Best log hauler?

[swyman]

This is my current setup, Gooseneck trailer with a bobcat. In the next pics are with a single axle prentice loader, same wood only with 2 extra logs that I could have fit on my trailer. Legally I can haul more weight on my truck/trailer combo (more axles) than on a single axle loader. Would I be better off keeping my current setup and upgrading to a T300 or a A300 (less ground pressure) or moving to a prentice type log loader? I am torn and after today unloading my trailer on to the prentice found out I can haul the same amount, more if I didn't have the cat on the back. The prentice belongs to a freind of mine, I have it to fix the brakes. My only trouble is ground pressure with my 873, I can make wide turns so I don't tear up soil but I have to make a lot of trips and it is heavy. With a T300 there is very low ground pressure and an A300 the wheels turn and less groiund pressure due to wider tires. With a prentice I could just pull in one time and grab them all. What is the best from those that have been there done that?

 

[mattfr12]

we use a T300 and they still tear up pretty good. if you want something thats turf friends that has a decent lifting compacity your gonna have to go articulated. an decent size articulated loader will lift more than a T300. even the A300 your still gonna see some damage their heavy on a short wheelbase and the wheels don't turn very sharp.

from what i noticed id rather have a tire machine the tracks don't impress me to much. ill sell you mine if you want it tho its gonna be sold soon we haven't used them since we got the boom we got 2 bobcats that are collecting dust now.

 

[swyman]

So with your experience a truck is more turf friendly. My bobcat is really my workhorse around the house as I use it to split the wood also but always wanted a track machine. Another benefit with a grapple truck is that I could pull a stump.grinder with it and be able to complete the whole job with 2 trucks. I guess next is single or tandem. Just checked my MDOT book and I am good for 33.5k with a single. I thought a small single axle like the one in the pic would be ideal. Guess the best thing to do is run it across the scale tomorrow when I deliver that load to see where its at. Sold that load of cotton lumber for $150, is that to cheap?

 

[no tree to big]

single axle for a loader is not enough in my opinion we run tandam setups and we are constantly on the edge of being overweight
dot says 33.3 if distributed perfect but what is that truck rated for... if you are looking for a way to get logs out of a yard with out having to cart them out a graple truck is not going to do you a bit of good with out a bobcat anyway unless you want to plywood in and 1 layer might not be enough for a fully loaded truck to make it out with out still leaving ruts we wont even take our loaders onto driveways because of the weight, everything comes out to the road

 

[stihldriver]

Volvo N 10

 

[mattfr12]

single axle for a loader is not enough in my opinion we run tandam setups and we are constantly on the edge of being overweight
dot says 33.3 if distributed perfect but what is that truck rated for... if you are looking for a way to get logs out of a yard with out having to cart them out a graple truck is not going to do you a bit of good with out a bobcat anyway unless you want to plywood in and 1 layer might not be enough for a fully loaded truck to make it out with out still leaving ruts we wont even take our loaders onto driveways because of the weight, everything comes out to the road

my single is rated for 40k depends on what kinda truck you got they used different grade frames. my front axles is 14k and we beefed it up to around 18k for the weight of the crane. with the crane on it we can still haul 10-12 ton.

and yes my truck is way more turf friendly than a bobcat high flotation tires leave a not so bad imprint plus you have to tow the bobcat the boom is always their. plus the reach we have it doesn't have to leave the driveway i can reach over 100 yards with the winch. and can stick out almost 80 foot of boom horizontal with all the manual extensions out.

after buying this truck it made our bobcats obsolete. they can't lift anywhere near the compacity and you have to tow them around now we have the loader and the chipper all in one truck. i can lift my t300 up at around 30 foot horizontal off the side.

 

[mattfr12]

single axle for a loader is not enough in my opinion we run tandam setups and we are constantly on the edge of being overweight
dot says 33.3 if distributed perfect but what is that truck rated for... if you are looking for a way to get logs out of a yard with out having to cart them out a graple truck is not going to do you a bit of good with out a bobcat anyway unless you want to plywood in and 1 layer might not be enough for a fully loaded truck to make it out with out still leaving ruts we wont even take our loaders onto driveways because of the weight, everything comes out to the road

our truck with a prentice grapple is a tandem and its nice but its also a big truck for residential tree care. its gvw is 52k it can only haul 12k more than our single axle. a 38-40k single axles are out their. tandems are expensive to own. brakes fuel and tires. plates and insurance.

our other boom is going on a quad axle with two steerable tags and the plates are very pricey about 2 truck payments a year.

i guess it all depends on what you want the truck to do?

 

[no tree to big]

my single is rated for 40k depends on what kinda truck you got they used different grade frames. my front axles is 14k and we beefed it up to around 18k for the weight of the crane. with the crane on it we can still haul 10-12 ton.

and yes my truck is way more turf friendly than a bobcat high flotation tires leave a not so bad imprint plus you have to tow the bobcat the boom is always their. plus the reach we have it doesn't have to leave the driveway i can reach over 100 yards with the winch. and can stick out almost 80 foot of boom horizontal with all the manual extensions out.

after buying this truck it made our bobcats obsolete. they can't lift anywhere near the compacity and you have to tow them around now we have the loader and the chipper all in one truck. i can lift my t300 up at around 30 foot horizontal off the side.

well if you have a K boom it doesn't have to leave the driveway... but the average person is not going to go drop 3 figures on a log truck we are talking a prentice loader with ~20' reach in this thread(one of the OP's options). and maybe you have hard ground out there but here if you take any truck anywhere but a paved road your sinkin damn near up to the axle

 

[mattfr12]

well if you have a K boom it doesn't have to leave the driveway... but the average person is not going to go drop 3 figures on a log truck we are talking a prentice loader with ~20' reach in this thread(one of the OP's options). and maybe you have hard ground out there but here if you take any truck anywhere but a paved road your sinkin damn near up to the axle

ya i dunno about the ground out their but enless its been raining it usually just flattens the grass. even a 20 foot reach prentice is pretty handy they usually have a decent lifting compacity. and the loader is always with you. bobcats are cool and all we use them all the time and i have an s205 and t300 but I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm not super impressed with them. articulated loader would be much better like one of the gehls skid loaders just eff #### up. make as wide of turns as you want and you will know it was their its construction equipment for earth moving.

we use a john deere tractor more than anything with a front loader very turf friendly. heck a skid loader isn't cheap either t300 when we picked them up in 2008 was almost 70g's one with a forestry mower is a 6 figure machine. a lot of $$ for them things.

 

[capecodtree]

2000 mack/serco 7000

View attachment 221393

 

[Tree Pig]

View attachment 221393

nice truck man

 

[swyman]

Cape, that is a gorgeous truck you got there. It looks nice and short to. If I get a loader truck I think I would first buy the loader and then a 4900 IH to mount it on. I let a prentice 120 to earlier this year. Was on CL asking $3800 and it looked like it had an extension. I don't think it sold and I didn't save the number, missed out.

 

[capecodtree]

mack truck

thank you for the compliments but I can't take the credit. My oldest son, who is operating the truck in the picture, worked for a large tree company in the crane crew. when he came to work for me I was still cutting and humping logs. He said "dad things have got to change if i'm gonna stay and i'm not humping wood there is a better way" Well i'm stubborn and so is he. we argued and fought for weeks over what to get. I wanted a skid steer and dump truck, he wanted a log truck with rear mounted grapple. He obviously convinced me and I cannot imagine working without it now. In the hands of a good operator you can do so much more with the grapple than just load and haul logs.
He is getting his hydraulics/hoisting license and our own crane is in the near future.(we currently rent one).

 

[mattfr12]

Nice truck cape I did the same think bought a grapple then a crane. Most profitable move I ever made. And they do way more than just picking up logs.

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