Hand cutting with forwarder how many of you do it?

[chevytaHOE5674]

There is/was (not sure if he is still around) a local guy around here that hand cuts and has a forwarder. He has a winch mounted at the base of the loader right at the front of the bunk the cable runs under the bunk and through a fairlead at the back of the machine. He can use the winch to drag trees up hills or out of wet areas where the forwarder can operate. He can also use it to unstick himself or a truck, or pull himself backwards up a hill.

[leeroyjd]

Hey Logman,picking up hand cut logs with a forwarder is usually fine.Small firewood poles/pulp is very slow unless it is a heavy cut In my opinion.
  If you are deciding whether or not to buy a fowarder just do what I did:cut the rest of your job to length in the woods so you have to get one.
I've been told that four wheelers on wet ground can be worse than skidders.  There was a 546 Valmet for sale in The Northern Logger that had fire damage-maybe an option?

[logman81]

A c5 forwarder might be good. Don't know much about the air cooled motors. Probably a little more modern and easier to get parts for.

[MJD]

You could look 4 a log dray and pull with the jack, then you could hall your firewood and load peoples trucks/trailers (probably wont load semi due to height). When I looked at forwarders the ones in my $ range($20000) were so tired it would nickel and dime ya to death (thats why there for sale). To buy one that you have to get out of the cab to load would put you in the same boat as pulling a log dray. jmho.

[Corley5]

Most crews that aren't CTL mechanized up here that work in hardwood have a cable machine for hills and a forwarder for the rest of the job.  Wood is pulled off hillsides to a point the forwarder can get to it or if the skids are short taken to the landing and decked with the forwarder.  Foresters prefer forwarders and many sales specify CTL at the stump and nothing longer than 16' can be drug out on the ground.  Truckers don't like loading out of a pile that's been pushed up with a blade.  We worked with an Iron Mule for a few years and then went to a C4 forwarder.  It's slow when the pulp isn't short stacked but I'd rather wear out the loader than mine or someone else's back.  A by pass bucket is a must     

[Corley5]

Some of those old Bones didn't have much of a canopy over the operator.

[logman81]

Corley5 what motor does your c4 have?

[logman81]

Thanks guys for all your help and info, I'm just going to hang on to the skidder . Got a gut feeling that something is not right with the forwarder. I did see a gafner dray sitting in someone's front yard when I went to look at a wood lot. May knock on their door and ask about it . Could have the best of both with that.

[Corley5]

4 cylinder Deutz. 

[logman81]

Thanks corley5 I'm sticking with my jack , the prices for some of theses forwarders are out of this world they must think you make money in logging or something. Talked to the forester on the new job he said a cable skidder will be ok to use so I got this job and more if I want.

[jd540b]

logman, "stick with the devil you know".   

[logman81]

Yup I plan to, but I may take a took at the dray and see what the story is with it .

[mad murdock]

The Gafner Loader drays were good machines in the day.  The loaders are pretty straight forward, high wear items are the rotator (grapple), and the main mast bearings, and turning rack and pinion.  a good upgrade if you do get it would be a nice bypass grapple, and a more modern rotator for the grapple.  The original Ganer torator was simple, but seals needed replaced on a regular basis, plus  it would rotate like 270 deg.  If you spun it to the stops with a grapple full of wood, you could easily break the main shaft in it.

[logman81]

Thanks madmurdock seems like it would be handy to have.

[logman81]

Could set one up with a power pack so it could be towed with skidder or tractor.