Self-Loading Log Trailer

Self-Loading Log Trailer WOODLOT EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 31-1-40 Getting logs out of the woods is an easy job for James Goetsch of Merrill, Wis., who built a tandem axle walking beam, self-loading log trailer. "It's built somewhat similar to big commercial self-loading log trailers for professional loggers, but on a smaller scale. It can handle logs up to 30 ft. long," says Goetsch. "I use my Ford 8N tractor to pull it so I can travel on logging roads only 6 ft. wide." The trailer measures 6 ft. long by 52 in. wide and has 30-in. high steel sides that double as toolboxes. The wooden sides on top are just for looks. Logs are loaded onto the trailer by a 1,000-lb. electric winch that mounts on a metal pole on front of the trailer and operates off a 12-volt battery. A cable extends from the winch through a tackle block, which mounts on a metal A-frame on back of the trailer. He used 4-in. channel iron to build the trailer frame and schedule 40 pipe to build the A-frame, which fits into sockets at both rear corners of the trailer. The A-frame is reinforced by steel bars that extend diagonally toward the front part of the trailer. The rear part of the trailer is protected by a 4-in. channel iron bumper and a pair of fenders made from 10-ga. steel. The wheels and spindles are off an old Buick car. The car's axles were cut down and welded together with 2 by 6 rectangular steel tubing, with a length of pipe inside the tubing forming a pivot point. "It makes handling wood so much easier because I can haul whole logs home, instead of having to cut them up in the woods," says Goetsch. "The tandem axle design results in a smooth ride with very little bouncing. The winch has 25 ft. of cable, which allows me to park on a road and drag trees out of the woods for loading. To unload logs, I just hook a chain from the log around an anchor and then drive away." Three loops are welded onto an A-frame, one at the center and one on each side, allowing Goetsch to load logs on either side of the trailer. Each loop can support loads over 1,000 lbs. "I've hauled up to nine logs at a time on the trailer," says Goetsch. "One time I used three tackle blocks to load a log that weighed 2,700 lbs. Last spring I used a double tackle block to winch a 30-ft. long hard maple log onto the trailer. He says he's willing to provide blueprints for the trailer if there's enough interest. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, James Goetsch, 8011 Meadow Dr., Merrill, Wis. 54452 (ph 715 675-4203).

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