Made-It-Myself 4-WD Log Skidder

Made-It-Myself 4-WD Log Skidder WOODLOT EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 28-3-18 "I've always wanted a Timberjack or Clark log skidder but could never afford one," Alvin Wallace says. "So I built my own." The Blyth, Ontario, man had previous experience since he had already built three articulated tractors. He built his new 4-WD log skidder entirely from scratch. "I went to the steelyard and bought 4 by 6-in. square tubing and plate steel to build the frame. Then I put a 292 GM truck engine in it and bought an old army truck so I could use the transfer case and winch. I also bought a couple of old 2-ton truck rear ends and cut the wheels out so I could put on tractor wheels." Wallace says he also made the articulated steering himself using two hydraulic cylinders. Two more cylinders work the front blade. "My son and I burn about 35 cords a year of firewood in our furnaces, so we buy a lot of Maple tops (what's left after sawmills buy the logs). The log skidder gets a lot of use for that," he says. "We also use it in the turkey barn with a blade to push litter out when cleaning." The rig took one winter to build, and cost Wallace about $2,500. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Alvin Wallace, R.R. 2, Blyth, Ontario, Canada N0M IH0 (ph 519 523-9268).

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