Truck loader option

[darkstar]

Went and bought a 2000 ford with a 8.3 litre diesel and am about to put a 20 foot dump on it. Should i leave the two feet space and add a loader? I found these http://www.valbysales.com/newpage153.htm but if anyone here knows a better cheaper option ,chime in.
Dark

 

[woodchux]

How much $ are they charging for one?

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

They tell me little atlas loader are good value.

 

[winchman]

what is it for, primarily?

darkstar,
we have a prentice 120C loader installed on a similar truck to those pics in the link you posted. overall a very similar setup to what you mentioned: dumpbed, loader, single axle truck. i am assuming the single axle part. if we had to buy another loader, we would go with a double rear axle. the weight of some logs is just too great, and a former operator at our company actually put the truck on its side the first week of operation ( a heavy stump with the boom fully extended ). whoops. luckily no damage.
what i wonder is what you are going to be using this dump function for. our outfit has a separate truck for chips, so our loader truck never really has to dump. we will dump our loader once in a great while, but don't be fooled, this is no easy operation. as you see in the photos, you have to put the boom way up in the air (we actually just keep it low and swing it 180 over the truck's cab), hop off the loader and dump it, then, and here's the part you can't see in the photos, raise the outriggers and drive the truck forward with the loader extended and probably on somewhat uneven terrain. do you see the inherent danger in this? i probably don't need to explain it, but a bed that long needs to be emptied by driving it out - the pile behind the truck will just be too big to dump without going forward.
so anyway, i am a big fan of the log trucks with standards instead of solid walls now, since we primarily (90%) just load and unload logs into the truck. you get a loader with low hours and a nice grapple, and you can unload/load lightning fast. however, if you are planning on chipping into it as well as loading into it, i guess you'll need the hard sides and the dump function.
hope i explained myself adequately.
winch

 

[darkstar]

Thanx

Very informative post. Thanx alot. I think im going to stick with just a dump for now and not install the loader.
My plan was basically to began to quit chipping as much.
If its such a pain to dump then ill stick with other options, like loading with a skid steer or crane.
Thanx again Dark

 

[darkstar]

Pic

http://www.landsusedtrucks.net/detail.php?id=128

This is a pic befor the dump is mounted

 

[LightningLoader]

Don't even think about it

Your GVW is too low to have a loader of any size mounted on there anyway. Nevermind about dumping big logs, and how many inches to leave in between, the truck doesn't meet minimum specifications for mounting a knuckleboom.

 

[LightningLoader]

darkstar,
we will dump our loader once in a great while, but don't be fooled, this is no easy operation. as you see in the photos, you have to put the boom way up in the air (we actually just keep it low and swing it 180 over the truck's cab), hop off the loader and dump it, then, and here's the part you can't see in the photos, raise the outriggers and drive the truck forward with the loader extended and probably on somewhat uneven terrain. do you see the inherent danger in this? i probably don't need to explain it, but a bed that long needs to be emptied by driving it out - the pile behind the truck will just be too big to dump without going forward.
so anyway, i am a big fan of the log trucks with standards instead of solid walls now, since we primarily (90%) just load and unload logs into the truck. you get a loader with low hours and a nice grapple, and you can unload/load lightning fast. however, if you are planning on chipping into it as well as loading into it, i guess you'll need the hard sides and the dump function.
hope i explained myself adequately.
winch

All of this is assuming that he would even be doing logging. If he's just doing normal treework the Prentice setup would not be ideal. Prentices are really made for the woods, that's why they are inconvenient for dumping, but work well with the logging style beds.
If you get a 20 ft boom and 24 cu. yd. body, you won't have all these problems to deal with when dumping. You put the boom in the air above the bed (instead of in front of the cab), extend the outriggers out and down within 4-6 in. of the ground, and dump. If you need to pull forward you just leave the outriggers as they are for stabilization and pull forward until the whole load is out. Pretty simple, and much easier if you have walk-thru controls instead of the top mount control seat where you'd have to go up and down the ladder.
But again, you can't mount even one fo these 20 ft units on that truck you're looking at.

 

[jnorrie]

Check out the Rotobec or maybe even the Magnum Crane package available from Hawk Equipment. They both make a knuckle boom package that stows into itself behind the cab (Between Cab and Chip Box) , assuming you have 126" C/A. This is much more convenient for a combination of chipping and logging, as you can get the UTV Package from Arbortech that has removable top and sides to see your needs. Hope that is some help.

 

[LightningLoader]

Check out the Rotobec...make a knuckle boom package that stows into itself behind the cab (Between Cab and Chip Box)

you sure about this?

Just wanted to make a note to be careful about things that are called "crane." Knuckleboom loaders and cranes have been incorrectly bulked together. Truck mounted cranes are not usually designed for duty cycle loading the way that knuckleboom loaders are, and ANSI crane standards are almost useless for measuring the performance and safety of knuckleboom loaders since they do not cover the most common causes of knuckleboom failure, metal fatigue and wear.

 

[shokidq]

alternate method we use in uk lets us work agricultural diesel 60% cheaper than road fuel.

 

[LightningLoader]

Shokidq,
What's the lift capacity on that thing? Not a bad idea except then you have to trailer it around from site to site.

 

[shokidq]

Shokidq,
What's the lift capacity on that thing? Not a bad idea except then you have to trailer it around from site to site.

Hi Lightningloader, 2500 Kg lift it's a while since I used this type of lever operation as we use the mini levers in the forwarder but it should be fun getting back up to speed.

 

[LightningLoader]

That's only about 1,600 lbs less lift capacity than a grapple truck if I'm calculating right.

 

[shokidq]

That's only about 1,600 lbs less lift capacity than a grapple truck if I'm calculating right.

no reason you couldn't fit a larger loader, if you go with a pto pump there are any number of vehicles out there that can power it, doesn't have to be a tractor. We took the botex 560tl loader as that was the biggest model in the brand the trailer is just a reconditioned 10 ton grain trailer.

 

[treeslayer666]

Rear Mount

DarkStar check this thing out. Just built it this fall. I know you want a dump for your setup but i figured I'd show my truck. It has that farmi 5266 you posted pics of. Works perfect for tight backyards. When I fill the bunks with logs I stick the grapple in the tray over the cab of the truck.

 

[neighborstree]

i have been llooking intoone of thease trailers for logs. i use a local log guy, charges me 200 a load of no matter what kinda wood.. i keep on telling myself that it would be cheaper to keep using him, then paying for fuel and 100 or 150 to dump but i want this tailer anyways lol..anyone have any experance with them ?

 

[jazak]

DarkStar check this thing out. Just built it this fall. I know you want a dump for your setup but i figured I'd show my truck. It has that farmi 5266 you posted pics of. Works perfect for tight backyards. When I fill the bunks with logs I stick the grapple in the tray over the cab of the truck.

That is one sick rig. I like it. Never seen one mounted on a single axle, just knucklebooms on the single axles here. Again nice setup. Is that a Cartlon stump grinder its pulling?

 

[treeslayer666]

That is one sick rig. I like it. Never seen one mounted on a single axle, just knucklebooms on the single axles here. Again nice setup. Is that a Cartlon stump grinder its pulling?

Thanks Jazak. I tried to build it as small as I could for the tight backyards around here. Yea thats a carlton stump grinder behind the truck. Its a 6500. I just park the log truck in front of it so its still their in the AM.