#15 Log Loading with Log Arch and Wicked Grapple 

Thanks for watching, it’s been a fun road so far and the journey is only beginning. Everyone makes progress at their own pace and in different ways, sometimes it’s hard to judge ones “timeline” based on watching RU-vid or other media outlets. Just keep chugging along an I’m sure you’ll do just fine!

It sure does! Although everything in today’s world has become “instant” I think it’s important to remain patient, if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again! Thanks for all the feedback and support Karen much appreciated!

Thanks Toby & Gloria! Hope you like the videos!

Thanks buddy I appreciate the support!

Thanks it works well! Yeah can’t let the haters get to you, I’ve worked extremely hard to get everything I have. I think people sometimes think my parents bought me everything because I’m young but that couldn’t be farther from the truth haha I work 6-7 days a week and have so many side gigs going I can’t keep up!

@@DudeRanchDIY I'm the same way. I work 6 days a week. I get a max of 6 hours of sleep. Sunday I don't really work, but I still have things to do, like yesterday I delivered a load of wood.

Yep, yesterday I bucked up an entire load of RTB ash, split a cord, and delivered a truckload and 1/2 cord! Fun Sunday in my book!

I actually have a few of them, I use them for really long and rough pulls or when using multiple snatch blocks. Most of the time it’s easier to fit the synthetic rope under the logs though. I also get the synthetic rope for free so I don’t really care too much about beating it up! I have two extra spools worth in the trailer toolbox 😂

@@DudeRanchDIY I don't CARE if you get the rope for free! Never wrap your winch line around anything but a snatch block! What your showing to the uneducated public and could get someone or yourself KILLED! NEVER, NEVER damage a winch line in anyway and if you do replace it promptly. SAFETY FIRST! People have been killed because of it! Want to injure or KILL somebodies KID? I was in the Oil Field and seen a lot of injuries from ignored damage to winch lines. There was a guy decapitated from a winch line breaking. Research it if you want to educate yourself on winching SAFTEY!

@@barntt I agree with you about the dangers of winching with conventional style steel cable especially if frayed or damaged. The synthetic winch rope however, does not store energy under load and will simply fall to the ground if it breaks which is exactly why I use it. Also, as I stated before, I use lifting straps when pulling logs from any distance or over obstacles to prevent damage, in this video the trailer was right next to the logs and on a higher grade allowing the synthetic rope minimal if any contact with obstructions.

@@DudeRanchDIY I understand that YOU understand the dangers and the differences of the winch lines and I'm not arguing about that fact. But a lot of folks come to youtube to learn from the experiences of others which is a GOOD thing but don't know of or understand the hazards and are more likely to get hurt or get others hurt and I believe they should only be shown the proper way or made aware of the Dangers (Disclaimers maybe?). Unfortunately this is what this society has come too that and no COMMON SENSE. Lots of good information in your video's, also a few (short cuts) that could lead to injuries! Rant OVER! Thanks for taking the time to make videos!👍

Haha small world! Thanks so much for the support, I love what I do and have a passion for it. One subscriber at a time...!

Thanks for watching, I have many different size snatch blocks from this website. www.yellowlifting.com/snatch-blocks-c-5/8t-6-snatch-block-with-hook-p-188.html?zenid=hsvfg1a32f6bogtmlvn2rgk910

Yep those are nice but super expensive. I now have several pieces of equipment to load my trailers and trucks

Biggest log I've pulled with the arch was a Sugar Maple trunk and it was a bit over 9,000lbs. I have no idea what the weight capacity of the arch is. Personally I dont like the idea of the pivoting arch because all of the weight is on just the two hinge points, on mine it is distributed throughout the 4 legs.

I didn’t experiment with the pivoting arch design because I knew I wanted a fixed one. In my opinion the pivoting design puts an awful lot of stress on two centralized points whereas mine is spread out among 4 legs. Matt Cremona built his own trailer so was able to properly reinforce those points whereas I bought my dump trailer and then added the arch. I also use the arch for loading things other than logs and having it fixed is great for that!

Yep southwestern CT here! This video was taken when I first got the tractor and grapple, looking back yes I probably could have lifted the log although I’m not sure if I could’ve cleared the sideboards. (At this point they are so warped that if I remove them I’ll never get them back in) That being said this driveway was pretty awkward and on a pretty steep incline making it hard to get to the logs with the tractor in the first place. It’s definitely difficult to juggle working doing production tree work and filming, thats part of the reason why I only have a few “tree work” videos. The other reason is because my viewers mainly seem to be interested in firewood videos haha gotta give them what they want I guess! Thanks for the feedback and support! Be sure to stick around for more!

Hey Toby, to be honest I’m not entirely sure. I believe my cross bracing is 12” on center but I don’t remember a heavier gauge steel being offered when I purchased my trailer.

1/2” synthetic winch rope

I have a bunch of straps that I use depending on the situation, in this video I simply forgot to bring them!

Anything specifically you’d like to know? A lot of custom fabrication was done to the trailer, you’re not the first requesting more info...stay tuned for a full in-depth video covering the trailer.

@@DudeRanchDIY I have a firewood business also. I have been looking for a better way to get them back to my wood yard. Also i have been looking at dump trailers. Your idea would kill two birds with one stone. what size winch are you using? How did you mount the winch? How did you mount the arch what's the height of the Arch? that kind of stuff.

@@mikej9200 Yeah the trailer kind of serves three purposes for me, procuring logs, delivery of firewood, and transportation of the tractor. It’s a 10k winch. I will try to cover everything about the trailer and arch in an upcoming video.

L3901

Yes it’s fully removable

@@DudeRanchDIY I built one last week similar to yours but the customer said he wasn’t able to get the log over the end of the trailer. Any ideas ?

@@blazekr4671 Over the end of the trailer, you mean like to rest on the back edge? We designed the arch to sit an inch or two forward of the back edge of the trailer deck for this reason. When the log gets close to the deck it'll pick up off the ground and usually slide up a few inches onto the deck and I can let it down. For really large logs or really short logs it might require some pushing to get them to sit down on the trailer deck.

@@DudeRanchDIY he said the log would drag flat on the ground then when it starts to lift, the log would get hung up under the back edge of the trailer. I also mounted the arch about a foot forward from the rear of the trailer that could be the issue.

@@blazekr4671 Yeah of its mounted a foot forward it sounds to me that it’s too far forward. Mine is just a few inches, just enough to have it slide forward and on. I have had logs get caught up like this but rarely. The logs I haul with the arch are usually too large to fit under the trailer.

I do have separate slings and log tongs however they weren’t with me in this video. No damage was done to the synthetic rope whatsoever...I used the tractor to pick up what wood I could however the other pieces were down in a gully that I wouldn’t have been able to drive back out of with the tractor.