I recently bought an equipment rollback. It's on an International 4700 that's rated @ #33,000. Its great for moving my dozer, skid steer etc. Does anyone use one for moving a log skidder? (like a JD 440 or TJ 230, 240) The concern I have is the height and maybe being too top heavy. I hate using trailers but I know sometimes they are a necessary evil. Any info or photos would be great!
Check your state transport regs and the dimensions on your skidder(s) and do the math. You'll be ok but you don't want a big fine for being overweight/overwidth etc. I have a neighbour who used to have an narrow old skidder that he'd drive up between the stakes on his log trailer on a couple of heavy planks, never get away with that now but it worked for years.
It may not be a problem, but check your overall height dimension with the skidder on the rollback. I am guessing your state regulation is somewhere near 13'-6". For me, my concern would be having such a high center of gravity with a 6-wheeler.
Your 440 skidder weighs about 15000# with a full fuel tank and a little dirt clinging so if you can get it up on the bed and take it to a scale to get the axel weights and compare them to the local axel limitation weight limits allowed by the DOT, you will know if it feels and handles correctly and if the truck can legal the weight your good.
deere web site has the 440 D at 9'6" ish, so clearance would probably be the biggest issue, add about 4' to the top of the flat bed and you got 13'6". my 440 a is only 7' 6" or so, so to wide shouldn't be an issue. as far as being top heavy well... drive carefully...
You should be fine. We have a local logger that uses a six wheeler to haul his 440 and his TJ230. He's done it for years. When I worked for the local New Holland dealer we had a 03 4700. Use to haul a C5D TF around for a guy. We've put Ford TW-35 farm tractors on the back with dauls on with no trouble. Its a good load though.
The truck can handle up to 20K on the bed. I was more concerned about the height. I am looking to buy a skidder like a JD 440(A,B,C) or TJ (208, 225,230). I mainly do pine thinnings so the compact size is what I am after. I have an Oxtrac now, total waste of time and money but that could be a whole other thread. I am looking for the size of the smaller skidders, a grapple would be even better but they get bigger unless someone knows of something other than a TJ 240d or the rare JD 440C. The more I type I guess the real question is what is the best skidder for the job. I do want to stay within a small footprint and low impact. The other machine I was looking at was a small dozer made by Rayco with a logging arch. But I don't think it has the speed of a wheeled machine but if it has the power to pull more, then all of that can be offset by less turns. Any help would be great!
It should be fine on flat ground !!!!! ;D id say top heavy and crooked roads and hills will tell the real story !! a buddy of mine had a guy move his 230 timberjack on a chevy c60 rolloff and the rolloff owner said never again !!!!!, there was a guy that made a special body for moving skidders on a single axle dodge real low with a hump in it over the back differential just drive on and drive right over the rear tires and set right down like in a cradle ,worked great!!! I can't remember his name he was from up north in Lancaster ,and moved small skidders for years .
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I transported a TJ 330 for a guy that cuts firewood for me with my 20,000 lb trailer. It worked ok but the machine hung over each side a couple of inches and I may have been over weight on the trailer axles but I think it would have been close.
Our 4700 did have drop outs in the deck but that was mainly to get the height down for tractors. We have some pretty good hills and some crooked roads, use your head and you will be fine. I use to move my 225 TJ behind my pickup and gooseneck trailer. Now that I bought the Treefarmer we have to use a semi. We use our step deck with ramps to drive it up the back. Its a little hairy, trailer is 8ft and the skidder is 10ft 6. Still catch alot of rubber but that overhang drives me nuts. We have overwidth permits.
my buddy used to put thick boards down on his log truck, and drive his c4 up on the back off a ditch or steep bank. he would haul in between the pins
Anytime I drive a unit on public roads I ask my self " if I get into an accident did I do everything to prevent someone getting hurt". If your asking if your truck is big enough than don't move anything till you KNOW it's big enough. What does the empty truck weigh, the unit weight, height, width ???? Does your insurance cover you to move others equipment. The " what ifs" need to be dealt with before getting on the road
Everything I do is always probably too safe! The truck is more than capable of the load. I have a 8 ton dozer that I can haul all day everyday, but it does have a lower center of gravity. I have not seen enough of these machines to see how they would travel. If I have to I can get a trailer to haul but I was just looking to see if anyone else out there was doing the same thing or maybe give someone else an idea about hauling options. Its not like I'm trying to put a JD 648 on the back and ask if that is OK.
My .02 cents worth 8) I have a wheeler with a trailer or a tractor trailer flatbed move mine. Seems pretty safe. I would not feel to good about a rollback or a goose neck on a one ton etc. :o Despite weather its legal or if the truck can do it. I pay the small fee for the service and write it off. AFTERALL THE ROAD TRACTOR /TRAILER IS CAPABLE OF 100,000 GROSS AND SHOULD HAVE THE BRAKES AND SUSPENTION TO DUE IT :o One more thing seems like they are cracking down on these overloads they just got some junk metal guy with pick up and trailer with like gross 35000 lbs smiley_devil ::)
Quote from: alwaysoily on March 02, 2013, 05:32:35 PM
The truck can handle up to 20K on the bed. I was more concerned about the height. I am looking to buy a skidder like a JD 440(A,B,C) or TJ (208, 225,230). I mainly do pine thinnings so the compact size is what I am after. I have an Oxtrac now, total waste of time and money but that could be a whole other thread. I am looking for the size of the smaller skidders, a grapple would be even better but they get bigger unless someone knows of something other than a TJ 240d or the rare JD 440C. The more I type I guess the real question is what is the best skidder for the job. I do want to stay within a small footprint and low impact. The other machine I was looking at was a small dozer made by Rayco with a logging arch. But I don't think it has the speed of a wheeled machine but if it has the power to pull more, then all of that can be offset by less turns. Any help would be great!
If you can find a garrett 10 or 15 they are very small, but hard to find good tires for... Deere also made a 340 skidder, smaller than the 440 but kind of a rare bird. then there is the smaller tree farmers and cancars (both garrett copies ish).
Maybe you should start a thread on the oxtrack, I've seen em at shows and on youtube, but never had the pleasure of abusing one, wasn't real impressed by there conveyor belt tracks... or the suspension in general...
a 340 jd was a 440c without the blade. it came out about the time the 440d did the d was bigger. you could put a blade on the 340
Hey Northman I would start a topic the Oxtrac, but Mama always said if you have nothing good to say, then don't say it at all! Also I am entering a a legal action and cannot talk about it. Maybe when all this mess is behind me I can tell you all of the problems, but I don't think the admin would keep the link up for long with what I gotta say. :D :D
Maybe because I work alone which has its own set of variables but I make a point of hiring an earth moving contractor closest to the woodlot where the work is going on.
1 Do not need a second party to run back for the wood truck.
2 It is the cheapest advertising you can get.
3 They seem to live by a code whereby you give me work I will give you work.
4 They are fully insured.
5 As a business and customer they will give you a reduced rate and the cost is 100% write off as a legitimate business expense.
6 More often than not I trade a couple hours with the saw when they need it and the floating gets bartered. ( they heat their homes and shops as well)
7 If you need a dozer or other gear they know who you are and will carry the cost for 30 days if need be.
8 They send a lot of work my way and have paid top dollar to me as an emergency operator when they are a man down.( I would not want them to know but I would run a D6 or235cat excavator all day for nothing and if it involves building destruction, I would chip in on the fuel. :D )
I did buy my own binders and chains I put those on myself. :)
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I haul my own 3 axle 30,000# trailer and my f600 ford no hills here.On a rollback i dont think i would care for that.Thats alot of weight on just the rear of truck.Then again when i was a young fella about 19 i moved a iron mule with a half ton ford the trailer was home built out of trailerhouse axles. .A old fella at the gas station shook his head and said god bless you boy. :)My forwarder hangs over both sides about 6 or 8 inches.As long as their is more tire on than off your ok. :)
Quote from: loggah on March 02, 2013, 05:40:44 PM
I can't remember his name he was from up north in Lancaster ,and moved small skidders for years .
You may be thinking about Don Call? He lives just across the river from Lancaster in Guildhall, and has a customized truck. Last I knew, old DC was stilling moving skidders and going strong - that was about a year ago.
Yup Don Call ,he moved a bunch of them, the skidders sat down real low on that truck.
Rollback? Just guessing. Is that a truck where the body can be tilted down and rolled back onto the ground?
JD has spec sheet.Pull small stop big
How do you transport your log skidder?
I just call BOB
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I run mine up on a tandem axle trailer I pull behind the Autocar. But I have seen guys take Coke delivery trucks remove the delivery body and the fram is low to the ground and run up over the tires and hall them that way.
I found a skidder to match my logging and this is the way I do it now.. It's a rayco C87D with a forestry package, brush gaurd, and skidding winch! I must admit that this thing has got alot of power for its size and still keeps everything small on the footprint and low impact which is what I was after.
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