Equipment for the single mule

[Rod]

I am trying to figure out the most efficient equipment to bring in 3 to 4′ cord wood for my wood furnace using my single mule. Weight is an important consideration as is the ability to ride the load and carry saws etc. Jenny weighs 1200-1300 lbs.
One thought was a light weight forecart with a wagon behind but adding the extra forecart weight reduces the load which can be pulled and the wagon would need to be light weight. John Plowden’s cart is nice but no seat and it’s built for longer wood lengths.
I am curious what others are using to bring in firewood with single horses/mules and am not adverse to building something if I need to.

[Andy Carson]

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.

[Tim Harrigan]

Rod, I bring in a lot of firewood in 12 ft lengths on an 8 ft stoneboat. I can roll 2 or 3 logs up and run a choker chain through the hole on the head of the stoneboat and around the log ends and choker holds the logs tight when pulling and keeps the logs off the ground in back. The forecart is a very minor component of draft, probably equivalent to 3-5% of the weight of the forecart and rider. Negligible for all practical purposes. So I suggest a forecart and a stoneboat or low riding sled.

[mitchmaine]

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]

All Good ideas which stimulate some more questions:

What would have more drag a stone boat or sled runners?

I like the sled/wagon combination idea a lot, tight turn radius, self braking yet easier to pull than a stright sled or boat, need to think on that one a bit. Are you talking about bobs in the front? Someone one here made some bobs I think, need to get into the archives.

[mitchmaine]

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.

[Tim Harrigan]

Rod;20405 wrote:

What would have more drag a stone boat or sled runners?

On hard ground the sled and stoneboat will have about the same draft. As you get into soft or muddy ground the sled will start to cut in but the stoneboat with the larger contact surface will have better flotation so less drag. The stoneboat will have more side-shift across a hillside and in snow, but that can be controlled a bit with chain brakes. Easier to load a stoneboat that lays flat on the ground.

[Andy Carson]

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.

[Tim Harrigan]

There is something to be said for keeping it simple. It helps to be nimble when ground skidding logs though.

[Rod]

I am working on a simple solution based on what I have available which is a 10′ Log scoot. The idea is to add a small standing platform with a head board (rail) and a removable seat at the rear of the platform. The seat is one we use on the hay wagon and it has a 2″ square tube pedestal which fits a 2″ receiver in the wagon bed so I will be adding a 2″ receiver to the front bunk for this attachment. Also a couple of more bunks will be added in the back.
The platform design is kind of tricky because the two skid rails on the log scoot move independently so the platform needs to move also which means it will only be attached at one end and slide over the support on the other end.
These modifications are relativity simple and will not add much weight. They will provide a place to carry my saw and tool box as well as stand or sit on at least part of the ride. Then we will see how much my mule is able or willing to pull. I will post some photos when I get to that point.
Thanks for the ideas and input, it’s been very helpful.

[mitchmaine]

hey rod, another idea, that may not work for you, but i’ll throw it out anyway, is with log scoots, we used to put a pulp rack on them. nothing more than two poles lengthwise over the bunks with stake pockets on the ends to hold four foot wood. can’t imagine your one mule could get too far with much of a load, but i don’t want to underestimate her without meeting. anyway good luck and keep us posted. mitch

[Jim Ostergard]

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]

@Jim Ostergard 20444 wrote:

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

Hi Jim

I have seen that photo in the past but will look at it more closely now that you explain it. Do you pull the 1/2 cord with a single or a team?

My scoot has steel shoes and it tows real nice and easy. I don’t know how much load my mule can handle but am I am hoping at least a 1/4 cord or more. Most of my haul is flat or down hill to the wood shed. For that reason the sled/scoot appeals to me because of the need to hold the load back with a wheeled cart. That is what I liked about the previous suggestion using a set of bobs in front and wheels in back but I already have the scoot so thought I would modify it a little and give it a try. The scoot is about 38″ inside between runners so that I can pile 4′ wood cross ways like Mitchmaine suggests or pull out 8′ pieces and cut to length at the woodshed.

[Jim Ostergard]

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

[Rod]

How is this for light and simple, it’s a Norwegian type harness. Reminds me of what the American Indians used to use to transport their stuff.

[Author]

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