self loading log scoot

[mitchmaine]

I’ve been thinking about this idea for almost 40 years. Must not be a very good one, cause I never did anything about it. But the idea has stayed pretty much the same for all that time. And now I’m pretty sure its never gonna happen on my watch so I thought I’d throw it out there, if any were interested or had a similar idea. Its pretty simple. A self-loading log scoot. A log scoot is fairly easy to load anyway, and the jig can’t be complicated at all or it doesn’t work. But heres how my idea goes. The logstakes on the bunks of the scoot are hinged at the bottom and when lowered become the loading ramps. You roll the log to or onto the stakes and roll a chain or cable from the ramp stakes under and over the log and back to the other stakes and with a comalong or winch combines to roll the log up the stakes while lifting the stakes and loading the log. Sound like a good idea??????? I’m still not sure, but there it is for any to try if you wish. mitch

[PhilG]

What about a “wire crane”- like in the sweedish logging thread- mounted in the front or back?

[jac]

Hi Mitch.. I was looking at that bale mover that Ixy put on has an extendable drawbar.. I wonder if an extending pole with the wire rope up the centre {steel pole} would work. Pull a pin, step the team forward tighening the rope, when the stakes are up back the team and repeat ??… best regards…
John

[Carl Russell]

Mitch, it is an interesting idea.

John Rhicard of Quebec made a log loader that he would set up stationary where he was twitching logs into the header. He would park the sled alongside. It included a base log, staked to the ground, and two arms that lay on the ground perpendicular to the sled.

The arms had “forks” that could slide up and down along, where pins could be set to fasten them at that height. Logs were rolled onto the arms, against the “forks”, and a cable attached to the top of the arms. Cable ran through pulley above sled, to pulley at ground level, and then to horse or team.

Animal pulled, lifted arms toward sled, they would come up vertical against the base log, forks level to where the log could be rolled off onto the sled.

I often thought a device like this could be attached to the side of the sled, doubling as stakes when the sled was loaded.

All-in-all, I have never come up against a log I couldn’t roll on by hand, or with the animals using a par-buckled chain, so like you I have never taken the time to design and build one.

Carl

[Ronnie Tucker]

being from tn and never had my hands on a scoot ithought it being low to the ground for easy loading was one of the befits of it .also simple and cheap to build was another advantage. it appears you dont ever go to high with your load.why would you want to tech it up.ronnie tucker tn logger

[mitchmaine]

Thanks for the great ideas. I thought they might be diconnected thoughts, but now I see them as one pretty good idea.
John, your idea about pulling with the team forwards is a great idea. Don’t know if you know, but carl will tell you when loading a big log with a team or single you have to unhook and put you horses out square away to the scoot ( off the trail in the brush) and pull the log on the scoot. It’s hard to drive horses and handle a peavey, but even if you can speak to your horses it’s a tough job. And if the log outweighs the scoot the whole mess can end up in the brushpile with the horses. So your idea started it working.
Then I saw carl and phils derrick or ginpole hanging over the scoot road and not part of the scoot (thanks ron), and eurica, I have a new idea for the self loading scoot.
You scoot up to the deck of logs twitched roadside, grab the tongs hooked to the set of blocks on the opposite side of the scoot, drop the neckyoke and hook the horses on and pull the log up and over the scoot dropping it in place on the load. Chain ‘er down, hook your horses and go. The scoot is still just a scoot with nothing added.
What do you think now? It’s your idea. Thanks mitch

[simon lenihan]

Mitch,
The swedish sledge is similar in principal to the log scoot and i am sure could be set up similar. The swedish sledge can be fitted with a wire crane or even a grapple loader and i can not see why the scoot could not be set up similar. I will see if i can find pictures.
simon lenihan

[Ronnie Tucker]

i know nothing about logging in snow. but you try to use a low place to place your scoot in for loading yes. you use some skids that help you load the log is this right. it is not that hard to roll it on byhand using a peavy. if it is big cross haul it or whatever you all call pulling on with your horse.this sounds simple to me. i understand trying to making the work less taxing if it was so easy they would not call it work and women and children would do it .carl you have photos show me how it is done.i may have failed to see something. hope your weather improves ronnie tucker tn logger

[mitchmaine]

thanks and yes to most of your observations on the scoot. its a simple tool for yarding logs longer distances to your wood yard. it doesn’t take too many loads to start thinking about efficiency, and yes i haven’t done anything about my ideas.
log brows are the typical method to load scoots but you should have some wood ahead of you before you put time and energy into something that doesn’t make you any money. log brows aren’t particularly mobil so you need a few depending on the size of the woodlot. you have to choose your spots wisely and sometimes you end up twitching wood away from the landing to the brow so you can load and go right back by the stump on your way to the yard. thats when you get thinking about alternative methods.

thanks simon, i’d sure like to see some photographs of your loader.

mitch

[Carl Russell]

Ronnie Tucker;24880 wrote:

i know nothing about logging in snow. but you try to use a low place to place your scoot in for loading yes. you use some skids that help you load the log is this right. it is not that hard to roll it on byhand using a peavy. if it is big cross haul it or whatever you all call pulling on with your horse.this sounds simple to me. i understand trying to making the work less taxing if it was so easy they would not call it work and women and children would do it .carl you have photos show me how it is done.i may have failed to see something. hope your weather improves ronnie tucker tn logger

I completely agree Ronnie. I think the beauty of the scoot is the simplicity. I have never found it difficult to find a good loading area.

This is just a demonstration of rolling on some big pine logs. The slope and the skids were sufficient to allow hand loading pretty easily.

It really doesn’t take that much to put on a preety good jag without much effort.

Many folks find the peavey to be a time consuming and physically difficult tool to use. I find it extremely effective, and much less expensive and time consuming than mechanisms.

I just share Mitch’s thoughts about designing some devise. It’s mostly a mental exercise.

Carl

[lancek]

What if you made some sort of a frame arrangement that would lift the logs as you pulled forward and then when you backed up it set it down on the sled

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