What are you using to move your slabs

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BobL, that dingo looks crazy fun to operate. I'd bet a homebuilt version could be crafted by a reasonably astute garage engineer.

Tis indeed a hoot.
They have quite a few attachments like the, tracks, post hole digger, trencher, etc.

Here it is demonstrating an alternative use of the spreader.
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200 lbs is within reason for moving w/o machinery by sliding and lifting one end at a time. You're never lifting the whole weight. Raising from just above ground to about crotch level is the easy part - it's like a deadlift where you can use your legs and your body is the strongest. For heavier pieces, I use cinderblocks as intermediate supports and a 2" wide strap for the initial lift. I use a 4 wheel cart (Big Mule) from Nothern Tool (about knee high) to move slabs to the stack. Lifting above the waist to put the slab on the stack is much harder and you need to get stickers under it. You may need a helper or mechanical help for bigger slabs and higher stacks, but I've been able to put a 3.25x 20x 8 ft oak slab 4.5 ft up on the stack by myself. I pull the cart to the side of the stack about a third of the way along it and a couple feet from it and lift the front end of the slab onto the corner of the stack. The slab should be about 30 degrees to the stack and extend past the corner by a foot or more, with the slab touching the corner of the stack near the outside edge of the slab. I put down a sticker near the end and in the middle of the stack. I lift the remaining end of the slab off the cart, turning it toward parallel with the stack so it slides along the edge of the slab below, pushing it onto the stack. It will get lighter as the fulcrum moves toward the middle of the slab. I lift the far end of the slab with a crowbar and insert a 3/4 x 1 sticker in the proper location with the 1 inch dimension up, do the same on the other end, place the middle stickers with the 3/4 inch dimension up, then use the crowbar to turn the end stickers. Then I sit down and have a beer.

One thing to keep in mind when moving by hand is to minimize lifting by keeping pieces as high off the ground as they will be when you move them. Don't make gravity your enemy - it never gives up. You should also consider lifting in increments, using blocks or spare pieces of wood to support the piece. This is especially important where the piece is in line with the middle of your body and you have to transition from underhand to overhand grip. You can also stand on blocks (make sure they're stable!) to put the movement in a better position where you're stronger.

Good exercise, but a forklift is easier.
 
for the most part I know it;s limitations. I only use counter weight for short distance low lifts. Traditional Tool, I hope you did not get hurt when you tipped forward . I know how you feel I backed up and over a stump and I flipped the bobcat over on it's side . after that I had to shovel out my underware I was working up on hte top of a mountain doing a job with no real help with in an hour or so it was a interesting trying to up right it by myself .
you guys are the only ones I have told that to .
I did scare the cr@p out of myself, and thought I broke a leg...turned out to be the knee, which heeled in a couple weeks, but I couldn't walk on it for several days (and why I thought it was the leg at first).

You can try, but you can't change the laws of physics, or relativity where weight is concerned. The rough terrain forklifts will tilt 45 degrees, which is death in most cases where a load is concerned.

What happened in my case was that I was trying to pull that log off the stack of timber by the fence. When I was unloading a truck of logs, I inadvertently tossed that one over the back of the logging truck (trying to get more than 1 log at a time;) )...and left it there. When I came back the next week, I tried to sling the log to pull it out of the stack, which was pretty messed up with the log on it...I could only get a sling partially to the center, and I tried to lift the log out. That lift only had a 21' height, and the log was 25', so I was able to get the log up on end, but then realized I couldn't just drop it by lowering the lift...I tried to tilt the forks forward so that the sling would slip off the fork, and as I was doing that slowly it went past the center point and BLAMMO! It sure happened fast, I was starting to get up to exit and it went over so fast it tossed me out on my hand/knee from about 8 feet in the air. It was an abrupt landing...:dizzy:

My mentor warned me about that in the past, but it didn't set in as well as first hand experience...I'm way more careful nowadays...:bang:
 
I bought a skid steer before my present loader tractor. It didn't come close to lifting enough, tore up the ground around the mill , and was poor in mud, (which is what i had around the mill from the skidsteerr) i soon got rid of it.

A tractor has just so many more uses!

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If you can only have one, save for a good tractor.

Rob
 
I have access a tractor with a FEL and I have the skidsteere for me and the things that I do I rather the skidsteere dollar for dollar again to me the skidsteere is the best bang for the buck , smaller turing radious, in the ten or so years I have had it I only got it stuck bad enought that I needed help getting getting out of the mud. the tractor (4x4) get's stuck all the time .
 
it is rated at about 1,500 Lbs but I know with a little counterweight ( a few fat ***** ) it will lift more. I would be lost with out that little piece of equipment . I have a backhoe and a set fork lift forks on a custom fabricated backing plate . I know the weigth forks lower the lift capasity but I know I will not break or bend the forks .

Yeah Bobcats should do fine lifting slabs, they pick more than they are rated for, just gets a little hairy at times.

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Yeah Bobcats should do fine lifting slabs, they pick more than they are rated for, just gets a little hairy at times.

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wow I wish my bobcat would lift tha kind of weight. Is the truck complete engine trans ? I would guess the truck is in around 3k range?
 
wow I wish my bobcat would lift tha kind of weight. Is the truck complete engine trans ? I would guess the truck is in around 3k range?

Yeah it was complete. I think they are around 2500-3000. I've lifted 3500 with it but I couldn't move one way or the other it wanted to nose dive. It is rated for 1750# for safety.

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I was using the little guy in the background for my bush work. It has the complete set up for canvas for the rear and I was using a block and tackle to get slabs in the back. I could realistically move around 400-500lb with this set up, but it was hard work.
I started looking for a bigger bush truck for my work and looked for two years before I found the one in the foreground, My requirments were - 3 way tilt deck/big winch/crane....works like a charm for all my wood needs...
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200 lbs is within reason for moving w/o machinery by sliding and lifting one end at a time. You're never lifting the whole weight.

If the slab is not too big and I am milling on firm ground I find I can slide one end off the log and then stand the slab up and if it is not too far walk it over to where it is needed.
At the stack I lean the slab onto one end of the stack and then if needed use clamps to stop it sliding off the stack and lift the other end.
 
Since I hurt my shoulder, I've been doing a lot of sliding of lumber off the mill. I have a pair of saw horses set up with one of those roller things on it.

My camera batteries are dead right now but I'll charge them up and get a picture to post.

It works real good you just grab one one of the slab and pull it onto the rollers and then when you pick up the other end it just rolls out to the pile.

Jim Rogers
 
Yeah it was complete. I think they are around 2500-3000. I've lifted 3500 with it but I couldn't move one way or the other it wanted to nose dive. It is rated for 1750# for safety.
That means nothing, IMO. If you can't move it anywhere but can lift it...BFD...that is not safe to lift that truck like that, and once you start moving around uneven ground you'll flip the bobcat in a new york second. Same thing with a 40 foot log that is 24" in diameter. Good luck on that one...:check:
 
That means nothing, IMO. If you can't move it anywhere but can lift it...BFD...that is not safe to lift that truck like that, and once you start moving around uneven ground you'll flip the bobcat in a new york second. Same thing with a 40 foot log that is 24" in diameter. Good luck on that one...:check:


Well that is why it is your opinion, the fork truck nose dived didn't look so safe either only an idiot would flop a fork truck with a 24" log. Sometimes common sense is the biggest key to safety so don't worry about my safety when you need to work on yours:hmm3grin2orange:
 
I have access a tractor with a FEL and I have the skidsteere for me and the things that I do I rather the skidsteere dollar for dollar again to me the skidsteere is the best bang for the buck , smaller turing radious, in the ten or so years I have had it I only got it stuck bad enought that I needed help getting getting out of the mud. the tractor (4x4) get's stuck all the time .

There is absolutely NO WAY your skidsteer will go through more mud than my tractor! I've run skidsteers and tractors waaay too much to believe that. lol

I was born at night, BUT it wasn't last night!
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Rob
 
Sawyer Rob. reread my last post. I said dollar for dollar the skidsteere is the best for (ME) . I bet you have a lot more invested in your tractor than I do in the skidsteere . I bet you are n the neighbor hood of $50K for your tractor if not more.not me I got the skidsteere backhoe bucket and forks for a fraction of the cost or your tractor .PlusI can load everything up on my equipment trailerand haul it down the road not your big tractor.
 
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