Mini skid-steers?

[treevet]

I added a tree ball mover implement this fall and double paid for it in one job. I was extremely happy. We had a slew of balled trees dumped on a campus, dug the holes with my large stump grinder, went over and pinched the balls (sounds painful but it is not..LOL) and just one man grabbed them, drove them at times a football field away over rough terrain and just dropped them right in the middle of the hole.

this is one of many plantings we did this fall.

 

[sawinredneck]

How is turning when your bucket is pushed down and your front tires lifted up?

It steers the same to me. Maybe reacts a bit quicker, and the front wants to "swing out" more so you need to be aware of what is around you.

The BMG just rocks! I love mine! The two things I have noticed that a regular grapple bucket would out shine it, other than the ones stated.
If you are not careful the beaks will tear a yard up quickly, leaving large divits of grass dug up. You can work around his with practice.

Picking up brush, the smaller stuff at least, having something under the brush and then clamp it, would work a lot easier and quicker.

 

[Stein]

Nice....AWD?

Yes. Four individual hydraulic wheel drive motors.

So that I don't muddy this thread, more info in the thread here:

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=85397

 

[arbor pro]

It steers the same to me. Maybe reacts a bit quicker, and the front wants to "swing out" more so you need to be aware of what is around you.

The BMG just rocks! I love mine! The two things I have noticed that a regular grapple bucket would out shine it, other than the ones stated.
If you are not careful the beaks will tear a yard up quickly, leaving large divits of grass dug up. You can work around his with practice.

Picking up brush, the smaller stuff at least, having something under the brush and then clamp it, would work a lot easier and quicker.

That's why I'm leaning towards staying with a bucket-style grapple and maybe just getting a bigger mini skid so I can lift higher. I love it when I can bulldoze tree debris into piles without having to stack it first. I also like being able to pick up raking piles and stump grindings with the same grapple. I would; however, like to find an open-sided bucket that is longer and taller than my current open-sided bucket but still only 36" wide and a grapple that opens wider so I can pick up bigger brush piles. Weight has never been a problem when picking up brush but sometimes I can't get my small grapple around big piles and have to pull them apart.

Basically, I want a HD flat-sided grapple like you'd get on a big skid steer but only 36" wide - in other words, take a 72" flat-sided bucket with a double grapple on it and cut it and half and make it fit a mini skid. You'd end up with a bigger 36" grapple than the one I have on my machine now. It would be heavier but that would be ok for most of what I do. Does anyone know of such a grapple on the market already or would it be a custom job?

 

[treevet]

It is always gonna be a give and take between size and capacity with these things. Add cap. and you lose balance/increase tip. Also your footprint obviously is heavier, and if you work on golf course quality lawns like I do around here, you know what I mean.

No comparison between the Dingo and the Bobcat in finesse on a lawn.
Dingo wins every time. It has 5 pumps so is much smoother in general too while weighing in at about 2k and less than 35" wide (got thru 35" gates numerous times. ). It is a FAR superior machine.

 

[treevet]

Just to show you I got one.

 

[Brush Hog]

I am very tempted to buy one but I also do landscaping and think I could find a used skid steer for that price. I would need the height of the skid to load a sander though. I have used one at my house and it did a fine job and one with a grapple would be priceless. Like others said "all equipment has it's limitations".

 

[sawinredneck]

That's why I'm leaning towards staying with a bucket-style grapple and maybe just getting a bigger mini skid so I can lift higher. I love it when I can bulldoze tree debris into piles without having to stack it first. I also like being able to pick up raking piles and stump grindings with the same grapple. I would; however, like to find an open-sided bucket that is longer and taller than my current open-sided bucket but still only 36" wide and a grapple that opens wider so I can pick up bigger brush piles. Weight has never been a problem when picking up brush but sometimes I can't get my small grapple around big piles and have to pull them apart.

Basically, I want a HD flat-sided grapple like you'd get on a big skid steer but only 36" wide - in other words, take a 72" flat-sided bucket with a double grapple on it and cut it and half and make it fit a mini skid. You'd end up with a bigger 36" grapple than the one I have on my machine now. It would be heavier but that would be ok for most of what I do. Does anyone know of such a grapple on the market already or would it be a custom job?

Close to what you asked for, it's toothed, and 27", decent price, maybe a little high.

http://cgi.ebay.com/MINI-SKID-STEER...ryZ50908QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Edit, here is a flat one, but pricey!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/MINI-SKID-STEER...ryZ50908QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[treevet]

Very nice deal.

 

[arbor pro]

It looks shorter in both height and length than a 72" skid steer grapple. I'd have to see some specs on the grapple opening from bottom of bucket to top of grapple when fully opened but, I'm guessing it's quite a bit less than the opening on a full-size skid steer grapple. For loading logs, I don't need a real big opening but, for loading brush and stump grindings, I want just as big of opening as the full-sized skid steer grapples.

I think I'll just end up having one of the manufacturers in my area custom build one. Most of the mini grapples on EBay don't fit bobcat brand anyways so I'd have to modify the attachment plate to begin with.

 

[B-Edwards]

Yes. Four individual hydraulic wheel drive motors.

So that I don't muddy this thread, more info in the thread here:

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=85397

Stein, that thing is neat! I really like that . I would put some kind of rollbar on it just incase. Maybe a break down model like on small tractors or mowers. But overall it looks great. I have a dingo (tires) and love it. I am thinking of making tracks for it maybe out of chain and weld cross bars to them. I have seen these for sale on-line. I already have the spacers to move the wheels out for tracks.

 

[treevet]

Anybody use the huge auger attachments for planting trees? Seems like you would need pure soil for it to work and not get stopped by substantial rocks.

Also, how about snow throwers. Do hydraulics have the same problem they do with stump grinders in not enough capacity?

 

[capetrees]

I used a friends mini with a rented 20" auger for some sono tubes and the auger dug fairly well. It doesn't like stones and rocks over 4-6" and just bumps off of them and goes in a different direction slightly.

As far as running the snowblower and stump grinder, check whats required of the attachment before you use it with any machine. The machine will have the output at the attachment couplings listed somewhere and should be compatable with whatever you run.

 

[pdqdl]

Stein: that thing is begging for a roll cage !

I'm sure you haven't worried about it, but done right, it would not only be much safer, it would add a lot of strength to your lifting capacity and to the life of your center pivot .

1. Add a roll bar to the front vertical towers that support the loader frame.
2. Build a support cage onto the rear axle from some really strong point.
3. Tie them together in the middle with a pivot exactly above the center pivot below. The pivot should probably be built with similar materials to the lower pivot.

This will add strength to the frame and will protect from rollover.

Naturally, this idea won't work if your center pivot is more complex than a single vertical axis. I can't tell from the pictures.

 

[treemandan]

So Treevet, you have 2 Dingos and 1 bobcat mini? What are you hooked? I use mine to plow sidewalks and such as well. I just have a small lawn tractor plow on it.
The drive link on my snow blower broke ( I never used it anyway) and was thinking of just tying it to the Dingo if I needed.

 

[treevet]

So Treevet, you have 2 Dingos and 1 bobcat mini? What are you hooked? I use mine to plow sidewalks and such as well. I just have a small lawn tractor plow on it.
The drive link on my snow blower broke ( I never used it anyway) and was thinking of just tying it to the Dingo if I needed.

No, treeman, I bought a brand new Dinger in the summer, then I ran into a deal I couldn't pass up on the Bobcat in the fall. I think I can use them both.

Got any picts of plowing? Yeah I am hopelessly hooked (not ashamed of it either). The wife..............or the Dingo......?????

 

[treemandan]

No, treeman, I bought a brand new Dinger in the summer, then I ran into a deal I couldn't pass up on the Bobcat in the fall. I think I can use them both.

Got any picts of plowing? Yeah I am hopelessly hooked (not ashamed of it either). The wife..............or the Dingo......?????

I don't think I have a pic.
Its just a Crapsman tractor plow , manual anglle of course, welded to square tubing that fits inside of the A frame WHICH in this pic I have the tongs in right now and am moving this here tree.

This plow I built for small truck, manual angle, and the winch raised and lowered it. It worked allright... then I tossed it in a heap.

I am going to ressurect it by cutting everything off the original blade which is pretty much what's now left. I did work allright... then I tossed it in a heap.
This blade is pretty heavy compared to the crapsman which is lighter than my 3 year old.
I need to re-spring the crapsman so its a little less likely to fold but its great for residential walks. I was think of welding a long broom to the top of the blade so I could flip the whole thing, maybe a rubber strip?
I don't think you are gonna wanna put a very big blade, certainly not wide, on these things especially the ones with traks. It wouldn't be enough to really move it without beating the machine and by then you might as well use the Myer's.
Certainly these little loaders have kept me in this bis in more ways than one. Not only that its use around the house is helpful. I am looking to make a firewood rack I can fill and bring in weekly. Something that I can drive right into my house and unload real quick.

 

[treemandan]

No, treeman, I bought a brand new Dinger in the summer, then I ran into a deal I couldn't pass up on the Bobcat in the fall. I think I can use them both.

Got any picts of plowing? Yeah I am hopelessly hooked (not ashamed of it either). The wife..............or the Dingo......?????

I don't think I have a pic.
Its just a Crapsman tractor plow , manual anglle of course, welded to square tubing that fits inside of the A frame WHICH in this pic I have the tongs in right now and am moving this here tree.

This plow I built for small truck, manual angle, and the winch raised and lowered it. It worked allright... then I tossed it in a heap.

I am going to ressurect it by cutting everything off the original blade which is pretty much what's now left. I did work allright... then I tossed it in a heap.
This blade is pretty heavy compared to the crapsman which is lighter than my 3 year old.
I need to re-spring the crapsman so its a little less likely to fold but its great for residential walks. I was think of welding a long broom to the top of the blade so I could flip the whole thing, maybe a rubber strip?
I don't think you are gonna wanna put a very big blade, certainly not wide, on these things especially the ones with traks. It wouldn't be enough to really move it without beating the machine and by then you might as well use the Myer's.
Certainly these little loaders have kept me in this bis in more ways than one. Not only that its use around the house is helpful. I am looking to make a firewood rack I can fill and bring in weekly. Something that I can drive right into my house and unload real quick.

 

[treevet]

I like the look of that widetrack more than mine. Did you fabricate that surrey?

How about just the big mulch bucket for bringing the wood in the house?

These things are so sweet. Planting trees used to be a backbreaker didn't it.

 

[treemandan]

I like the look of that widetrack more than mine. Did you fabricate that surrey?

How about just the big mulch bucket for bringing the wood in the house?

These things are so sweet. Planting trees used to be a backbreaker didn't it.

No, it came with it, it folds up and down. Yeah, Wide rubber rules. I don't understand the skinny ones.
I had a four foot bucket and I almost can get the same amount of wood in a barrow and then still have to re-stack on the shelves. I figured I would make a wood shelf I could pick up and take out then bring back in loaded and put it in the garage by the wall where its next stop would be the stove. Its a lot of work getting home as it is.
You could probably dig a 4x4 hole with a toothed bucket pretty good but I still have yet to get a set of teeth for mine so I use this.

Once again it just slides into the receiver. maybe ten minutes to dig and prep a hole. Its a little of a pain switching from pick - axe to bucket but ...
I have not used the aux. hydraulics on mine. I just welded draw bars what I thought would be useful. I don't use it much but the york rake is cool for some things, that's a little heavy, you can't pick that up.
My fav is the forks ( I keep calling them tongs), I don't see the need for a grapple bucket whatsoever, unless they are handing em out for free one day.

I have had no problems with the forks, I have picked up bigger stuff than that. The forks are stronger than the machine it seems. They will hold more than it can lift or handle safely. These locust logs were a snap.