Nursery (hand) truck - anybody use one.

[ATH]

We plant a few trees each year. It is always a struggle to move them without a skid steer. Anybody use the nursery trucks like these:
AM Leonard GP22
or
AM Leonard LE22

If so, which do you have (the bigger base on the GP seems more versatile (big wood can go on it too)), but they seem to suggest that the LE model is better for B&B trees.

I don't doubt that the cart can handle 1500 lbs without breaking...but is it realistic for one guy to move a 600-800 pound B&B tree with one of these?

Thanks!

 

[troythetreeman]

ball cart, used them lots, without a mini theyre the next best thing
put one guy on each handle and a 3rd pushing and theyll haul as much as you can fit on them

 

[troythetreeman]

i never thought to figure out what one guy can move with one but 500-600lbs, strong guy, flat ground? seems reasonable
up hill? not likely... down hill? good luck stopping

 

[ozzy42]

I got this one from the lanscrape supply place here in town.
It's a wolverine tree dolly.
The one I have is down the page a bit .Its the ap1000. Wolverine Tools

I love it .It rides on my trailer on the tounge .The bottom lip slides under the frame where the a-frame goes under the main box structure of the trailer.The upright part snugs up against the outside front nose of the trailer ,the wheels sit on the tonge and a short chain and padlock lets me keep it on the trailer all the time when not in use.
The only thing that sucks about it is it won't fit thru narrow fence gates.
It cost 3 bones if I remember right.

 

[the Aerialist]

Try a cart, not a truck, but will haul a ton of wood ...

I bought a one ton capacity cart with high floatation tires. I used it by hand for a few jobs and it worked well enough, but I soon started looking for a tractor to pull it. Not a heavy load on it here, but beats carrying by hand especially if you have far to go or an uphill slog:

DR equipment just came out with this cart, they call it a versa trailer and it looks pretty sweet, if a bit pricey ($2k):

[video=youtube;kVLtJn3abro]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kVLtJn3abro[/video]

 

[NCTREE]

try putting a 4" caliper B&B on that thing. :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[TimberMcPherson]

Try a muck truck, they rock!

 

[ozzy42]

Try a muck truck, they rock!

HEY BUDDY They don't allow that kind of language here.:msp_mad::yoyo:

 

[sgreanbeans]

try putting a 4" caliper B&B on that thing. :hmm3grin2orange:

No doubt!!, planted a 4" gingko and a 4" royal red Saturday, Man I wish I had one then! I have a 20ft flatbed I use for mulch and trees, we backed it up as close to the hole's as possible, then it took 3 of us to gently roll it off. I almost went and picked up the skid steer, but there was only 4 trees and 2 were 25gal bucket trees. The gingko had been in the basket for a while, as there was at least 6" of root mass all the way around, pain to get the basket off. But it was a complete joy rolling that thing! NOT! Have no idea how much that thing wieghed, but I know one of those carts would have made things a lot easier! Use them at the nursery were I get my trees, they work really good.

 

[flushcut]

If so, which do you have (the bigger base on the GP seems more versatile (big wood can go on it too)), but they seem to suggest that the LE model is better for B&B trees.

The one with the flatter bottom will give you the most versatility for moving wood and trees. As far as which one it really depends on the nursery that you use and what type of machine they are using to pluck their trees. Are they more round (ball like) or cone shaped with a flat bottom. The flat bottom cart will work with both style of ball but not as well the other way around. Yes a guy can man handle them as long as the ground is nice and flat but two or three guys is better for uneven ground.
I don't own one but have worked at my buddies moms nursery and have used them both more times than I care to remember and found myself going for the flat bottom one more than not. Now I sub out my plantings so much easier getting a % for just talking to the HO.

 

[NCTREE]

No doubt!!, planted a 4" gingko and a 4" royal red Saturday, Man I wish I had one then! I have a 20ft flatbed I use for mulch and trees, we backed it up as close to the hole's as possible, then it took 3 of us to gently roll it off. I almost went and picked up the skid steer, but there was only 4 trees and 2 were 25gal bucket trees. The gingko had been in the basket for a while, as there was at least 6" of root mass all the way around, pain to get the basket off. But it was a complete joy rolling that thing! NOT! Have no idea how much that thing wieghed, but I know one of those carts would have made things a lot easier! Use them at the nursery were I get my trees, they work really good.

Becareful with those big trees I screwed my back up real bad trying to move one of them around, put me out of commision for two weeks. I have the log dolly from sherrill, I found it on craigslist for half the price and thing was hardly used. I love it you can definatly move some weight with it. Two guys and we were moving 500 to 600lbs sliver maple logs out of a fenced in back yard.

 

[ATH]

Thanks for all of the replies!

I think I have settled on either the 20LE from AM Leonard (1000lb capacity instead of 1600# - but a few inches narrower) or a Diablo Bursery Ball Cart available from several sources. I spoke with AM Leonard about the difference between the 2 and they said the LE models allow the ball to sit further back. The killer is the shipping (AM Leonard said $130 shipping :msp_w00t: ). Still looking for a better deal there.

To get around the conviencence factor of the non-flat bottom, I found a rack that hooks on.

 

[ATH]

Try a muck truck, they rock!

Looks cool, but...

Muck truck capacity: 550lbs.

Weight of 2.5" caliper tree - 600-800lbs.

 

[BC WetCoast]

No doubt!!, planted a 4" gingko and a 4" royal red Saturday, Man I wish I had one then! I have a 20ft flatbed I use for mulch and trees, we backed it up as close to the hole's as possible, then it took 3 of us to gently roll it off. I almost went and picked up the skid steer, but there was only 4 trees and 2 were 25gal bucket trees. The gingko had been in the basket for a while, as there was at least 6" of root mass all the way around, pain to get the basket off. But it was a complete joy rolling that thing! NOT! Have no idea how much that thing wieghed, but I know one of those carts would have made things a lot easier! Use them at the nursery were I get my trees, they work really good.

Not wanting to derail the thread too much, but our major nursery here is adamant that strings, burlap or wire baskets are not removed from the trees as the integrity of the root ball is lost. It is printed very plainly on their packing slips. I have ground many a stump that included the wire basket and there was no root impairment that I could see due to the basket.

Our terms ? Specimen Trees Wholesale Nurseries, Pitt Meadows BC
Look at the section under Warranty

We have the Sherrill Log cart and that works well for us. Although the Hiab works better.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

Looks cool, but...

Muck truck capacity: 550lbs.

Weight of 2.5" caliper tree - 600-800lbs.

The muck truck max dumper does 800lbs

 

[sgreanbeans]

Not wanting to derail the thread too much, but our major nursery here is adamant that strings, burlap or wire baskets are not removed from the trees as the integrity of the root ball is lost. It is printed very plainly on their packing slips. I have ground many a stump that included the wire basket and there was no root impairment that I could see due to the basket.

Our terms ? Specimen Trees Wholesale Nurseries, Pitt Meadows BC
Look at the section under Warranty

We have the Sherrill Log cart and that works well for us. Although the Hiab works better.

I disagree bother, If the burlap is new, needs to go, old nasty rotten burlap...ok, the strings always go, nursery's like to run the string around the flare very tight,many times. It will choke out the tree, see it all the time. Some of the string is plastic based and does not breakdown. The basket, I partly agree, we never take of the whole basket, just top 2 rings, making sure we get off the bunny ears at the top. We leave the bottom in for stability of the root ball as we plant them. If I had more time, I would probably bare root them. We had several trees for a city backed project come to us that were in horrible,loose soil, mainly sand, basket offered nothing, we removed everything,including the soil, took awhile for each tree to get the roots spread and back filled properly, but its been a year, and the trees that came from another nursery, planted at same time, that have the baskets intact, are 1/2 the size of the bare root ones.