I made a wheel cart for my canoe a long time ago. (I hate long portages) I got a threaded rod that would fit into the hubs of a couple of wheelbarrow type tires. I got two 2x4s (could use any 2x stock) and ripped a groove in each one about the size of the radius of the threaded rod. I sandwiched the rod between the 2x4s and bolted it together. I laid a couple more 2x4s at a 90 degree angle to the threaded rod and screwed those into the sandwiched 2x4s. With a stronger threaded rod this kind of thing would work pretty good, I bet.

 

Nice, Great idea.
I'm going to build one for my canoe at the cabin.

 

I forgot to mention that I used bungees to loop over the canoe from the threaded rod axle. A strap would probably be better suited for logs.

 

The primary use of my quad (Cat 500i) is moving firewood. Hauled a lot of it in the six years I've had the Cat. It's a great setup, goes places a truck won't go, and doesn't tear the ground up. Some things I've learned in the process...

If the ground is rough, get a trailer with fat tires that don't hang up on rocks. I destroyed one of those inexpensive metal trailers with the skinny tires in about three months. Bought a fat tired trailer that the Cat dealer gave me a nice price, and have been using it for five years. The plastic tub finally came apart last spring after hauling heaven knows how many loads of cut oak over a rough trail. Looked at the logging trailers but when I saw the price, I figured that a sheet of 1" outdoor plywood and treated 2x4's to build a new bed was a lot cheaper.

Only reason I split the logs in the field is if they're too big to lift. Otherwise, it's just more hard work you can put off until later. A timberjack is priceless for keeping the saw away from rocks, I have an old wood handled one that has withstood a lot of abuse.

Get a saw press! It's the only way to carry a saw on the quad. I have a Koplin press that bolts to the rear rack. After a few years, the plastic thumbwheels fell apart, so I carry a 5/8 end wrench to tighten and loosen the press. Sure wish someone would make a saw press with a quick release, unbolting and lifting the saw out gets old after a while. Got half a mind to design one myself. Wonder if something like that would sell?

A few years ago in the last bad ice storm, we lost power for a week, and my wood supply was just about gone. Just had five grand worth of plumbing work done on the house, and I wasn't going to let that freeze for anything. For that week, the only thing that stood between me and a whopping plumber's bill was my Cat 500, my Husky 272XP saw, and two Buck wood stoves. Fortunately, I had left three downed trees unsawed on the back of the farm, and could go cut fresh wood. That setup paid for itself that week.

 

I first got my woodstove because of an ice storm that ripped through the Northeast in the late 90s. It left me without power or heat for almost exactly 2 days. It got really cold, but between a Coleman stove and lantern I was able to keep it above freezing. I now heat with the woodstove with the oil burner for backup. It's saved us thousands by this point with maybe 1/3 the cost of oil that I would have otherwise burned.

 

we use wooden sleds with teflon runners in the winter they are easy to haul no tongue weight on level groung you can unhitch the sled and pull it by hand it slides that easy. My current 2 sets were made for the 200m so they are a bit narrow for the lager 4x4 we have now my next set will be 8-10" wider.

sleds

 

My dad used to drive a team of horses pulling sleds like that only bigger when they cut down trees to put in a railroad a LONG time ago before they had machines to do it. Sleds have worked for centuries but I didn't know you could still get them. That's cool. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

Those sleds look very useful. Can you order them? Where from?
Nice picture!

 

thanks guys, Did you check out the pics on the right in the link they show the sleds in detail.
the set behind the kodiak my father and I made about 15yrs ago for the 200m trike when they got a bit worn we bought the other set from a local guy who makes them. People around here have been using sleds for 100+ years with horses but since the introduction of the Elan snowmobiles then Atv's people adapted to the machines for towing.

rancher55, I guess you could order from here but the shipping will be high they weigh about 40-50lbs each lol. I have modified my sled since the photos instead of the round upright sticks to keep the wood on i made some angle iron uprights with a piece across the bunk the wood sticks to the metal and doesn't shift when turning now.

I also have a homemade trailer from 3" channel steel with 2 14" car wheels. I find the trailer to put alot of weight on the quad and it bounces digs in the snow and bog more doesn't follow as good as the sleds.

 

I recently was given an old beat up single axle utility trailer that after seeing some of the photos of a logging arch or fetching arch at Baileys.com I might give a try. My car hood worked great but, my neighbor noticed his hood missing! so now I need a new toy (towing device). Don't worry he didnot care too much, it was his old wife's old car!

If I get the loggin arch going I will try to post some pictures and a parts list. Seems pretty basic.

Swampy