Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Not that wheels can’t get it done but way easier to get stuck and way rougher.View attachment 1050168
I could see how a tractor could better for ground clearance and skidding though. And can get the same quick attach setup that skid steer’s have and not sure why you’d need high flow unless for something like blowing snow. Sorry if that has already been mentioned.

i like the pix! nice mtn scene on a warm sunny day!

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

Kid; another thing I would look for, and this is coming from running pretty much every brand and set up of machine in the skidsteer world, would be pilot controls. Second choice would be foot controls, but the ones set up with twin stick steering and stick controls for the bucket are a pain to operation smoothly.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I'll take maintenance over repairs, every day of the week. But really? I'm not selling you one either..... BUT. Its not about maintenance or repairs, its strictly about buying the machine for the tasks, and I'm telling you I've seen enough of your scrounging wood pics to know you're going to bash your head against the ROP cage enough with a tracked machine, that when I tell you the Wheeled machine would be ten times more often, Im not exagerating. You just aren't going to be happy with a wheeled machine in those Off road conditions you have. Heck- you could go cheaper and buy a tractor/FEL and do better in the offroad scrounging, than with a wheeled skiddybopper, but you'd have a lot of mud on your wood, constantly.

You have all the skills you need to maintain an undercarriage- you dont need to get scared about it, its not that tough. People that complain about it, are probably beating on their equipment, not maintaining it, and are beyotching about REPAIRS.

I run my ASV on half throtttle. You know how many experts have told me its not good for hydraulic pumps? SO many. Yet here it sits, with ZERO pump issues after 17 years. My Bobcat went almost 20 years, 10k hours, and never once opened up the motor or the hydro pumps, never. 8 sets of tires at 2k per set. My ASV just got new tracks at 15 years with ZERO tightening, and had tons of tread- and they were not loose in the slightest, which is why I recommend ASV. The molded lugs sheared off due to dry rot in one weekend all on one side. (the Rubber lugs are 90 durometer and integrated into the 70 durometer track at the molding process) I didn;t complain, I had the new tracks in two days from one state away at $2k OEM.

I'm a bit of a "expert" on equipment, because ( I am lazy) I have a background of using all kinds for many different construction experiences. Marine construction, residential and commercial construction, land clearing, environmental construction and remediation, road and bridge construction. Lots of specialized iron have passed my hands. I've never done anything by hand I can find a piece of machinery to do for me. I've bid and taken jobs solely to pay for the piece of equipment I wanted to use on the job, paying for labor from another business or out of my own pocket- thats how lazy I am (and creative at business financing).

You will not be happy with a wheeled unit off road, it will simply beat your ass to death. Another thing to consider- the cost to ship being what it is, you'll be paying for it twice when you have to buy a CTL after buying a wheeled unit. PLUS, when you go to sell the wheeled unit, the market is going to be tough to find the buyer IMO.

hi GV - i am wondering what u think the kid should get and why?.....

 

[Kodiak Kid]

I’m not underestimating you man. I just want you to have the highest amount of success, and a tire machine is not gonna do that for you.

Think of it this way. The money spent on maintenance long term with a track machine will pay for itself because of higher production.

Oh definitely understood! However, where am I going to find a CTL with only 240hrs on it fir 40K??
That's the difference. The last one I had a shot at needed a $6.5k factory maintenance at 2200 hours and It STIHL Would hav cost me 55k by the time it got here. And that apparently was a "good deal" Heck if I could afford it id buy a D-5 high track grapple CAT, a self loading log truck and a $75k saw mill and a $100k firewood processor. Unfortunately, last time I checked my bank account, I just didn't have quite enough coin fellas!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Kid; another thing I would look for, and this is coming from running pretty much every brand and set up of machine in the skidsteer world, would be pilot controls. Second choice would be foot controls, but the ones set up with twin stick steering and stick controls for the bucket are a pain to operation smoothly.

Ive read that.

 

[GeeVee]

Im listening, Im listening!View attachment 1050169

I will go out of my way this weekend (its not out of the way, Im itching for some Saw Therapy) to take some pics of my terrain and my machine doing some scrounging.

Be very afraid. If you thought I screwed you over second guessing a wheeled unit for a tracked one, watch how you feel when I show you what a 3000# 33hp machine is doing..... There will be all kinds of friends insisting you need something bigger, when you dont.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

hi GV - i am wondering what u think the kid should get and why?.....

Good question! Why didn't I ask him that?

 

[SS396driver]

Flooding out as bet as I can tell. Smells like raw fuel and no power.

Check the float they develop pinholes and sink . Also your castings may have become porous is the outside visibly moist with gas ?

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Good question! Why didn't I ask him that?

maybe Logger Nate mite chime in, too! ~

[LN: Having ran wheels and tracks in the woods I wouldn’t even consider wheels if tracks (rubber) were an option.]

 

[kyle1!]

Here is what KK needs. A 973 cat track loader and only $28k

https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...wse_serp:990e8696-2d07-4485-90a8-0912fc247ebb

 

[artbaldoni]

Not a video but, plenty of logs skidded with the 7753.

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

Lift capacity is a bigger deal then you think as well.

Last winter I rented a ASV RC50. This thing was extremely light footed, and would travel on top of the snow we had last year that’s as over 4’ deep, and I could push snow insanely high with it because it would climb fresh snow ramps.

However. The lift capicity on it was fairly low at around 1500lb I think, and with the big snow bucket on, if I loaded it with stacked split wood it was right at verge of wanting to nose dive when backing up.

However I REALLY liked that machine. The ASV have some of the best visibility on the market and sit quite high off the ground

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

Here is what KK needs. A 973 cat track loader and only $28k

https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...wse_serp:990e8696-2d07-4485-90a8-0912fc247ebb

Heck, I’ll sell him my 988 if he wants a loader.

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

Check the float they develop pinholes and sink . Also your castings may have become porous is the outside visibly moist with gas ?

Around the seals a little. It was supposedly rebuilt just before I got it.

I needed up ordering a edelbrock 1902 wirh manual choke.

 

[farmer steve]

No skid loader experience per se. I'm running in the woods with my tractor all winter long. I make my own trails with the rock bucket when needed. Lots of big rocks and stumps. I would never get over some of that stuff with a skid steer. I can hook to logs and lift them up with the 3 point hitch and drag them to an easy cutting area. If we had any measurable snowfall I would never get into the woods without plowing a path with a skidsteer. I've been out in close to 2 feet of snow cutting with the tractor. Not saying a skid steer wouldn't work for the kid. Just my setup and what works. This tractor/ skid steer debate is almost as much fun as an oil thread.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Im working flat flat ground with the exception of root swell from stumps. As far as logging terrain is rated? Its as flat as a pancake! Plus skid roads can easily be dressed up smoother with a little time and bucket work. You guys have seen some of my War Wagon "OVERLOADS". Ive flopped one load out of well over 100 in the past few years. That's with squishy tires on a trailer loaded high and heavy.

yeah, you are gunna wanna B more careful than just a casual WW flip over, kid!

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Kid, I’m with the guys saying good out for a good tracked machine, and something at least 65hp with high flow.

I’d just run the tires before ever running a OTTs. Those are such a pain in the ass it’s not even funny. If you do get a tracker machine just get some foam filled tires and run it.

Other issue wirh the OTT that I haven’t seen mentioned is no bogies so it doesn’t help with the ride at all, just floatation.

Something else to think about with a tracked machine is you can get steel tracks like a dozer.

i am with SA! get someting bit bigger than u think u need! and if u have to show up with it for the job site on a flat bed... i am ok with that, too! steel don't get flats!! and a 65 hp diesel will do a whole lot of work...

think BIG kid... soon u might have a crew...

'where do u want us to park, ma'am?'

 

[Kodiak Kid]

I will go out of my way this weekend (its not out of the way, Im itching for some Saw Therapy) to take some pics of my terrain and my machine doing some scrounging.

Be very afraid. If you thought I screwed you over second guessing a wheeled unit for a tracked one, watch how you feel when I show you what a 3000# 33hp machine is doing..... There will be all kinds of friends insisting you need something bigger, when you dont.

No not at all! I'm a my own man that makes my own decisions. I'll ask for advice, listen to advise, but that doesn't mean Im going to take the advice. That being said. If the person offering the advice is much more experienced at me on the subject? Im most likely going to take the advice. I don't blame anyone for giving me cold feet brother! Thats why I asked what you guys think in the first place! I can describe in detail for half an hour how to swing a four foot Old Growth and save it out along a bluff!
I know very little about skid steers!

 

[SS396driver]

Around the seals a little. It was supposedly rebuilt just before I got it.

I needed up ordering a edelbrock 1902 wirh manual choke.

Did you order this too .
https://www.amazon.com/Edelbrock-26...+to+square+bore+adapter&qid=1674233042&sr=8-3

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

i am with SA! get someting bit bigger than u think u need! and if u have to show up with it for the job site on a flat bed... i am ok with that, too! steel don't get flats!! and a 65 hp diesel will do a whole lot of work...

I’ve hauled a SVL75 with tracks in the back of a dump trailer.

Getting up there can feel sketchy though. That’s a downside to tracks. Loading on a higher trailer you will feel like you are going over backwards. Done it hundreds if not thousands of times and it still feels wrong every time.