The Forestry Forum

Still putting together a list of parts required to add hydraulics to an older Lt 40. 
Trying to decide whether to go with a 12v DC hyd. power unit or 115v
Down side of 115v is you're limited to stationary work or have to run a generator if going portable.

For a 12v unit you still either have to have a separate battery for hyd power with charger (hooked to generator or vehicle)

I see that WM uses a "Hyd. Power Supply Strip" used to transfer power from the battery on the saw carriage to the hyd. unit.  I'm guessing it's a copper strip & sliding contact to allow the carriage to move and maintain power to hydraulics.  Looks to be just 6' long....in that case the carriage would have to be within 6' of front of the mill to have power. 
Does this setup work well to power the hydraulics?  Don't have a price on the kit yet, but seems like it might be a clean solution.

The 6' strip works well for me.  Never operate the hydraulics while the saw head is in motion.  If for some unusual reason I need to operate the hydraulics while the head is not on the strip, I use a battery "jump box".

D6c
I added a contact strip to my 1997 LT30 to power hydraulics for toe rollers.I got most everything from WM.For my mill it was a pretty simple install.The hydraulic powerpack and 2 spool valve were not WM.I turn the pump on/off with a toggle switch
A small miracle occurred after everything was assembled......it worked!

What about a heavy duty cord real ?

Quote from: Kbeitz on March 17, 2017, 06:29:29 PM
What about a heavy duty cord real ?

I think the amperage required for a DC pump would require a pretty heavy cable....but I have seen reels similar to  air hose reel used to roll up hydraulic hose.  Seems like some forklifts have something like that.  Have to think on it.

The cable to run a hydraulic pump would be like welding leads.  Now you could use a reel or something like that to handle the control wiring.

I  have around 20 super duty electric reals that came out of washshaws textile factory when it closed down they was hanging from the roof not hooked to anything. Maybe they was used for welding. They don't lock when you pull the cord out.  But to use them for like a carriage you would not want them to lock.  Maybe I can find a model number and name.