Tracked machine for skidding?

tramp bushler · Apr 2, 2012

That is nice . Wish I had it here . It looks like its a little older than the 200 . On the coast wheel skidders were mostly used as auxillary suppers machines for support of tower logging . .
Moving and stringing guyline extentions . Winching out r.o.w.logs that a road shovel can't reach ect . Winching loaded log trucks up steep grades at landings . Ect . On the flat ground of the Interion theywere primary yarding equipment . The 200 had the power for the heavier wood and work .

bitzer · Apr 2, 2012

There are a lot of times I could be skidding tree length to a staging area before the landing where I could buck and then pick up with the forwrder and then stack out at the landing. There are also jobs where I could skid tree length to the landing and some that there is only room for the forwarder. I spent a day laying out timber on a different guys job a couple of weeks ago. Just limbing, topping, and leaving tree length. Holy #### did I put the wood on the ground and I had energy to spare at the end of the day. It changed my whole perspective on how I deal with pulp and how much I'm willing to chase the ####. I went home that day thinking I could get used to that.

It seems that optimizing my skid time is what its all about right now. Like you guys said, balls to the walls when the ground is good and cut like crazy when its not.

The second machine is a given no matter what it is, but now for the tricky part.... How to convince the wife I need more equipment.

tramp bushler · Apr 2, 2012

Just show her how those days and weeks when no $$ are coming in there could be full paychecks . At least mine likes those full weeks of money .

Slamm · Apr 5, 2012

Here is a tracked death machine with no cab, LOL.
HD4 dozer with log loader

Neat idea though.

Sam

AL KMC · Jul 25, 2018

bitzer said:
Yesterday was the first day I was able to skid in weeks. The ground was soft from winter break up and I just couldn't do much. I've been trying to figure out how I can keep wood moving when a wheeled machine can't. There were a lot of days that I could not skid due to the non-winter we had and a wet fall last year. I'm thinking a small dozer with a winch although it may be slow as hell. I don't think a tracked skid loader would be heavy duty enough. I don't really know though. What I need is a tank with a winch! It rained all day today. It was really great to cut in compared to sunny, humid, and 80 degrees that we've been having, but there goes skidding for a while again. Any thoughts on tracked machines?

KMC Forwarders TODAY Skid 12 Months a year in both Wet & Steep Ground Conditions