Elec-trick chokers

Rugged made
Wesspur
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Holey Hel, at 2k a piece that's potentially $12000 hanging off the back of a $5000 machine, that would take something like 25-30 loads just to brake even, if nothing brakes down:msp_ohmy: Think I might stick with the regular chokers for now, besides I need to lose some weight anyway
 
OlympicYJ said:
Gotcha. Hmm don't think I've heard of Johnson but fortronics are here. You guys seem to make quite a bit of stuff there on the Island. I've heard its for job creation?
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Necessity is the mother of invention. I guess its a part of being relatively isolated from the rest of the world compared to most, If we don't have it and we need it, we'll figure something out. Its called the No. 8 wire attitude, cos everything can be made/done.fixed with a bit of No. 8 gauge fencing wire.

That's cool that fortronics are exporting to the states. We're finally bringing some technology the other direction too, motorised carriages are starting to catch on here
 
northmanlogging said:
Holey Hel, at 2k a piece that's potentially $12000 hanging off the back of a $5000 machine, that would take something like 25-30 loads just to brake even, if nothing brakes down:msp_ohmy: Think I might stick with the regular chokers for now, besides I need to lose some weight anyway
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You're pulling 6 stems with a wheel skidder? how big are these sticks?
 
could be anywhere from 36" x 40' to 6" x 16' its good to keep your options open... most times it'll only be 3 and probably only pulling one of the big bastards at a time. A gypo has to make use of every option, even lowly fire wood loads, got a guy right now wants a log truck load of hemlock and only hemlock willing to pay $1200, for little stuff ya can't beat that.
 
Haha, I've got 10 slides hanging on the main line of my JD 440b. Only 8 chokers hanging though, I do keep 2 or 3 spares in the box under the arch. Best trip to the landing so far was 23 sticks ranging from 8" to 16" butt's.
If it didn't make such a tangled mess I'd put 4 or 5 more slides on. But there is a point of deminishing returns. I think anything more than 10 chokers and you're spending more time untangeling chokers than it's worth.

Did I mention that I don't get many real logs having been demoted to being a mear thinning contractor in New Mexico?
Getting paid by the acre you have to get as much out in a turn as possible.

Andy
 
Chokers? I remember those. Haven't seen one lately, though. :laugh:



track-skidder.jpg
 
StihlKiwi said:
That Cat doesn't look beat up enough to be in the bush, the photo must be staged :laugh:
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They don't look like that for very long. ;)


Back on topic...we see so much grapple equipment that a choker is a rare thing any more. We might keep a couple on the landing for towing somebody but other than that they're hard to find. A couple of the older Cats run combination...winch and grapples...but the winch seldom gets used for skidding.

Last year I was out checking things and I went for over a week without seeing anybody with their feet on the ground except for the fallers. And 'ologists, when we could talk them into actually getting out of the pickup. :laugh
 
lucky me all the local guys are getting to old to go logging anymore and retiring or just plain tiring...
and the big outfits are going full mechanized, which means big cost, which means big jobs only, leaving the little stuff to the little guy, Me, and if I can make a go at it with old (cheap) gear and still pay the bills I call that a success. Keep the overhead as low as possible, fix everything I can myself, and only pay if there is no other honest way around it then well maybe I won't be crazy anymore just eccentric:msp_unsure:. Either way win lose or draw should be funny in the end right!
 
Bringing this one back from the dead to add the German "Ludwig" brand of electronic choker into the mix. I was eying up their smaller model choker (smaller than Fortronic's options) some time ago but the costs put me off electronic chokers.
 
northmanlogging said:
lucky me all the local guys are getting to old to go logging anymore and retiring or just plain tiring...
and the big outfits are going full mechanized, which means big cost, which means big jobs only, leaving the little stuff to the little guy, Me, and if I can make a go at it with old (cheap) gear and still pay the bills I call that a success. Keep the overhead as low as possible, fix everything I can myself, and only pay if there is no other honest way around it then well maybe I won't be crazy anymore just eccentric:msp_unsure:. Either way win lose or draw should be funny in the end right!
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8 YEARS LATER... lol

I'm still fat

and that december I bought the missus a Deere 440a that still needs tires but still works everyday

I'm still the small guy comparatively (production wise) in fact the other outfits have gotten down right bloated lots of very big shiny machines on the hills lately

So far I've only take things to a shop twice, and only because I didn't have time or tools to mess with it.

3 years ago in Nov, I went full time gyppo, (largely because the machine shop I was working part time at fired me... but I didn't look for work after that)

And I've expanded from a POS crummy and an old skidder with a couple basket case saws, to an excavator, dump truck, log truck, and a pile of new saws. As well as a bunch of ancillary stuff, welders, fire wagons, etc etc etc. None of this has ever involved a direct loan, so I own all my gear outright.

Still funny though
 
Yeah I was reading these posts, knowing how long ago they were posted and wondering how much the present day stacked up to the aspirations/assumptions of the past.
How about a prediction for the next 8 years, and if we are lucky enough, we'll be able to look back and laugh at how good or bad it was. Although, perhaps just a few years to give us a better chance to still be upright and chucking chips.
 
slowp said:
Your nephew ought to be old enough now to work for you. :)
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Welp, I had him help with the trailer brakes after he got out of mechanic school..

and tried to get him some wrenching jobs at various places

but he ****ed off and got a job at boeing instead

at this point if my niece wasn't such a gurly gurl I'd think about hiring her, but she's a frail little thing that don't like getting dirty... besides she's got a good job and has moved up to being a lead already... I don't think shes even 20 yet
 
northmanlogging said:
Welp, I had him help with the trailer brakes after he got out of mechanic school..

and tried to get him some wrenching jobs at various places

but he ****ed off and got a job at boeing instead

at this point if my niece wasn't such a gurly gurl I'd think about hiring her, but she's a frail little thing that don't like getting dirty... besides she's got a good job and has moved up to being a lead already... I don't think shes even 20 yet
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He might not have a job at the Lazy B soon. Sounds like they are in a bit of trouble right now.
 
KiwiBro said:
Yeah I was reading these posts, knowing how long ago they were posted and wondering how much the present day stacked up to the aspirations/assumptions of the past.
How about a prediction for the next 8 years, and if we are lucky enough, we'll be able to look back and laugh at how good or bad it was. Although, perhaps just a few years to give us a better chance to still be upright and chucking chips.
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8 years?

The plan was to be running just the self loader log truck by then, but that was also supposed to be 5 years out from now to even buy one lol, in 8 years I'll be 50, and I already got weak knees and gimpys legs... so we'll have to see

As far as expanding the business? I like where I'm at, maybe get some newer/better equipment, what I got is doing the job, but they are old, and the dumb truck is woefully underpowered and geriatric.

But the plan from day one was to use the logging side of the business to acquire acreage... so far that has eluded me
 
slowp said:
He might not have a job at the Lazy B soon. Sounds like they are in a bit of trouble right now.
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Yeah... though thats not really news

If any of the family blood is in him he'll work hard and make sure they would miss him if he went, so he should be ok, lots of worthless pricks that work there should go first, but it is a union shop so?
 

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