Inspiration or Idiocy ???

[Saki]

Hey there all. Got a crazy notion about making a wheeled logging buggy out of an old tractor drawn sprayer. I happened across one at a great deal and was originally going to use it to haul water, but had the thought come to me that it could be modified and make a decent appliance for pulling logs from the woods. My thinking is with the 250 gallon ( i think ) tank removed and some minor modification ( adding a ratchet, permanent hook points, etc ) it would be just the thing to go behind my old fergie tractor. Figured to just back the thing up over a downed log, ratchet it up and chain it in order to keep the leading end off of the ground and I would have a decent starter type skidding outfit, be able to minimize dirt in the bark, etc. What do you folks think? Anybody ever heard of a rig like this or used one? Much obliged, and have a good night.

[DanG]

Sounds like it oughta work pretty good, Saki.  Where you been lately? Ain't seen ya for a while. ???

[twoodward15]

what kind of sprayer is it????  square or round tank?

[farmerdoug]

Saki,

I was thinking the same thing but I was thinking on extending the legs for more clearence.  I was also looking for one of those trailers that they haul around the propane tanks also.  But yesterday I found a Farmi skidding winch for 1100.00 so I am probably going to do that instead.  Let us know how your project works out.

[Quartlow]

I'm thinking inspiration!!! 8) 8)

In theory it should make the logs easier to skid also since you will be rolling part of the load, you may want wider tires though for flotation

[farmerdoug]

Here is another one.  I fellow that owns a Norwood near me threw the deck off one of his hay wagons and uses just the running gear as a log trailer.  The gear has small uprights on all four corners but he says he can haul several logs on it stacking them in a pyramid and hauls them from the woods to his mill.

[bitternut]

I think you got a good idea there. If that sprayer is like the ones that we had for spraying the orchards they had huge flotation tires on them and a very rugged frame. I think the tires were used airplane tires but I am not sure. They sure looked like the tires you see on large airplanes anyways.

[Saki]

Hey There. Yep DanG, I haven't been here much lately. My regular job is gearing up for spring, and I hae been giving much of my spare time to prep work for starting to put my LT40 to work.

Took the plunge and bought one of the service packages from woodmizer and spent a wonderful Feb23 at their headquarters having the mill gone through, adjusted, tweaked, and of course learning to do the maintenance, properly operate it, and how to do little stuff like coil a band blade. WHAT A GREAT DAY. Spent it there with a good buddy who claims he wanted to go so he can be my sawmill flunky when he retires. The fellow training us and pulling the work on the mill was a gent named Bob. Did an excellent job. Since my mill is a 95 model, but only has 380 something hours on it, we only had problems with a couple of items, but he did a super job and took those 2 problem items as a personal challenge and made certain they were shipshape before my mill left their property.

Back to the sprayer, it is a big rascal by my standards. The tank is a round one just like my father-in-laws, so when I butcher this thing up, he will be able to get some spare parts. Tires are large flotation type implement tires with a high ply rating and an estimate for inside to inside wheel clearnce is 4 to 5 feet. Distance from the bottom of the platform to the ground is also around 4 feet, so with little modificatio, I hope it will handle almost any tree I am liable to run into.

[farmerdoug]

Bitternut and Saki, update your profiles so we know where you are.  Plant a tree on the members map while you are at it too.

Saki,

What is the make of hat sprayer? ???

[Murf]

I've got the bottom half of an old politician out back of the shop waitin' for pretty much the same conversion....  ;)

Right after I finish buildin' the firewood processor and start, then finish buildin' the mill.......  :D

Hmmm, OK, maybe it will be a little while before I get to it.  :

[Buzz-sawyer]

Hey Murf
Politician=manure speader??????????

[Murf]

Ooppps, yuppers Buzz, I just assumed everybody had the same opinions, therefore the same nicknames for them ........ both.  :D  :D  :D

[Saki]

Hey there again. Its a  ( gasp )    John Deere.

[farmerdoug]

Hey,  John Deere makes some fine equipment especially their older tractors. ;D  The problem is they want a mint for their parts sometimes. :  I do not think you will need many parts for that sprayer turned logging arch though.  But JD may charge you for letting you convert it if they had their way I am sure.   Post some pics of it when you get it ready to use.