve or 2 (or a deverter or 2 to tie in with my boom side step valve) A mechanical thumb would require neither. I'm still leaning towards a grapple, I'm not totally set on one.
If you saw a Peterson set up in the infield 2 years, about 2008-9 (?), it was me demonstrating it. One year I just had my mill there set as a ATS (all terrain saw), I have now converted it to a WPF (winch production frame), by buying the frame and changing the power head to the new frame. I used to be able to saw logs up to 60" x 20', now I can only saw up to 48" x 20', but the sawing time is far faster because I only need to adjust depth of cut on one winch rather than on 2.

[U.P. Sapsucker]

We have a 9000# mini EX but it came with the extra hydraulics to put a thumb on. It works awesome and real easy for my 10 year old daughter to grab to logs in the woods for me to cut up or to load onto the forks on the tractor. Often I have her leave the thumb down so it is a little easier for her to grab logs without taking much dirt so a mechanical thumb would work real well too. A very nice tool to have a round the farm.
Good Luck
Todd

[madmapler]

I have a mechanical thumb on my excavator that works great for picking up logs, rocks, whatever. What really surprised me about it is that I generally can keep it in the 90 degree (down position) and still dig without it being in the way. In fact, I can reach out further to dump it and it holds the material in the bucket. If I ever get my sawmill set up it'll work just fine.