Excavators

Also think about a gooseneck in that size range if you are going that big, otherwise you will be needing a much bigger truck than a 1 ton to bumper pull that trailer. I'm in the same spot Gary, except I'm not even sure i can get a cdl with my cancer and high blood pressure diagnosis stuff, i might be medically ineligible. That's exactly why I'm building my trailer loader project, so I'm just under cdl limits and can figure this out a bit down the road. Like Carl said it's not universally crappy everywhere, but here they have the scales going all the time, have portable scales for road checks, etc. I would imagine you are going to be in the same situation or worse, so it's best to be legal from the get go. I've often wondered about doing the community college route just to have an easy way to get a full air brake class a, so then i would just be fine no matter what.

Edit: i just looked, my 2017 f350 crew cab 4x4, with 4.10 gears and the diesel will pull 21k on a bumper pull and 31.7k on a gooseneck. The 450 is only 21k on the bumper as well. So that gives you an idea of what kind of truck would be able to use all 24k if it's rated that high. My next trailer i get will be a gooseneck or 5th wheel rated for 32k, but that's cdl obviously. Gooseneck and 5th wheels handle much better.
 
Last edited:
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #53
And I just sent Alex the link so he can read this thread and be aware of the input. He said he's already figured out that CDL is going to be necessary and is making plans in that direction already. Good news is that means he'll be hauling whatever we've got around instead of me. Oops... Did I really say that?
 
Trailers are pretty reliable as is, used or not. If i built it new from scratch it would be better than you could buy, but then again i build stuff for a living. The kind I'm wanting (rolling tailboard for moving skids) they don't really make anyways, they are all custom built, same with the tubs and stuff.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #59
The plan is evolving...we have decided to buy a mini-ex. The original plan to rent for awhile and then decide what to buy got changed. We were getting quotes on a Takeuchi TB260 and then found out how scarce they are...none in stock to be bought around here. The new TB370's are out, one step above the 260...a 7 metric ton unit...15K. It has more power, higher hydr flow, 3 hydr circuits rather than 2, a bit more reach. We looked at it one day, the next day took our trailer to the dealer to be sure it would actually fit onto our trailer...close but it fits.

I'll get it with a 24" bucket and thumb, 4-way blade, rubber tracks. I plan to do the paperwork Monday.

Alex put down a deposit on a 2022 F450 yesterday...they are very scarce, too. (the new ones are rated at a higher tow rate than earlier ones). It is supposed to be "in transit" to the AR dealer. Alex will fly to AR ($150), they pick him up and he drives home...ideally, next week. Lots of loose ends but they are slowly being spliced into a nice line.



TB370 trailer test (1).jpg

TB370 trailer test (3).jpg

TB370 trailer test (6).jpg

TB370 trailer test (8).jpg

TB370 trailer test (10).jpg
 
That trailer might be a bit narrow for the job, remember with wear you will have the edges of the tracks splayed out a bit
 
That’s a lot of weight on those 4 tires. Be mindful of potholes and other hazards, and maintenance. I’d recommend carrying a spare tire/wheel on the trailer.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #62
We have the spare on the trailer already...and a big ass socket (1 1/8" I think) that will stay on the trailer, too. Big trailers have big nuts.

Yep...real close fit. We'll learn as we go I reckon. We may eventually evolve to a gooseneck, deck-over.
 
Making moves! Ive worked with one tree v company that uses excavators with power Rotating grapples. Incredible how productive they are. im looking forward to seeing pictures of the dam logging , cool product
 
My friend runs them like that, with the grapple saws. Unreal production, not running a chipper, just shoving them in dumpsters. I used to get depressed when we would do jobs together because it was so easy compared to me doing them by hand.
 
Last edited:
I worked a few years along a mini bobcat and then, an excavator (around 6000 lbs), this after doing it all by hand. Mini is a great improvement from hand work but is very limited in reach, agility and capacity. Slow too. The long arm of the excavator is way more useful to sort out the tangled limbs, vines and the big wood laying over the middle of the mess. It allows to load gently the dumpster over the side and not let the big chunks fall freely from all the side's hight.
The ex had a fixed thumb on it but it was a great device to work with vs just a bucket. Strangely, you don't see often a thumb around here. An hydraulic one would have been even more useful, or a grappel, but the guy was more on the cheap side.

All the landscapers I work with curently are down to hand work. That's mandatory for some jobs, but so limiting for many other. I'm looking to buy some iron now, but my transport capacity is very low, say 2200lbs max.
 
Fixed thumbs have their place, they are simpler and cheaper, and less likely to break down. For full time tree work the rotating grapples are where it's at tho, unless you are doing duty cycle work like feeding a tub grinder with a huge one. You do have to use them differently than a mini skid, they excel at spinning around and grabbing stuff, so do just that and move huge piles slowly. You can also have a trailer that basically turns them into a forwarder.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #69
Do you mean a trailer that you pull behind the ex as you load it? Or just reposition the trailer at the site periodically near the debris?
 
Either or. A cool way to do it is to weld a receiver tube or a ball on the blade, so then it just follows you. You can lift the tires off the ground with the arm, track in, drop it, and then start loading stuff and tracking out. Handy for pulling trees too, since your tracking will pull more than the arm. Basically you are simply using the machine to its strengths, which are tractive power and cycle time with the arm.

My buddy doesn't bother with a trailer tho, he'll just move piles, track forward, move pile, etc.
 
Last edited:
About the wear of the excavator, what is best, moving big piles (= rotating and "arming" a lot) or carry a "hand full" all the way like a loader (= traveling a lot)?
 
As little tracking as possible. Swinging is what they're good at, not pick and carry. This is so true even in construction they use welded up skids so they can fill them at a rock pile and drag them along as they dig, so they can put rock in the bottom of trenches for the fitters. That way you have solid ground to walk and work on.
 
The company I was talking about runs a 40 or 60 ton Grove, a grapple Ex and a 1900 bandit. No f-ing around. Basically the only time people touch wood is setting slings, making the cut, and removing the sling. Serious iron. Mostly commercial work IIRC. That operation needs to keep moving, but it's so productive with three people.

Not sure what an excavator would look like for smaller stuff, but for them It was incredible
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top