Some sawing, logging and skidding pics and videos ......

[Metals406]

Damn. . . Why you boys having to work weekends and two shifts? Does this current job have to be turnkey in a short time?

Also, love the swing boom 518!! That's the exact setup I was gonna buy a couple years ago when I was gonna get back into logging. Guy in Oregon had it for 8k, and would have mobed it to me for nothing. . . Said his wife wanted it out'a the yard.

You have some nice big brass balls to fall in that wind! LOL

Looking forward to seeing more!

 

[Slamm]

Damn. . . Why you boys having to work weekends and two shifts? Does this current job have to be turnkey in a short time?

Also, love the swing boom 518!! That's the exact setup I was gonna buy a couple years ago when I was gonna get back into logging. Guy in Oregon had it for 8k, and would have mobed it to me for nothing. . . Said his wife wanted it out'a the yard.

You have some nice big brass balls to fall in that wind! LOL

Looking forward to seeing more!

There is a deadline on getting everything cut down and then another one for getting it all out on trucks. There is another contractor on the job and its a first come, first served deal. So I'm trying to serve myself as much as I can. So far we are beating the expectations by quite a lot, they have never seen guys work like we do, either cutting or skidding.

I have nothing to do with getting the logs out on the trucks, but I do have to do with getting the timber down and cut up into logs. Plus we just looked at another 359 acres of work today and there are about 3-4 select cut jobs that I would like to get done before April/May time period. When the higher grade prices come back up and we can hit those jobs hard in the summer. The other crew has double the people, 1/3 more time spend at the job, newer machines and more machines and we have double the acres cut and skidded, and we have been working in crap weather. The weather should level out this week, and we can get into a hard pace.

I'm looking into a rental house or hotels nearby so we can get to sleep faster and get up to skid around 2am when it starts the thawing and freezing cycle, that it does around here. Our machine shop is going to get some well protected light baskets to bolt on the tops of the machines.

I would like any photos or suggestions for good 360 degree light bars that are skidder/logging proof. I have some ideas, but would like to see some other ideas if possible. You cannot just mount the lights onto the middle of the cab, as it produces to much of a glare, against the rest of the machine, the lights need to be ontop of the machines cab pointed down, and well encased in steel bars and such for limb protection. I would mount the "baskets" with 3/4" bolts, maybe 2 each on front and back and 1 per side or something.

What are your thoughts on another 518 Single Function Grapple or getting something like a 548 or 648 Deere. I really like this 518, it has plenty of power and I like the torque converter tranny. They do suck the diesel, but if you put higher crack pressure injectors it saves on about 1 gallon of fuel per hour, which helps. This 518 with a swing boom sticks to the ground pretty well, actually amazingly well, but it has low 23x26 tires. The Esco grapples suck on the Cat's, I definiantly like the Deere grapple systems a lot better, and will be cutting these Esco's off and replacing them with Deere grapples as I find them for cheap. I can get a used low hour 518 grapple for about $6,000 and have a new motor put in it for $4,000, thats only $10K for a low hour, big skidder with a brand new motor. I can't find anything in the range of a deal going with a Deere 548/648. I am hooked on the smaller 540B's and will/can put 155HP engines in them, which will make for a small fast skidder. So its either another 540B Grapple with 155hp motor or this cheap 518 Grapple. From January to March, I could have myself and 3-4 other really good cutters in the timber and I think 3 skidders go.ing 2 shifts pull the wood out each day, but I might have to split up the skidders and go two at one job and two at another, so I kinda want 4 skidders, but right now there isn't any rush on the 4th one, just shopping.

As to cutting in the wind, it wasn't really that bad, we bore cut a lot of the bigger trees, but this little stuff we've been "stump jumping" a lot of it. We are cutting everything pretty low 6" and lower if possible, so the skidders can drive anywhere and pick up, plus it was part of the contract. I took the full wrap off of my painted up 441 just to get lower to the ground ........... and I don't know how to use a full wrap anyways, LOL.

Later,

Sam

 

[tlandrum]

sounds like work is going well, i hope the weather dont catch you like it has me. im on the last 25 acres of this job and it is all about straight up and down. so im kinda at a stand still until this snow goes away and the ground freezes. i may pull my skidder out and move my loader onto a clear cut job until the weather gets better. right now 6 inches of snow and steep hollows dont work really well. after i get it up the hill and onto the skid rd its a 3/4 mile skid to the closest landing to the hwy. me thinks its time to move on.

 

[Metals406]

If it were me buying another skidder (and it ain't), I'd go with another 518 -- for a few reasons:

1) There are parts everywhere for them. It's like trying to get stuff for a Chevy 350.

2) They're a tried and true machine, maybe not with all the bells and whistles, but hey. . . They're good machines.

3) Like you say, you can be in a nearly new one for under/at 10k.

I don't know for sure, but I reckon a 600-700 series Deere will cost a lot more.


On the lights, I'd build an assembly with two forward and two aft. Maybe gun them out a hair. If they are mounted in 6" well casing, you'd play hell breaking them. If you'd like me to brainstorm with ya, let me know.

I sure wish I lived closer. . . Sounds like you boys are gonna be logging your tails off -- I'd like some of that action! For a little while anyway.

 

[funky sawman]

Cat parts are also easer to get than john deere parts. I like the 518 because it articulates in the middle

 

[DHIBBS75]

on all the new cat eq they have got some small and very intense lights I believe only 24 volts..... there only about 3 in square... very bright.... next time your in paducah go to the cat dealer look at the lights see what you think....

 

[Slamm]

on all the new cat eq they have got some small and very intense lights I believe only 24 volts..... there only about 3 in square... very bright.... next time your in paducah go to the cat dealer look at the lights see what you think....

I forgot about that 24 volt deal on the Cat, thanks for the reminder. Its going to start getting into the mid to high 30's and low 40's so its going to be time to start skidding at 2am ---- 9am, then grab a saw and cut with the cutters the rest of the day.

For the most part this little wood and 250bdft average trees is great for the 540B Grapple, Jerry is really pulling a lot out quickly with that little machine. The swing boom is great for moving tops and going through and picking out the ones that got missed or were too much trouble for the other skidders. I can grab tops and trash move it away, grab the one or two logs underneath make a hitch and then take it out or add it to a few more up the trail, for a bigger hitch. The 518 is kind of a cadillac to ride in, it just kinda lumbers over stuff, I still hate the Esco rotation motor, but I'm getting to where I can outsmart it and line it up pretty good, between that and the swing function I can get my angle on the logs pretty quick. The things you can do with this swing function is pretty neat. I am still finding little tricks to do with it.

We cut today for awhile after dark, as there is about 1" of snow and we could still see halfway decently. Mostly we just dropped a lot of trees and then topped them in the dark. We got a house rented, so we won't have to drive so far now each day. I'm moving a 300 gallon fuel tank out, going to leave at 4am so Dot doesn't see it, LOL. Will lift it off the truck with chains and the swing boom, LOL, its pretty handy. It is also great for placing construction mats over creeks/ditches. Didn't get any pics of today, was just going to hard and didn't think about it.

Karen mailded a smashed 260 (I didn't do it), Stock 441 (To get ported and an 064/066 hybrid (new crankcase, bar stud stripped) up to Terry to get worked on.

Got a new roll of Amsteel 3/4" 130 feet obviously haven't put it on yet. There is an energy drink in the picture for reference. I can straight arm that spool with one arm, its that light.

Here is somthing weird, the tooth in the middle is on the wrong side of the drive link:

I'm going to call Cat about those lights.

Later,

Sam

 

[T_F_E]

every chain i have got from baileys has two cutter on the same side like that just the way the link count works out

 

[Slamm]

every chain i have got from baileys has two cutter on the same side like that just the way the link count works out

No it literally has a left side cutter on the right side. I will have to get a better pic of it. I have seen where there are two properly installed cutters on the same side, back to back, but this cutter is on the wrong side of the drive link.

Sam

 

[385XP]

John deere has some pretty nice light they put on the new dozers may be worth checking into too.

 

[mingo]

I forgot about that 24 volt deal on the Cat, thanks for the reminder. Its going to start getting into the mid to high 30's and low 40's so its going to be time to start skidding at 2am ---- 9am, then grab a saw and cut with the cutters the rest of the day.

For the most part this little wood and 250bdft average trees is great for the 540B Grapple, Jerry is really pulling a lot out quickly with that little machine. The swing boom is great for moving tops and going through and picking out the ones that got missed or were too much trouble for the other skidders. I can grab tops and trash move it away, grab the one or two logs underneath make a hitch and then take it out or add it to a few more up the trail, for a bigger hitch. The 518 is kind of a cadillac to ride in, it just kinda lumbers over stuff, I still hate the Esco rotation motor, but I'm getting to where I can outsmart it and line it up pretty good, between that and the swing function I can get my angle on the logs pretty quick. The things you can do with this swing function is pretty neat. I am still finding little tricks to do with it.

We cut today for awhile after dark, as there is about 1" of snow and we could still see halfway decently. Mostly we just dropped a lot of trees and then topped them in the dark. We got a house rented, so we won't have to drive so far now each day. I'm moving a 300 gallon fuel tank out, going to leave at 4am so Dot doesn't see it, LOL. Will lift it off the truck with chains and the swing boom, LOL, its pretty handy. It is also great for placing construction mats over creeks/ditches. Didn't get any pics of today, was just going to hard and didn't think about it.

Karen mailded a smashed 260 (I didn't do it), Stock 441 (To get ported and an 064/066 hybrid (new crankcase, bar stud stripped) up to Terry to get worked on.

Got a new roll of Amsteel 3/4" 130 feet obviously haven't put it on yet. There is an energy drink in the picture for reference. I can straight arm that spool with one arm, its that light.

Here is somthing weird, the tooth in the middle is on the wrong side of the drive link:

I'm going to call Cat about those lights.

Later,

Sam

Sam I'm interested in the amsteel. What does it cost a foot and where can you get it?

 

[Slamm]

Sam I'm interested in the amsteel. What does it cost a foot and where can you get it?

It costs about $5 per foot or less. You can get it at Paducah Rigging in Paducah, KY
. Ask for Jay.

Sam

 

[056kid]

5.00 per foot

 

[mingo]

It costs about $5 per foot or less. You can get it at Paducah Rigging in Paducah, KY
. Ask for Jay.

Sam

Thanks

 

[BlackOakTreeServ]

SLAMM, Very nice job, keep posting the pics and vids!!...thats comming from a CA big tree man(were not all mean, Im one of the nice one's, not nit picking your operation )

I own my own tree service business and dont need people telling me how to run or how I cut (I do use long bars on my saw's, but thats how I do it) when it comes to "throwing big tree's"

Keep up the good work man.

 

[Slamm]

Just some pics ...

518 with Swing Boom:

Here is a nice whoops, the operator ran a 3" branch through the grill then smashed the top of the radiator and my new exhaust from the bottom of the sheetmetal. So the 540B Grapple is down for the few days. I already have a new radiator, but it didn't have the oil cooler in it, so I am fabbing another one up front for that .... it sucks. Doing it in the mud and cold, LOL:

Shoved the headlight over the radiator and it got in front of the fan and performed this magic, LOL:

 

[Slamm]

Had to use a couple of bottles of Husky Mix until I got this shipment in. Thank God for Amsoil. That Husky stuff stinks and smokes like crazy at 50:1.

Pulling a new blade for the 540B out of the back of the pickup truck:

"Swinging it" LOL

Nose Cone off of the 540B to get to the radiator. Karen is operating the boom. Handy skidder that Swing boom is, LOL:

Later,

Sam

 

[Slamm]

Oh, a report on the 441 BB ................. well, it killed itself. We ran it full time for 4ish days and somewhere inside a felling cut it locked up. Pulled the muffler and found aluminum parts and such. Terry, thinks its the wrist pin clip, as they aren't as good as Stihl's and are very weak. At this point, we liked the power/torque of the BB 441 but didn't get to side by side cookie cut with it to be able to notice much if any difference in power over OEM. I say the torque was higher, but Bert would not admit to that claim and the few times in those 4 days that we switched saws from his ported OEM 441 to this BB441 it did seem like the OEM was faster, but it could have been the tune, as it was close, and his OEM is very well broken in.

Either way, its on its way back to Terry's and he has ported another OEM cylinder and piston to put on it and send it back.

At this point, I have no use for the Big Bore kits, I have never run one that I thought was much better than the OEM version when ported and that is the only way we run saws, and they are not more reliable. So I give up on them. For the price I can get new OEM cylinders and pistons with quality clips and rings, it is crazy of me to use a aftermarket Big Bore kit and take the risk, so I'm out of them altogether.

My painted, ported 441R is doing very well, I love that saw more and more daily, and it is a dream to operate and is very fast. This is just a pic I took of it to send to the Stihl dealer to tell him to order a rubber side cover for Bert's 441. The paint is holding up pretty good, and I am not babying it in the least. I changed it over to a half wrap as we cut too low for a full wrap setup. The gas mileage this saw is getting in the cooler air is remarkable, it just runs for a long time on a tank of gas, I could not be more happy with a saw. Rare is the moment that you think you have enough power and I have told Terry, that this one has "enough", but he says he can get another 20% with some piston modifications. Right now the thing will hang right with modded 660's and has grunt to spare.

We are cutting everything 5" and bigger and even the dogs are getting into it. This dog love to drop what he can handle and drag it off to the landing, LOL. This video does not come close to showing what he tries to do. He will chew on trees that are big, cause that is what we are doing, LOL.


Later,

Sam

 

[Metals406]

Hey Sam. . . If you like the Amsoil (I ran it forever), you might want to try Royal Purple 2-stroke -- it's sold at our local Napa, and a bit cheaper than Amsoil. Either one is a good oil though.

Glad to see the swingers are paying for themselves. . . I sure like them.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!!

 

[lfnh]

Slamm,

Are you still leaning to changing the controls over to joystick or leaving as is?

thanks for the pics.