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Ive always been quite confident that our current push towards computerized soft touch fancy pants automated bigger faster quiter more efficient and insanely expensive equipment is not enjoyed by everyone, particularly the cost and complexity of repair at 15k hours. Im sure that a significant demand could exist for a small winch + DA grapple machine with a 4bt or 6bt, basic spicer/new process/dana/eaton manual tranny and off the shelf manual spool hydraulics with plain old S cam air brakes that actually hold on a hill. Something you can haul on a backhoe trailer with a dually and get parts/hoses at napa. Maybe even on tractor rubber that doesnt cost $2k per corner. I know load sensing and closed center hydraulics is the cats meow but troubleshooting that stuff is over most guys heads and i sure dont want to be at the whim of the one shop who can source that exclusive obsolute part some day. Grapple blade ftw.
The Euro skidders that have a forwarder crane, clambunk, and 3 winches look like the cat's meow to me.
Looks like a full loader on front of the welte. Thats pretty rare.How much trouble can the swing boom get you into in terms of reaching out too far and rolling over? Are the hydraulics powerful enough to pull the machine over on flat ground? Does the blade stabilize things at all?
Its a komatsu d31P-18.. I think about 17,000 lbs.I have a case 450 crawler loader up north but need to get my CDL-A before i can haul it down. Thats been a frusterating challenge.Its a ways off but i will come up with forks and a thumb to go on the case and thatll be a huge help. Then i have to decide on which machine is suited for winch or grapple or trailer. Probably pull trailer with d31 and load with 450 forks.I wont buy a skidder unless logging turns unexpectedly profitable.
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