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January 20th, 2020 by Brett R. McLeod Winter 2019

Tricks of the Trade: The Homemade Skidding Cone

Tricks of the Trade: The Homemade Skidding Cone
Step One. Photos by Brett R. McLeod.

In the last issue we looked at a few handy devices for smallscale, low-impact logging, including the skidding cone. One alternative to the commercially available skidding cone is a homemade skidding cone that’s fashioned from a repurposed plastic barrel. The cone reduces friction, which reduces the horsepower needed to pull the log by allowing it to more easily glide over the forest floor, minimizing disturbance to the soil. Additionally, the cone reduces the potential for residual stand damage in the event that it contacts crop trees during the skidding operation. The cone is ideal for ground-skidding with draft power, an ATV, or an old tractor that doesn’t have a hydraulic lift to get the end of the log off the ground. In about 10 minutes you can make your own skidding cone.

Step One: Find a plastic barrel that’s proportionally suited to the size of timber you’re looking to skid. For firewood, a 25-gallon barrel is ideal; for small sawlogs like the one used in this article (about 10-inch diameter at the small end) we opted for a 35- gallon barrel that was used for commercial cooking oil.

Tricks of the Trade: The Homemade Skidding Cone
Step Two

Step Two: Use a marker to outline a U-shaped opening on the side of the barrel and a two-inch hole in the bottom of the barrel. If your barrel has a top, you’ll want to remove that as well.

Tricks of the Trade: The Homemade Skidding Cone
Step Three

Step Three: Use an angle grinder with a cutting wheel to cut out the marked U-shaped opening. Be sure to wear face, ear, and hand protection. Cut the two-inch hole using a standard hole saw. Step four: Your skidding cone is now ready to use. Place your choker chain diagonally across the bottom of the skidding cone and roll the log partially into the cone and set your choker. The end of the chain that’s going to your horse/ATV/tractor is threaded through the hole on the front of the barrel. 2 Step five: Begin skidding the log, which will be pulled to the front of the cone as soon as you move forward. If you’ve been skidding without a cone, you’ll notice the reduced friction and diminished disturbance to the forest floor. Happy low-impact skidding!

by Brett R. McLeod

Brett R. McLeod is an associate professor of forestry and natural resources at Paul Smith’s College and the author of The Woodland Homestead: How to Make Your Land More Productive and Live More Self-Sufficiently in the Woods (Storey Publishing, 2015).

© 2019 by the author; this article may not be copied or reproduced without the author's consent.

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Discussion *

“
Jun 19, 2023

Glad I came across this. I live in the deep woods and do a lot of firewood and logging for heat.

Ron Pieroni
“
Apr 20, 2020

Given the blunt front of a barrel, would it make sense to have the choker chain exit from the bottom of the log and through a hole at the bottom of the barrel end?
Would this not put a little extra upwards force helping it skid over roots and other obstacles a little more easily?

Gary
“
Mar 28, 2020

Just made a skidding cone out of a barrel as well but did some cutting to give it a better angle to slide over roots and such.

vince

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