Ronnie Tucker’s operation (Pics/Disc. Mules, Jerk line, loading logs w parbuckle)

[Scott G]

Pics from Ronnie’s operation in TN

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=334453&id=175693628452&fbid=10150152136543453#!/album.php?aid=334453&id=175693628452

Don’t know if you have to be a member of FB to see these or not. If people have issues not being able to see them one of us can copy them over.

Ronnie has it figured out pre-bunching with a single to a 15-20T wagon gear (my guess), parbuckling the logs on, and then heading down the trail.

The epitome of an efficient & sucessful operation with a minimum amount of gear.

And how about running that mule with a jerk line…:)

Thx to the folks from Draftwood for posting these.

Ronnie jumps on here every once in a while. Maybe he can elaborate a bit when he logs on next time.

[Ira]

I’m curious if the wagon was built to haul logs or was it modified. It is an older gear cuz it doesn’t have a drop tongue?

[J-L]

Looks good. I’ll bet those are some of the nicest mules around. I’d love to go down and give him a hand. I have some good and well broke mules but looks to me like I could learn a bunch from that man.
Good way to forward logs it looks to me like. No need for an expensive tractor or forwarder.
I’m sure you could use about any wagon. I use a couple of the newer wagons and just mount wood tongues on them. One is a John Deere and one is a newer Kory (sp?) made wagon. One is a 3 ton and one is a 5 ton.
Thanks for putting that up Scott.

[mink]

thats one hell of a load of wood he managed to get up there. i could see myself trying that , id be like oh no ….oh no….get the hell out of the way:p

[Ronnie Tucker]

the orginal wagon was wood . the wagon was called a 5t wagon.maybe means 5 ton .it was made by the owensboro wagon company of ky.the axles are really stout made. ihave never heard of one being bent or broken.all wagons in our country were stiff tongue.auto steering is latter day.thewagon has a circle iron it is able to turn much shorter than a auto steer.we always use stay chains which take care of a lot of the tongue whip.the tongue chains are not tight accept to turn.all broke mules are broke to work with one line .it is not hard to teach.i drive 4 muleswith one line as well.if i can get the photos posted i drove 14 mules once with one line.it was not for work just to try it. ronnie tucker

[Ira]

Thanks for the info on the wagon. I’ve seen one similar and was wondering how hard they were to find.

[Ronnie Tucker]

i had it built myself. most wagons that look smiliar to this will work but they are not stout enough to last long.i like wood better but it is outside all the time so it is steel. ronnie tucker

[Ronnie Tucker]

those logs were 10 and 12 ft white oak .i did not measure that load but i did a like load i estimate the load pictured at least 450 ft. you need to haul 300ft at least.the biggest single log i ever hauled on the wagon that i scaled was 500ft it was a long poplar . i did not snake it i just pulled up beside it and loaded it. ronnie

[Ronnie Tucker]

ira you being from mo you should know about a wagon named mo mule.this wagon is like a owensboro rubber tired wagon but the axles are not hardly as strong.this wagon would be my second choice of manafactured wagons. ronnie tucker

[Carl Russell]

mink;25369 wrote:

thats one hell of a load of wood he managed to get up there. i could see myself trying that , id be like oh no ….oh no….get the hell out of the way:p

Mink, ask Ronnie if he has ever had one slide off sideways, or roll over the other side….. You have to start somewhere, and practice.

I used an old 1949 GMC 3ton flatbed, and would load 1-1500 bf on there, all with a parbuckle. Once you get the hang of it, it can work well, but there is a learning curve to everything.

The best part is that it is inexpensive, and it works.

Carl

[Does’ Leap]

@Ronnie Tucker 25373 wrote:

the wagon has a circle iron it is able to turn much shorter than a auto steer.we always use stay chains which take care of a lot of the tongue whip.the tongue chains are not tight accept to turn.all broke mules are broke to work with one line .it is not hard to teach. ronnie tucker

Ronnie:

Those are some impressive pictures. I don’t understand the difference between a “circle iron” and auto steer. In auto steer, is the pole attached to the front axle and steers it as the pole moves? What is a circle iron? What is “tongue whip”? How about “tongue chains”? Lastly what is the advantage to working a mule/horse with one line and how does it work? Sorry for all the questions.

George

[Ronnie Tucker]

a wagon with a circle iron lets the front axle turn back under to the coupling pole.it can not actually be called a fifth wheel wagon because it has a coupling pole.hear in tn we do call the circle iron a fifth wheel .a auto steering wagon is just like it sounds the axle never moves only the wheels cut around just like a automobile.tongue whip comes on rough ground with a drop tongue you use a neckyoke it will shove back and forth against thecollars as the wheels bump holes or stumps. on a stiff tongue wagon you have two chains on the end of the tongue one goes to each mule it hooks to your breast chain on your hames.these tongue chains are loose except when turning.on each side of the axle next to the wheel is a hook this where your stay chain attaches this chain goes to the double tree the team pulls on these chains which cuts down on the tongue whip.why use two lines when one works better. i can hold my line in one hand and my snaking tongs in the other.after i hook to the log iseldom hold the line the mule will go to the wagon.i use one line when ever i can with 2 or 4 or 6 .i use check lines to the wagon. yes i have to reload a log now and then but i have a method to help keep that from happening.if anyone wants to talk to me call 731 336 5185 i can talk better than i can type ronnie tucker

[jac]

Over here in the UK circle irons or 5th wheel is the way wagons are built.. except some of the old 3/4 lock English farm wagons which had a king pin thru the turntable and this rubbed on irons.. most of the wagons of this style were used on steeper land.. the full lock turntable can be unstable if the load is more to one side and the wagon is at full lock.. it effectivly becomes a 3 wheeler…Auto steer never made it over here in the horse era..
John

[J-L]

I use mostly auto steer wagons on the ranch. Nearly every day. When going through rough ground they don’t hurt the necks. I run a fairly long feed trail daily and over the frozen cow turds, rocks, and ditches. It can do a lot of jolting and jiggling, never sored a neck with a neck yoke. Ronnie is right that they don’t quite turn as sharp, but mine will turn to the edge of the bed.
With the one fifth wheel I have you can see how it could make something sore in real rough going with a neck yoke on it. I take this on a trip into the mountains in some rough ground but it’s only about 5 miles in and not enough to hurt anyone.

[Ronnie Tucker]

i to use auto steer wagons to haul hay.they are better suited for wide frames. in the woods a auto steer would be unhandy at best.some might refer to the wagons i use as road wagons.the bed is usually 4ft between the bolster stakes.auto steering wagons started to be used after ww1.the implement people called them trailer wagons.they offered them with combinationtongues for use with tractors as well.i have two ih wagons made around ww2 that have the holes in the tongue for a hammer strap.long after jd forsake horse stuff their wagons still had the hammer strap holes on their tongues.i was the first one in my neck of the woods to use a auto steer wagon with horse stock that i knew anything about . ronnie tucker

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