I went back today after getting another load of logs and did some more trouble shooting. The log had tried to turn because the belt was loose on the hyd pump, and the log dog wasn't tight, and allowed the log to turn. I tightened the belt up and later blew a hyd line. Oh well, I knew I was going to have to repair/replace some pretty soon anyway. It's a slow leak for now.
I checked the level which wasn't exact but wasn't all that bad. So I decided to change the blade for a brand new one. It cut's like a dream, like a knife through butter. Cut up 3 logs, then had a bad ending.
We put on a log that had a much larger tapered section near the roots. I didn't raise the toe board, and started cutting about one inch into the log. By the time I realized I wasn't going to clear the cross bar with the larger end, I tried to back up. Bad, Bad, BAD mistake. It pulled the blade off the rollers, and also the draw back fingers jammed into the log and jacked the head into the air. I wound up breaking the blade but learned several valuable and costly lessons.
Use your toe boards.
Don't always start your cuts on the small end of the log. If you have a large taper, cut that end first and work your way down into the log.
If your not actually using your drag back fingers tie them up out of the way.
Don't try to back your blade out of a long cut, especially if you can't control the speed. Back up a little and cut it off with a chainsaw or whatever method is safe, to remove a trapped blade.
Other than that it's the most fun I've had with my clothes on in a long, long time.
I'm heading to Alabama in the morning to buy a New Holland TN65 tractor with a FEL and grapple, to handle the logs when we get the property.
Sorry, I was too busy having fun to take any pics, so you'll just have to trust me for now!!!
thanks,
Ken