Logging Tongs......

I have that set of red tongs. Wouldn’t recommend them. At first they were too stiff in the joint to close. A good beating on some heavy logs takes care of that. Secondly look how much steel is at the top compared the weight of the tong. Very top heavy. They fall off the logs all the time as soon as the rope moves. Lots of cuss words.

I have an older set of 28” timbrtuffs. Just like the spring loaded ones but mine don’t have springs. They work better, not perfect but better. As Jeff said sharpening the tips helps a lot. The Timbers look sharp enough but pin pointing them helped a lot.
I just cut the tips of the 16” pair yesterday hoping to make them grip better. Put a new point on the Timbers after not having sharpened them in four years.
One problem with the Timbers is the replaceable tips are held on with a C-clip. Dragging on the ground rips those off pretty fast. Mine have been tack welded back on with just the washer, no clip.
For dragging logs I’d go with the chain or choker. It’s no fun hopping off a tractor to put tongs back on. Tongs work good for lifting straight up or the occasional drag. Chain works every time, just not as easy to hitch up.

 

No comment!

 

Before I got a grapple I used a lever load binder between the tractor and the tongs when lifting. Binder released, lower the tongs , tighten up the binder as you seat the sharpened tong tips into the log. Usually stays closed but doesn't matter if it opens under load.

 

We use tongs a lot for our log salvaging addiction.

Ours are Dixie industries brand US made 16".

We hang them off the loader and can usually get them to grab a log without getting off the machine, then when we get the log pulled out we just drop the loader and knock em off and go back for more wood, without ever getting off the seat....my 14 yr boy is very good at the whole sequence.
We use a swivel so the tongs can rotate to grab a log at any angle.

They are a huge time and labor saver for our application.







Another thing about tongs is, they work great when you grab the log from above and lift it off the ground... but they are very frustrating when you have to grab from the end as shown in the eBay picture in the original post.

 

Nice pile you got there!
Mine are Northern tool , not sure on size without looking. I haven't sharpened the points but this sounds like something I must do when I get a few minutes.
The thing I don't like is the color , kind of brownish looking and a little hard to find if you put them down in the brush , a can of neon yellow spray paint would solve this problem.

 

I have the timbertuff ones. Before l put a lift on the splitter I had a crane with electric winch and tongs. Used them quite a bit for a while.
I had to loosen the pivot and grease it in order for mine to work freely. It would stick and not grab.
I also sharpened the tips per here and made a big difference.


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