Anyone have real world experience working with small scale forwarders and processors? Local dealer now carrying Kranman http://www.kranman.com/en/products/bison (http://www.kranman.com/en/products/bison)
Just for curiosities sake, I would like to know what these wind up selling for.
A pretty penny im sure.
The brochures always show all the things the small machine can do, but im most interested in seeing what logs it CANT do. Whats the max diameter that crane can end for end in 12ft oak?
I finally got pricing on them, the trailer unit is CAD$55-60K, the processor unit is another CAD$35K.
Quote from: jimbarry on April 14, 2018, 07:38:45 AM
I finally got pricing on them, the trailer unit is CAD$55-60K, the processor unit is another CAD$35K.
So for Cad 95 you'd have the forwarder and processor? How large a cutting diameter on the processor?
Just looked it up, it's an on board pull through table with a max diameter of under 10" all falling is done mechanically.
So theyre basically a pine plantation PCT machine?
Sounds like pct to me maybe a small commercial market one saw log at 16' +1' of trim.
Quote from: jimbarry on April 14, 2018, 07:38:45 AM
I finally got pricing on them, the trailer unit is CAD$55-60K, the processor unit is another CAD$35K.
Hi Jim,
I know I'm a bit late here but I'm hoping you see this.
That $35,000 for the processor unit: is that the 8wd stand-alone processor or the processor add-on to the trailer?
Those small forwarders are kinda cute but I bet they don't get a lot of machine hrs on them before they are shot. You can only build a machine so light before they just won't have any longevity. Plus, most guys I know would try to use the loader to the max lift capacity all the time and that just is just trouble waiting to happen.
Funny. My first reaction was "Aww, that's cute" but I sure would not want to try and earn any money with it, at least not with how things pay around here.
I saw a demo vid of an atv forestry trailer the other day that was pretty incredible in terms of features but its like.. How can you pay for the thing by driving around in your little fluorescent euro suit picking up sticks? I dont get it.
Quote from: mike_belben on September 11, 2018, 09:47:51 PM
I saw a demo vid of an atv forestry trailer the other day that was pretty incredible in terms of features but its like.. How can you pay for the thing by driving around in your little fluorescent euro suit picking up sticks? I dont get it.
Some countries help the owners buy the equipment.
I red that the crane is 3.3 meters long on the Bison . I own a Métavic forwarder with a 14 ft crane and it is fine for 16 ft logs, 11 ft crane could be limit. Some forwarder that goes behind a farm tractor have traction and in my opinion a tractor and a forwarder is more versatile.
Quote from: timbco68 on September 11, 2018, 09:29:58 PM
Those small forwarders are kinda cute but I bet they don't get a lot of machine hrs on them before they are shot. You can only build a machine so light before they just won't have any longevity. Plus, most guys I know would try to use the loader to the max lift capacity all the time and that just is just trouble waiting to happen.
I'm with you regarding the forwarders, timbco68. I really can't see those cranes standing up to any use.
I am curious about the 8 wheel processor unit however. Its really just a mobile delimber for small trees. I've cut a lot of 40 year old balsam fir and know how poor production is when doing thinning treatments. I could see that machine improving one man's productivity considerably as its the limbing and piling that really slows you down. You'd have to treat it accordingly and not tear it apart. But if it allowed you to double production it could be a handy tool. I think of it more like a chainsaw than an actual processor...