motorized log cart

[mic687]

I have an old snowblower that still runs an existing hand cart and a freind who is a fabricator, I think Im 90 percent there.

 

[imagineero]

You're only 20 percent there.

 

[treevet]

I have noticed that machine on the trade mags for many many years and always figured it would cost more than I figured I would want to exchange spending for something else of the same value. I like it but I was right finding out the price for the first time on this thread. Always felt that they may be proud of their machine but if they were also proud of the price then it would be listed. One guy on each handle and one guy on back, all either pushing or pulling the machine (conventional log dolly or trolly) somewhat replicates the horsepower of the unit in my mind for the occassional times you have a massive load on on difficult terrain.

 

[shelby78]

Here's my take on it... Yes it was very expensive.. Probly more than it should cost. Everyone wants U.S. or Canadian made but doesn't want to pay. There's the cons.

Now I have never used a log cart so this won't be a fair comparison. But you "treevet" just said you would have 3 guys working a log cart. We would have 2 guys running wheelbarrows and me running what we call "wheels". Don't forget you still have all the limb wood to deal with also. You time it so one guy with a barrow helps you load wheels then I'm off. I can dump my load in about 2 seconds and on my way for another. We have a crane on our dumptruck so I take my loads to the truck as big as I can. This kart will move at a fast walk pace.

When we get into plus 35 degree weather I know I'm not dieing to be tugging on a non powered kart. I may have to make that same 100 yard trip 10 times up hill and you loose a lot of time and energy with people power. If you base your work at say $250 a hour and save 2 hours fighting with big timber on one job, you then have 2 hours to do another small job.

You don't see instant returns on one of these but over a year or 2 it pays for itself and then starts making you money.

 

[mic687]

You're only 20 percent there.

I have the brain trust of my buddys dads manufacturing business working on it. Not going to use exisitng hand truck going to build our own so I'm only 10 percent there but we have a plan.

 

[Pelorus]

I'd like to buy a copy of your drawings / material take off list if your prototype works!
For a reasonable 5 year return on investment, (leaving aside ergonomics; physical & mental!) the Little Helper cart would have to save / make me around $1000 / yr. It might do that.
Increased productivity is less of an issue than decreased wear and tear on me.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

My mini will go anywhere that log cart does.

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[Pelorus]

Yeah, but on a lot of the smaller jobs I get, it is borderline whether it worthwhile to trailer the mini there.
Plus, the tracks are hell on nice lawns, so I have to screw around with a bunch of plywood.
250 lb Little Helper vs. 2800 lb DW 650 turf killer.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

My dingo only weighs 1200# and the tracks don't seem to mess the yard up much.

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[Pelorus]

Do you still have to trailer your Dingo, or will it fit on the back of a truck?
I'm going to definitely look into getting turf tracks when the aftermarket ones I put on wear out.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

I could easily put it In the back of my pickup truck. Most times I haul it on my skid steer trailer and I load log length pieces of the tree on the trailer and the mini. You can fit more wood then you would think plus still have room for the mini on a 18' trailer.

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[2treeornot2tree]

I bought my new tracks for my grinder at a place in Georgia called rubber trax. I saved about $500 buy them there rather then carlton.

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[Pelorus]

Yeah, I also went aftermarket instead of DW, and saved a couple hundred $$$.
I trailer mine in a 5X10 dump trailer - the mini eats up all the space with the grapple bucket on.
Bought the trailer a couple years before the mini. An 18' trailer must be nice!!!

 

[treevet]

My dingo only weighs 1200# and the tracks don't seem to mess the yard up much.

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My Dingo weighs over 2100 lbs. with the Dingo grapple on, you must have a little Dingo?

If you got a mini I don't thing the motorized dolley is a good buy but if not...maybe.

But at 3500$ if you doubled that with a few days work then you could buy a fairly nice used mini for that much.

I always look at getting a new piece of equipment as a "capture". I over extend myself so as not to get something I wish I didn't then TRY to hold on to it....haven't lost one yet.

A motorized dolley for me would collect a lot of dust and spider webs. If I bought it instead of a mini...I would long for a mini.

 

[treevet]

we wear hard hats now

 

[2treeornot2tree]

I have a tx425 wide track. Book says 1200 lbs plus 285 lbs for the grapple.

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[treevet]

I have a tx425 wide track. Book says 1200 lbs plus 285 lbs for the grapple.

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I have the specs on the Toro/Dingo book from when I bought it new. TX 425 2060 (wide track) lbs.....TX 420 1880 lbs.

My Dingo TX 525 #1904 lbs. (wide track is 2001 lbs and didn't buy because of gate clearance)

All these with no bucket or grapple included which I think you are close to accurate on with the grapple weight.

So all these units weigh over 2k lbs. with grapple.

 

[Pelorus]

Treevet - do you find you are getting good use / a lot of use out of the Stein arbor trolley?
I have read all the glowing reviews on that thing, and seen it at Expo, but I'm still on the fence.
Plus, it wouldn't be usable for the monster chunks that the motorized cart is shown moving.

Edited cause another thought popped up in my little brain.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

Crap. I just looked in my manual and it says 2007 lbs. I wonder where I seen 1200 lb weight.

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[NSchonberg]

If you make a cart you will need a two cycle engine to allow it to tip up for loading and unloading. We went with echo because about 1 in 4 of the cheap imports were bad from the factory. Just some food for thought.