Grapple/loader Truck

[tophopper]

You dont have to buy new Justin. We bought our first clam used in the neighborhood of 50-60k.(A 98 Peterbuilt, 10 speed, tandem axle with a Serco 8000 loader) The point Im trying to make is about the position of the loader on the truck. If you want a true "grab truck", thats a rear mount, they give you the best reach, manueverability, leverage, positioning, and speed. The work area is on both sides and the rear of the truck. A cab mount and you can only load from the side (or over the cab ), thats fine for picking up debris from the curb and such, but if you need to get into any tight areas with it you'll find yourself limited in your set up because you cant load from the back of the truck. One could argue that it really wouldnt be an issue if you have forwarding equipment to move the material closer to the truck, but its so much faster, to hammer down a tree into a postage stamp yard and just make a shit pile mess, back in the loader truck, grab it and go. No forwarding needed. Many times you cannot do that with a cab mount because of its limited working area.
And if your looking to run one or several crews a rear mount will serve you better too with faster debris pick ups between crews. No trailer , no dickin around, just grabbin brush and logs left and right, running all over town.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'm Thinking...

Rear Mount, for the win!

 

[Peter]

'Nother vote for rear mount here.

 

[arborworks1]

The only problem with the rear mount is there doesn't seem to be a large used market for single axles. I had a Peterson loader on a single axle ford. It didn't have much more lift capacity than my trailer. I didn't caremuch for the controls as well. I nominate a rotobec personally.

 

[squisher]

Rear mount does seem like the ticket but yah I don't see many used. I've spied one on the interwebs that looks like it would be ideal though so they are out there. Also that would work well with the dump trailer I already have if it was a larger job.


Maybe something like this? http://www.truckpaper.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=3064267&

 

[Reddog]

Or look for a log truck and put a bin on it.
Most Great lakes area trucks are rear mounts.

http://www.truckpaper.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=3268377&

 

[squisher]

Wow, that's nice.

There are plenty of self-loading logging trucks around here but none with the boom mounted at the rear, all behind the cab. Like these ones.

 

[Reddog]

Here is another http://www.schultzequipment.com/spec/1112

Yup, pole length is different than 100" pulp here.

 

[squisher]

I'm hoping to stay single axle as moving up to a tandem I'll need a different class of license(training and money), bi-annual inspections, and greatly increased insurance. Also then it would limit my options for having an employee operator. All those thing combined with the greater initial cost are making me think of staying single axle.

 

[Reddog]

Makes sense.

 

[Burnham]

Make me an offer, Squish...all you need to figure out is mounting a grapple.

 

[stig]

Think the bar is long enough to reach through those fat sticks of firewood, Burnham

 

[Burnham]

Have we had this discussion before??

 

[stig]

Once or twice maybe.
Can you really fault me for pouncing on that picture like a panther on a fawn

Or rather, a vegetarian on a baby carrot!

 

[Burnham]

Poor defenseless carrot.

 

[stig]

Say what?
I can't hear you for the crunching sounds

 

[Burnham]

Me either...

 

[SkwerI]

You might find deals on single axle trucks in the US. Units like that first one you posted would be magnets for our DOT officers looking to write tickets for overweight rigs. I could see where some owners would simply get tired of getting pulled over every time they are spotted by an officer in a ticket writing mood.

 

[stehansen]

Here is another way to go Squish.
Advantages, you don't have to be able to pull right up to the tree with your log or brush hauling rig
no insurance, no tags as trailers have permanent license in California
Disadvantages, you have to make an extra trip back to the job site to retrieve the tractor note: the tractor loads into the trailer.

 

[Jerry]

HI there,new at this don't know where this is going to go to.Pictures of our grapple set up for squisher,if somebody gets this you may post them on line. Jerry

 

[squisher]

Heh cool man, really nice looking set-up. Funny thing is I have a ramrod wiht a 38special as well.

Welcome to The Treehouse!

Justin

 

[MasterBlaster]

Welcome to the TreeHouse, Jerry! That's a nice rig you're rocking!!!

 

[tophopper]

Welcome Jerry!

I bet its easy to overload that truck! I like the hoisting handle on the mini loader.

 

[Jerry]

Thanks for the welcome.We just love it,some jobs we dont take the chipper,cut the tree, grind stump load brush first, flatten it with the wood and on to the next job.No need to haul trailer with all it's problems of lights rusty plugs and all.The box on that truck is 20 feet by 4 high.The size of a dumpster. The loader is called the Hardy loader made in Quebec,sold in the US as the blue ox.It has lots of power for our operation,it will lift 3 tons at 5 feet.The truck is a 2005 topkick 7500,with a cat Jerry

 

[tophopper]

Where do you put the mini, when the box on the truck is full?