Cutting Poplar...couple pics.

[Steve NW WI]

If I really use it steady, and use the throttle like I don't give a dang about it, it uses 15 gallons in an 8 hour day easily. But, on average, working alone and not being a thrash and slash guy...I put in about 7 gallons a day...5 gallons one day, 10 the next, and so on like that.

Can I ASSume you're cutting and skidding? That rig being used to it's fullest should be burning 5-8 gallons per hour.

 

[Oldtimer]

Can I ASSume you're cutting and skidding? That rig being used to it's fullest should be burning 5-8 gallons per hour.

I am cutting and limbing every stick myself, yes.
Pulling bunched wood, WFO like most hired drivers would use it, yes, it would eat 5 gallons an hour easy. Most guys will run it WFO in 2nd gear rather than go up 2 and let it chug..Myself, I set the hand throttle @1/3 or so and use the transmission to go faster or reduce for hills...I only use the foot throttle when that 1/3 isn't cutting it...just add a bit and them let it back to the pre-set. Saves a lot of fuel. I also shut it down when I am chopping..I usually run out a tank or two just dropping, then gather hitches and limb them on the trail. I also tend to drop 3 hitches on the landing before I saw up.

 

[northmanlogging]

I would think it would make a mess to limb all those trees in the middle of the trail... and be a bit of a pain in the butt. Different wood though... I like to spend a day or two dumping and limbing, then come back and skid everything out, makes less of a headache. Sometimes its spend the morning falling and after lunch skidding, call the self loader for the next morning rinse and repeat as necessary

 

[Steve NW WI]

I am cutting and limbing every stick myself, yes.
Pulling bunched wood, WFO like most hired drivers would use it, yes, it would eat 5 gallons an hour easy. Most guys will run it WFO in 2nd gear rather than go up 2 and let it chug..Myself, I set the hand throttle @1/3 or so and use the transmission to go faster or reduce for hills...I only use the foot throttle when that 1/3 isn't cutting it...just add a bit and them let it back to the pre-set. Saves a lot of fuel. I also shut it down when I am chopping..I usually run out a tank or two just dropping, then gather hitches and limb them on the trail. I also tend to drop 3 hitches on the landing before I saw up.

I hear ya on saving fuel where you can. I'm just used to farm machinery, running my buddy's 450HP 4x4 tractor on the big disk will eat 20+ gallons an hour...pretty cheap per acre though. The little 4 cyl Perkins in my tractor will burn about 4g/h at full load, I can run all day on 10 gallons doing lighter work, only 70hp though.