Why is this a bad idea?

[Treeaddict]

Could this be a reasonable piece of equipment for the guy doing 3 jobs a month? Downside is manual loading. Possibly looking to add a piece of lighter machinery within the next 2 years.

 

[gf beranek]

That's a cool looking rig. I could use it around the yard.

 

[SeanKroll]

Tree debris isn't usually needing to be dumped, rather lifted and loaded into a truck/ trailer.




Someone fitted a remote-control electric motor to an Arbor-trolley (limited traction but cool).


A power wheel barrow is another, cheaper idea.

A brush cart and Honda- powered capstan might be versatile.


So much depends on the crew and terrain/ market.

Do you want to stay at that level of jobs per month?




Finance a mini/ grapple and get way more done, easy faster.
A $500 payment split between 3 jobs per month might pencil out.

I tow/push a trailer/ chipper and chip trailer into places that I could never get a dump trailer or chip truck. I have the mini to unload the brush trailer at my shop (and my neighbor can simply lift my trailer off the ground with his commercial log loader). I have space and a greenwaste grapple truck service available to me, as well as being able to burn.

 

[SeanKroll]

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Limited use, I'd bet, but maybe for a small trailer, loaded with enough tongue weight.

Traction would be questionable.

 

[flushcut]

IMO a mini skid will make you money easier and faster. And can be used for other jobs than just tree work. Buy new, cry once, and make money. You can plant trees, dig driveways/sidewalks, landscape, plow snow, move trailers, load logs, move brush, move dirt/rocks/gravel, and push cars around. A mini is so versatile.

 

[Treeaddict]

That's a cool looking rig. I could use it around the yard.

Yeah, from the pictures you’ve posted amd the work you do around there , it would be great.

 

[lxskllr]

That seems cheap. It looks like an interesting tool. I think it's competition would be a used mini. Not sure what they go for used, but that's what I'd look at for comparison. Just sitting on it's own, I don't think it would be hard getting $5k of work out of it as long as the build quality was good.

 

[Treeaddict]

That seems cheap. It looks like an interesting tool. I think it's competition would be a used mini. Not sure what they go for used, but that's what I'd look at for comparison. Just sitting on it's own, I don't think it would be hard getting $5k of work out of it as long as the build quality was good.

So far, used minis are 20k plus. Haven’t delved too deeply though.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

It will go where my mini won't if it's like the one's PG&E use tto move gear and transformers up steep hills. Only limitation is if it is too steep and gets oil starved

 

[lxskllr]

Think you could tow with those Stephen? Adding a log arch would be cool.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

No

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Mini skid is a better push or pull with a hitch plate than that machine. Its a weight and balance.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

And don't get me wrong. I've wanted one of those since I first saw one. Hell, could have really used it yesterday while I was burning. Fact is, I burned some good firewood down in the creek draw that could have easily brought it up in one of those. Have it carry the gear down. Bring up the wood while the fire cooks. Probably a months worth of oak I did not even have to split.
Every tool like that has it's place.
Mini won't go down there. I have to winch stuff out of there normally. But that tracked unit would have got close enough to load up with out much trouble.

 

[Treeaddict]

Stephen’s dictator (governor) will make everyone purchase these in the next couple years. You’ll have to charge in an adjacent state without brown outs though.

 

[Treeaddict]

I do think a mini skid would be awesome but the price points for used units this far is pretty intense. I really can’t do more than 3 decent jobs a month due to work schedules and family life. Logistics (internal) are another consideration as is storage. I don’t know……. Maybe just suck up the hard work …… Gears are turning……..

 

[CurSedVoyce]

They've, and most all used equipment, has gone so high up in price, it has about gotten down right ridiculous. But the really high prices of new and availability of parts and units new, and inflation, has made used prices go up quite a bit.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

This one is not terrible. But you used to be able to pick up a 525 diesel for around 10k or less with a trailer.

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[Treeaddict]

This one is not terrible. But you used to be able to pick up a 525 diesel for around 10k or less with a trailer.

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That’s a nice unit. I’d have to budget for the trailer as well. A lot to think about.

I was looking at equipment trader type sales. Maybe eBay is a little better. Marketplace or Craigslist may not suck too bad either. It’s definitely a “in the future” item but good to learn about now.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

It's like anything. Auctions, Ebay, trader papers. Someone has a deal. You just have to set your budget, be patient, and shop daily. Until you see what ya want and it's right, sit on your wallet or credit line.
Never limit yourself to one list on items though

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Don't discount rental yards or closer dealers either. People are trading things in. More diesel stuff willl be coming out of CA as well with our new regs. Has to be tier 4 now until they just say no more.
We can't add any older to our fleets here.

 

[flushcut]

Mini make more money 💵

 

[Treeaddict]

Mini make more money 💵

I agree wholeheartedly. A mini ex would be nice too. I’ve seen folks use 4wd tractors as well. Mini loader seems more common amongst arbor folks though. The masses generally aren’t wrong about those things.

 

[Burnham]

I used a similar machine for trail work...we called it a Toter, but I'm not sure if that was a brand name or not. It did a great job, but it was slow. But since you walked behind it to operate, that wasn't much of an issue on trails. Might be frustrating on open ground where the operator might be comfortable with a faster pace.

 

[Marc-Antoine]

I thought of the tracked carrier since my beginnings. But I didn't got one for mainly one reason : it's awfully slow. Fine to bring first and back all your gear at once for example, but if you have some distance to cover and a good bunch of debris to move, I bet you will steaming all day against this slug. By a slow pace, I mean even for a pedestrian. Though it may appear fast enough (relatively) in very rough /step ground.

 

[Burnham]

Like this one, iirc.

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