[Carl Russell]

Mark, although the prices may seem more reasonable, make sure you are buying the professional series, not the homeowner model. I think the difference is the “XP” after the model number. Don’t let a saw shop talk you into anything else. In fact if they are trying to sell you the homeowner model, don’t buy the saw there. There are just a few shortcuts in engineering and components in the cheaper saws.

I also agree with George, although I realize many folks don’t want to lug the larger saws around, and there is a theory that the smaller saws, especially with skip-tooth chain can cut well, my experience is that the larger saws are a better woods tool. The extra weight is inconsequential compared to the extra power.

JMHO, Carl

[Carl Russell]

Mitch, it is an interesting idea.

John Rhicard of Quebec made a log loader that he would set up stationary where he was twitching logs into the header. He would park the sled alongside. It included a base log, staked to the ground, and two arms that lay on the ground perpendicular to the sled.

The arms had “forks” that could slide up and down along, where pins could be set to fasten them at that height. Logs were rolled onto the arms, against the “forks”, and a cable attached to the top of the arms. Cable ran through pulley above sled, to pulley at ground level, and then to horse or team.

Animal pulled, lifted arms toward sled, they would come up vertical against the base log, forks level to where the log could be rolled off onto the sled.

I often thought a device like this could be attached to the side of the sled, doubling as stakes when the sled was loaded.

All-in-all, I have never come up against a log I couldn’t roll on by hand, or with the animals using a par-buckled chain, so like you I have never taken the time to design and build one.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

near horse;24672 wrote:

….
Matt – with stupid regs like these we’ll have to escalate from farmer pirate to either “farmer vigilante” or “farmer anarchist” (didn’t want to say farmer terrorist but I thought it.)

Now we’re talking:eek:.

In fact there are some folks…. I’m not naming names :D.. out here that may be on the verge of making some public demonstrations….

After all it is our responsibility to break stupid laws.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Al there are many other threads on here with reference to d-ring harness, so you should be able to find much more discussion.

One of the reasons why many people have found that d-ring harnesses do not take weight off of collars is because they are built with front traces too long, which brings the d-ring down too low to transfer much weight to the jack saddle. The other reasons have to do with adjusting the britchen, side straps, and tension of the traces. When built with appropriate dimensions for the intended horse, and adjusted correctly the d-ring harness can support a 250-300 lb person sitting on the end of the pole with ALL the weight on the jack saddle.

Here is a pic of my horses with d-ring showing how the so-called “lazy straps” are slack because the tension between the evener and neckyoke is suspended directly on the jack saddle. If the front trace was longer the d-ring would drop down several inches so that even with appropriate tension the pole would be lower and the weight would then be hanging off of the “lazy straps”.

As far as the other comments about lengthening and shortening the front side straps when hitching, I never have to re-adjust them. Once they are set, about the same length as the front trace, I leave them. I take up slack by pushing with my thigh against the evener when I hook the last heel link. I have never had to use the strap, as I can push alot harder with my leg than I could pull on a buckle.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Bobsled
[IMG]http://www.draftanimalpower.com/photoplog/images/55/1_MOFGA_LIF_10_008.JPG[/IMG]

Scoot

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Does’ Leap;24525 wrote:

….. The cuffs of my snow pants kept ridding off resulting in snow getting in my boots:eek:….

Gaiters George…. They work great. Boots and pants are dry and warmer.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Bullin’…..

Part of my strategy is to clear as many of my trails as possible ahead of the game, and then travel them even if I’m not cutting there yet. I have been doing that for the last few weeks, and this week opened up two different areas. Regardless, this snow hasn’t packed well, so the going was really tough.

Had a load on the bobsled that was pushing a good wave of snow almost hip deep around the hind legs of the horses. Had to stop and shovel it out several times until we got to a good downhill. I just keep going doing what needs to be done. Sometimes it’s futile, but most f the time I eventually get a trail with less snow that is packed and frozen.

Tomorrow and Monday sound like thaws, so it would be good to skid then to pack and freeze the trails.

I am using the bobsled on a very long downhill skid, and the cart on a short uphill skid. Both have their shortcomings.

As George said the cart is more difficult to maneuver than without 2 feet of snow, but still handy, and when the main trail freezes will work well.

Twitching with the team is a lot easier, but then I’m on the ground floundering in the snow…. 6 of 1, 1/2 doz of the other.

Either way, in deep snow I usually work in reverse to my usual method. I start by cutting close trees, and felling them toward the area where I intend to work next. This way the fall will pack some snow, and skidding the trunk out will rough out a trough I can use for a trail. Sometimes I have to end up moving more brush, but 6 of 1…..

I also am not opposed to shoveling. I keep a good snow shovel with me anyway, and have to shovel a lot around stumps, so sometimes it’s just as easy to shovel some of the area where I am working. This is especially true where I am rolling logs on sleds.

There is a lot of work to working animals. No matter how you cut it, there will be certain aspects to the work that just seem like too much for reason. Like I said, bulling. Not mindless, but just plain working hard. Me, and the horses. Often it is hard to justify by the return in income, but it gets the work done. These are the challenging situations that build character in ourselves, our animals, and our relationship to them.

When the sled was bogging down the other day, my horses were done. Or at least they wanted not to try. I just kept shoveling snow and giving them as much advantage as I could. Then I’d ask, and they would try. Once they got success, they would go for it. Then we got a rhythm. Pull for 50 feet, find a good place to stop, they resting while I shoveled, then pull again. You wouldn’t have thought they were the same horses of a few minutes before. By the time we have gone several hundred feet they knew what to expect and just fell into it. This is from the back of my lot… 1/2 mile, so I felt this was the best way…. it was going to take a lot of work either way. Luckily there is a good portion that is very steep downhill which gave them great advantage.

Good luck, and have fun, Carl

[Carl Russell]

I have a good set of leather lines, but got a set of Beta for logging, ’cause I thought they would take the wear better. I thought I would never like them, and planned on switching back and forth, but have been using this set ever since, going on 10 years. There are a few places where the coating has been stripped off, from chewing, or rubbing, but nothing serious. I like them and think they hold up really well, but if they don’t I have the leather to fall back on…..

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Dan and Mitch, I made such a set-up for a mower, and I was going to say that I think it would work great for a scoot.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Mark Cowdrey;24489 wrote:

The scoot sits a few inches lower?? Is that what makes it “less involved” to load? Or is it the binding once you have it loaded?

Thanks,
Mark

Yes:D

Lower bunk, stakes, less involved in binding the load. Logs are totally off the ground so it goes easier, so light loads more often….

Carl

[Carl Russell]

mink;24482 wrote:

is the reason that you use one bunk instead of the usual 2 bunks on a bob-sled just for the ease of turning around or backing up?

Yes:D

Maneuverability in general.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Yes, I have been swamped here. I will get a note out today. Thanks Geoff, Carl

[Carl Russell]

Phil, I started out with a single bobsled with shafts. I moved quite a bit of logs that first winter. It worked pretty well.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Does’ Leap;24454 wrote:

…. We rotate our horses in fairly small paddocks, this wouldn’t work in a large pasture….

I agree with everything George said, but just want to iterate that I do not have round pen, nor small paddocks, and I have used the same method for years in my large pastures. It takes more effort on the part of the human certainly to maintain domain over such a large area, but using the same premise I have informed my horses that when I come to the gate, they come to the gate.

When I had four, I found them a mile from home one day, grazing in a neighbor’s field without halters. Even though they were pretty jazzed about there freedom romp, I walked up to each one, haltered them, and led them back home.

Remember you don’t need to halter them to work with them. Your presence in the paddock, or around them at any time is your tool. Use it. Move them. Direct them. Ignore them. Reward them. All with your presence.

Certainly don’t keep trying to get the halter on him if he is rejecting you.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

A friend told me yesterday a quote from an old timer he used to work for. He said the old guy never wanted running water in the barn because “Cold is dry, and dry is warm”..

Carl

[Author]

Posts