jon72
ArboristSite Member
It is up here!Yeah ,because used iron is selling like gang busters in this logging climate.
possible skidder alternatives.
- Thread starter Zackman1801
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Zackman1801
ArboristSite Guru
now that i think about it for a long hard time. the truck would be just too much trouble to get the bed and the 2nd axle off. I would either need a crane to lift it off or a very powerful winch, in either case i dont have either laying around. I think that a Tractor would be MUCH more reasonable since i dont plan to sell anything that i buy. The tractor would work out better because i can use it for logging, put a plow on it or bucket and plow driveways, and then use it for anything else that needs doing. with a skidder although optimal for logging would be basically useless unless i started into doing commercial firewood or logging businesses on other peoples land, because i cant use it for plowing small driveways because of the size and i cant transport it anywhere because i dont have a truck or trailer big enough for it. plus the tractor would most likely cost less than a good skidder in the long run because of less maintenance costs.
clearance
Addicted to ArboristSite
Why would you take the second axle off? Leave the deck on and biuld an arch, gin poles type of deal. JKS uses one, ask him what setup he has.
Zackman1801
ArboristSite Guru
taking off the second axle although decreasing hauling capacity would also make the rig easier to manuver into tight spots in the woods and up close to hung up trees.
JackD_ME
ArboristSite Operative
clearance
Addicted to ArboristSite
Sure, but it would also put the wieght on the remaining axle, not the two, which would cause the one axle to sink further, and not as much traction as having two drive axles (there is an interlock, a drive shaft between the two rear axles?).
Something else to think about, if you have a piece of equipment with a good heavy winch, is that you could climb trees and hang blocks with nylon straps, and run various lengths of haywire out and do some cold-decking. Me and my uncle did this in the 80's to log some small, difficult tracts of property that weren't conducive to cats or skidders. We'd just hang blocks 40-80 feet up and skid in stages using the 12-ton PTO winch he had on his big flatbed truck. We'd set the truck up at a landing point and use it just like a yarder. If we had to skid around a bend, we'd just colddeck before the bend with a block at one location and then readjust our set-up and finish the turn with a block at a higher location.
cunrya
ArboristSite Operative
You won't be sorry. You can make good money in big storms with a loader tractor too. I never come home without at least a grand in my pocket on a 12"+ snow here in NW Ohio. Look at the Iron Oak Attachments if your on a budget.
Zackman1801
ArboristSite Guru
yeah but the thing is i would have to find people that already dont have their own snow removal equipment or try to convince them that they want me to do it and not the other 10+ contractors that are already right in town.
although i would like to see some picks of some of the "homemade" rigs like JKS has or some things that other people use also that arent skidders.
also does anyone know what the rules are about the M35 or similar military surp trucks out there pertaining to road use. because if i could use this all day and then drive it home after i would be much happier than leaving it around, do you have to have a class A license to drive them or register then a certain way (by the way this question really only pertains to mainers since most states have different laws.)
although i would like to see some picks of some of the "homemade" rigs like JKS has or some things that other people use also that arent skidders.
also does anyone know what the rules are about the M35 or similar military surp trucks out there pertaining to road use. because if i could use this all day and then drive it home after i would be much happier than leaving it around, do you have to have a class A license to drive them or register then a certain way (by the way this question really only pertains to mainers since most states have different laws.)
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Here's a couple of thoughts, can you hire a slow ( an in short on work ) skidder and operator or rent one from a logger who is slow or stopped his operation? My father in law is not going into the bush for the first time in 36 years due to timber prices, he has two machines sitting doing nothing, I'm sure he would rent out a machine hourly. That way if you have a market for your logs you could get started then later buy a skidder or tractor to finish the job. I would think the tractor would be the way to go for its versatility over the skidder.
I would not bother with the 6x6 unless you want it for the fun of having one, they do break, there not that easy to find parts for and not as good as a skidder or tractor with chains. My vote is for the tractor down the road when you can afford it, but it is your money!
Good luck
Kirk
I would not bother with the 6x6 unless you want it for the fun of having one, they do break, there not that easy to find parts for and not as good as a skidder or tractor with chains. My vote is for the tractor down the road when you can afford it, but it is your money!
Good luck
Kirk
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Zackman1801
ArboristSite Guru
a friend of mines father asked me already if i wanted to rent his skidder for a bit, although hes asking somewhere around 10K and for that i can see a new tractor being purchased!
Zackman1801
ArboristSite Guru
im pretty sure he wants around 10k for a certain ammount of months to rent it. although he said he would do all the maintnance and work on it and all i would have to do is buy fuel. mabey he said it was less but i though it was around 10k for renting.
Husky137
Addicted to ArboristSite
But who is buying it?
That sounded pretty rich but using $ 50.00 an hour x 8 hrs = $ 400.00 a day plus fuel and operator X the number of days you have it. So 16 days a month would be $ 6400.00. Wouldn't take too many months to pay for your own machine.
Zackman1801
ArboristSite Guru
well if i rent the machine i will be operating it so no operator costs would be included but thats what i thought about the 10K, to rent it i could just buy my own or even leave the pine in the woods untill i have a bigger machine.
sILlogger
Addicted to ArboristSite
are you competant to cut these trees? what are you planning on cutting(species and how many) what about hiring the guy just to skid them. you cut them and rent his services to skid them. pay the skidder and operator by the volume of timber that is pulled out. a going rate just for skidding is around 6-8 cents a foot around here. just some ideas.. i think this would prolly be better than having to deal with a machine yourself. but a guy has to be a pretty decent cutter to keep any sort of a machine working all day long
Zackman1801
ArboristSite Guru
im most likely going to clear cut the property in the spring time and get all of the trees down and either cut into firewood and limbed up and leave any mill quality logs right where they are and then in the summer haul them out. since summer is the only time i can get into that area since i dont want to rut up the field thats attached to it with the wet ground in the spring. but i am skilled enough to cut these trees down. and i know how hard it is for even 3 crews to keep enough wood on the ground for a skidder. its hard to have 6 logs ready in the 20 mins it takes a skidder to go from the woods to the landing.
i dont know what the going rate is around here but i would guess that its more than that, but i dont know how much more. Although all of what is cut is up the my grandfather the landowner. if he dosent want the pine cut it doesnt get cut, if he does it does. Although from what i remember from going out there (its been a littlewhile) there is a little of everything, some white birch, some sugar maple, quite a bit of oak, some popple, BIG white pines, and a few beech, ash scattered in there with the rest.
another problem i have is the fact that after paying for a rented skidder, an operator, and the hauling from landing to mill i would have to have some VERY valuable logs or else i wouldn't even break even on the job. and im not looking to loose money. i would rather just leave the pine instead of loose money.
i dont know what the going rate is around here but i would guess that its more than that, but i dont know how much more. Although all of what is cut is up the my grandfather the landowner. if he dosent want the pine cut it doesnt get cut, if he does it does. Although from what i remember from going out there (its been a littlewhile) there is a little of everything, some white birch, some sugar maple, quite a bit of oak, some popple, BIG white pines, and a few beech, ash scattered in there with the rest.
another problem i have is the fact that after paying for a rented skidder, an operator, and the hauling from landing to mill i would have to have some VERY valuable logs or else i wouldn't even break even on the job. and im not looking to loose money. i would rather just leave the pine instead of loose money.
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sILlogger
Addicted to ArboristSite
a bit of advice...cutting the trees and letting them lay will decrease their value,, the wood will stain and if it gets hot for a period of time it will begin to split. it is best to cut it down and get it out of the woods asap...and as for white pine i know some mills don't want it cut during the summer due to staining issues
Zackman1801
ArboristSite Guru
well then i guess i would have to wait untill fall to cut it then, although the firewood i dont really care about splitting too much since its going to get split anyways.
