# motorized log cart



## stltreedr (May 1, 2013)

There's a guy running around here who has a 2 wheeled log cart on his truck, similar to the hand pushed 2 wheeled log dollys. Looks like it has an echo 2 cycle motor on it.. It looks manufactured, not homemade. I've searched google and can't find one...Anyone know what I'm talking about or where to find one?


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## Grace Tree (May 1, 2013)

stltreedr said:


> There's a guy running around here who has a 2 wheeled log cart on his truck, similar to the hand pushed 2 wheeled log dollys. Looks like it has an echo 2 cycle motor on it.. It looks manufactured, not homemade. I've searched google and can't find one...Anyone know what I'm talking about or where to find one?


This the one?
Motorized Log Dolly - Little Helper Cart
Phil


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## ozzy42 (May 1, 2013)

Great looking lil machine but,,,,,, DAAYUMat 3,850.00 I think I will build my own from my 330.00 Bluebird log dolly.Cant be that hard to add another axle and add power to it.


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## stltreedr (May 2, 2013)

That's the one. they can keep it for $3800. I would say $1500 would be a fair price.


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## Pelorus (Jun 8, 2013)

I would buy one in a heartbeat for $1500. Building one using new parts is gonna add up I think.


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## ducaticorse (Jun 8, 2013)

I cant for the life of me figure out how thet got that thing to cost 3800


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## mesupra (Jun 8, 2013)

I have seen similar carts built using old snowblower chassis and drives. Depending on where you live you can obtain a heavy duty blower drive system for close to free or under ($100), add a new HF predator engine ($100), couple wheel-barrel wheels ($40) some random metal ($100) and for well under ($500) you got yourself a pretty sweet dolly.


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## Pelorus (Jun 8, 2013)

I think the Echo engine they are using is fitted to one man earth augers, which is nice because it comes equipped with gear reduction & centrifugal clutch. A cheap "Oriental" motorized ice/ earth auger up here costs approx. $250 Canadian.


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## ozzy42 (Jun 8, 2013)

mesupra said:


> I have seen similar carts built using old snowblower chassis and drives. Depending on where you live you can obtain a heavy duty blower drive system for close to free or under ($100), add a new HF predator engine ($100), couple wheel-barrel wheels ($40) some random metal ($100) and for well under ($500) you got yourself a pretty sweet dolly.



LOLMight take me a while to locate one of those here in S. FL.
The wife would #### bricks if she saw me ordering a new snow blower for the business.:msp_scared:









Pelorus said:


> I think the Echo engine they are using is fitted to one man earth augers, which is nice because it comes equipped with gear reduction & centrifugal clutch. A cheap "Oriental" motorized ice/ earth auger up here costs approx. $250 Canadian.




That may be a bit more obtainable here.


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## RAG66 (Jun 9, 2013)

First off I am not a salesman for the little helper. I had closely entertained the option for wood removal from backyard jobs. In my area most people have stupid gates that are "3 foot" at a true opening of about 32"~34" not enough for a mini skid steer. I would say the manufacturer is making a good profit but not bazillions. Research and development to provide a consistent product is time consuming. For the record I still do not have a mini skid steer either. Money has been too tight for any equipment, bucket truck being first on my list. I say the little helper has it's place several times per year right along with a mini to save labor.


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## NSchonberg (Jan 7, 2014)

Howdy, this is Nathanael, and my Dad and brother and I make the LittleHelperCart. We are a small operation, so we cannot get the bulk discounts that a large manufacture could get. We have made the LittleHelperCart to be professional grade and have not spared expense in making a quality product. We sell all of our carts with 30 day money back guarantee, and if you do not like it for any reason, all you will be out is the return freight. We haven't got one back yet. We started our tree service business in 2000 and made the little helper to fill a need that we greatly felt. We still do tree work and use the little helper on a daily basis. If you have any questions feel free to contact me.


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## Pelorus (Jan 7, 2014)

Welcome to Arboristsite Nathanael! 
I think that cart you made looks terrific, and I'd love to own one.
Looks well made and very useful.


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## NSchonberg (Jan 7, 2014)

Pelorus said:


> Welcome to Arboristsite Nathanael!
> I think that cart you made looks terrific, and I'd love to own one.
> Looks well made and very useful.



Thanks Pelorus


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## gorman (Jan 7, 2014)

Seems the weight of the engine might help pulling the dolly back on a big piece (like in the pic). I hate having to have a second guy help push my dolly back.


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## NSchonberg (Jan 7, 2014)

With a chunk like the one in the picture you would need a second guy to push it back, but the nice thing is that once it is pushed back, you can drive it out of a downhill backyard and into the trailer without any assistance


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## shelby78 (Jan 12, 2014)

I just saw this thread. I'm up in Ontario Canada and have had one of your karts for 3 years now and not a single problem. Me and one of my workers are fairly strong lads and we push the limits of the kart when we use it. It will handle very heavy loads and the gearing is perfect for even steep uphills with a heavy load. Everyone has been impressed with this machine. We really didn't want to spend the price on the kart, but after you get a few jobs you can't get the dumptruck to it makes it a bit better. I will say it sure beats cutting and rolling anyday.

The one thing If I had of know is I would pass on the brush extensions. For us they are useless and for the price anyone can go buy 2 pieces of round tube.

That piece was willow that was growing right on a bay. Very heavy stuff. The other half of the tree is still standing in the background. The hump in the background was septic so no truck in the back yard.


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## Pelorus (Jan 12, 2014)

Hey Shelby, how did you get the cart shipped or delivered to Ontario?
Do you remember how much it cost?
The way the Can$$$ is currently tanking, the conversion to American$$$ would make buying one super pricey.


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## shelby78 (Jan 12, 2014)

I don't remember how we had it delivered. It was freight with tailgate drop. The dollar wasen't awesome when we bought it like it is now. We were into about $4600-4800. Maybe only use it 6-10 times a year but when we do it helps.


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## treevet (Jan 21, 2014)

Looks useful to move large balled or containerized trees to be planted too.


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## treevet (Jan 21, 2014)

NSchonberg said:


> With a chunk like the one in the picture you would need a second guy to push it back, but the nice thing is that once it is pushed back, you can drive it out of a downhill backyard and into the trailer without any assistance


That would be a tough mini skid grapple bite so you save cutting it to smaller chunks to bite and move it. Crane or kboom it once in the street. Nice but little pricey.


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## mic687 (Jan 21, 2014)

I have an old snowblower that still runs an existing hand cart and a freind who is a fabricator, I think Im 90 percent there.


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## imagineero (Jan 22, 2014)

You're only 20 percent there.


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## treevet (Jan 23, 2014)

I have noticed that machine on the trade mags for many many years and always figured it would cost more than I figured I would want to exchange spending for something else of the same value. I like it but I was right finding out the price for the first time on this thread. Always felt that they may be proud of their machine but if they were also proud of the price then it would be listed. One guy on each handle and one guy on back, all either pushing or pulling the machine (conventional log dolly or trolly) somewhat replicates the horsepower of the unit in my mind for the occassional times you have a massive load on on difficult terrain.


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## shelby78 (Jan 23, 2014)

Here's my take on it... Yes it was very expensive.. Probly more than it should cost. Everyone wants U.S. or Canadian made but doesn't want to pay. There's the cons. 

Now I have never used a log cart so this won't be a fair comparison. But you "treevet" just said you would have 3 guys working a log cart. We would have 2 guys running wheelbarrows and me running what we call "wheels". Don't forget you still have all the limb wood to deal with also. You time it so one guy with a barrow helps you load wheels then I'm off. I can dump my load in about 2 seconds and on my way for another. We have a crane on our dumptruck so I take my loads to the truck as big as I can. This kart will move at a fast walk pace.

When we get into plus 35 degree weather I know I'm not dieing to be tugging on a non powered kart. I may have to make that same 100 yard trip 10 times up hill and you loose a lot of time and energy with people power. If you base your work at say $250 a hour and save 2 hours fighting with big timber on one job, you then have 2 hours to do another small job.

You don't see instant returns on one of these but over a year or 2 it pays for itself and then starts making you money.


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## mic687 (Jan 23, 2014)

imagineero said:


> You're only 20 percent there.


 
I have the brain trust of my buddys dads manufacturing business working on it. Not going to use exisitng hand truck going to build our own so I'm only 10 percent there but we have a plan.


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## Pelorus (Jan 23, 2014)

I'd like to buy a copy of your drawings / material take off list if your prototype works!
For a reasonable 5 year return on investment, (leaving aside ergonomics; physical & mental!) the Little Helper cart would have to save / make me around $1000 / yr. It might do that.
Increased productivity is less of an issue than decreased wear and tear on me.


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## 2treeornot2tree (Jan 23, 2014)

My mini will go anywhere that log cart does.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk


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## Pelorus (Jan 23, 2014)

Yeah, but on a lot of the smaller jobs I get, it is borderline whether it worthwhile to trailer the mini there.
Plus, the tracks are hell on nice lawns, so I have to screw around with a bunch of plywood.
250 lb Little Helper vs. 2800 lb DW 650 turf killer.


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## 2treeornot2tree (Jan 23, 2014)

My dingo only weighs 1200# and the tracks don't seem to mess the yard up much.

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## Pelorus (Jan 23, 2014)

Do you still have to trailer your Dingo, or will it fit on the back of a truck?
I'm going to definitely look into getting turf tracks when the aftermarket ones I put on wear out.


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## 2treeornot2tree (Jan 23, 2014)

I could easily put it In the back of my pickup truck. Most times I haul it on my skid steer trailer and I load log length pieces of the tree on the trailer and the mini. You can fit more wood then you would think plus still have room for the mini on a 18' trailer.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk


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## 2treeornot2tree (Jan 23, 2014)

I bought my new tracks for my grinder at a place in Georgia called rubber trax. I saved about $500 buy them there rather then carlton.

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## Pelorus (Jan 23, 2014)

Yeah, I also went aftermarket instead of DW, and saved a couple hundred $$$.
I trailer mine in a 5X10 dump trailer - the mini eats up all the space with the grapple bucket on. 
Bought the trailer a couple years before the mini. An 18' trailer must be nice!!!


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## treevet (Jan 23, 2014)

2treeornot2tree said:


> My dingo only weighs 1200# and the tracks don't seem to mess the yard up much.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk


My Dingo weighs over 2100 lbs. with the Dingo grapple on, you must have a little Dingo? 

If you got a mini I don't thing the motorized dolley is a good buy but if not...maybe.

But at 3500$ if you doubled that with a few days work then you could buy a fairly nice used mini for that much. 

I always look at getting a new piece of equipment as a "capture". I over extend myself so as not to get something I wish I didn't then TRY to hold on to it....haven't lost one yet.

A motorized dolley for me would collect a lot of dust and spider webs. If I bought it instead of a mini...I would long for a mini.


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## treevet (Jan 23, 2014)

we wear hard hats now


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## 2treeornot2tree (Jan 23, 2014)

I have a tx425 wide track. Book says 1200 lbs plus 285 lbs for the grapple.

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## treevet (Jan 23, 2014)

2treeornot2tree said:


> I have a tx425 wide track. Book says 1200 lbs plus 285 lbs for the grapple.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk



I have the specs on the Toro/Dingo book from when I bought it new. TX 425 2060 (wide track) lbs.....TX 420 1880 lbs.

My Dingo TX 525 #1904 lbs. (wide track is 2001 lbs and didn't buy because of gate clearance) 

All these with no bucket or grapple included which I think you are close to accurate on with the grapple weight.

So all these units weigh over 2k lbs. with grapple.


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## Pelorus (Jan 23, 2014)

Treevet - do you find you are getting good use / a lot of use out of the Stein arbor trolley? 
I have read all the glowing reviews on that thing, and seen it at Expo, but I'm still on the fence.
Plus, it wouldn't be usable for the monster chunks that the motorized cart is shown moving.

Edited cause another thought popped up in my little brain.


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## 2treeornot2tree (Jan 23, 2014)

Crap. I just looked in my manual and it says 2007 lbs. I wonder where I seen 1200 lb weight.

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## NSchonberg (Jan 23, 2014)

If you make a cart you will need a two cycle engine to allow it to tip up for loading and unloading. We went with echo because about 1 in 4 of the cheap imports were bad from the factory. Just some food for thought.


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## treeman75 (Jan 23, 2014)

I take my mini on about 90% of jobs and when I dont I wish I did.


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## Pelorus (Jan 23, 2014)

I bought an Earthquake earth auger engine dirt cheap last year. Cheap being the operative word.
Haven't tried starting it yet........crossing fingers.
I think a snowblower chassis / drive axle wouldn't survive very long, but I dunno. The axle's I've seen seemed like they were only 5/8" dia, running through flimsy bronze bushings.


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## treevet (Jan 24, 2014)

Pelorus said:


> Treevet - do you find you are getting good use / a lot of use out of the Stein arbor trolley?
> I have read all the glowing reviews on that thing, and seen it at Expo, but I'm still on the fence.
> Plus, it wouldn't be usable for the monster chunks that the motorized cart is shown moving.
> 
> Edited cause another thought popped up in my little brain.


We use it sometimes on a daily basis. Its great for brush and sometimes when we don't have enough stuff we forget about the Dingo and use it for logs. We break it down and store it in the passenger side of the chip truck. It is heavier than you expect even broken down but I am very happy with the purchase. Just don't let em try to sell you the aired tires instead of the solid ones most people get. It took me forever to embarass them into sending me the solid ones and it costs a lot to have the aired ones filled. 

You can actually get more small dia. logs on the dolley than you can in the mouth of the grapple so we sometimes fill it up and tow it with the dingo. When you get to the chipper/truck...just tip it over after removing the prongs. I also use it to carry my gas compressor when spraying equipment.


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## sgreanbeans (Jan 24, 2014)

MAAAAAAAAAAAAN! Just looking at that pic makes me sic. Groing up, wurkin fur big brodder, building custom homes, he made me do all the hard chit. Like tug one of those things up to the second deck so we could use less air lines to shoot down a roof. And those bastards are heavy (keep in mind I weighed about 95lbs in school) That was hard enough, but draggin that thing over freshly dug and dried huge chunks of clay when getting ready to put a cap on a foundation REALLY sucked! I wanted things to be easy, so I quit and joined the Marines, LOL. That thing would have been a godsend!


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## treevet (Jan 24, 2014)

treeman75 said:


> I take my mini on about 90% of jobs and when I dont I wish I did.



I have my mini on a trailer with my tracked mini stumper all the time so always one or the other or both is getting used on a td. A nice medium size td is I drive the chip truck and chipper. They drive the pickup with dump insert. Knock the tree. Stumper comes off and he does it after chipping. I load the wood into the dump insert so he doesn't dent the sides of the pickup. Go back to lot and drop the trailer and then dump the logs.


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## treevet (Jan 24, 2014)

sgreanbeans said:


> MAAAAAAAAAAAAN! Just looking at that pic makes me sic. Groing up, wurkin fur big brodder, building custom homes, he made me do all the hard chit. Like tug one of those things up to the second deck so we could use less air lines to shoot down a roof. And those bastards are heavy (keep in mind I weighed about 95lbs in school) That was hard enough, but draggin that thing over freshly dug and dried huge chunks of clay when getting ready to put a cap on a foundation REALLY sucked! I wanted things to be easy, so I quit and joined the Marines, LOL. That thing would have been a godsend!



That thing is a load and a half.


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## Huskybill (Mar 14, 2019)

Willow is really heavy because of the water content.


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