One Man Band- climbing and rigging, groundwork, business mgmt.

[SouthSoundTree-]

Boxer 532 DX, probably gone are the 32 hp diesel like mine, down to 25 hp (gas, maybe).

Talk to Carl/ Lumberjack.

How much do you pay for W/C? None on an Ogre! Mini's make you money!!! Might help you pay for the chipper faster. If you are in a hardwood area, and/ or have an 12"-ish auto-feed, mini's work even better. I killed a couple maples recently. Mini brought the brush and logs uphill and put them down at/ on the chipper feed tray, and logs up onto cut firewood for fast bucking (no risk of dirting the chain or picking up a piece of gravel from the driveway). The pulling power is good. Lawn damage can be mitigated.

Way better than not for conifers (much more hand-stacking for most local conifers), but with hardwoods, you can kill it. If you have conifers in the hardwood belt, its likely more chipping, less firewood. Cut big pieces, feed to chipper. yum yum.

An articulated loader with power rotate and telescopic boom is a big step up. Carl made a video of land clearing, that really shows what you can do with that combo of power rotate and telescopic boom for arranging piles and forwarding/ feeding. You can load much higher.

I can load my chip truck full enough at 42" loading height, with some manuevering/ sliding. Over the side of a dump trailer was a challenge with the boxer, way easier to load from the end.


I'm thinking of a pallet set-up for gear, if I ever get forks. Meanwhile, I place a 4x8 sheet of plywood on top of the loader arms and grapple, and load up with gear for back yard jobs.

 

[treebilly]

I think I watched his walk around video of the 532dx last night. I need to look into the newer models to compare. One of my best friends is the service manager for our local bobcat dealer so his take on the mt series machines will be looked at also. Like I said it'll be this winter till I'm ready. I know it's a money maker but I look at worse case scenarios when I finance things. Reading this thread got me thinking more of doing this semi solo. Most jobs I do at work I now think why are these other guys here? All they do is whine and watch me work. On jobs with room I'll fly big pieces then come down and load with the bobcat because they can't do it. When doing my jobs with my business partner we rock the place and he can run equipment properly and safely so no worries.

 

[squisher]

Unless the bobcat minis have changed. That goofy plate that you stand on that 'floats'. Makes them a no go to me.

 

[treebilly]

Yeah that is a complaint I had. Well actually it was because they don't put them on here. The dealer sees them as a safety issue so he doesn't have them on the rental machines and you have to order the plate seperate and install it yourself if you buy one. I also have a Vermeer dealer a half hour away and a toro dealer who is also my stihl dealer ten minutes from home. I have a lot of choices so a ton of research to do.

 

[squisher]

I had a ramrod, Canadian made. It's still a good running machine with a ton of tree abusing hours on it. the controls suck by all accounts but I have mastered them.

 

[treebilly]

I've only seen a ramrod once around here. It was used for fence installation so I didn't really see it work

 

[squisher]

Works the same as all the others I think. Levers for all the controls though.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Brendon says the Ditch Witch is the bomb, after his boxer frame broke.

For me, the ability to retract the track down to 34.5", and expand them to 43.5", with the lifting power was huge. If you don't need tight access, don't worry about that, and don't have the moving parts/ cylinders/ motors.

Bobcat Mt doesn't use a universal mini-mount, unless I'm mistaken, or they've gotten with the program.

Carl's technique of leaving the finer clean-up (low skill work) might work for you, Joel, depending on your market. If you're working on the side, on top of 40 hours a week, time is precious. Spend it doing the more technical work, and machine work.

Some people around here are already expecting to do some labor to move firewood. Giving the choice of putting effort into moving firewood to their wood shed or raking, most would prefer to rake, and have the Ogre take logs to their firewood shed to cut into rounds where it will be split and stacked.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Reading this thread got me thinking more of doing this semi solo.

I can't stress enough that being able to self-lower and self-speed line is a crucial skill for making it productive to do Some jobs solo, or without a skilled groundie. Even with skilled groundie, you can keep yourself busy sending things down, and the groundie focused on handling what is already on the ground.

Do I need the speedline tensioned at the bottom of the line? No.
Do I need to remove limbs before dumping a bunch more on the line? No.
Can I drop limbs Natural Crotch onto a speedline? Yes.
Can I carry a lot of slings? Yes.
Could I theoretically set up more than one speed line to be tensioned at the top, when the time is right? Yes.
Does speed lining get all your limbs lined up the right way, and close to ready for the grapple? Yes.

A short piece of 1/2" rigging rope tied into a dead-eye configuration is perfect for girth hitching on the butt of the limb and tying other end to a running bowline on the piece to be cut, past the cut. Or two round slings with a biner...same concept. Cut, hang, deal with it appropriately.
Peeling limbs, rather than face-cut hinging or snap/ drop cutting them reduces forces on the rigging.


Less distractions can sometimes be safer and more productive.


A strong focus is required for all climbers, but especially the solo climber. Constant vigilance and situational awareness!!

 

[treebilly]

A strong focus is required for all climbers, but especially the solo climber. Constant vigilance and situational awareness!!

Wish they sold this in stores. No matter how much I preach this to the guys at work, it just doesn't sink in.

 

[SeanKroll]

@Patrick A

Double whip tackle, and lowering several at once, no slings... two half hitches, prevents the clove hitch from jamming up.

Probably took off 80-100 limbs, big and small. DWTed two batches of 3-5 limbs, ran out of slings, and rope length, then lowered a batch on the end of the rope.

I topped the tree, and limbed off all the others I could throw/ guide. 3 hours, ground to ground.

I'll clean up the pile into geapple-able piles and feed them to the chipper.
I may speedline the rest. End of the rope anchored off the ground, on a stout tree...better horizontal travel, and helps maintain tension.

I carried a bar tool/ scrench, mix-gas in a Seafoam bottle, canola oil in a Gatorade bottle.
Used a tank and a half.

Forgot my Coffee!!

 

[BeerGeek]

Good job there, Sean. Makes it easier when you've got up & down confiers like that. Most stuff here is spreading deciduous, making that scenario kind of difficult to pull off.

 

[lxskllr]

I carry fuel and oil in "pint" plastic hipflask liquor bottles. Very compact, and plenty of fuel for a small tophandle.

 

[gf beranek]

I've done that a few times. It definitely pays off... if you can predict when you're going to need it.

 

[stikine]

We would often carry these MSR fuel bottles on the fireline for saw work. I imagine a fella could strap them to your harness in a pinch.

MSR® Fuel Bottles | Stove Accessories | MSR - https://www.msrgear.com/stoves/stove-accessories/msr-fuel-bottles/msr-fuel-bottles.html

 

[lxskllr]

I keep one of these in the truck...

It's mostly to fill my small saws cause it's easy to handle, and I'll put it in a backpack if I'm doing some traveling. They don't make them anymore, and they're apparently desirable. They bring fairly good money in the used market.

 

[Patrick A]

@SeanKroll
Thanks for tagging. The picture helped get the concept.

 

[SeanKroll]

I carry fuel and oil in "pint" plastic hipflask liquor bottles. Very compact, and plenty of fuel for a small tophandle.

I found out it's worth getting a measurement on tank capacity. I carried twice what I needed.