American Bandsaw Company - 24-12 ATV logging arch (Rating: 5)

I found a great logging arch for sale on Craig's List last week. It was located about 300 miles from my shop, but the seller was kind enough to meet me 100 miles closer. That was a big help and saved me about 3 hours of driving time.

The American Bandsaw company makes a great product to move logs. The model I bought used is a 24-12 arch. It is designed to move a log 12' long, 24" in diameter and 3000 lbs in weight. The sycamore log in the first photo is 24" on the big end and 10.5" long and it's estimated weight is about 1400 lbs. It just cleared the road, so I'm going to change the hitch to raise the ball a few inches to give a little more clearance for 24" logs. I got this log home without dragging on anything, but it was close.

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The second log I picked up was slightly smaller in diameter, but a little longer. It is a great saw log. It's big enough to make a good amount of lumber and small enough to move, load and turn. I got enough walnut boards from this log to make 32 gunstock blanks. My Timberking 1220 will handle a log 34" in diameter, but a log that size would be more than one person can load and turn on a manual sawmill. I'm going to build a saw shed with an overhead beam. I'll attach a pulley and use a winch to load and turn logs larger than 24".

I also found another great use for the logging arch. After I pulled the walnut log to my sawmill, I put the arch next to the mill, attached a line to the legs, pulled the center of the across the log and attached the winch. Then I used the winch to parbuckle the log on my sawmill.

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And yes I know my garage needs painting. I'm going to tear it down next Spring and build my new shop where both the garage and my storage building sit. My work area also needs to be mowed.. I had enough money saved to buy a mower, but I used the money I'd saved to buy this log arch. If I'd got the mower, it wouldn't make money to buy an arch. At least I'll be able to fetch 24" or smaller logs and make some lumber and other products to sell and buy a mower soon!