I am needing some good log chain! I will be using it to pull small stumps and good sized trees that I have cut down for fire wood. I have a JD550 dozer and just need a good chain or 2! Right now I have been using some old .401" chain and it breaks easy. Please help me and let me know what you guys use. Right now I am looking at some .5" 80 grade, and some 70 grade. What should I be paying for a good 20' chain? I am finding 80 grade for around $4.50 per foot and 70 grade for $3.80 per foot. Is this a good price and size for what I am doing?
If you have a logging supply place nearby you should be able to pick up some grade 70 3/8 choker chain. If not you can get it here http://www.baileysonline.com/ or here http://www.labonville.com/shop/pc/msg.asp?message=59 Was just noticing you said 20' why the heck do you need a 20' chain for? My chokers are about 7' long. On those rare occasions when not big enough I just double up. But if you are cutting timber that needs to be doubled up you need to be selling not cutting for firewood.
Thanks PSDF350! I need 20' chain for reaching down into the deep ditches to pull things out. I can't get my dozer down into these places without a lot of work and it is easer to just pull things out. I have been using some old .401" chain in a 25' length and would really like 30'. Some parts of the timber I'm working in are really hard to get to. Does anyone know wht size cable will be as strong as a good .5" log chain?
I think 5/8 inch is equivalent or better. I've got a piece of 5/8 or 3/4 (can't remember :Banghead ) I use in some of the crappy places I get occasionally. I've used it to pull everything from trucks to d6 size dozers out of bad places and the occasional log. If you are going to have some bad pulls over rock I'd use chain to "fish" them out and get a good cable choker. If rock isn't a problem go with the cable. As lengths get longer in rope, chain, or wire rope (cable) increase they all have a tedancy to stretch more than a shorter piece. cable seems to be able to spread the load more uniformly along it's length. I hope this will make as much sense to you as it does me. the proper words have escaped me.
Thanks Bear. I have 5/8" cable and just thought it may be too weak. Thanks for your help!:thumbsup
5/8 cable should be fine. Only thing I don't like about cable is that it bends then starts to break and reak havoc with my hands. You should be able to get chockers from either of those places the lenght you want. Even if you cant you can connect as many as you need to. Cant remember what there called though.
Heres another place. http://www.chappelltractor.com/index.php/Site/BB-Chain/BB-Chain-Main.html
Alex, check with a local dealer that carries skidders, forewarders, feller bunchers and stuff. Or call a local logging company. From experience your going to want to start with 5/8 or 3/4 cable, thats what the jd 350-450 skidders and dozers with winches.
From other sites i have visited I would suggest that you include a tyre or two on your wire rope. It will take the whip out of the rope should it break Opinion seems to suggest that wire rope is safer than chain for pulling with, but I haven't had the experience of breaking either to give a fair opinion. :drinkup
Put something heavy on the cable for sure. I forgot to mention this. I usually us an extra couple of calmps and a small piece of cable looped thru a heavy piec of steel. 10-20 lbs should work. the nice thing about this is the weights wil stay in one place during the pull. the downsid is they may get snagge on something. I saw a guy literally cut in half because there was not spacing between his wieghts they were both in the middle (slid there) and the cable snapped on the last quarter length to his tug. (I'll try and illustrate this sometime) I have broken chains in "live" loading situations (pulling, lifting etc) but have never had a cable part. I always err on the side of caution when rigging anything.
did you mean to say tire. i'm doing some pulling also and a tire on chain or cable does make sense.
:lmao :dizzy No I meant to say tyre, you say tire Yer we both know what we mean, round rubber things that keep the metal bits of your wheels off the ground :drinkup Take note on Bear's comment about the placing of them, they are ultimately to stop any whip from decapitating you if it breaks.
thanks..i was thinking of using smaller 7 foot logging chain for smaller pulling (logs and things i can get close to), and get some cable for heavier jobs and jobs that require a greater distance between dozer and object being pulled.
I believe 5/8 cable although a little hard to handle will be plenty strong.
a piece of 5/8" swedge cable, the breaking strength is over 40,000 lbs, or a choker made out of hercaloy chain ,which is over grade 100 chain. Don