direct drive or torque drive , which one in a skidder is better

[barbender]

That is insane, 11MBF of hardwood what do those trucks gross? Gotta be 170,000#?

[ehp]

170 is quite common and in winter time its higher than that 

[ehp]

I cut for a guy a while ago like years ago  and he paid $50 per load, that was $50 to cut , $50 to skid and $50 to buck a load up , Sp the trucks got alot bigger but the pay rate didnot change . Then I ended working by myself so I was doing the cutting, skidding and bucking so I figured I would get $150 a load cause I was doing all 3 jobs , Well they did not see it that way and tried to pay me $50 a load , it didnot go well for them 

[Firewoodjoe]

170 is quite common and in winter time its higher than that

Don’t you guys run tridems? They can legally gross that? I’ve had 11k on a self loader. Weight unknown. Most good loads will never be weighed. 

[ehp]

Well we run lead so kind of a tandem then a trailer. Couple trucks have 2 steering axles with tri drive out back and the pup trailer can have 3 to 5 axles with most being 4 or 5 axles .  Never said they were legal loads .  I'm close to the mill so most times if the logs can fit they go for a ride 

[ehp]

what is the smallest width tire I can run on this skidder , I have not drew a single tree with it yet, I drove it in the bush and turned around cause its just way to wide to pulling timber here , I got 30.5 on it and 10 ft 6 inches wide , I planned on cutting those rims and putting 24.5 by 32 on machine but zero tires in canada in that size from Firestone but they do have enough 23.1 by 26 in 20 ply here in stock 

[Firewoodjoe]

There is 640s with 23.1s. Depends on your ground. But you’ll be sinkin and or spinnin. in my experience those Skidders need rubber or you might as well just get a smaller machine. Even the small Skidder swill roll a 23.1 if you have a big hitch. Back tires blow twice as fast on a 360/548 with 23.1. 

[ehp]

I agree but the mill bought a 548 with 28l on it and its pretty much the same width as this one is , What my small weak mind thinks is this , I tried pulling 2 good size whitepine in the grapple and I did move them but as soon as I started up a easy hill my front wheels came off the ground so I released the grapple and parked it and used my little skidder to pull both trees at once to the landing . This skidder needs tire width and weight to pull anything so some how I got to figure out the narrowest way to do that , I know I can cut these rims and go in 6 inches on total width and still run chains if I need to but have to really look if I can go in any further than that , All I got to worry about is when the front axle swings up will the tire with chain on it hit the engine panels . 28l would be a touch narrower but alot of cost . I thought hard on 24.5 but zero tires in Canada so thats out . The other plan is wait till Barge buys me that new tc 602 grapple for me . The 602 is about 5000 pounds heavier than this machine and you can buy it with 23.1 by 26 on it but I'm thinking your going to be plowing steady on soft ground

[Firewoodjoe]

You should be able to put your grapple/arch hight so it won’t pull the front tires. But I see that’s a single arch also. Dual 18.4-34! 😂 narrow when you need it and wide and heavy/wide puller when you need it. 

[OH logger]

A TC 602 grapple is still 5000 pounds heavier than a Deere 648?!?! Wow I didn’t realize that. I knew the 602 are stout compact machines but dang 

[barbender]

I think that is what is now known as "thicc" 

[ehp]

That is compare a 648 g3 single arch to the 602 dual arch and it's over 5000 pounds difference . The 602 is not a small skidder like most people think