Go Devil ( logging sled )

[Anonymous]

Tom how much would you estimate your go devil would weight? Ours might tip the scale at around 80 pounds or less. Much of the apeal of a go devil to me is that they can be man handled into position.

Tristan

[Baystatetom]

Tristan,
Mine is at least twice that heavy. I under stand the appeal of a lite one but was trying to make mine a bit more like a bobsled. I made it 4 feet wide with 4 foot runners. The V on the front of mine is also a lot heavier then your bent pipe. The pipe on yours may well be better but I gave my welder friend the chance to do what he thought was best and that’s what he came up with. I have found it easier to ground skid the logs a short distance to get to a good loading point then it is to get it right beside the log every time. Today I ground skidded a good sized log and then used the go devil on the next one. The go devil definitely made their job easier. I think in winter conditions I’ll be able to load two or three logs on it at a time.
~Tom

[Horrors]

hope you will do same things again 🙂

[harvey]

0N roughf Ground i find thatvel a big log Flips the sled over if it picks it off the ground,ok on the level ,works ok on small stuff guess im used to using grabs dont move stuf that far before using bob sleds .Runers are about4 feet with 3foot bunk anyone have this happen much.

[harvey]

0N roughf Ground i find thatvel a big log Flips the sled over if it picks it off the ground,ok on the level ,works ok on small stuff guess im used to using grabs dont move stuf that far before using bob sleds .Runers are about4 feet with 3foot bunk anyone have this happen much.

[Anonymous]

@harvey 33714 wrote:

0N roughf Ground i find thatvel a big log Flips the sled over if it picks it off the ground,ok on the level ,works ok on small stuff guess im used to using grabs dont move stuf that far before using bob sleds .Runers are about4 feet with 3foot bunk anyone have this happen much.

Yes it happens quite a bit if the horses are walking at a brisk pace. A couple things you can do are to stop the horse or oxen as the sled hits the rough patch, it helps to break the momentum, then ease them forward again. All so how you hook the load to the sled effects how stable they are. Our sleds have two ways they can be hooked. The chain can either be wrapped around the logs and hooked to it’s self or around the logs crossed over it’s self and hooked the bunk. A single log I perfer to hook the chain to it’s self some as a choker chain because the log tends to stay centered on the bunk better and multiple logs the chain hooked to the bunk. When the sled is tipping over only to one direction on a trail it’s possible to load the opposite side of the sled heavier. There are quite a few tricks to righting the sleds without unloading as well. If I get a chance in the next week or two I can make a video with some of the tricks and tip to useing Go Devils.

Tristan

[jac]

Tristans go devil goes international….. here is my humble attempt at a copy of Tristans go devil… I used what I had lying around.. 2an half inch pipe, 2″ box and a piece of 3″x1″half channel. I went for the loose ring version at the front and so far seems to pull to the v every time ..

[Lanny Collins]

Looks good!!!

[Baystatetom]

Jac, I like it nice job.
Harvey, I have bounced my off some pretty big rocks and ran over a few stumps without tipping it over, but have not had any sidehill use yet. Like I said though I am kind of thinking of mine like a bobsled. I just dropped the biggest tree I will have hooked to yet. I think I will try flipping the sled on its side binding on the log and pulling it over with the steers. By that point this afternoon I knew they were too wore out, so I figured I would do it first thing in the morning next time I get out there.
`Tom

[Anonymous]

Very well done Jac. I’m impressed with the pipe bending, not an easy thing to do. No kinks or bend marks. Do you must have a real pipe bender. One with proper dies and rollers?

I may try building one out of pipe I like the idea so much. If you get much snow and ice wouldn’t be a bad idea to well some flat shoes on the runners to help it track a bit better. The sled got thier name because they don’t track well to start with. Just kinda bounce thier way along finding the path of least resistance. I see you are binding your load to the sled. If the sled dose tip over with a load on the binder will be on the bottom.How will you release the binder.

Tristan

[jac]

Hi Tristan , Thank you….yea I share bought a pipe bender years ago and was money well spent… That is a good point on the binder.. how do you secure the load on your side of the puddle.? ………. John

[Baystatetom]

I could use a binder on mine but I also have a clevis on the bunk then a hole on the front V, so I just use a choker chain on the log, then through the clevis and hole in the V and up to the team. I have not lost one off it yet.
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/306677_2806087234395_1325088378_32040094_1252070423_n.jpg
~Tom

[Anonymous]

We hook ours as Tom describes only the chain goes trough the bunk and hooks behind. There is a hook on the back side of the bunk on one side so if, lets say you have a big load on and don’t want to reach all the way under the load to hook the chain to it’s self. Just fire the chain around the load grab it on the other side and slide the chain in the bunk hook. The reason it’s important that the load is hooked behind the bunk has to do with the sled being able to move and work freely under the load. Unlike a bob sled there is no travler to alow the load to move with out hindering the flexability of the sled. Because the wood is draging in the back its resting more on the back of the bunk. Having the chain going around the load as close to the point where the wood is bearing down on the bunk alows the sled and logs to move more indipendently of each other. May sound like fine details but we have been there done that and found that the details make a big difference. I’ll add a picture showing how the chain passes through the nose and bunk in a clean straight line with nothing to be caught on stumps or rocks. Well mabe I’ll add a picture later not having any luck right now. There are some on my FB page under Tools of My Trade.

Tristan

[jac]

Thanks guys… might have to burn that ring off the front of the bunk an move it to the back… or just throw the chain behind the bunk… will play around an see how it goes… John

[Baystatetom]

Pulled in my biggest log yet yesterday. A cherry 10′ long with a 18″ tip end. I flipped the go-devil on its side, chained the log to it, then up righted it with the team. I can’t believe how easy it was. Way easier then rolling it with a peavey. The steers worked hard pulling it in but got the job done. I give a lot of credit to that go devil, they might not have been able to ground skid that log.
~Tom

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