do duals on a skidder really keep you afloat?

[treefarmer87]

does it make a difference if you have duals in a swamp?

[tyb525]

I don't have experience with skidders, but in general duals spread the weight out, therefore increaseing flotation.

However they aren't as good as a solid tire as wide as duals, because mud can squeeze up between them.

[Mark K]

I imagine they help. We run bolt on duals on our tractors for flotation and traction. Eliminates alot of compaction on our sandy fields. Probably would help alot in a swamp if you have wide enough roads to do it.

[Maine372]

(im watching swamp loggers as i type this)

they talk about running on a wood road. they lay the wood down in the road where they can drive on the wood. and that keeps them from sinking in the swamp.

so the duals double your chance of having your wheels on a log or stump vs. singles. think about how easily the tires on your c5 can sink between two logs. now double up the tires so the tires run with the log kinda between them.

i think it would make all the difference in the world.

[treefarmer87]

when i was cutting the spot on my profile pics i almost got my C5 stuck, in a small wash. it looked solid, when i went across i started sinking. when i came back the ruts were full of water, so i pushed some tops and flattened them down and used it as a road

[oldseabee]

If you are in a swamp all the time swamp tires are better. Downside with swamp tires is that if you have a flat, you are stuck fixing it in the soup, with duals you can get out to the landing to fix it.
Some Loggers working in mixed terrain have put on duals but they run 24.5 X 32 tires on the inside for ground clearance and 28.1 X 26 tires on the outside so the will give the extra floatation when the inside tires start to sink. Running the same size duals on dry ground puts quite a load on the axle.

[Ron Scott]

It often depends upon how many passes you are making over the same lowland wet area. Have the cutter or processor place slash down ahead of your skidder routes to keep you afloat for 4-5 passes. 

[Gary_C]

I'd say that bogie wheels with tracks is the best for soft ground. You get a bigger footprint with the tracks. The best machine is an eight wheel machine with two sets of tracks.