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Fixed head versus dangle head

Started by deastman, January 22, 2017, 04:32:51 PM

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deastman

Samsung 130 LCM-3 with Fabtek 4-roller and Cat 554 forwarder, Cat EL 180 excavator, Cat D3C dozer, Cat D7E dozer, '92 Ford LTL 9000 dump, Easy-2-Load 25 Ton tag-a-long, current project under construction: '91 Peterbilt 379 with a Hood 8000 w/extenda-boom loader

sawguy21

old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

wannaergo

I have run tracked machines with both fixed and dangle, and we recently bought a rubber tire machine with a dangle, and in my honest opinion, it's the only way to go. Way smoother, faster, and more comfortable. I will honestly say I will never run another fixed head.
2016 Ponsse ergo 8w
2014 Cat 564
Husky 385

chevytaHOE5674

I run a rubber tired dangle head machine with a 30 foot reach boom. I can reach and cut a lot of wood without very much driving around, this is a lot easier on the ground and allows you to cut in places a tracked machine can't go. Its also quick on the ground and easy to move and drive around in, jobs that are close to one another you can just drive there.

As for the head itself a dangle head can cut some big timber once you know what your doing. In smaller wood you can put some serious wood on the ground in a hurry.

deastman

Thanks for the info, I run a fixed head but the dangle heads seem to get a lot more production. How do they work in medium to large hardwood?
Samsung 130 LCM-3 with Fabtek 4-roller and Cat 554 forwarder, Cat EL 180 excavator, Cat D3C dozer, Cat D7E dozer, '92 Ford LTL 9000 dump, Easy-2-Load 25 Ton tag-a-long, current project under construction: '91 Peterbilt 379 with a Hood 8000 w/extenda-boom loader

wannaergo

I cut a steady diet of medium to large hardwood, and I think a bigger dangle head is the way to go. I can notch and cut a 30"+ hardwood and process it. Bigger dangle heads can do even bigger. It takes a lot of finesse, but I think it's quicker and safer than a chainsaw, even in really big stuff. My Ponsse H8 is just an animal in bigger hardwood
2016 Ponsse ergo 8w
2014 Cat 564
Husky 385

chevytaHOE5674

The vast majority of what we cut is hardwood thinnings with a good bit of 20"+ sawlogs. For the most part anything 24-28" and smaller I cut with the machine, larger than that I hand cut unless I know for sure its pulp then I will hack it to the ground. And this is all with a 20k hour machine with a 21" bar.

Here's a 21" hard maple being dropped with the machine.




All these logs are processor cut.


Mike_M

In the Pacific NW the dangle heads are by far the most popular, with Log Max, South Star and Waratah being the most popular. The guys that run them put out a lot of wood on a daily basis. We run TJ 608 with a TJ 762C head and a squirt boom and it works real well for us. It sure is a lot better than cutting and processing by hand.

wannaergo

I think that the southstar head would be fantastic for big hardwood. I demoed one and thought it was great.
2016 Ponsse ergo 8w
2014 Cat 564
Husky 385

BargeMonkey

 Any of you guys seen or used one of the "Timberheads" ? I think they only make 2 models right now. I watched a 7000XT dangle on a new Cat last spring down the road from me, CTL isn't common down here. After 30mins watching this thing in 28"+ nasty spruce I walked back to my truck feeling like a kid who had just watched his dog get run over  :D   I do "ok" with the typical "buncher/grapple/delimber/slasher" but this thing was nasty to watch, I saw where he had cut real nice large HW logs with it, without issue. I can't get away from a buncher because of some of the clearing jobs I'm chasing, but I think a dangle head is the way to go.

snowstorm

Quote from: wannaergo on January 22, 2017, 11:27:14 PM
I think that the southstar head would be fantastic for big hardwood. I demoed one and thought it was great.
southstar was started by some guys that used to work for warthar . last i heard southstar sold to quadco

snowstorm

dose milton cat still have that big tracked machine with the 870 keto? that would handle any tree that grows in this state

deastman

I haven't seen anything in there with a keto head on it.
Samsung 130 LCM-3 with Fabtek 4-roller and Cat 554 forwarder, Cat EL 180 excavator, Cat D3C dozer, Cat D7E dozer, '92 Ford LTL 9000 dump, Easy-2-Load 25 Ton tag-a-long, current project under construction: '91 Peterbilt 379 with a Hood 8000 w/extenda-boom loader

snowstorm

Quote from: deastman on January 23, 2017, 07:15:16 AM
I haven't seen anything in there with a keto head on it.
maybe they sold it. the head was new and big very big

deastman

Quote from: chevytaHOE5674 on January 22, 2017, 08:43:56 PM
The vast majority of what we cut is hardwood thinnings with a good bit of 20"+ sawlogs. For the most part anything 24-28" and smaller I cut with the machine, larger than that I hand cut unless I know for sure its pulp then I will hack it to the ground. And this is all with a 20k hour machine with a 21" bar.

Here's a 21" hard maple being dropped with the machine.




All these logs are processor cut.


What size machine do you run and what head do you have?
Samsung 130 LCM-3 with Fabtek 4-roller and Cat 554 forwarder, Cat EL 180 excavator, Cat D3C dozer, Cat D7E dozer, '92 Ford LTL 9000 dump, Easy-2-Load 25 Ton tag-a-long, current project under construction: '91 Peterbilt 379 with a Hood 8000 w/extenda-boom loader

1270d

I'll cast another vote for dangle head.   It's the only type I have run but find them very effective for almost any type timber in the size class chevytahoe mentioned.    Very accurate measuring as well.

I'm running a Ponsse scorpion King with H7 head.
Chevy runs a Ponsse ergo with h73 head I believe

chevytaHOE5674

1270D is correct a 6 wheel Ergo with an H73E head, think the machine is around 40k lbs.

barbender

I haven't run harvester very much, but I can tell you what I see being used up here. There used to be a few Fabtek fixed heads around, and a few Timbco fixed heads. There's still a few Timbco and Timberpro dangle head setups, and a number of 703 Deere dangle heads. But the fact is we cut mostly pulp, with some pine bolts and sawtimber, and most hardwood that isn't pulp or firewood goes for pallet logs. The rubber tire dangle heads are quuckly taking over, a big track carrier and fixed head is just not needed in our conditions. I will say, cracked butts can be a problem with the dangle head if the operator isn't being careful, I throw a lot of butts that would make saw logs into the pulp pile because they are cracked. But that is more operator error than anything, IMO. Don't get me wrong, with a hardwood with a big crown getting it on the ground and not on top of the cab is the primary concern. These processor operators that cut a lot of HW could tell you better. Would a quick back cut keep the butts from cracking? Anyways, it's becoming rubber/dangle all the way up here.
Too many irons in the fire

snowstorm

Quote from: deastman on January 23, 2017, 07:15:16 AM
I haven't seen anything in there with a keto head on it.
your not that far away. come try mine if you want. 500 keto

chevytaHOE5674

Quote from: barbender on January 29, 2017, 11:11:08 PM
These processor operators that cut a lot of HW could tell you better. Would a quick back cut keep the butts from cracking? Anyways, it's becoming rubber/dangle all the way up here.

Depending on the size of the tree I need to cut a majority of the front of the tree out, then spin the head around the back and clip the holding wood in the back then flop them over. (On a tree without much lean I will cut out 70+% of the frontside), If I just try and cut from the back then I really can't cut fast enough as the tree will start to move and split or barber chair on the way down.

1270d

Quote from: snowstorm on January 30, 2017, 05:55:37 AM
Quote from: deastman on January 23, 2017, 07:15:16 AM
I haven't seen anything in there with a keto head on it.
your not that far away. come try mine if you want. 500 keto

Keto makes all the way up to a 1000 model don't they?

snowstorm


1270d

I viewed another video as well, that things an animal.

snowstorm

i met the owner inventor of keto at the bangor show 2 yrs ago. his English wasnt that good and i dont understand finish

deastman

Quote from: 1270d on January 30, 2017, 06:42:08 PM
Quote from: snowstorm on January 30, 2017, 05:55:37 AM
Quote from: deastman on January 23, 2017, 07:15:16 AM
I haven't seen anything in there with a keto head on it.
your not that far away. come try mine if you want. 500 keto

Keto makes all the way up to a 1000 model don't they?
Thanks snowstorm, I'd like to see yours work sometime
Samsung 130 LCM-3 with Fabtek 4-roller and Cat 554 forwarder, Cat EL 180 excavator, Cat D3C dozer, Cat D7E dozer, '92 Ford LTL 9000 dump, Easy-2-Load 25 Ton tag-a-long, current project under construction: '91 Peterbilt 379 with a Hood 8000 w/extenda-boom loader

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