Equipment for the single mule

My single is bigger (maybe 1700 lbs), but I mostly use a sled. If the logs are large in diameter, I just cut them up so I can get them on the sled by hand. I have also used a simple chain to drag longer thinner wood that might be a pain to cut up wher it lays. I am certainly no logging expert, but this system works for me and is cheap.

hey rod, i,ve done tim’s method. works great. the nose of the stoneboat becomes a go-devil, or a tool for skidding around here. it doesn’t have to be long, just under the wood to keep them from digging in.
another thing you might try, requires more building, is a wood cart. two truck front ends turned up, with planks bolted into the spring mounts to carry the wood. weld the rear set straight and let you front work with the tie rods to steer. attach shafts and you can move half a cord easy. i have one set up for a team and it moves alot of wood.
i pinned a two wheel pulp trailer into a front sled similar to carls sled and loaded the cart with a cord and two feet and could move it easily with two horses. just enough drag on the sled to hold back the load if you needed it.
lots o’ ways to skin a cat.

mitch

rod, it was just one set of sleds, like carl bunks out his long wood on. i set the drawbar of the wood trailer on the bunk and dropped a 12″pin down through it. i have an old picture of it somewhere but you can imagine it easy enough. i had the sleds and the pulp trailer, but it was dry ground and i lost a shoe on my scoot so it was a quick and easy fix. usefull only with four foot wood though.

One of the things that has always bothered me about working a single in a forecart is that the singletree attachment is (at least on mine) so high. On a hard pull, the imaginary line from the single tree to a low hitch point in the back wants to straighten out, which pushes the shaft ends down in front. My horse hasn’t really complained about it, but I don’t like how it looks. Kinda pushing against herself… I toyed with the idea of moving the single tree down (or making the height adjustable) but didn’t end up doing it. My thought is that even if the singletree attachment point is low, you won’t get that lift in the front of the sled or log like if the forecart wasn’t there. I put a little thought into making or buying an attachement to make my forecart act as a logging arch (which gives you the lift again), but don’t move enough wood to justify it. I find it alot easier to either ride on the sled or walk. I especially like walking with longer lines because everything is in front of me to keep an eye on. In all honesty, my forecart hasn’t been used in months… Just one opinion, everyone has thier own preferances.

Rod,
I have a small scoot (a little over 8′) On my bunks I have stake holders and I use it for four foot wood. Have had a half cord on it but usually go a bit lighter if the wood is heavy. I also cut a piece of plywood to lay well over the bunks, fore and aft and a bit over the stake holders on the sides. Built stake body sides and ends for it and have used it to haul numerous saws, peaveys, chains and all manner of gear into the woods. Nice warm up for the horse if its a half mile or so. All pretty much made from scrap.
I think there is a picture of me throwing junked up wood into it the the photo gallery. I use so little wood to heat the house that I fit it in my woods and they haul it with the sided scoot and chuck in into the wood shed. Saves a step or so.
Good luck. Jim

Rod,
I use a single horse on the small scoot. Built it just for that. An old adage for working in the woods, “go light, go often.” So I don’t feel compelled to set any records for load.
Jim