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Posted by: gunnerm
I have a Big Bear SE with a winch and a plow. If you want to use the plow to push anything (other than snow) around you will find that one of the biggest problems is keeping the plow down. The plow will ride up every time you encounter any type of rolling resistance as there is nothing to hold it down (you also have to be carful due to the fact that it can only go so high on the push bar/roller before it starts to bend/break things at the top of its travels).
I have tried to move both gravel and dirt ... with little or no success. You need to have a 3-point hitch type arrangement or you could try piling on cinder blocks on the push arms (not very good, but better than nothing) to hold the blade down. I would imagine that trying to push logs over any kind of uneven ground is not going to work.
I have been doing a ton of "logging" the past few weekends and have had more success in using the choker/drag method. This is a great method if you can get a "helper" at each end of the operation. One to hook your load up and the other to disengage it at the "landing".
If no helpers are available, you will definitely learn to "grab as many at a time" as possible to cut down on on/off climbs.
Good luck and let us know how/if the plow method works out.
Chow for now.
Posted by: gunnerm
No, the plow is not held down in any way.
When you have a winch to operate the plow the winch cable is run through a pulley attached to the plow push tubes and in turn is then anchored (usually on a "J" hook) to the front of the bike at about the same level as the winch (the higher you mount this ancher, the higher you can raise the plow (about 8-12 inches) ... until the push tubes can no longer clear the framework of the bike of course).
When you operate the winch, the cable is "pulled" through the pulley and this causes the plow to either be raised/lowered. There is no physical "thing" that holds the plow down other than gravity. If you retrieve the winch cable too far, you end up straightening (if you are lucky!!) the hook that it is attached on to the front of the bike. I have replaced several of these and have finally modified it so that it will take a lot to straighten it out ... but it will still release/straighten if over extended so you don't tear up/destroy any winch parts etc. When you are plowing snow there is not very much resistance and when you reach the end of your run you can actually push the snow up a considerable height because of the way the plow runs up (I've had snow that I have plowed up in banks that were over 4-5 feet high).
The other problem you will run into is that the plow is designed to "release" utilizing the springs on the back of the plow if you come into contact with something (curbs/uneven driveways etc.). In this case the whole plow blade tips forward and the plow is then disengaged (almost parallel with the ground). This will happen a lot when you try and push anything there is a lot of "rolling resistance" in such as dirt/logs/stones. This is why you would have to overcome both of these tendencies before you would be able to utilize the plow like a dozer blade.
If you get a chance to see a plow mounted with a winch you will see how "flimsy" it really is.
Good luck and let us know the results.
Chow for now.
Posted by: gunnerm
If you (or anyone you have access to) was any good at "fabricating" you would probably be able to come up with a system where you could run a "support" off of the plow back to a frame anchor point on the ATV.
This would have to be similar to the 3-point hitch (which braces the implement) from riding up.
You would really need to see how the plow is attached to the bike and then you could try and work around it.
Another problem that you would have is that if you are "plowing" any surface that has "serious dips" in it the plow is actually suspended in the air by the winch cable itself. As the surface drops lower than the actual amount of line you have out on the winch, the plow is held in the air, thus losing contact with the ground. Many times it will also "dig" into the ground, causing the trip feature to kick in and then you are back to square one. You can overcome this somewhat by leaving some slack in the winch line, but again you will be limited to the travel of only an 1" or 2 as where the push tubes "pivot" on the foot pegs on the bike will not allow much travel in the "wrong" (down) position. I don't need to tell you that if you are "plowing" over a logged area that you are going to have serious hills/mounds/depressions to travel over.
If you simply want a plow for moving snow ... GO FOR IT!! there is nothing that will move snow as good (other than a 4x4 pickup). I do a lot of my neighbours driveways just because of the fact that you shouldn't be allowed to have such "FUN", ramming into snowbanks and stuff. After every heavy snowfall that we get I can see the neighbours looking out their windows to see if that "crazy guy in camo" is out doing his driveway. Suddenly you are the toast of the neighbourhood and usually don't have to buy beer for a good while. One thing it does great is removing that $%#$^#$ pile that the plow leaves at the end of your driveway. A buddy of mine just bought a 2001 Kodiak and more than paid for his plow ($500 CDN) by driving around with his ATV in the back of his truck and approaching people who looked like they were about to die from shoveling snow and asking them if they wanted to pay him to do it. He now has "contracts" with many people who in turn tell their neighbours ... not a bad gig if you are off during the day.
I hope that I haven't totally discouraged you ... but there is not much use in buying a plow unless it is used mainly for snow removal.
Chow for now.
Posted by: gunnerm
Check out the "Hunting/Farming/Outdoors" forum above as we have had several topics relating to the different types of implements that are avaiable for ATV use.
I don't know if there is a search feature you can use, but there were several sites (Moose, some Farmsomethingorother??) that guys had listed. There was a thread fairly recently (last couple of months) on special tools used on ATVs for logging (including pictures of skidder cones and stuff). Check it out and see if there is anything there.
Also try posting there and see what responses you get.
Chow for now.
Posted by: cowboy
I think a plow would work great for the brush, smaller sticks, branches and such-similar to a dozer of sorts I guess you could say. I'm getting one myself for that very reason-along with pushing snow in winter. For moving large logs though, I just hook a choker chain and cable to them, tow them whereever I want. Sure it takes a little more work than just "pushing" them around-you do have to get on and off the machine to rig up the chain/cable but it works very well. That's actually my main use for my 'Cat-moving timber.
Best of luck to ya,
Mike
Posted by: cowboy
Yeah, I know what you mean. A lot of the work I'm doing up there over the summer is in 100+ degree temps-man it gets hot! And, getting on and off all the time is almost as much work as anything else in that heat. I think with the plow for rolling the larger logs, the winch would be the best way to do it. You could just drop it to a certain level-a few inches off the ground, then just leave it there. I would think it would move large logs (roll them) just fine-though they'd have to be cut fairly short in length. Well, not necessarily short, but not the entire tree either. In my area there is so much timber that you'd be hard pressed to find an area big enough to roll a log longer than 10-12 feet or so.
One thing I do is after I clear a lot of the brush and stuff, I'll limb the trees or fallen timber, then cut them into 10' lengths and make small bundles of them-anywhere up to 10 sections or so, depending on diameter. Then, I just hook up to each "bundle" and drag them out to where ever I need them. Of course, I haul the timber back to the house to make log furniture out of, so you may want to use longer sections. 10' is the length of my trailer bed, so I just cut them that length so they all fit without hanging over.
Anyway, Best of Luck with the work, hope that plow idea works-like I said, I'm planning on trying that very thing!
Mike
Posted by: damguy
Hey Downeast,
Sound like you're asking alought of a quad to clean up after a timberjack. You better watch those tires for punctures and the ball joint and cv joint boots too. They rip easy on the slash at a landing. If you want a snowplow, there is one in Want Ad this week for a honda for two hundread. It's in Hampstead New Hampshire and the guys e-mail is: jmwhite@mediaone.net. I've been plowing for three years now with a quad and with the right tires it's a blast. But the plows are somewhat light duty. They trip with a pair of springs and will lift right up on round objects like logs. My 5' plow only weighs 120 lbs. They're only made for pushing soft materials like snow, sand, gravel. If I were you I'd save up and get someone with a dozer for a day or start dragging and stacking bud.
Posted by: Rubidude
Use the right tool for the job!!! Man, my shop teacher used to drill those words into my head. My point is...an ATV may be able to handle the jobs you have listed, but it isn't the best machine for the job. For the money you're going to pay for a blade, you may be better off to just rent yourself a small utility tractor. You'd be surprised how much easier a tractor with a front end loader will handle those logs and brush. Heck, you can probably even get a blade for the back. Just a suggestion.
Posted by: downeast
Looking to "clear" a logged over area with a Foreman 400. Need to shove, push logs of varied sizes --about 6" dia to 14" -- into burn piles. Any ideas?
Would a snow plow work?
Thx
Posted by: downeast
Thx for the tips!!! I wanted to avoid grappling logs up to about 10" or slightly larger. The blade would have to be a few inches above the ground I guess for it to work. And yes, the plow could used for snow. We did have along snowy season from Oct thru April. Now it's hot with mozzies....the real reson to avoid getting on and off the Honda to rig a hook and chain.
Downeast
Posted by: downeast
Had a Timberjack harvester do the big stuff. Lot's of stuff to move for burn piles or for firewood--not much hardwood here. Fir and spruce mostly with paper birch and few red maples. It all grew in "doghair spruce" --real thick and worthless--since the land went from open fields to overgrown.
We're trying to make big burn piles for the late Fall as well as get in our winter fuel by next month to dry.
Thx again. I'll keep in touch about how the plow works.
Feel free to send direct email.
aaron
Posted by: downeast
Well, the plow pushing does sound simple. Will it really ride "up" over logs? Isn't the plow fixed in position for snow?
Much Thx.
Posted by: downeast
You've blown the plowing log balloon....Well it sounded good.
But why can't the plow be rigged so it's fixed somehow rather than 'hanging' from a winch? Springs? Brackets?
Still hoping to use the ATV for some clearing. Your appraoch does sound more real.
Thx.
Posted by: downeast
THX !!!
How about welding up a fixed grid work of HD piping onto the front? Bolt it on for shoving logs etc... Still trying. Must be someone who has done this the right way?
See ya.
Posted by: tractorman
ATV snow plows aren't built that heavy duty to push big logs with, beside when it's mounted to the 4-wheeler you lose alot of ground clearance which would make it tough going in the woods. I burned a bunch of brush last year and did use my plow to push the burning pile in so it would all burn, it worked ok for that. I have a trailer that I built for behing my Sportsman that will carry more wood than I should pull with the ATV it has sides and can carry a 5-6 foot log, so I cut a bunch up with the chain saw and pile it all on. For brush I just stack it up until I can't get any more on and tie it down. Take a look at www.novajack.com and www.norwoodindustries.com for some ideas on how to log with your atv. Look at the logging arches, that is the way to get logs out of the woods. Anyway you look at it the atv is limited in ability but definantly can be a useful tool, I use mine for planting seedlings, log skidding, snowplowing, hunting, etc. Hope this helps, other than that I would drop the idea of pushing around logs with a snow plow, that will only break things.
