Mike Cantolina
Addicted to ArboristSite
I've used an 8000lb Ramsey a fair amount hooked to the skidsteer to get logs to where I could reach them. I've only ever replaced one solenoid on it.
Gotta be a better way!!
- Thread starter kansan
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
treeman75
Addicted to ArboristSite
The one thing I learned the first winter of tree work is you have to save up and pay your bills up to get through winter. What ever way you go with, mini or knuckle boom, finance the money. The payment on 10-15k is only is only 200-300 for a few years and you will be glad you did it.
Before I had a loader we hand loaded the logs or payed 300 to have a load picked up. I did that for ten years, I kick myself in the butt now for not being smart enough to buy a piece of equipment.
Before I had a loader we hand loaded the logs or payed 300 to have a load picked up. I did that for ten years, I kick myself in the butt now for not being smart enough to buy a piece of equipment.
good lord I am amazed at the lack of information given to this AS Member................are you ready? You need to buy a "STEINER"!
one of the "premier" tree services here runs his whole operation off such a equipment master piece, LOL
Really, a winch of the size you speak of & pole dollies will work, I know an older gentlemen who follows around some tree companies on take downs, he has a wood mill & as he says...I just like to tinker! he has his grandson help him with a heavy duty cant hook/peavey he made that will lift the ends of the log & he rolls 2 wheeled dollies under each end secures the log down with a chain strap & the winch pulls em with ease, the dollies he made & used old quad tires
I laughed at this ole guy but ill tell ya what, he did a hell of a job with some decet sized spars, he even had the dollies set up to expand with rail guides on the side of his trailer so he could load logs side by side & on top of each other.........real creative ole guy & a pleasure to let him have those logs, saved me tons of time & cleanup......& he was happy!
LXT.............
one of the "premier" tree services here runs his whole operation off such a equipment master piece, LOL
Really, a winch of the size you speak of & pole dollies will work, I know an older gentlemen who follows around some tree companies on take downs, he has a wood mill & as he says...I just like to tinker! he has his grandson help him with a heavy duty cant hook/peavey he made that will lift the ends of the log & he rolls 2 wheeled dollies under each end secures the log down with a chain strap & the winch pulls em with ease, the dollies he made & used old quad tires
I laughed at this ole guy but ill tell ya what, he did a hell of a job with some decet sized spars, he even had the dollies set up to expand with rail guides on the side of his trailer so he could load logs side by side & on top of each other.........real creative ole guy & a pleasure to let him have those logs, saved me tons of time & cleanup......& he was happy!
LXT.............
I hear nothing but good things about those mini skidders, and the fact that they will go through a gate is outstanding. I will definately own one or two at some point. For the next 8 or 9 months I will be saving for the 8,000.00 grapple to put on my tandem dump truck. Until then it's a trailer and a winch for front yard stuff, and a hand truck for stuff in the back.
Youngbuck20
ArboristSite Guru
Just bein a smartass. Im good. No running, I enjoy the work way too much. Just wish I did less favours. Big family.
old_soul
ArboristSite Operative
Get a mid size skid loader, you won't regret it. I know they are alot of coin but the amount of time it will save you will pay for itself over and over. If you are a commercial operation you can make that money back in no time.
Not to mention the strain off your back. Trying to roll large rounds into a pick up truck. I started out that way too, i remember how much it sucked. IF i could go back I would have got a loan for the skid loader, and had it from job number 1.
You've already got the truck and trailer to support it. You'll find alot of other jobs for it too!
Good luck to ya
I am a glutton for punishment and roll them up in my pick up on two 2x12's screwed together. I salivate at the set ups I see some guys have on AS., maybe someday I will progress
I'm with you, some of these were over 200# and I rolled them up a 2 x 14 by myself. 2 guys is better. this is the cheap solutionView attachment 285262
A hand winch and a ramp with get you there if money is more important that time, my boat winch will pull 1400# for about $75
Last edited:
Thanks to all for sharing your experiences and opinions with me. It seems like everyone who has a skidsteer is loving it for tree work. I just cant see getting that before I get my knuckle boom but maybe I should. I already have a 580 case backhoe for my general dirt work needs and unloading trailers, we also use it to do alittle hardwood logging locally each winter. I cant really see the benefit of a skidder over a grapple truck. They wont lift as big a log onto the trailer and they certainly cant lift as large of a log into the back of my tandem. I also cant help but notice that none of the other big tree companys around KC are pulling sit in skidders behind there trucks. Its always a chipper dump with chipper in tow and bringing up the rear of the caravan is big knuckle boom. Since getting a skidder on credit is not a risk Im willing to take at this point, then my next question has to be which piece of equipment should I be looking to get this fall. Is a skid loader going to save me more time and make me more money than a knuckle boom truck? I would also like to know how much time should i expect to spend fixing or explaining ruts in the yard from a skidsteer. On all my flyers and buisness cards it says we specialize in Low Impact trimming and removals. Opinions!!
Im guessing you mean to say that $1400 is an exaggerated number but the ones they had for sale at our local arborists covention were selling like hot cakes for $1290. Now I havent done the math on the taxes for a $1290.00 dollar purchase, but im guessing it would put one of those hand trucks with a weedeater motor at a shade over $1400.00
CalTreeEquip
ArboristSite Guru
What?? You have a Case??? Why is this even a question? Put a grapple on the thing and go to work. You would rather drag 4' diameter logs onto a trailer with an electric winch than using the Case you already have??
Dude!
Dude!
All of my trucks (I have 5 buckets and 2 climbing) have lift gates installed in the back. This way I don't have to spend the gas to drive an extra truck and trailer to every job. My guys hand cart the logs out to the truck and then use the lift gate. I also have 2 mini skid steers and two regular size skid steers but they are mostly used for bush hogging or on the stump crew for material hauling.
When I first started out I didn't even have a chipper for the first 2 years. We hand loaded all the branches (butt ends facing the cab) and used planks to roll the logs onto the back of the truck.
Keep saving and be smart about debt.
When I first started out I didn't even have a chipper for the first 2 years. We hand loaded all the branches (butt ends facing the cab) and used planks to roll the logs onto the back of the truck.
Keep saving and be smart about debt.
2treeornot2tree
Dont cry, just do it
I never seen a bucket with a lift gate. Can you post up some pics?
2treeornot2tree
Dont cry, just do it
Full size loaders will leave ruts, mini skid loaders dont. With either one, you not gonna lift a 4' diameter 20' log. For that matter, depending on the knuckle boom, you might still not be able to.
Theres not just one tool that does everything. If the tree is in the front yard, you can use your knuckle boom, but what if the trees in the back yard with a gate? Then your still gonna have chunk the logs into rounds to get the logs out to the front before you can load them with your k boom. For me the mini skid loader is more productive them a log truck, as most of my jobs are in the back of houses.
2treeornot2tree
Dont cry, just do it
Thanks for the pics. It looks like the whole lift gate tilts with the bed. Does it dump as good as without a lift gate?
No problem dumping the truck. The only thing to be careful of is that the hitch is lower. Pulling into a driveway with a steep slope can sometimes lead to damage to the blacktop. We put a board down when we have to do that. It has gotten to the point that my guys don't even want to use the new truck until the lift gate is installed. I never understood why guys bought a skid steer, bought a truck, bought a trailer and payed for the extra fuel when all you need is a lift gate.
Last edited:
flushcut
Addicted to ArboristSite
AA has been banned and good riddance because I did not want to see him die in one of his videos.
OP buy as much of a machine as you can afford it will pay very quickly. Before I bought my s800tx I used ramps to load trees and some times I would barrow a skidsteer. Iron make tree work easy and profitable.
old_soul
ArboristSite Operative
Well if it says that on your business cards then you should be telling US how you plan to do it.
All joking aside, whats the difference. If a skid loader will rut the yard you can bet a boom truck is going to leave ruts. Is all your work City trees, where you can sit along the road and pick up log lengths? Or are you planning to drag them across the yard to the street. That is going to damage turf just the same.
when you say "skidder" do you mean a log skidder, like a CAT?
I guess I'm a bit confused...........
OLD OAK
TREE KILLER
Bobcat - used- $360.00 per month for 3 years. Paid if off 2 years ago. If you cant afford that then you might want to look for a different line of work. Iam not pushing wood up a ramp, to a lift gate or cutting it into a 1000 pices to then lift into a truck. If that works for you then thats good, i grab it with the Bobcat and dump it in the truck. Sometimes you have to spend it to make it.
