# Grapple trailer & firewood



## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

I can't remember when I acquired the trailer, but I'm gonna guess at least 20 years ago! Paid around $7,500 used. Built the 3 point grapple about 30 years ago. We have 1 grapple for the 3 point booms, but 2 booms, 1 is cat 1 and the other is cat 2 and built much stouter! I threw in a couple of pictures of splitting 3' long by 3' diameter sugar maple!


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Very impressive Dave.

Regards, Mike


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

All very nice. Looks handy and stout. Do you have more pics of the splitter?


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

1st & 3rd photos show the splitter. It is an American mfgd in NY, and is driven by a Prince 23GPM PTO pump. It is a 4' stroke x 4" bore cylinder. The 2nd photo shows an adapter we made to push the valve back to neutral when the cylinder has retracted 3'4", as we normally process at 3' for our OWB. 4th picture shows a stick coming through the 4 way wedge that slips over the single wedge.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

How much wood do you cut in a year? How much for personal firewood? All else? Lumber? Great looking equipment.


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

We typically burn 15 full cords, more or less, per year. I do not do my own chopping. We are part of the American Tree Farm System, and use a professional forester & logger for our harvests. They do a section each 2 years, and buy the stumpage, both softwood and hardwood. we have them harvest our firewood at the same time, and they leave it about 20' long and piled. We work it up from there. Any excess firewood from the harvest, they purchase. I'll throw in a couple of photos of what they leave for us. Also, a couple of other ways I move wood. 4th photo shows how I haul wood home from the Hollis farm. 5th & 6th pictures are how I move long wood short distances when the grapple trailer isn't around. I load and unload with the loader & forks.


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

Very nice setup!


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

Impressive all the way around.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Really impressed Dave, beautiful area...is everything selective cut when harvested?

Regards, Mike


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Tell me about your 3 point logging winch. I bought a homemade one. I went to use it one time and tore the 3/8 cable trying to pull a big oak log. Do you have any problem with your winch? Any pointers? Maybe use a snatch block to double up the cable?


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Dave, I take it that you burn that wood in an outdoor boiler?


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

Mike & Mike,
We practice sustainable forestry, so we do not "clear cut", rather, we take only enough to allow the remaining trees to grow better.
The winch pictured is a small Farmi. About the only time I've broken cable has been due to wear! I haven't used a snatch block to double pull, as I very seldom come across a situation single line won't handle. The Farmi has 5/16" cable on it. The Kubota, small 3 point boom and Farmi winch were my FIL's, and he willed them to our older son upon his passing, so they are gone! I do have a Norse model 3081 3 point PTO winch with 3/8" cable that gets occasional use. It's stronger and heavier than the Farmi. When doing a hard pull the winch clutch will generally slip before the cable breaks or the tractor stalls.
The pictures show my 3 point grapple on my 5610, my Norse winch on Brother's 5000, Eastern White Pine logs from a salvage operation at the Hollis farm & the area being salvaged. we lost over 1/2 the stand to blow down! Fortunately, it was only a couple of acres.


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

NDVA,
Yes, we have an OWB, and it has started it's 15th heating season!
Thought I'd throw in a pic of what keeps us comfortable when the power is off!


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

We had a 10 or 12k farmi winch for a few years, great machine. Would stand the 6500 lb tractor right up in the air though if you got a bit aggressive on the top pulley. Loved the self-release snatch block, worth every penny.

Have a 9k hydraulic winch I've been meaning to put on the rear blade to replace it.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Thanks for sharing.


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

Logging operation Fall 2012


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

How many acres of woodland do you have?

My parents got their place logged the other year. SOme of those truck drivers are pretty amazing, or crazy. We have a tight farm lane. They got semi's out though it. Had to get a certain company that had trailers that the rear tandom could slide way up to shorten the wheelbase. At the very end of the property is a huge hill. They made a landing at the top. The trucks went up the hill loaded and came down fully loaded. I would have thought the weight would have broke tractor and the whole thing would have slide down the hill. They got it done somehow...


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

Hauling firewood up from lower landing & bucking prior to splitting.
I've gotta do a better job of filing my photos! I've spent hours finding these!


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

130 acres (+/-) in managed forest, and most of that is protected by a conservation easement.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Yeah,130 acres will keep you busy. We have 40-50 acres of woodland and that keeps me busy. Sell about 15 cord a year out of that woods and I still never get all the down wood cleaned up..


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Today was a good day to split some wood. I am trying out my new storage method:



























Nothing special. Free pallet with 2 2x4s lag bolted on each side. Top is some plastic decking (free). Makes stacking easier than my old lincoln log way. I plan to move each firewood pallet onto another pallet. Next year take the forks and move to my step door which opens right next to my indoor racks. Should save a bit of handling. Previously I stacked on pallets but then loaded bucket to bring to house. This being first year of owning pallet forks I am looking to use them to make life easier.

What do the rest of you do to minimize handling of firewood?


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

Moose, I've been thinking about something similar for my 3' wood for the OWB. 

Just haven't quite gotten a round tuit yet!  

One of those racks might last 2 days, if it wasn't real cold!


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

I should get 2 to 3 weeks out of one if not too cold. And full of oak.


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

In cold weather, 32 down to 0, I will blow through 3/4ths of a full cord in about 5 days!  

Of course, we're heating about 3,500 sq ft of poorly insulated old New England farm house, and Linda likes it around 75° in the house! 

Trailer on right holds 3/4th cord of 3' wood when full to top of stakes.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Deadmoose- Did your splitter come with the 4 way splitting wings, or did you add them? I have virtually the same splitter but never saw one with the wings on it..


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

PaMike said:


> Deadmoose- Did your splitter come with the 4 way splitting wings, or did you add them? I have virtually the same splitter but never saw one with the wings on it..


I just bought it. Had it less than a month now. Works great. Do need to "modify" the log stripper though. If you leave it on auto return it hits the stripper. Even trying not to I hit it a few times.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00A1Y8V1K/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1422237931&sr=8-1&dpPl=1&dpID=41Yy9RgiEuL&ref=plSrch

The reviews said it would work. When I first got it I was worried a tad. I had to pound it on and it was tight. But after a little use it slips right on and off.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

oh, didnt realize it was a slip on deal. You dont have the same splitter do you? That just happens to fit on yours? Yours is either an MTD or troybuilt? My splitter looks the same as yours just has different fenders..


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

I have a 4-way for our American 4' horizontal also! It slips on over the single wedge, and the wings are a little off center. If we put it on one side up it makes smaller pieces, and flipped over it makes larger pieces. With the wood I'm splitting, I seldom use it.

Moose,

After a closer look, it appears that your wings are off center also! Can yours be flipped over?


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Mine is an MTD. You could tap holes in your current wedge and bolt on. So far slip on works good. Nice when something is a bit gnarly. If only working straight grained wood maybe better bolted on? So far this works great for me.

Now i just need a trailer and grapple like above....


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