Grapple/loader Truck

[Reddog]

There is a good view of why the z loader would be faster at dumping, no moving the loader off to the side or over the cab.

 

[squisher]

Lots of them here because we have so much stuff that is difficult to chip, such as palm fronds. Most companies that have them use them instead of chippers, or only use chippers in limited situations. We also have a steady supply of used ones via retired municipality trucks.

They will handle fairly decent sized logs to though it seems from some of the pics I've seen. I'd like to salvage more logs if I can too, I have a decent buyer. I wouldn't be giving up on chipping that's for sure.

 

[sotc]

I have run a couple non grapple units, 1 big thing is remote control is much better than standing on the ground while trying to stack a load in the truck that you can't see over the side of. Couple guys here have not put lids on their trucks in over a year. One guy has a dual lid truck, one major problem with that truck is you can't boom forward far enough to set the lid back on. I had to splice up a rope for him so he could boom straight up and use the boom extensions to lift/lower the lid onto the truck Reach is very important, don't settle for a short boom. I'm kicking around the idea of buying my friends lid or just going tarp top for chipping into mine. I think the sweetest setup would be a drop box style with removable lid. I do like the stake sides on mine, helps with the visibility when loading

 

[lumberjack]

I'd suggest a F550 and a gooseneck grapple dump trailer.

You could put the mini between the cab and the gooseneck easily, and your payload would be substantial. My truck towed and stopped a 14-16T trailer easily (4.5 ton trailer and 10-12T of dirt) week before last. Hauled 12 loads that size. It honestly would have been even better with a couple more tons on the drive axle (no bed=6T of payload).

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Friend's knuckleboom with hydraulic grapples that I hire. He mounted a 12K hydraulic winch on the boom. Carries about a thousand board-feet of fir on a dually rear axle. F800. Can load a lot of brush on it if I don't want to chip, like dumping trees onto gravel. Its a National that can pick up around 10k next to the truck, and 1850 at 39' out. Sometimes he uses tongs to load, as the grapples are 600 pounds, and he hasn't built a front bumper mount for them for some unknown reason.

He got it from Spokane, WA, painted to match his truck, delivered to Olympia, and installed for $10K (possibly used).

I wish I owned it!

http://s658.photobucket.com/albums/...Thru%20Roof/?action=view&current=P1040827.jpg
http://s658.photobucket.com/albums/...k Thru Roof/?action=view&current=P1040830.mp4

<a href="http://s658.photobucket.com/albums/uu303/southsoundtree/Dying%20Noble%20Fir%20Removal/?action=view&current=P1060311.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/uu303/southsoundtree/Dying%20Noble%20Fir%20Removal/P1060311.jpg" border="0" alt="Noble fir logs loading up"></a>

 

[NeTree]

Nice price!

 

[arborworks1]

I went with a grapple trailer and f250. Might upgrade to a 550 next year. I'm having my trailer converted over to gooseneck setup. Easy enough to drop the trailer and run to town if needed. Insurance is much cheaper.

 

[brendonv]

I keep thinking in my future I'd get rid of the chip truck and chipper and get a grapple truck and stuff it with brush. That an a rear mount would be a nice one man operation IMO.

For now I use this. It cost $90 for 5 years to register, insured by the tow vehicle, and really not something that's used for me all that much. It can sit there and I don't care, but when I use it, god damn is it handy.

 

[Al Smith]

Cheap tags .It costs me 47 bucks a year for my machinery trailer .

 

[Peter]

I'v got one. 18 tonne gross, 9.5 tonne payload, 2.5 metres wide, 6 metres long, so probably not much bigger than the average pick up over there. I dont need to chip into it as I only run a mini chipper and firewood is valuable over here, so anything over 6" goes as timber rather than chip. I do tow a dump trailer with it, so I can get chip away, or get the mini loader out to site.

Crane is a Palfinger PK9501, with grapple and continuous rotator. 8 metres reach, can lift nearly a tonne at full reach, and according to the weight chart nearly 5 tonne close in, although I'm pretty sure I'v never managed to lift more than 3 tonne.

I will never do tree work without one again, the day I sell it is the day I retire.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Nice rig.

 

[Peter]

Couple more recent pics.

 

[brendonv]

It's registered in Maine, Al. Cheap cheap up there, and legal currently. Ever notice trucking companies trailers all registered in Maine?

 

[canadianclimber]

I like the grapple trailer idea. What do you guys pay for dump fees? Around my area chips are free to dump but scrub and brush is expensive to get rid of.

Grapple trailer would be great to keep the costs down for a small company. No chipper/dump truck, little maintenance.

 

[squisher]

I'd suggest a F550 and a gooseneck grapple dump trailer.

You could put the mini between the cab and the gooseneck easily, and your payload would be substantial. My truck towed and stopped a 14-16T trailer easily (4.5 ton trailer and 10-12T of dirt) week before last. Hauled 12 loads that size. It honestly would have been even better with a couple more tons on the drive axle (no bed=6T of payload).

Something like this might work for me if I could get one together at a comparable price. I coud expand my plow business if I got a 4x4 short wheel base and then I'd be actually legal for my sander. I'm guessing the 550 would need to run the trailer off of a pto or are the trailers usually self-powered?

I'm having a hardtime finding many listings for a grapple trailer. What is their price range like?

 

[brendonv]

Blue Ox's are over 35k New.

One like mine 25K + New.

Metavic, around 30K New.

Obviously bells and whistles changes things.

Used, there aren't many out there.

 

[tophopper]

We are currently having our 2nd clam truck built. Should be ready by the end of March. If your serious Justin and want a loader built on a truck, I wouldnt consider anything but a rear mounted loader. Those cab mounted loaders are so limited in their reach and versatility. The only benefit to a cab mounted loader is the dump hoist, which really isnt a benefit anyway, it only takes 10 minutes max to offload a full load from a rear mount set up. The loader trailers can be nice but they are very limited in the amount of payload they can handle. If you want I can grab some pics of our current truck and loader sometime soon.
These are big rig trucks and built new are expensive but worth every penny. The one we have being built currently is in the neighborhood of 175k.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Good advice, John.

 

[arborworks1]

For a multi crew tree company a dedicated grab truck is great.

 

[Husabud]

 Wow,
A little ore than I expected. Very nice equipment though.

Thank your for your interest in Blue Ox Equipment’s log loader trailers. Blue Ox Equipment is comprised with over 70 years of combined experience in forestry and manufacturing. Our log loader trailers are built tough, rugged and with the highest quality in construction. No Bull!
 
All of our trailers can be manufactured as a dump trailer and equipped with 4' or 8' metal sides. The first 4' section of our 8' sides, are manufactured with solid steel. The second 4' section is expanded metal. They can be removed as one solid 8' panel or simply remove the top 4' section to leave the bottom 4' section in place.
 
 
BIG OX ---- $42,950
10-Year Trailer Warranty ---4 x 10 W19 “I-Beam” Main Frame----2 x 3 Tubular Cross Members – Open Floor
18’ BED    22-25K GVW       TORFLEX SUSPENSION--235/85 R16 TIRES           Electric Brakes
18 HP Honda Engine secured within the protective doors of the cowl  ---Sliding Binders-----Log Bunks
1700 HD Loader featuring 19’ reach, 375° Swing, 50” Continuous Rotation Grapple, 4122 lbs of lift
 
 
 LIL OX -----  $36,950
10-Year Trailer Warranty ---4 x 10 W19 “I-Beam” Main Frame----2 x 3 Tubular Cross Members – Open Floor
14’ BED         14K GVW      TORFLEX SUSPENSION--235/85 R16 TIRES           Electric Brakes
18 HP Honda Engine secured within the protective doors of the cowl  ---Sliding Binders-----Log Bunks
1700 HD Loader featuring 19’ reach, 375° Swing, 50” Continuous Rotation Grapple, 4122 lbs of lift
 
UPGRADES:
5th wheel or gooseneck _______________________________________________$1,200
2100 XL Loader- Lift Capacity off ground 3780 lbs, 22’ 8” Reach, 375° Swing, 50” Grapple--$3,600
XPLOADER- Lift Capacity off ground 6115 lbs, 19’ Reach, 400° Swing, 50” Grapple-- ---------$8,000
DUMP OPTIONS RANGE FROM----------------------------------------------Lil Ox $4,950 – Big Ox  $5,150
12K Mile Marker Hydraulic Winch for Original Series -----------------------------------------$2,750 
Tool Box-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------$650
Brush Bucket attachment-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------$950
Ramps--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------$650
8' Steel Sides (Big Ox Original Dump).............................................................................$8,950
8' Steel Sides (Lil Ox Dump)...........................................................................……………$7,550 
 
 
See for yourself how the OX can be the best employee you will hire this year!
           
We look forward to working with you. Let us prepare a quote for the log loader trailer combination, that suites your business. Call today: 802-467-1055 or [email protected]
 
Respectfully Yours,                   *Prices don’t include delivery and are subject to change.  
                                               
 
Laurel Fortin
                           
 

 

[squisher]

Cool.

Thanks for all the info/advice again.

John, I'm not going to be buying new unfortunately. I'm just starting to kick the idea around but if things go as planned for me I'll probably be looking of spending in the neighborhood of 40-60k, so second hand. I may spend a little more if I had to to get what I wanted but not to much. Also only single axle for me, so payload will be restricted with a truck too.

I'm really going to be thinking this purchase through, not jumping into anything. That's kind of why I listed my equipment set-up at the beginning too because I'm open to advice on other options equipment wise for my company. I've kicked around getting a straight chip truck too or possibly a rear-mount bucket and another chipper so I could start another crew. So still really weighing my options.

As I said no one around here runs a grab truck, but no one else has a mini either. One of my competitors has a small hiab with just a hook on it. I doubt it's actual legal either if it ever went over the scales, pretty beat up. So that's why I'm thinking of a grapple to give me even more capacity to bang out more jobs with my small two man set-up.

 

[SkwerI]

A grapple truck combined with your bucket and chipper would put you in another league compared to most low budget tree guys. I've been steadfast in my opinion that nobody gets rich cleaning up or picking up trees, which is why I won't even do it any more. IMO the less time you spend handling material the better. Chip your brush to reduce bulk and grab the logs and rakings with the grapple truck. The average size Lightning Loader I showed earlier will pick up about 1200-1500 lbs, at least that's what they did 15 years ago. I'm sure the current models are much better. Definitely look for something with longer reach and lifting capacity. You only spend the money once but you will use the machine on every job for years.

 

[rskybiz]

www.metavic.com then look at "The Wheeler. I like this much better than our Peterson Lightning loader. The integrated winch is invaluable for tram line set-ups and so much more.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

That one with the goose neck would be sweet!

 

[rskybiz]