# Fuel usage of a skidder.



## endmill (Feb 15, 2014)

Just curious with the high cost of fuel what does an average skidder use in a day? Most are diesel?


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## northmanlogging (Feb 15, 2014)

Its rare to see even the old skidders with gas engines, now all run diesel.

I'm not sure about the newer skidders but my old one only uses like 4 gallons a day, probably less then that even now that I've fixed the hole in the tank it should get a little better mileage.

or to give a better idea about 1 gallon an hour ( I cut in the morning and skid in the afternoon)


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## paccity (Feb 15, 2014)

it's like any equipment , if it is not working it's not making you money.


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## DavdH (Feb 15, 2014)

If we are skidding hard CAT 518 will run out in 10 hrs. if we are working long days you have to fuel mid day some time 51 gal. Same with a 966 if you run it hard 12 hrs is pushing it, D7 moving snow will burn twice as much as skidding logs, remember skidding the the tractor is dead-heading 1/2 the time.


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## Gologit (Feb 15, 2014)

DavidH said it right. With current diesel prices figure on 175 to 200 dollars a day for fuel. Ohio might be different. I've never logged in Ohio.
Don't forget oil and filters and belts and hoses and tires and hydraulic oil and transport fees from one job to another and insurance and....


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## paccity (Feb 15, 2014)

you forgot another and.


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## Gologit (Feb 15, 2014)

paccity said:


> you forgot another and.


 ...and lunch? Donettos? Coffee?


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## nhlogga (Feb 16, 2014)

Fuel usage depends on the machine and what you are doing. Hand cutting with my Clark 664c cable skidder, I will use less than 15gal/day. Now that I work for someone else running a 648GIII grapple behind a feller buncher full out non stop will use upwards of 40 gal/day.


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## northmanlogging (Feb 16, 2014)

jeebus 51 gallons, the most I've ever burned is 7 gallons in a 12 hour day of nothing but skidding, long drags too


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## treeslayer2003 (Feb 16, 2014)

all 4 of mine will average around 5 gal per load unless the pull get crazy long......I try not to do that as it eats profit two ways.


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## endmill (Feb 16, 2014)

Thanks


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## AKDoug (Feb 20, 2014)

northmanlogging said:


> jeebus 51 gallons, the most I've ever burned is 7 gallons in a 12 hour day of nothing but skidding, long drags too


What kind of skidder? My little D21 dozer at a whopping 40HP burns 1 1/4 gallons an hour. My 90hp backhoe burns 2 gallons an hour.


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## northmanlogging (Feb 21, 2014)

Deere 440a


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## Gologit (Feb 21, 2014)

AKDoug said:


> What kind of skidder? My little D21 dozer at a whopping 40HP burns 1 1/4 gallons an hour. My 90hp backhoe burns 2 gallons an hour.


 
That's great fuel economy. Our Cat skidders, especially on steep ground and heavy loads, won't ever sip fuel like that. I wish they would but that's not our main consideration. We want machinery that _pulls..._not something that's about one step above a riding lawnmower.

You guys that work on relatively flat ground and small timber can use the smaller and more fuel efficient machinery but we can't get away with it. I wish we could.

If I'm hand falling on steep ground and the timber is scattered at all I'll use a grapple Cat to stage the logs for the rubber tired machines. He usually works right behind the fallers and a day or two ahead of the skidders. They're all grapples too and having the logs bunched a ways down toward the landing saves a lot of monkey motion. That's another fuel expense but it nets out better because I get more logs to the landing in a given amount of time. Monkey motion eats fuel to no good purpose.
We try to work our skidding so that everything is downhill to the landing but that's not always possible. When we start a side where the skidders are coming up out of a hole on a long drag the first thing I like to do is see how much fuel I have on hand...'cause my fuel usage is about to increase. Again.
LOL...everybody says "well, fuel is just an expense and you can write it off at the end of the year". That's true...but I still have to come up with the fuel bill money every month in the meantime. The fuel company is fussy about that.


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## AKDoug (Feb 21, 2014)

Gologit said:


> That's great fuel economy. Our Cat skidders, especially on steep ground and heavy loads, won't ever sip fuel like that. I wish they would but that's not our main consideration. We want machinery that _pulls..._not something that's about one step above a riding lawnmower.
> 
> You guys that work on relatively flat ground and small timber can use the smaller and more fuel efficient machinery but we can't get away with it. I wish we could.
> 
> ...


That's not my only equipment, that was just an example of my two smaller diesels I own. I was wondering what Northman was running to only burn 7 gallons in 12 hours. I've worked with a 440c and a Cat 518 and never put less than 20 gallons a day in them. I guess the "C" models burn a bunch more. The D6N and 320 hoe at 6gal/hr start to really hurt when we are really moving dirt. I don't own those two, just lease the big stuff when I need it.

I'm not a logger, but I do own many pieces of equipment and trucks. I totally understand how the fuel bill effects the bottom line.


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## Gologit (Feb 21, 2014)

AKDoug said:


> That's not my only equipment, that was just an example of my two smaller diesels I own. I was wondering what Northman was running to only burn 7 gallons in 12 hours. I've worked with a 440c and a Cat 518 and never put less than 20 gallons a day in them. I guess the "C" models burn a bunch more. The D6N and 320 hoe at 6gal/hr start to really hurt when we are really moving dirt. I don't own those two, just lease the big stuff when I need it.
> 
> I'm not a logger, but I do own many pieces of equipment and trucks. I totally understand how the fuel bill effects the bottom line.



Maybe Northman has it planned out for all downhill skids? If so I need to go up there and watch him. I've never figured out yet how to do that. 
The foresters usually lay out the skid trails and they're not overly concerned with fuel efficiency. On private ground we might get a compromise from them here or there but on government ground they don't deviate much from the plan. And again, fuel usage doesn't matter to them.

LOL...we'll probably be hearing from Slowp pretty soon. She spent 30 years laying out skid trails and she might have a little different perspective.


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## AKDoug (Feb 21, 2014)

I've worked with guys that are magicians at working machines efficiently and burning way less fuel than me. I'm pretty heavy handed (or footed) with the throttle control.


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## treeslayer2003 (Feb 21, 2014)

I guess ya prolly do burn more on steep ground........hmm, if I am pulling all a 540 wants on flat ground I don't spose it would even do it on a hill side. I do think I get more for my fuel by loading the skidder every pull rather than easy pulls. I never had a cat but I wouldn't turn one down. the cat loader we had was strong....944.


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## northmanlogging (Feb 21, 2014)

Some one told me once that light pulls and keep the throttle set would save fuel, I listened. Run the throttle about half cocked and use my gears. If I need too I can stuff the foot throttle but its usually not necessary.

Mostly I pull fairly light pulls 2-3 logs second growth hemlock, I've found that trying to grab more logs just causes me to drag cable longer and gives me more trouble winching it in then anything(20k winch 12k machine and bald tires...). Largely been on pretty flat ground for here, I try to stay on top of the ridges rather then climb hills with the skidder its easier to pull line down hill and winch the logs uphill, of course sometimes you can't reach em and you have to climb, but I try to avoid it.


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## Dayto (Mar 4, 2014)

Northman has it figured out ..work smart , not hard!


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## northmanlogging (Mar 4, 2014)

I'm fat, not smart


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## hyler89 (Mar 10, 2014)

I own a 540b work by myself doing it all skidded idles while I cut a twitch working 10hr days 5 1/2 days burn 40-45 gallons a week


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## imalogger (Mar 20, 2014)

Usually in the neighborhood of 1 1/2 gal per hr with my 440c. Mostly flat or down hill skids and 3/4 throttle tho. Probably makes a difference if the guy that runs the machine also has to buy the fuel..


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## Gologit (Mar 20, 2014)

imalogger said:


> Probably makes a difference if the guy that runs the machine also has to buy the fuel..



Definitely.


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## Gypo Logger (Mar 21, 2014)

northmanlogging said:


> jeebus 51 gallons, the most I've ever burned is 7 gallons in a 12 hour day of nothing but skidding, long drags too


I use that much fuel in my chainsaw for a 12 hr. shift. buncha culls! Lol


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