Home-Built ATV Log Skidder

Home-Built ATV Log Skidder ATV'S ATV'S 28-3-29 Douglas Rowalt, Langley, Wash., cuts firewood in an area where the woods are so thick he can't get in with a pickup. He wanted something smaller and more maneuverable, so he made a "log lifter-skidder" for his ATV. "I've seen photos of commercial log skidders for ATV's that sell for $2,000 or more. I spent only about $15 to build mine," says Rowalt. He used 4-in. dia. aluminum tubing to fashion the arch. A 12-volt winch mounts on the frame to lift the logs. Cable from the winch goes up through a pulley on top of the arch and down to a choker that wraps around the log. The winch is powered by a battery that mounts on back of the ATV. The log lifter-skidder rides on a set of 13-in. tires off a Volkswagen Rabbit. He reversed the centers of the rims, then welded them back on so the tires clear the frame. The wheels are 4 ft. apart. Rowalt says he can drag logs up to 10 ft. long. "It works slick. I can use it to haul pairs of 2-ft. dia., 3-ft. long logs at a time," says Rowalt. "The winch is rated at 4,000 lbs. so lifting power isn't a problem. The only limitation is when hauling big logs up a steep slope, the front end of the ATV will raise off the ground. If I want, I can mount 300 or 400 lbs. of weights on front of the ATV to solve the problem. "Since the photo was taken I've remounted the battery on the arch. That way I can unhitch the log skidder without having to take the battery off the ATV." Rowalt paid $10 to have the aluminum conduit bent into a half circle. "The rest of the material I was able to scrounge up for free," he notes. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Douglas Rowalt, 5995 Pioneer Park Place, Langley, Wash. 98260 (ph 360 321-8710).

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