iDRY Vacuum Kilns

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Looking for ideas

Started by Hydroax, January 02, 2010, 09:45:09 PM

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Hydroax

I have been looking around the internet and am really happy to have ended up here since you guys have lots of knowledge and experience with exactly what I am trying to achieve!

I have a hydroAx and want to work in a coastal area in Texas. I gave a bid for a job and it hasnt been accepted. I did do another job up the coast the other day where I learned that you can sink a hydroax up to the belly pan in nothing flat! If that pan hadnt been there I dont think I would have stopped till I got to Japan! I got pulled out, and dog gone if I didnt get stuck again a couple of days later. So I have mastered the getting stuck part.

So what I am trying to find out is what can I do to my machine, chains, dual up the tires, those plastic chains I saw in the magazine the other day, or do you have a suggestion?

This machine is nothing more than a skidder so I figured someone here has been there done that already.

The sand in the 28L tires turned them into solid donuts. So something has to be done or I need to bow out of the job. Business has been slow, real slow so I rather modify then bow out but I will have zero support at this next location. Thanks in advance!

A pictures worth a thousand words, Your have an awesome site here!




Ironwood

Dualing them up would have to help.  I have no experience w/ equipment that big, but my 4000 and 6000 pound forklifts (weighing 8000, and 12,000 respectively) do seem to reveal that the dual machine (4000 lber) has a ton more floatation. I run them on some relatively soft farm field situations.

I dont know what dualling them would cost, or how it would effect operation (wideeeeee), but it would have to help. Are the exsisting tires the largest you can run? It looks like nothing short of more dispersion is going to help. Your in some soft stuff.

      Ironwood
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

Hydroax

Quote from: Ironwood on January 02, 2010, 10:34:30 PM
Dualing them up would have to help.  I have no experience w/ equipment that big, but my 4000 and 6000 pound forklifts (weighing 8000, and 12,000 respectively) do seem to reveal that the dual machine (4000 lber) has a ton more floatation. I run them on some relatively soft farm field situations.

I dont know what dualling them would cost, or how it would effect operation (wideeeeee), but it would have to help. Are the exsisting tires the largest you can run? It looks like nothing short of more dispersion is going to help. Your in some soft stuff.

      Ironwood

I have been looking for tires and rims to dual and have found none so far. It wouldnt be cost effective for me to buy new for this machine. I havent looked deeper into wider tires but the ones in the forestry magizines look pretty awesom but I presume I would have to locate the rims to match those wide tires, and together would be over 10k, again over the budget for the job.

Thats why I was wondering about bang for the buck of dualing vs chains. I never expected to be in this quicksand once, much less twice, and back to back jobs. Dualing me up would make me 14 foot wide which means I would have to put the tires on at the jobsite which is a problem in itself.

I dont expect to have to be in land like this much but I would like to be able to cut wherever the money is. And like a kid, I dont like to be told I cannot go there with my toy :)  But it was pretty ugly when I jumped (stepped out) of the machine. Making me think I need to pick up an old D6 (real old) just to keep me out of trouble.

Thanks for the response!

shinnlinger

My neighbor took an old snowmobile track, ripped it in half and shortened it up with angle iron and thru bolts.  He then deflated his tires and slipped the track over the tire and re-inflated.  It added a good deal of flotation for his ATV.

Like Ironwood, I have no idea if something like that would work with your machine, but I would imagine it would be alot cheaper than dualing up if you could find a heavy duty conveyor belt from a gravel operation or something.
Shinnlinger
Woodshop teacher, pasture raised chicken farmer
34 horse kubota L-2850, Turner Band Mill, '84 F-600,
living in self-built/milled timberframe home

Ironwood

You could "Amishize" it with BIG steel pipes for rims Thick steel and WIDE, then put rubber bolted to the outside of that. Been done on ALL kinds of equipment for our Amish bretheren. If you had a welder, could find some 36-40" pipe cheap,  and wanted to try it it just might work. Old tractor tire tread would be the tread you want (or find retread "tread" in a commercial style profile. Gotta think outside the box sometimes.  ::).


       Ironwood
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

Gary_C

28L tires are not the biggest you can get for that machine. Other than duals, I can't think of anything else you can do to improve flotation.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

Hydroax

Quote from: Ironwood on January 02, 2010, 11:02:41 PM
You could "Amishize" it with BIG steel pipes for rims Thick steel and WIDE, then put rubber bolted to the outside of that. Been done on ALL kinds of equipment for our Amish bretheren. If you had a welder, could find some 36-40" pipe cheap,  and wanted to try it it just might work. Old tractor tire tread would be the tread you want (or find retread "tread" in a commercial style profile. Gotta think outside the box sometimes.  ::).


       Ironwood

Have to see a picture of that! Liking the track idea too just not sure how that would work with the 4 wheel drive. I guess the dualing idea will be the best solution.


If anyone  knows where to pick up 28L with rims used, even better would be if they already have the rings in them give me a shout and Thanks to everyone!


Tom

If it won't support you and their is no bottom, all I can think of is building a road with mats.  There are just going to be some places were you shouldn't go.  The equipment could get torn up, but the worse thing would be that your reputation could be torn up for tearing up the site.   A small dozer might help to lay mats, or you might do better with a small dragline or excavator to lay them.  You might even be money ahead to get an excavator with a sawhead on it.  Even then, you might need mats.

Ironwood

The pipe becomes the "tire", makem REALLY wide.

Ironwood
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

J_T

Can't see why you can't come up with a set of clamp on duels like they use on farm tractors on the cheep .   ???
Jim Holloway

Jamie_C

I believe the Eco Track Wheel Tracks would be a major help for you. They are tracks meant for single tires as opposed to the tracks commonly used on the rear bogies of forwarders. From what i hear they really help with floatation and traction on single tires, i have only used them on the rear bogies of forwarders and they make a HUGE difference.

Hydroax

Quote from: Jamie_C on January 03, 2010, 11:24:03 AM
I believe the Eco Track Wheel Tracks would be a major help for you. They are tracks meant for single tires as opposed to the tracks commonly used on the rear bogies of forwarders. From what i hear they really help with floatation and traction on single tires, i have only used them on the rear bogies of forwarders and they make a HUGE difference.

That was the plastic tracks I was refering to in my first post. Didnt know what to call them but they looked like they could help. If they were easily removable they would be a great addition to the bag of tricks I have. I just didnt know if they could hold up or if you could buy parts to keep them going.

As little as I plan on working in swampy conditions they appear to be  a wonderful addition. Look like they would be much easier to install than chains.  Any idea how much they cost?

240b

I saw a hydroax w/ hultdin wheel tracks working on a pipeline in new hampshire. looked like it got around pretty good. Try Ironmart  for used wheels.

Jamie_C

Hydroax, these things are solid steel none of this plastic dinky toy stuff. Do a google search for "Eco Tracks" and you will find them. Not sure what a set of single tire ones are worth but a set for bogie axles will set you back at least $10k-12k up here.

mahonda

Hey hydroax nice machine and thats not stuck too bad I've done worse. But i think jamie c is right on the ball your basically a big skidder and in the winter or spring we have to have chains to get around. We use bear claw style rings, but i think the eco wheel tracks would be your best bet and they will save your tires a lot of wear and tear.

"If your lucky enough to be a logger your lucky enough!"
Burly aka Dad

cheyenne

How about a set of over the wheel tracks like they make for skid-steers. Might need to be custom made. There's an outfit in Hunter,N.Y that make makes Manganese tracks for skid-steers & there the best made. $ 600 for skid-steer tracks. So the custom made price might not break the bank & work better. I don't see where adding more wheels will help if your in the slop. Just more weight & more things to spin & get stuck. Sometimes you can't get away from using mats no matter what kind of machine you have............Just a thought.........Cheyenne
Home of the white buffalo

Hydroax

Im feeling kind of silly, that is the same picture I saw in the ad and they looked plastic. That is what was making me weary. I found their website and can clearly see now that they are steel. Looks like a good option. Will also continue to look for tires as I think that will be the cheaper solution. Thanks for the tips!

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