bucking on a grapple - crazy talk?

[Showmedata]

I have this theory, that if I can find a grapple similar to this one with long separated tines, I could pick up logs and saw them down to 16" lengths right on the grapple. That would save me one of the more difficult jobs of firewood harvesting, I think, which is getting long logs situated to safely buck them down.

Anyone tried this before? Have a reason to talk me out of it?

Thanks,
Ray

 

[jimh406]

Neil Messick did a YouTube video to show different ways you can increase the pressure of your hydraulic system to very high levels with an uneven load. I think the pressure would dramatically change as you buck the log. I think you'd be better off lifting with log tongs.

 

[hedgerow]

I process around fifteen full cord a year of firewood and buck all of it with the grapple on my skid loader. Usually doing it with two guys one in the skid loader and one running the chain saw. I wouldn't buck firewood any other way.

 

[Kurtee]

Works great. Done lots of logs with a similar grapple on a Bobcat 632. Takes 2 people to do it on a Bobcat but a tractor and loader could do with one. Just need to watch not to overload the loader.

 

[Showmedata]

Excellent - thanks for confirming my thoughts, folks. The challenge seems to be finding a grapple shaped like this that isn't too heavy for my LX3310. I'll keep hunting...

 

[woodman55]

I just use my pallet forks. I work from the ends inward and switch sides to keep it from tipping off one side or the other. The few in the middle I just cut 1/2 or 3/4 way through then let it fall on the pile and finish it there. You just have to make sure you don't nick the steel.

 

[i7win7]

I thought about it, decided a homemade bucking table would be cheaper than 2nd grapple. Big plus is I don't have to strain a beer belly picking 16" logs off the ground

Processing Firewood the Professional Redneck Way

This will be a long assembly post with many photos, you may want to bookmark it and read on a rainy day. You will need a root grapple to lift logs, A miter saw to cut multiple 4x4's and 2x8's to size, plus other wood working tools most home owners all ready have. Let's start...

www.orangetractortalks.com

 

[rc51stierhoff]

As long as you can see your bar in front and behind the log it should be fine. If you can’t see the metal compared to your bar might get your teeth rattled…as long as you have good visibility it should be fine until it isn’t. But you have that risk with a saw and forks or a bucket with manure tines on to hold the log up. I’ve mainly done that with forks or manure tines. To me the advantage of the grapple would be to hold the log a little better…somtimes they want to rock a little. I’ve been using a log rack for cutting which has helped me….less chance to hit steel with the chain and consistant cuts.

 

[Showmedata]

I thought about it, decided a homemade bucking table would be cheaper than 2nd grapple. Big plus is I don't have to strain a beer belly picking 16" logs off the ground

Processing Firewood the Professional Redneck Way

This will be a long assembly post with many photos, you may want to bookmark it and read on a rainy day. You will need a root grapple to lift logs, A miter saw to cut multiple 4x4's and 2x8's to size, plus other wood working tools most home owners all ready have. Let's start...

www.orangetractortalks.com

i7win7 I read that thread last week. Very clever! I don't have the ground space for such a beast. I have a very hilly mountain property with very limited flat land, so I generally want to buck them down and stack the short logs out where they were felled.

 

[NCL4701]

I just use my pallet forks. I work from the ends inward and switch sides to keep it from tipping off one side or the other. The few in the middle I just cut 1/2 or 3/4 way through then let it fall on the pile and finish it there. You just have to make sure you don't nick the steel.

I do the same with a grapple. Lift in middle and alternate ends now and then so it doesn’t get way out of balance.

 

[mcmxi]

I do the same with a grapple. Lift in middle and alternate ends now and then so it doesn’t get way out of balance.

Me too. I've used a tractor and grapple to process logs for the past six years. Even with the grapple I find processing firewood to be hard work.

 

[ajschnitzelbank]

I got this one to buck with, because it’s narrow. Haven’t tried it yet to report back. This video is one of the things that convinced me:

 

[Showmedata]

Me too. I've used a tractor and grapple to process logs for the past six years. Even with the grapple I find processing firewood to be hard work.

It sure is. But as long as my 65yo, 130# female neighbor is still chainsawing all her firewood and splitting it with a maul, there's no way I can not do it myself! I'd have to put my Man Card right in with the kindling.

 

[mikester]

Chainsawing between the tines is a great way to accidentally bugger your chain. I mostly cut on the overhangs

 

[mcmxi]

It sure is. But as long as my 65yo, 130# female neighbor is still chainsawing all her firewood and splitting it with a maul, there's no way I can not do it myself! I'd have to put my Man Card right in with the kindling.

Ha! Ha! That's a good point!

I find splitting wood to be the enjoyable part, it's everything else that's a pain. I go through five to seven cords (split) during the winter so finally got around to buying a used a Oregon 22 ton wood splitter a couple of months ago. Now if I can just find a way to stop the Stihl saws from leaking bar oil all over the place.

 

[top gnome]

I thought about it, decided a homemade bucking table would be cheaper than 2nd grapple. Big plus is I don't have to strain a beer belly picking 16" logs off the ground

Processing Firewood the Professional Redneck Way

This will be a long assembly post with many photos, you may want to bookmark it and read on a rainy day. You will need a root grapple to lift logs, A miter saw to cut multiple 4x4's and 2x8's to size, plus other wood working tools most home owners all ready have. Let's start...

www.orangetractortalks.com

Not sure about that have you priced lumber lately

 

[William1]

I do not cut a lot of trees down now, really only when the weather makes the first move by making a tree fall or old age kills one off.
I've used a chain on the bucket or BH to lift a trunk up to buck it some. I'll move the chain and cut some more, always leaving most of the weight on the ground. Then when it gets small (under 10') I'll take a log and lay it on the ground, the trunk on top and cut away, using the log on the ground as a 'feeder roller' until I am at the final 3'. Then I make my last cut across the log on 'roller' to keep my chain out of the dirt.
The idea of holding the whole truck up in the air and cutting one and and then the other seems like a lot of walking and I'd never try to cut between the tines of a grapple, too much room for disappointing errors.

 

[Old_Paint]

It sure is. But as long as my 65yo, 130# female neighbor is still chainsawing all her firewood and splitting it with a maul, there's no way I can not do it myself! I'd have to put my Man Card right in with the kindling.

I giggled when I read that. Almost spit coffee on the screen.

 

[bikerdib]

Like others, I have used my grapple and just cut from both ends then drop the remainder on the ground and make the last 2 cuts. But, since getting a hydraulic thumb for my backhoe, I can grab a pretty large log with the backhoe and do similar, cutting from each end till there is the last piece in the BH's grip. Unfortunately, I learned an expensive lesson by not paying enough attention about where the bucket teeth are and ruined a chain. The teeth stick out wider than the actual bucket and were hidden by the log.

 

[olekid]

I just use my pallet forks. I work from the ends inward and switch sides to keep it from tipping off one side or the other. The few in the middle I just cut 1/2 or 3/4 way through then let it fall on the pile and finish it there. You just have to make sure you don't nick the steel.

Greetings, I also cut the firewood off pallet forks, I measured and welded a 2x2 trailer receiver vertically between the forks and I made a fork T shaped, slide it up into the receiver, pit a pin to hold it there. That way I can cut all the pieces 16 inch and I don't have to bend over to cut any. I also put a 6x6x4 on each fork to keep the log away from the steel, I just screwed the 6x6's to a piece of 2x4 and bungy cord it to the back of the forks. Works great for me.