iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Forwarder Trailer

Started by Magicman, August 08, 2014, 07:04:08 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Magicman

Don't we need a USA made Blue forwarder trailer e/w a knuckleboom loader??
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Tam-i-am

We don't do motors.   ;)
Get Stuff Moving Today!  www.bluecreeper.com  www.facebook.com/Bluecreeper

Magicman

OK, I can understand that and even why, but this old one H.P. puppy is starting to need some help.  My "motor" ain't what it once was.   ;)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

moosehunter

I am trying to picture how long the handle would have to be to load a log on a forwarder trailer that has no motor!
"And the days that I keep my gratitude
Higher than my expectations
Well, I have really good days".    Ray Wylie Hubbard

Magicman

Looks like my best (only) option may be to build my own if that is the direction that we go with our thinning operation.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Tam-i-am

Quote from: Magicman on August 11, 2014, 02:10:30 PM
Looks like my best (only) option may be to build my own if that is the direction that we go with our thinning operation.

I know some people who can help you with that. ;)
Get Stuff Moving Today!  www.bluecreeper.com  www.facebook.com/Bluecreeper

Gary_C

I would tell you to look for a good used forwarder but they are just not out there for the most part. The older used ones are just about used up.

A forwarder is the hardest working piece of equipment in the woods. They are so valuable that everyone wants one but can't afford a new one. The new ones are made for logging operations that turn over 50-60 cords per day and there are so many guys waiting for good used trade ins, that you rarely see any on the market unless they have been abused. The trade ins rarely get to the dealers yard as they are sold before they get there.

So there is a good opportunity for forwarders for low volume applications. But that does not mean they will be affordable either.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

Magicman

Logging forwarders are unheard of here in my area.   Our soil is such that all logs can be skidded to the landings.  My thoughts are for a small unit/trailer to be used for my personal Pine thinning.  Since the landowner only gets about 1/3rd of the $$$, I am looking for a way to get it all (minus labor).

Similar to this:  LINK
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Gary_C

Yes, I saw that thread when he first posted the pictures. Very nice stand and equipment for the job.

How big is your pine thinning and does it look anything like the one in that thread?
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

Magicman

I do not know what his tree spacing was but at 14 years, that is a nice stand.  I am at 9 years with my Pine plantation but with 10-12 spacing, my first thinning will probably yield larger trees but about the same tonnage.  I only have ~150 acres of Pine, but there is another ~200 acres of hardwood that could be managed more closely if I had a better means of removing inferior trees.

The good thing is that there is a woodyard only 5 miles away and with the right trailer with a loader, I could go from the stump to the woodyard.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Ron Scott

A very good forest management situation.
~Ron

John Mc

Quote from: Magicman on August 09, 2014, 09:18:49 PM
OK, I can understand that and even why, but this old one H.P. puppy is starting to need some help.  My "motor" ain't what it once was.   ;)

I've seen pictures of a trailer somewhere that had a little hoist mounted on it, with either an electric or hand-crank winch to power it. The hoist looked a little like an engine hoist. Maybe you could add it to this trailer yourself.

Or check out this thread with photos of the DanG-Deadheader Log Lifter in action.  Now if someone wanted to get really creative, they'd figure out how to mount a LogRite arch on the rear of the trailer to get double duty:  Use the arch to bring the log to your trailer, mount the arch on the rear of the trailer, and use it as a DanG-Deadheader log lifter to load your trailer. (Of course, if the arch weighs more than the log you are loading, I guess that doesn't help much... mounting the arch would be tougher than just lifting the log in.)
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

pineywoods

Magic, how about hook a flatbed trailer behind an old backhoe. Remove the bucket, replace with a home-made grapple. There's a thread on here somewhere about building one. Grapple loader forwarder for pennies on the dollar...
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

Magicman

And I will have an old backhoe (Fat Albert) when I get mine back running.   ;D
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Piston

Lynn,
Do you also have a tractor?  i know I've seen a couple John Deere's in some of your pics, but I can't recall if they were yours on the customers. 

One thing I've often thought of regarding a forwarding trailer (on the cheap) was to build a trailer, or buy an old one and modify it) to where it's basically like Beulahland's setup in the thread you linked to, but without the log lift.



Picture something like just this trailer, no log lift. 

So what my idea was, is to make the side posts so they are at least 72" between posts in the middle of the trailer.  The reason is, because my front end loader grapple, is 64" wide, and this would give me enough room to pick up a log, place it onto the trailer, and continue piling until a full load is achieved.  Then, when you get back to the landing, use the grapple to unload the trailer the same way it was loaded. 

The issue with this would be clearance with the tires getting in the way, and possibly not getting close enough to grab the "middle logs".  I'm not sure how it would work as it's never gotten past the "idea" stage, but just wanted to share that with you.

If you are planning on using "Fat Albert", then it may even be more effective.  I'm not sure how you'd tow the trailer, possibly with the truck if there is room in your woodlot, but if you had a thumb on the backhoe, you could load the trailer using it, very effectively.  Of course, if the mill doesn't have a way to unload your trailer when you deliver the logs, then this is all a moot point and a waste of your time to read  :D


I built a thumb for my backhoe, but have yet to plumb it in with hydraulics.  It's one of those projects that are half done, I have way too many of those.  :D
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

pineywoods

Quote from: Magicman on August 13, 2014, 07:39:51 AM
And I will have an old backhoe (Fat Albert) when I get mine back running.   ;D
Yeah, I kinda had fat albert in mind  ;D putting a ball trailer hitch on the back should be fairly easy. Put a diverter valve in th hydraulic circuit to the outriggers, Drop the outriggers, pull the diverter, and rout that flow to the grapple. Bet I know more than one fella who could whip out a workable grapple. Heck, you only 5 miles from the log yard, I'd drive the whole rig down the county road... ;D
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

Magicman

Thankfully, I am more in the planning stage than out.  Lotsa options and very workable suggestions coming in.  :P
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Jim_Rogers

Back in the 80's I used to "yard logs" for different sawmills. And I hauled logs on my flatbed trailer to the mill as well.
We use to "end load" them with the backhoe using a hook hanging from the front bucket:

See this story: https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,4404.0.html

When I had a backhoe trailer, I put some pipes up as log holders and I would end load the trailer. And I'd end load the dump truck. Drive to the mill, they'd lift off the long logs off my trailer. I'd disconnect the trailer and dump the logs out of the truck.
I moved thousands of bdft this way for many years before I got my first log truck.

End loading is safer as you don't have to lift the logs over the side of the pipe uprights. Lower is safer and easier.
It worked for me and it could/may work for you.

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

21incher

Magicman last week at Empire Farm Days I saw several manufacturers with small trailers like you are talking about with about 4 ton load cap. (even 1 with a mini 4wd skidder to pull it and provide hydraulics for the boom and outriggers), so I know they are available. They looked like simple items to build as long as you have a tractor that can provide hydraulic power. You may want to have someone going to Boonville look for info on one as they will most likely be there also. :)
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

John Mc

Quote from: 21incher on August 14, 2014, 08:30:49 AM
You may want to have someone going to Boonville look for info on one as they will most likely be there also. :)

MM -- I'm hoping to get to Boonville Saturday, if you want me to get info on anything for you, or even just snap some pictures. Just let me know what to look for.

BTW... I suppose this thread is drifting pretty far from the intended topic for the LogRite section.

John Mc
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

gspren

Quote from: John Mc on August 14, 2014, 08:39:54 AM

BTW... I suppose this thread is drifting pretty far from the intended topic for the LogRite section.

John Mc

Maybe it will get LogRite thinking.
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

Magicman

That would be interesting John Mc.

Yup, we are doing R & D for Logrite.  ;)  logrite_cool
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Thank You Sponsors!