Rural Heritage June/July 2025

Bob’s New Forecart

by Bob Erickson S everal of us old geezers just finished three days hauling firewood out of the woods at Tim Christopher’s place in Iowa. This was the best opportunity I’ve had to field test the arch function on my forecart. Loads were not heavy, but, typical of NE Iowa, conditions were steep, rough and narrow. The cart worked as well as I hoped, having previously tested it for field work and training a colt. Winter is motivating me to sit indoors to record some of its features and proportions. Multi-purpose tools immediately appeal to my sense of efficiency. Actual field testing, however, has often dampened my initial enthusiasm. Any hassle in changing from one function to the other quickly irritates me. Often, features necessary for one use interfere with the other use, making both awkward. Two dedicated tools usually suit me better. I have a single purpose log arch that allows my small pair to easily carry small tie logs entirely off the ground. Young colts are started in an ultralight cart that is very easy for them to pull and back. Neither of these is useful hauling crooked branched firewood nor for general fieldwork. Luckily, a utility forecart, a firewood arch and a second, slightly heavier training cart are all so similar that multi-purpose efficiency tempted me. My pair of jennies are 55 inches tall weighing 700 pounds each. Everything on this cart is made to fit them. A tongue 6 inches longer would accommodate mammoth donkeys, Fjords or Haflingers. The Cart The basic cart frame is made from steel square tube and black pipe. The deck is the usual expanded metal, which gives good traction while shedding mud. The overall length is 52 inches. The width is 57 inches with 12 inches of ground clearance. Narrow carts are a big advantage in the woods, but this is as narrow as I dare go to maintain stability. Some drivers like to sit

centered on the axle. My preference, especially with a team that is not too tall, is to sit to one side at 45 degrees so that I can watch both the team and the load easily. One of my pet peeves is any bolt, lever or other obstruction on the surface of the deck that can snag my lines. There are none on this deck. Line holders on the front standard get used whenever I walk away from the team for a few seconds, but they do not stick up to snag the lines when I slide them from side to side. Ordinary utility trailer tires with tubes and 5-pound pressure give me an excellent ride over the bumps and stumps in the woods. They are very squishy and much less bouncy and expensive than springs. For any use of a cart, an angled brace slanting back to the outside directly in front of the wheels is a safety must. It will help prevent hooking a tire on an obstruction and together with fenders will largely keep the lines from running under a tire. Extra long lines are often useful on a young pair learning to stand. There is a 2½-by-2½-inch socket immediately inside and in front of each stub axle. These sockets have a centered, vertical ½-inch hole. The drawbar and log arch have matching holes. Changing over is The line holders on the top bar of the rail do not extend up and so won't interfere with the regular use of the lines, but allow the teamster to slide the lines beneath the rod angling down and may be wedged into the tapered space on the left.

June/July 2025

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