I'm thinking about 8 to 10 foot or so, not too much longer than a mini, and hopefully about 34 inches wide. A couple feet for the engine and crane base, the rest for log bunks. The logs will overhang the back end, where the drive wheels are, so the traction problems associated with a trailer are removed. Basically acting like a truck rather than a trailer where the pulling implement has to be a significant percentage of the weight of the load, and a truck gets better traction as you add weight. Turning around wouldn't be an issue because you would likely just drive in reverse because the branch tips would be out the back, just like the at.
@Marc-Antoine, although I'm planning to chop the axle to get it to fit through a 36 inch gate, I'm not planning on a light or small thing. I'm likely going to be using some 3 inch pipe for the crane and backbone, a bunch of scrap pipe and angle, and maybe even making the motor and winch as a skid unit so i could use it on a crane on the trailer for front yard trees. If i do another crane on my trailer when the job is done i can just pile the contraption on top of the logs on the last trip. I'm trying to get something that will come close to a mini skid in production, and be able to keep up with a lift when i rent one. If i could do 5 trips an hour at 3k pounds each, i think i could come close. That would be a 12 min cycle time, which is doable i think. Doing that with an arbor trolley and a log arch is almost impossible imo, not mention my current method of loading is using a duct hoist, while decent is still too slow for me to grow.
As far as the winch goes I'm thinking of pulling the electric motor off and getting a sprocket to just drive it with the engine. It's sold as either an electric or hydraulic, but the electric has severe derating because of the electric motor. Electric winches are designed to be used intermittently, and I'll be running it as fast as it can go for the entire time I'm moving stuff, so I'm thinking going to a pto will be an improvement. It's a worm gear winch, Ramsey, 8k rating, 3/8 cable, with dog clutch for free wheel. I could use the gear drive to change speeds if needed, because I'm planning on using the belt clutch that the mower has. A simple belt clutch could also be used for forward/ reverse action, on both the drive wheels and winch, and would be simple to add and would only have to be built once for both outputs.
I haven't had a chance to get going on it much, but I'll be adding pics soon.
the last video was a kranman as well i think, I'm pretty sure they have all gone to hydraulic grapples on everything now, but a simple crane one would be a pretty effective improvement to my operation. The dedicated small forwarders seem to be simply miniaturized versions, complete with articulated steering, forestry rated cabs, grapple arms, bogey wheels, e.t.c. While I'm sure they are ideal for actual forestry operations, a small tree service doesn't need all of that.
