100% user error. You were coming at it from the wrong angle. You have to pull in-line before pulling at an angle. I like my log tongs and use them quite freqently. Michael

@Back40Firewood

2 жыл бұрын

Exactly....at the time I didn't realize that pulling back was what was pulling them off. Now after reading comments and seeing it I definitely had the wrong angle and placement maybe should've been more at the end of the log. I'll maybe give em another try at some point. 😀👍🍻

@sethsevaroth

2 жыл бұрын

This is how you should have hooked them, long ways across the face of the log, not around the log kzread.info/dash/bejne/o51qmsyYh6u-mLA.html

@harryellingsworth8302

2 жыл бұрын

We have 3 sets of Log Tongs which we use and have it set up so you don't have to get off the Tractor, shifty needs to be shown how, and he would use them all the time.

This video explains why you should give a product some benefit of doubt when you read bad reviews. Sometimes people just don’t know how to use a product or tool....they leave a bad review. Go get those tongs back, use them correctly and you will LOVE them! Great job on the video work and nice tractor.

Definitely user error with the tongs I have a pair, I have a hook on each side of the bucket I can get up to a log let the bucket down and get the tongs hooked up to the log and lift it up and take it to wherever I need to put it all without ever getting off the tractor, but it I do have to get off to unhook them, they are great once you learn how to use them, I know they are the kind just for skidding, but I don't lift anything real big and heavy and I definitely don't go anywhere under the wood I just lift it up just enough to keep it up out of the dirt

Tongs are great when used properly. You have to pull in a straight line with the tong to get the scissors effect to work. You were pulling them down first which naturally pulled them off because there was no squeeze yet.

Pretty bold saying something that’s been around since 1878 a gimmick.. I always used them for lifting, not dragging.

Pull forward until your lifting point is over the log at the pickup point, shorten the chain, lift straight up to get a good bite, then pull. Also helps to have a swamper (helper) when using them.

@Back40Firewood

2 жыл бұрын

Yep I was not properly putting them to use....wrong angle and placement I think. Needed to be in closer to lift up first like you said....that would've worked better. Thanks for the feedback...😀👍🍻

@haroldphipps3457

2 жыл бұрын

@Back 40 Firewood like Jim said, a swamper is helpful. The amazing Amanda would catch right on. Make sure she uses the correct PPE. Gloves, and gray yoga pants.

I've used grapples for about 30 years now and I love them. Like other subscribers have said, I also lift the grapple up to "set the hooks" one might say. It also helps to sharpen the points if their dull. If I have room between the standing trees, I'll leave the logs 30 or 40 feet long and pull them out into the field and then cut them into shorter logs that my tractor loader can pick up. That saves time and energy going back and forth multiple times thru the woods. I then pick the logs up with a single grapple mounted to front bucket for bucking. I have a grab hook welded on the top center lip on the bucket. I line straight on with the heavy end of the log far enough on the log so when I pick up the log, the log is supported by the full depth of the underside of the bucket. I have a chain about 3 feet long attached to my grapple. Once the bucket is laying flat on the log, I drop the grapple over the log and then pull the chain up tight and drop a link thru the grab hook. I probably could have done a little better job of typing the last paragraph but I'm tired of typing. John

@mikebelcher6692

8 ай бұрын

Mine won’t dig in easy, any special points on sharpening? Top/bottom angled? Thx

The log tongs are made to pick straight up not pulled on that's how the grip gets tighter. I've seen videos on them.

I have both the single and double log tong. The single allows me to pull a tree out of a hillside, where-as the double gives me more grip to lift so I can prop the tree up to buck up. For the real heavy rounds, the double tong is used to set rounds on splitter (opposite side of round lift) As Clement states, I lift first to dig in the points, then I start dragging.

Dan, Dan, Dan,😂😂 don’t blame the long tongs. They are primarily used to lift straight up not sideways. The other issue might be if those are Timber Tough the tips aren’t sharp enough to bite into wood. My Logright tongs are a really good set, next time I stop by I’ll bring them and we’ll try out.

@Back40Firewood

2 жыл бұрын

Hahahaha...yeah after watching the video I realized I didn't have the right angle AND that I should've had them more at the end of the log. Oh well...this is how I learn...lol...I'll give em another try at some point.

@haroldphipps3457

2 жыл бұрын

@@Back40Firewood hey shifty, invite him to bring his tongs to the firewood frenzy! June is coming fast!

I just bought a 32" set And I use it to pull logs out of the beach access ramp near my home. Great success with them! Is important to not pull sideways on them you need to pull in line. It also helps a lot if you just tap each of the hooks into the wood with your foot or a small mallet before attempting a pull with a machine. I like to give a little sharp tug initially to set those hooks with a pull of my machine before starting the rest of the dragging process, but you must pull inline, not sideways. It also helps if you can position the points into a hollow or any place where hooking or setting the hooks would be improved. I got about a half a dozen two foot diameter logs dragged out of the beach access in about a half hour. Great tool!

Good morning Dan, when your working Tongs by yourself, a hammer to set it helps, and you have raise the loader before backing up to keep the line of pull aligned, Take Care and Stay Safe 🪵🚜👍🏼🇺🇸

Operator error. If hooking back that far on the log, you need to lift, not drag. To drag, hook on the end of the log.

Aggggggggh! You scared me there for a minute with that picture. Whatever you do don"t mistake those log tongs for ear phones. LOL Shalom/gw

Man, you love your forks. With the amount of wood you have to work through, a grapple would be a no-brainer for me. But what am I fussing about, I do not have that much firewood to plough through. Thanks for keeping it real and not being afraid to show your brain farts in your videos. That approach is great and makes you very likeable.

Yea what they said. User error. Used them for years. Built an angle iron arch for the 3 point hitch, hung the tongs from that. Back over a log, drop the tong over the log, raise the 3 point, drive off. Weight is on the rear tires. Pulled out some big logs.

I have a set and that brand specifically. It needs sharper points so I filed better points and they bite much better. And like some of the guys mentioned set the points with a hammer or as I do the butt of my pack ax. Also if your pulling off at an angle before setting the points like you were in the beginning they come off very easy I was doing that at first and was getting very frustrated myself till fixed the issues I listed above. Great video man.

I have used them with good success on a boom pole on the three point. No loader on old 9n. Pick up first then pull out.

I bought one with double tongs that will grab a 30 inch log. Took the auger off of the hole digging. Hung the tongs. It will move logs lots bigger than my tractor will lift.

They work best when you lift up so it can pinch in together

Yes, Operator error.

Dan, get a Hammer and tap the Grapple in. You may also need to go lower on the log and then pull up !😆👍👍

Along with previous comments, considering cost, not everyone can afford grapple buckets, forklifts ect. anyone with a cutting torch 'or hacksaw' can make their own tongs. Just need to know how to use them.

Sharpen the tips, lift the tongs straight up to set them then pull. They work mint. If you grab the log out on the end, they won’t rip out at easily when pulling.

@Back40Firewood

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah I had them placed too far up the log and didn't lift 1st....realized that when editing the video...lol 👍😀🍻

Hey Dan! Someone may have already pointed this out, but you need to use a hammer to set the points of the tongs into the wood before pulling. I know you are already aware of the need to change the angle of the pull.

@nicholascooper1193

2 жыл бұрын

snaked hundreds of logs with tongs, never used a hammer...

@jefferycherrysr6568

2 жыл бұрын

I use these log tong all the time lifting telephone poles and they work great, I have never used a hammer to set the tongs

@bigbluegpr

2 жыл бұрын

@@jefferycherrysr6568 I made the comment about the hammer because the points on his tongs don't seem to be as sharp as some that I have seen.

@rockycreekfarms5788

Жыл бұрын

My Tongs work great, try lifting straight up until the tongs bite the log good. No need to hammer them most of the time but it does help in really hard dead logs like hickory or Black gum

I use the same tongs to load logs on my saw mill, they are made for lifting and not pulling

@Back40Firewood

2 жыл бұрын

That's where my thinking was off...also I had wrong angle and not really on the end of the log. But, had to give em a try and now I know...hahahaha 😀👍🍻

I have only skidded logs with my 4wd Toyota pickups over the last 30 years and probably only a few hundred. I'v never used log tongs, I have always gotten it done with just a chain, maybe a chain chocker and a 6 foot digging/tamping bar. If the log is on dirt it's usually not too hard to get the chain underneath. When I can't get the chain under I force the bar under and lift the end of log if it's not too big. If it's too big to lift I bust a small trench underneath the log with the bar and push the chain through.

They are designed to grab with the chain parallel to the hooks. Pull up the tractor all the way to the log with the chain hanging down to the hooks. Pick up the forks and the log and backup.

My thinking was the same as yours Dan with the tongs but after reading the comments and watching the video the comments make sense you were pulling sideways Before biting in thus pulling them off the log I would give them another try sometime

@Back40Firewood

2 жыл бұрын

Yep, I realized what I had done wrong when I was putting the video together, and all the comments confirm...lol...user error! Hahaha 👍😀🍻

You 're not watching enough Tractorman44 videos. Tongs work great with a boom pole on the 3pt hitch.

Hi Dan, I have the same tongs. Lift the forks and put tension on them before trying to pull. Sharpening them also helps as does tapping them into the wood with a hammer. Another useful trick is to back the draw bar over the end of the log and set the lifting tongs further up the log. If the log isn't too long/heavy you can lift and carry it without skidding through the dirt, which keeps the chain from dulling. Good luck, buddy. Shalom/gw PS Isn't it a wonderful thing to be blessed with so many friends who are trying to help you out?

Great work.!!! Log tongs aside looked like a fun day in the woods. !!! Hope you have a great Friday .!!!!

Hey Wood Hound! Thanks for showing us an honest review! I’ve never used tongs like those either. I just use a chain too. A log jack comes in handy to aide getting a chain on sometimes. I wonder if you would have lifted/pulled straight on the log and not at an angle if it would have worked better? Now I do use hand held log tongs, fiskars brand, to move rounds to the splitter. Highly recommend those! I feel it saves my back and hands. Also the gloves seem to last a little longer. Thanks again Dan. Be cool!

Dan maybe you should have the amazing Amanda do it. They are not a gimmick, you are going about it all wrong. The ones you are using are on the small size for the timber you are pulling. Shorten your chain way down so you pick the log straight up before you start pulling. I use them all the time ( larger ones) and they work flawless. Pete

LOL! Good morning buddy. You need to lift straight up first - position your chain on the forks directly overhead and then pull directly up (perpendicular) first and then begin to drive backwards. But enjoyed the video - so funny each time it flopped off....:)) Kind of reminds me of a Bugs Bunny cartoon.. :0 Give it another try! Call it Take 2!

@Back40Firewood

2 жыл бұрын

Yep I should've applied the main rule in life...Ya gotta get it up before you can do anything with it...lol. Definitely had wrong angle and pulling back first didn't help. After watching the footage I realized what I was doing so yes....all user error on this one...hahaha 😀👍🍻

@m9ovich785

2 жыл бұрын

Good one Gord....

I use my tongs on my 3 point hitch so I can lift up first and then pull. They are very handy 👍👍

It took you long enough to chuck it to the side/ you have to lift then pull/ have a GREAT day 👍

A tried and true tool that has been in use for centuries is not a gimmick! People frequently remind me that you should be smarter than your tool.

Have to lift up vertically first to set them, then go in reverse. Or if you have someone else holding them, you can hook right to the end of the log

Lift up they grab when pulled, I hang mine from bucket and drop on log and lift without getting off tractor. I use a small rope tied to one leg of tongs to open tongs from seat position , then grab and go. to release ease tension and pull rope and detach

LIFT, then pull!! Splitzilla uses tongs constantly, LIFT my friend LIFT!!!!

I love how a man is not ashamed to show the world how poorly his father taught him to use tools.

I think the big thing is to pull straight, that and tie it close so you can pick up the front of the log. Looks like a lot of firewood to get out of there. Cheers my friend.

Small Woodlot Tools make a pair of 3 point hitch log tongs that you don't need to get off the tractor to hookup or unhitch. What I've seen regular log tongs work better when lifting them.

Technically those are not lifting tongs but they are skidding tongs. Yes you can lift but you but lift vertically. If you’re using them to skid then you need to hook them from the butt of the log not on top. Move the tongs closer to the end of the log so they can rotate over the end. I keep a maul handy to tap the points in too.

@michedmck

Жыл бұрын

Best comment so far! Thanks, Chris!

Looks like you need a logging winch in that woods. Our Wallenstein works great behind the little Massey!

@Back40Firewood

2 жыл бұрын

Ohh yeah....that would make a world of difference. 😀👍🍻

Thanks Dan for sharing. Nebraska WoodSTR

I use the chain hooks on my bucket, run the chain through the tongs and dangle the tongs right below the cutting edge of the bucket. I can grab logs without getting off the tractor.

Next time try them more toward the end of the log so you get a straighter pull on them. They work pretty well if you get the hang of it. I had a really nice set of tongs but Dad's farm tractor and very big oak tree "straightened them out." LOL

To add to what others have suggested, I have sharpened the conical points with a grinder to make them much sharper and have no paint on the points. I also have one pair that I ground a sight flat on the inside to make them a little less slippery in that direction.

I will come over and show you how to use those tongs they work good buddy. I would jab them in the logs usually works they come in real handy when you have a trailer load of logs and want to pull them off

@Back40Firewood

2 жыл бұрын

I'm gonna have to give them another try after watching the video and reading the comments...I realize what I was doing wrong...figured it was user error more than anything...lol 👍😀🍻

It's important not to pull these tongs at an angle, as was shown. Pulling this way can bend the tongs, as well as drive the log down into the ground. They are designed to be used in a "straight line" pull. If they are hooked into the log nearer to the end, they "swing over" and will operate as designed - in a straight line. Additionally, this causes the log to lift up slightly, reducing its tendency to hook up on the ground.

I wondered how many times you were going to set the tongs on top before you realized the rules of angles. I’ve noted other comments that it’s been pointed out this is user error….you aren’t pulling the tongs into the log, you’re pulling the tongs away from the log. Use leverage…that’s how they are designed. Once you figure them out, you’ll use them all the time.

I keep a 4ilb hammer and drive the tongs in on the end and they work great. Tongs should float over he end.

Tongs tighten when pulled up. Lift then pull.

They work better on fresh logs where they can bite into the rough bark. On smooth logs like you had you need to set the prongs by smacking with a mallet. You also have to lift up initially to completely set them into the log, not sideways right away. Those were also relatively "small" tongs, and you might have been at the max capacity diameter of what you were trying to move. They did work much better when your frame was over top of the tongs lifting up before you moved them. I have seen people drill a hole at the end of their pallet forks to install a bolt eye or trailer ball. You could then hook you chain or pallet forks on the end on the forks. Less lifting capacity but you can see what you are doing.

I put a set on my lift arm cross bar and can back up to a log, lower them onto it, lift (which bites into the log) and skid the log out, then lower the lift arms and back up a bit to get the tongs to release, and go on to the next log. Also, they're called "Snakin' tongs"

I've used them tongs before and actually tossed them across the woods after the second time of trying to do the same thing lol!! I'd definitely stick with the log thong's hahahahaha!! Nice little pile of logs! That's definitely a honey hole for dead oak wilt wood!! Stay safe my friend 🍻🍻🍻🔥🔥

The tongs are for lifting not dragging. Wrap thw chain around the end of a fork then lift.

Thanks for entertaining me today Dan 😂😂

@Back40Firewood

2 жыл бұрын

👍😀🍻

If you put it on the top of the. Log you have to pull it up in order to get the mechanism to work properly,. If you want to pull it horizontally then you need to put the plant thingy On the front of the log

User error, after positioning the tongs, set, lift a bit then pull! If you look at the tongs, grabbing and lifting by the chain hook shows you how they function! Keep playing with them and you will figure them out! Working alone, bring a big hammer if that doesn’t work, get a bigger hammer, or a helping hand! They do have a purpose, your theory application was off a little, thats all! Try again, but set tongs with hammer, lift then pull, should work out better!

I like you`re honest reviews.

U have to lift IT straight up first

Log tongs will work great with the loader. You have to lift the load before you drag it.

What size chain saw are you using?

I think pulling them to the side releases them (as you demonstrated). If you put tips towards the end of the log so the tongs are parallel with the log they should bite and tighten.

Dan Dan Dan.... Log tongs are meant to be lifted.... Center the chain over the tongs , lift and then pull.....

Hi Dan - it's Big Rodders in Ireland. Am I the only one that copped on to the fact that you were winding us up. Even I can figure out that you must have a straight pull on the tongs to get them to bite correctly. Keep up the comedy videos!

Lift up first then pull out!!

Seems like a city boy playin with country man tools .

That was painful at the start of the video lol glad it finally worked for ya

User error on the tongs.....

@Back40Firewood

2 жыл бұрын

Yes indeed it was....lol 👍😀🍻

shorten the chain let them hang and you'll be able to hook on twich and unhook without getting off the seat

HAHHAAAH That was funny watching you use them wrong Dan. Once you figure them out they will great for you. You can use them on the end of the Log to drag, just have to put them in from the end , not over the top like you did. Mike M.

Use a bungee strap to keep tension on it. (From the chain to grapple)

U dont k ow what your doing the tongs are perfect

I think you were prying on the tongs at the pivot when the pivot hit the top of the log during the pull. Put the points into the log closer to the end and get the pivot out in front, in line with the centerline of the log, and they probably won't be pulling out.

Log thongs! Now we’re talkin! Yee yee

That is turning out to be quite the firewood score. Log tongs looks like they are better at lifting than pulling?

You was having a hard time with those tong’s

@Back40Firewood

2 жыл бұрын

LOL...oh yes I was, but after watching it back I was definitely not using them correctly. 😀👍🍻

Looked like it worked well

@Back40Firewood

2 жыл бұрын

Hahahahahahaha....yeah, like a charm! 👍😀🍻

You are a little under tonged, need a little bigger set of tongs. But the price was right on pair you now have. Tongs will give you another option. Get some more time using them & you will find out how handy they are. You might keep an eye out for some decent 1/2" wire rope, Ten foot increments, to make west coast style chokers, With a loop- Bell & nub and a few clevises. More equipment will give you more options & and your going to need them all for the different pulls you will need to make.

I too was using them wrong, spent a day using the grapples with my atv then I figured they are supposed to be hanging on a wall to be seen and not used!

Hammer! You have to "Lift" to get the Tongs to bite, or set the points with a hammer. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results.

They need to have weight on them to use the scissor effect try it again picking up more rather than depending on a low drag angle

The log tongs are made to pick straight up

I don't know but maybe you could ask around maybe somebody might have an idea on how to use your new tongs. Thank them all. ha ha

Lots of wood there to try your tongs on again. Maybe to load the trailer. Talk to you later.

About five minutes in I realized the pun in the title, pretty slow morning over here

log tongs work best for lifting. to drag logs straight in from end of log. tap only one side to set it. if you tap both sides one will loosen the first side done. Take care and be safe.

yep i have a set in swamp somewhere where i threw them after they fell off log 3 times fu that

Use a felling axe and drive them in The Red Oak Rooster Hocking Hills / Logan, Ohio I say that man is bout sharp as a marble

there 2 kind of log tpung one for lifting one for pulling look like the the pulling kind and some time need to give a lite tap with a hammer

You need to file the points. Get all that paint off 2 inches back from points then sharpen them like a broadhead sharp point . I use flat angles like my can't hook( remember it's for wood so heavy you can't move it by your self) basically it needs to pierce your skin when you touch it. Make your tools work for you not against you.

Just lift the end a touch with the forks and run the chain under it, why did this even make an issue man my god

Use a small small sleag hammer to seat the log tongs

I use a long chain with a small chain hook on the end,

hi there interesting and fun watching you battle the log thongs . it would have gone much better if you had worn your pink hat . there is some what of a learning curve with them .older ones work lots better .they have a longer taper on the points . they also work much better on fresh cut trees .i don't really like them either especially for lifting . the rot or bark will rip off dropping the log , i have found it it be safer to use a chain with a slip hook on one end and a grab hook at the other end .the slip hook will tighten on the log . your learning but when you reach 70 you will forget most of it . i know. i think ,well pretty sure , who knows john

More money than common sense! Start by reducing load to suit equipment capacity. Cut logs to manageable size in situ. Make sure tongs are rigged to pull horizontally from the ends for skidding log sections with the chain. Drive tong spiked ends into timber sufficiently to grip well before pulling with the chain. Anyway, long could have been lifted with tractor fork end and a choker chain rigged for pulling. Furthermore, if all else fails, digging underneath log to rig choker chain is possible. It's not rocket science! In the end, he till managed to figure out how to use the tongs proving that he is talking through his hoodie about a perfectly good tool. My bet is he hasn't realy thrown the tongs away but uses it regularly now that he's figured it out!