Log arches

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I cannot answer any more than that Larry. I have not used one so all I can do is assume from here on out.
Leverage is a grantee, the more you have the easier, but that will come at the cost of maneuverability. I would think that it comes down to a wheelbarrow at the end of the day. How much can you put in it and realistically push/pull all day long?
My mini stops for two things, it needs gas, or I need a break, thats it. I have not found help in the last few years that is worth dragging to a job site! "I'm tired!" "This work sucks!" "When is lunch!" "How long are we going to work today?"
The mini doesn't bitch, doesn't ask for jack, doesn't get tired and figuring the cost of man hours vs. realized labor done, the cost of owning/running that thing would sicken you!!
It's not the "end all, beat all" solution for everything. As I have told Stephan, working on the hills he talks of it would just piss him off. But for small crews, this makes me a three man crew, doing normal jobs, it is VERY hard to beat!
Remember I bought this having access to THREE full size skid steersand the owners of all three have realized the potential of these machines.
I don't know if that is the answers you need or not, but it's some I came across years ago when I decided this was a good option!! I just couldn't afford it then!
 
The forest ground around here would not work on a hand pull unit. Dang thing would sink in the mulch .... Need power to pull here. Let alone the hills. Mini skid on tracks would work in some of our terrain, but not most of it. I would have to go bigger. Good size bob cat on tracks works on a lot around here. Width of track, weight, lower center of gravity, yada yada... It's really like anything, every body has a different situation where they are etc.. In most cases, there is not one machine that will do it all for you ;) But there are diversified tools that can make different jobs easier :) Did I ever mention I about tipped a tractor on not so bad terrain up here puling out poles in a vineyard once or twice.. ?? HAHA
I will say that while I had the quad it did A LOT of work .. Many cords of wood and brush moved. Fields mowed. SO one of those gadgets would have worked really good in easing the load on the quad. Bet they would work with a horse too:) Bet that's where the idea originated.
 
BigA made a timber arch for his quad,works amazingly well,I'm sure when he see's this thread he'll post about it
 

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At work the pipe fitters have some interesting type arch movers . They have one which has relatively large tires,about as big as a Harley tire .Two men can easily move a 20 foot piece of 8 or 10" pipe with that thing .

It wouldn't be hard to build at all .Just get a set of spindles and tires from a small junk car and use square tube or even 3" pipe for the frame . A boat winch would work for a lift . A couple of hundred bucks or less and a weekend should get the job done for the average tinker and puttser .
 
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Okay....I still don't think I can swing a mini at this time, but I'm weighing my options. I've got a 42 hp Kubota with loader and forks for handling the big stuff. I was thinking the log arch would be a good complement to move longer lengths out of yards to the truck or trailer for loading. As to the minis, what is their lifting limit? I've read of several that had a 400# lift capacity...when you add a grapple, isn't that pretty much limiting it to a couple hundred pounds? Just how large/heavy a piece of wood will a mini w/grapple lift? Some of the grapples claim 42" opening, but the mini won't lift wood that big anyway will it? I also can't decide whether I would prefer tracks or wheels, if and when I decide to take the plunge. Any advice???
 
Mini's have a rated from 200-1100lbs, depending on the model.

Thomas's are rated at 480lbs (I think), but that's half the tipping capacity assuming a 150lb operator. I weigh 240lbs and with the grapple (200lbs) I can lift 500lbs worth of log no problem. If conditions are favorable, I can lift 700-800lbs.

Conversely, the only time I have used my tractor mounted front end loader since buying the mini in Feb of 07 was for the 6'DBH tree in my avatar last August, and we still used the mini to help chip the brush.

I prefer tires over tracks as they are easier on the grass during turns (which means less set up time setting down spin pads ect). If I lived in the mountains, I'd get a track machine for the added tractive effort.

Another nice thing (for me) about a mini is I can haul a load in the dump trailer and the mini on the back of the truck, saving a trip and making it cost effective to take on any job I take a truck out to do.

Since your profile isn't filled out, and you're a new member, I don't know where you live or what you do.

Some mini pics, here's where we were skidding logs acros the ditch between the concrete and the worker.
f6cad8ce.jpg


Loading the mini into the chip truck when we left the ramps at the job.
DSC00381.jpg


Here was a load from one of the first jobs I did with the mini:
IMG_8336.jpg
 
with all the mini threads in the past year, I need to take some pics of logs i have loaded and weigh the logs too.

a friend of mine owns a nursery and has a flat scale i can weigh stuff on. I need to take some pics....
 
I've mentioned it before. Mini is unbeleivably versatile for me. Not only does it haul the logs, it hauls the brush. It has completely changed how I do a job. Now as a tree is getting limbed up my groundie just makes grapple sized piles all around the base of the tree organized facing the right direction. It's easy and fast for him. Then the grapple pics the piles and when it's just brush can lift a amazingly large pile of it clean off the ground(size the piles to the particular jobsite taking into consideration the access) and back out to the chipper a little swing and stuff it right down the throat of the chipper without even touching the stuff.

As far as logs like LJ said with the grapple attachment on I can easily lift 500lb logs clean off the ground. If you're gonna drag them, my machine a ramrod 950, has 2300lbs of tractive power. I can drag around some good sized wood.

I wasn't trying to be an ass in my first post, just offering sound advice because you're not(I hope) one of my direct competitors. If you're kicking around 2 to 3g save a little more and get a used mini, ya know there's going to be some getting sold off cheap due to the 'economic crisis'.

8)
 
i thought you were anti-mechanization:/: you could employ 2 people if you gave me your mini!
 
AX MAN
an arch is nice but generally the non atv arch requires 2 people to tote a 12 ft log,
i moved lots of limb wood and smaller trunks with it
sometimes i had to notch the log just to fit the arch over the log
buy a set of tongs and weld 1 up your self
good tool to have next to the large tree mover dolly
some yards ya just cant go mini crazy in so ya gotta roll it out by hand, and that is the day you will appreciate having 1 of the arches around
i sold mine to some d1cks at bartlett, wish i hadnt

so with all this talk of minis, for size and capacity of a tracked unit
would ya buy a boxer, vermeer, or some other brand?
 
I never figured out why it seems most people want tree work done in the muddy spring time . It would make more sense to me to have the work done when the ground is frozen and the trees are dorment .:?
 
thattreeguy said:
AX MAN
an arch is nice but generally the non atv arch requires 2 people to tote a 12 ft log,
i moved lots of limb wood and smaller trunks with it
sometimes i had to notch the log just to fit the arch over the log
buy a set of tongs and weld 1 up your self
good tool to have next to the large tree mover dolly
some yards ya just cant go mini crazy in so ya gotta roll it out by hand, and that is the day you will appreciate having 1 of the arches around
i sold mine to some d1cks at bartlett, wish i hadnt

so with all this talk of minis, for size and capacity of a tracked unit
would ya buy a boxer, vermeer, or some other brand?
Click to expand...

Thanks, this was pretty much the answer I was looking for from someone else who has had an arch. It would probaly only be used maybe 3-5 times over the course of a season. Being able to move a 6-12 ft. piece out of yard in one piece makes more sense to me. If you have to do all this cutting it makes more sawdust that has to be picked -up and clean-up at the end of the job. Which translates into more trips back and forth.

If I was to buy a mini it would be a Boxer. Our Morbark dealer has taken on that line. I have looked at them and they seem like well built machines. Personally I am holding out for a little bigger articulated machine like a Swinger, Gehl, or Wrangler which is popular in our area. The Wrangler is used alot around the fertilizer plants in our area. I would be leery about buying one that has been around a fertilizer plant for any length of time. I don't know if they would accept the quick connect attachments or not for a grapple. Seems any of these small loaders are few and far between in our area and seldom come up for sale.

If a yard isn't totally fenced there is usually at least four feet or more between houses if the landscape hasn't been winged or extended off the corner of a house. That seems to be enough room to sneak a small articulated loader in and out from the back to the front yard.

Buying a hydraulic winch and having it installed on our chipper the smartest thing I ever did. It is almost like having a mini especially for the brush part of a tree removal. We have gotten pretty good at winching brush piles and small logs to feed into the machine. Nice thing about is you don't have to trailor an extra machine around it is always there with you.
 
Al Smith said:
I never figured out why it seems most people want tree work done in the muddy spring time . It would make more sense to me to have the work done when the ground is frozen and the trees are dorment .:?
Click to expand...

"whenever the saw is sharp" is the time to cut tree's.

or maybe this year it will be "whenever the customer has money"
 
If I could buy any mini I wanted, I'd get....

Wheeled: Boxer 427
Tracked: Boxer 526X, but the gas model (530DX) would do
 
If I was going to buy one with my money, I'd get the 530. If I was getting one for free I'd get the 526.
 
Al Smith said:
I have no doubt before the smoke clears there might be some bartering going .Some times not all that bad either .Tom ended up with a real nice Caddy for a tree job a couple years back .
Click to expand...

Ha! I just did two small silver maples for a guy. I came to look at them and he met me after work in his "painter whites". Well the wifey's been on my butt to paint the inside of the house soooo you know how this ended up. He painted my house and I did the trees. I think we where both very happy with the deal. I think he did a fine job. And the wife was happy - at least for a day:/:
 
Ax,
I have 2 used Thomas's for sale one just like Andys 3K, 990hrs, foam filled slicks, everthing works
and one with 250 hrs for 5K, 250 hrs (2New foam filled tires, 290percent)
1 slightly used BMG for $1800
 

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