What direction is foreward for you? (equipmentally speaking)

[Don_Papenburg]

I have a 7710 Deere with a 740 loader  It will break out 5000# ,lift capacity is 4000+# On big logs I chain up the log lift the loader till it quits then I curl in the bucket and that lifts the log enough most of the time to load a trailer. It also makes the back end  of the tractor light.  It has 1000# weight inside the rears and two 250# on the out side . I think that the 690B with a thumb would be the best machine for moveing logs. But I have to fix the track on that.

[Handy Andy]

  It's a front end loader for your farm tractor.  I have one on my old '69 4020 John Deere.  The front end isn't any too strong, and it is limited in lift by the hydraulic pressure, not as high as the new ones.  But it isn't bad.  My skidsteer will handle a medium size log pretty well with forks, but a 36" dia by 12' or longer is tough.  Although if I keep them low I can handle them. With the skidsteer.  But my skidsteer is not a tiny 30 hp, it is a Case 60xt, has a 6' bucket. Sure glad I didn't buy the smaller one I was looking at.  It sure is fun to have toys, now I need to figure out how to put hydraulics on the mill. 

[StorminN]

When I first bought my mill... believe it or not, I skidded small logs to it with a 10hp Cub Cadet and a combo of block and tackle and chains. Weakest point was the traction of the Cub Cadet... it was just not heavy enough. Once at the mill, I would parbuckle the logs up onto the mill using ramps made from old pallet racking box beams, and some block and tackle and heavy webbing. Of course, this took forever and only worked on small logs... basically wasted my time.

It wasn't long afterwards that I found a good deal on an old Deere 690 excavator. I needed to clear some land and needed something that would pull large stumps, so I bought it. This 690 will move all the logs I've tried to move with it. Now I end up skidding 40' logs to the mill and then buck them to length and load them on the mill with the excavator. It works OK but is quite slow and a bit of overkill.

This thread is very interesting to me, since the next step for me is a tractor or loader... something with forks that I can lift 16' logs with, and also load milled lumber with. I figure I could still use the 690 to load any oversized logs. Problem is, my place is muddy most of the year, so I'm thinking a 4WD machine and I just don't have the cash for a machine like that just yet... so for now I'm still making do with the excavator.

-N.

[solodan]

When I first bought my mill... believe it or not, I skidded small logs to it with a 10hp Cub Cadet and a combo of block and tackle and chains. Weakest point was the traction of the Cub Cadet... it was just not heavy enough.

Well, I can Believe it, cause I have skidded plenty of logs with my Yamaha Rhino. It probably weighs less than that Cub Cadet too. I think it is about 1100lbs dry weight. maybe 1400lbs with myself and fluids. I have skidded lots of 2000lbs to 2500lbs logs with it,  but I do have an advantage though, I have a Fetching Arch. 8) I can fetch a 24" or 25" log mid span. A 16'er will drag a bit though. I would bet my set up can can skid a whole lot faster than a small farm tractor can, especially on long skids. I would be doing laps. :D I usually Parbuckle Logs on to the sawmill bunks with the receiver mount winch. I,ve loaded 4000lb logs this way. 8)



16' 24" incense cedar

[rebocardo]

My biggest need is a 1 ton 4x4 crew cab diesel with a dump bed.

[york]

Hi all,i would like to report that,i did order my sno-pusher,from Pro-tech,yesterday,which will mount on my FEL.....also ,i did not have to pay 3,000.00 for it....they gave me a deal....only way to push snow...



http://www.snow-pusher.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1351

[Nate Surveyor]

I did find this one on Ebay, and it appears to be just the cat's meow, but I thought I'd ask you more experienced millers/equipment operators.

What do you think of this kind of machine?

You can put a backhoe on it. 


http://cgi.ebay.com/Kubota-R410-Rubber-Tire-wheel-loader-tractor-LOOK_W0QQitemZ110206417178QQihZ001QQcategoryZ58161QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[brdmkr]

Nate,

I'd like to have it!  Right now, anything with a FEL looks good to me.

[solodan]

Nate, those articulating wheel loaders is what I have been looking at too. Pound for pound it seems they  lift more than a farm tractor, or skidsteer. The weight is balanced to lift bigger loads and there is no steering linkage, so the machines seem to be able to handle the weight better.  I would check the specs on this machine to see if it would work for you, I checked the specs, and the Kubota r-400 and 500 series seem to have less operating capacities than some of the other brands in their class, but they sure seem to hold their value though, so they must be real good units. In my opinion they just make way more sense than a skidsteer for the sawmill business. You can run all the attachments, plus you have more clearance and better visability.