Whether you’re a professional choke setter,  a farm owner, or anyone who needs to haul logs out of the forest, the Timber Tuff Tools Log Choker Cable will be your best friend. The sole reason you’d need the use of log cable choker is simple — to easily haul logs to a central location, or to move logs away from where they were originally felled.

You fell a tree and now you need to move it to another location. What are you going to do? Well, having an inexpensive log choker cable is an invaluable tool for this purpose. You might want a few, depending on the size of the log.

Timber Tuff | Log Choker Cable

Once your log is secure you can easily attach the Timber Tuff Tools Log Choker Cable to your ATV, UTV or lawn tractor via the tow ring. After it’s secure you can go ahead and haul it to your chosen destination. It’s a simple tool but highly useful.

The Timber Tuff log choker cable is 10 feet long and capable of towing logs up to 2640 lbs. Highly durable with swedged ferrule and heat shrink cover. The powder coat finish will keep the rust away, which you should expect considering how much exposure to the elements this log choker cable will have. Timber Tuff has built it with long-term durability in mind.

If you don’t already know, Timber Tuff is a US based company with a strong reputation among consumers for their line of products focused on logging tools for the forest industry. They produce an excellent line of products that will make your life easier such as the Timberjack TMB-65 or the CS-BWM Chainsaw Chain Sharpener.

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Features (Timber Tuff Tools Log Choker Cable):

• Designed to be used with: ATV, UTV and lawn tractors
• Cable is 3/16″ in diameter and 10 feet long.
• Capable of pulling logs up to 2640 lbs.
• Swedged ferrule with heat shrink cover for increased durability.
• Powder-coat finish prevents rust.
• Towing ring fits over 2″ ball.
• Smaller ring: 3.25″ inside diameter
• Larger ring: 2.5″ inside diameter.

Log Cable Choker vs Skidding Plate

One of the drawbacks of using a log choker cable is that it doesn’t minimize the chance of logs digging into the ground as you haul it away. It’s absolutely essential to be careful when handling logs for towing because there are many safety risks. If you to minimize the risk and increase safety then consider the Timber Tuff Log Skidding Plate.

Why is it better than a log cable choker?

The more stable and secure the log is the safer it is. As stated on the Penn State University site:

Any device which prevents the log from twisting or rolling out of control while being dragged will increase safety to the operator.

Greater stability of the log inherently leads to increased safety by minimizing log movement. The Penn State University (College of Agricultural Sciences) site has an excellent checklist of safety guidelines for hauling logs, entitled “Log dragging practices that reduce risk.” I’ll include their full list at the end of the article. It’s a worthwhile read.

Now let’s look at the Timber Tuff Log Skidding Plate…

Timber Tuff Log Skidding Plate | TMW-21 

The Timber Tuff Log Skidding Plate is another way to tow logs by using a solid steel plate that the log rests upon. As you can see in the photos, the log is tightly secured by the use of chains. And far less likely to twist or turn during transportation.

This method is a better way to tow logs because the steel plate prevents the log from digging into the ground as it moves over rough terrain. This makes a big difference when you’re traveling over long distances and allows for a much smoother (and safer) journey.

The skidding plate is solid, weighing 67 pounds. Trust me, this skidding plate is built to last, as well as corrosion resistant. It’s obviously more expensive than the Timber Tuff Tools log choker cable but you get what you pay for.

If you do a lot of towing then spend the extra money and buy the Skidding Plate. If you only need to tow logs occasionally and/or for short distances then the log choker cable will be just fine.

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Features:

• Double 4 foot pull chains are 5/16″ (diameter) with 2” tow ring.
• 1/4″ chain binder with two 24” long. 5/16″ (diameter) chains.
• Two 5/16″ clevis pins for chains to hold log in-place
• Steel plate size: 25” wide x 25” square.
• Easily tow logs safely over long distances.
• Prevents logs from digging into ground.
• Touch powder coating prevents corrosion.
• Can be easily stored.

As promised, here’s a list of valuable tips for log towing from Penn State: College of Agricultural Sciences:

Log dragging practices that reduce risk are:

1. Only use tractors with FOPS protection. If the tractor has a ROPS cab, a protective grill should cover the rear window. If the tractor uses a 4-post type of FOPS, the rear opening should be covered with a grill.
2. Use slider hooks or bell chokers to attach to the log and place them within one foot of the end of the log to reduce the need to re-choke the log and to insure they will stay in place.
3. If only chains are used for dragging logs, the chain should be attached only to the drawbar.
4. Chains being used for dragging logs should not be so long that they will catch on the rear tire when the tractor is turning right or left.
5. Be sure that on-the-ground helpers are clear of logs and cable before winching or dragging logs.Use of arches, grapples and winches are much preferred for any dragging operation.
6. If log arches, grapples or winches are used, their size needs to match the size and power of the tractor. Be sure to check manufacturer’s recommendations.
7. With PTO driven winches, be sure to keep PTO guards in place.
8. Use a remote controlled winch to prevent winch cables and chokers from striking the operator should the cable or choker fail.
9. Lower all 3-pt mounted equipment and lock brakes before dismounting the tractor.
10. Inspect and replace damaged cable. Ensure cable splices, hooks and eyes are installed correctly and that these components have the same strength standards as the cable.
11. Use personal protective equipment of hard hat, eye protection, steel-toed work boots and leather gloves when dragging logs and working with steel cable.