[Donn Hewes]

Hi Carl, Thanks for all the discussion. Like you, I like to keep all my ground skidding simple. Bigger logs definitely benifit from the use of arches and other methods to reduce drag and impact. I really tried this just to see how the DAPNet hook increased these types of possibilities. I would not normally have that second chain in hand either.

Having said that it went on quick and easy and functioned just like a cradle hitch would. I have had mixed results with tongs. I think my lack of experience with them, plus some factors based on tree species, and age (bark!), and perhaps tong quality have all made me not want to work on that specific tool.

I first learned of the cradle hitch while skidding a few logs with Jason Rutledge that were so big (3 feet plus) that even with the arch there is a big benefit using this simple hitch. With the arch there is almost always an extra chain, and at lest one might have a grab hook. Usually one end of a longer chain. For an arch I use the one I made for snow and it really isn’t very tall. I don’t think an arch really needs to be so tall if you just know how to use the cradle hitch on a few logs that are bigger than your average.

I posted here partly to talk about the hook, but also just to see if folks were familiar with this handy hitch. Combined with short heel chains it really does a good job of lifting logs.

Usually for ground skidding I take a single chain with a slip hook and a poker on the other end. But I could work with a single chain with a grab hook on one end and a slip hook on the other, and I could use a cradle hitch whenever I felt like it just by using that other end as my second chain.

The funnest thing I am doing right now is taking the two year old mule out in the woods and getting her to pull her first logs. Yesterday I was working with a beginnning teamster and the beginning mule. The hook played it’s part perfectly. great fun.

Two quick observations from another week with the hook. First, the handle and the ability to pick it up or hook a chain are all I wanted them to be. Second, I am really happy with the quality of these hooks, but if you bend that one let me know, as I will send you a 2.0. They might be even stronger on the handle. Talk to you soon, Donn

[Donn Hewes]

George, Sounds to me like you need a DAPNet Hook!

[Donn Hewes]

Finally got to spend some quality time with the hooks. Here is my report. They are awesome. We had a workshop of 15 beginning teamsters here this past weekend and we use four hooks with singles and a team all weekend. I own Four! the prototype, 2 originals, and the only DAPNET Hook 2.0. While I think these are super useful around the farm, I think there best attribute is picking them up. It is so important to me that beginning teamsters learn to walk on the ground and drive and this tool helps them do that.

As with any new thing there are some slight improvements that could be made. The hook slot could be slightly deeper, (I didn’t find this, but it has been reported to me by others), and the slots might face directly forward, changing their angle slightly. That would help with hooking a second chain with out dropping the first. I also think with a little practice a technique would help with hooking a second chain.

Anyway, just wanted to alert folk to the new lower price of $45 that have will have this weekend at the Annual Gathering. Or just email me and I can send you one. Today I plan to hook a couple of bigger logs that are in my way. I will try using two chains and a cradle hitch; something usually done with a cart or arch.

[Donn Hewes]

Mark, I think there will be plenty of food. Come on down!

[Donn Hewes]

New low price for fall. $3000 OBO

[Donn Hewes]

Not sure what the question here is. Are you asking about which to keep for clearing land? Donn

[Donn Hewes]

Hi George, Don’t get me wrong as I have never discouraged someone from using a trope. What I wanted to suggest was a balance between looking for ways to prevent each possible thing from happening, and a realization of how important it is to know what to do when something happens. It is skill and a quick, quiet response that leaves you in control of the animals. This is critical and can be hard to teach. I try to use every minor thing to demonstrate to beginning teamsters what they would need to do to regain control of their animals in a variety of situations. With out this I have seen them sit on the cart and marvel as lines get stuck, or what ever.

I have broken every piece of hitch equipment and harness we have talked about. Now I think I have greatly reduced these events by just what you started with. Recognition and maintenance of what was worn out. But I am also using so many carts, eveners, yokes and tongues, I am sure there is one out there right now that should be replaced soon. In breaking those things I have never felt a need for a butt rope to aid me in keeping animals under control. I think of the butt rope as helping the horses stay parallel. That is really different from a horse that jumps from a tongue that busts going down a hill. There is no easy solution to a team getting hit by something coming from behind them. Quick action to steer and stop would be your best chance. First best would be to prevent those things from breaking.

Again, nothing against butt ropes at all. I will use one for a few days in training a green animal. I encourage others to use them if they help them. They just aren’t a big safety tool for me. Time to go trim some feet. talk to you soon, Donn

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Mark, One of the first things I thought of was a butt rope when George mentioned that. While I don’t use one regularly it sure seems funny that the fair would be against them. As Doc Hammill suggests you really need a butt rope that goes all the way around the horses from hames to hames, otherwise if you just take a short strap and connect the britchens together the horse may well have just pulled it’s harness off.

I don’t regularly use them, as I find working without them it is simply a matter of training the horses to move over without it. I would rather do that in the beginning than use the butt strap forever. While they aren’t a huge inconvenience they also don’t prepare horses for working in hitches of three, four or eight.

For me they have limited use as a safety tool because the only real hazard they prevent usually occurs while they are not hooked to anything and can be easily managed with teamster training. When horses begin to spread apart folks must understand that asking them to stop is not good enough. The act of moving forward will realign them for you, and trying to stand still or backing will just allow the spreading to continue.

Occasionally I will put one on a youngster if I am spending so much effort getting it to move over, that I can’t teach it anything else. Usually by working single long enough before going into a team, I can start most youngsters without it. Having said all that I have nothing against them. They can certainly be a useful tool and I will encourage folks to use them if it helps them stay on the right track.

When fairs make choices like that, they are not really focused on the long range goal of having folks successfully working these animals on new farms and forests.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi George, The more I thought about it the more I can see how that would happen. I am glad it didn’t turn into a worse event. Folks often focus on how to prevent something from happening; turning inside out, a line breaks, and evener brakes, there are lots of ways to for our teams to get tangled or out of our hands. While working to prevent it from happening is important (like maintaining our eveners!) It is equally important to know how to handle these situations when they arise; because they will even with the best prevention. A quick quite move to the horses heads is what keeps us in control when the lines are no longer working. Congrats to Kristan for keeping it a non event.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi George, Thanks for that reminder. I have broken a few of those pins myself. I was not sure why you said there was no control with the lines, but the animals will certainly jump. Braking a wooden neck yoke, or tongue can be just as interesting. The worst thing about the pins is “out of sight – out of mind”. recently I have been buying evener for other mowers from master equipment. They are really nice folded steel (not heavy logging) and affordable. I think I have used about four on my own equipment this year!

[Donn Hewes]

There are many different kinds of plugs with different causes. Sometimes a mower is just barely plugged (often caused while stopping in the hay – something to avoid). This can sometimes be unplugged by taking a few steps back and starting with the cutter bar up and dropping it as things get going. Remember leaving a big pile of cut hay in front of you is just asking the mower to plug again before you get started. If the mower is really plugged it won’t go any where in gear, and driving in a circle out of gear won’t really unplug it either. In this case you need to KICK IT OUT OF GEAR! and get off and unplug it with your hands (still don’t put fingers between teeth. This is were I get particular. I don’t want to get off to unclear a plug and then plug again before I get going. Make sure you don’t put piles of hay that you pull off in your own way. Don’t throw it in the path of the next mower, and don’t leave it in front of your mower. Finally i go around to the pitman side and give it a few revs by hand to make sure it is truly cleared. That way when I get back in the seat I know it is ready to mow.

On the other hand, it is surprising how much more you can unplug with really good wheels. I have use this method more with my rebuilt wheels. That is where the backing up and going forward comes in. Remember this is stressing the rest of the system to clear the mower. I found a weak ball clamp this year by doing this. It started popping off. I could break the pitman with enough traction.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Geoff, The outer shoe can also be adjusted by sliding the bolt up and down in it’s slot. Just don’t make it so low that it risks falling out. I personally like to mow high for several reasons. I think it saves the mower in rocky ground or rough ground. First cutting regrows well even if we miss out on rain; and I use the same setting for clipping. I use the third hole on the inner shoe, and set my outer shoe in the upper hole and slide it near the bottom of the slot. Just how I do it. D

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Jelmer, How is it going? Hope to see you this week. That is a fascinating mower. I didn’t know there was a #10 in Europe. It looks like a combination a #7 and a #9. #9 have the drive pawls in the wheel hubs and this mower doesn’t appear to have that. it looks like a lot of re manufacturing to set up the double knives. I will be very interested to see how that works. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

I sharpen the haybine guards just as Mark described. They are hardened steel and shouldn’t need that often, Once or twice a year? Also I use just a few light strokes with each side, just don’t want to heat them up. Mowing is getting interesting now. I still feel the last area of the mower that could stand any improvement is the grass board. I have a new idea in mind and hope to go out and work on one today.

[Donn Hewes]

Carl, have ever though about seeing someone for these “dreams” you been having? I am just kidding of course. While I am often out of bed around 5, I have no desire to get up earlier! I really like what you wrote about thinking broadly about horses contribute to our system and our work. This can lead to ideas that satisfy the needs of the whole.

I think many of us have these bottle necks. Sometimes it is the manure management, sometimes it is the nightly turn out, sometimes it is just which horses want to be in a paddock with which other horses. Horse and mule power is integral to what we do here, and that leads to many creative solutions (new and old) that strengthen our system rather than weaken it.

[Author]

Posts