treeslayer2003
Addicted to ArboristSite
you know what they say; a grapple skidder ruined many a good cable skidder op.
cable vrs grapple for firewood business
- Thread starter Barnie
- Start date
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Barnie
ArboristSite Operative
The 540 has closed cab but the doors got caught by the tires and mangled them up some, I'd rather a closed cab for sure.you'll never want to run an open cab machine again
grapples are ok if your doing a clear cut ! just try to grab a turn in a close quarters select cut and you will find your self hauling out a single tree or bunching the for a good turn! cable skidders are not for a lazy operator, climbing off and on all day long for sure! but in close quarters there the cats meow being able to redirect with a good block pulley and chain! running a 100 foot main line with 5 chokers is a workable deal... love them jd 440,s
Barnie
ArboristSite Operative
If I was cutting 20-100 cord a year a 440 would be good but I'm up to 1000-1200 cord per year and I'm looking for a machine that won't kill me or any of my workers by the end of the day and also kep up with the guys processing the wood, if theres a tree I can't get around I'll take it or them also.
Barnie
ArboristSite Operative
Yeah it's the blade clam I hear their very useful. You can pick up one log at a time and buck it up at waist height.
mainewoods
Addicted to ArboristSite
And bunch up twitches for the grapple.
nathon918
Addicted to ArboristSite
only if your in the open, it gets kinda hard moving 20-30' logs through the woods sideways, if its a dual arch skidder its alot easier to grab a log pull it to the next one and grab that one and on to the next one...
or if you cant pull right up on top of the log you can pick it up and stack em with the grapple, its alot faster than driving around and bringing every log to a pile then hitching up to pull it to the landing...
this is just stacking at the landing but its the same idea, and a DA grapple can stack alot higher than a blade!
Barnie
ArboristSite Operative
The clam is on the side of the blade not across the front. I'll get a better pic of it.
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mainewoods
Addicted to ArboristSite
Nobody goes through the woods with a tree sideways. C'mon man, you know what I meant.
Barnie
ArboristSite Operative
Similar to this blade.
Barnie
ArboristSite Operative
Lol
I know what u mean but I don't think you know what I mean by a clam on the side of the blade
lol
I know what u mean but I don't think you know what I mean by a clam on the side of the blade
nathon918
Addicted to ArboristSite
ive never seen one, does the clam pivot to be able to hold the whole log off the ground? or just stay straight at what ever angle the blade is at, lifting the log at an angle?
it would seem to be a useful thing to have on a cable skidder, but i think it would get in the way and its not really needed on a grapple since you can just use the grapple...
Barnie
ArboristSite Operative
I've never used one but a freind who has one loves it, it bunches wood if needed and can grab a log that slipped out of the grapple and bring it to the landing without rea loading the grapple for one log, I'll see if I can find a video on one
mainewoods
Addicted to ArboristSite
I knew what you meant, thanks to google. 
I have never seen one before either. Almost like a thumb on a back hoe, which I found very useful many times.
I have never seen one before either. Almost like a thumb on a back hoe, which I found very useful many times.
Barnie
ArboristSite Operative
I hope to pick it up next week if everything goes right, I'll post a few pics or vidI knew what you meant, thanks to google.
Barnie
ArboristSite Operative
This is what i was trying to explain, I almost bought this skidder 4 years ago before buying the 540.
Barnie
ArboristSite Operative
I finally got the 648 delivered, what a beast. smooth running machine with a lot of power. Had to do a little trouble shooting on the blade thumb but was an easy enough fix. Gonna make my first load with it in the morning
Steve NW WI
Unwanted Riff Raff.
Arrgh! Close the dang door or it'll look just like the one on your 540. If you get into a habit of leaving it open when you get out, sooner or later you'll do it when you get in, and you know what happens then.
Sorry - it's a bother of mine. I've helped a friend rebuild more than a couple tractor and payloader doors due to careless operators.
Nice looking rig. Hope it's as nice mechanically as it looks cosmetically.
Sorry - it's a bother of mine. I've helped a friend rebuild more than a couple tractor and payloader doors due to careless operators.
Nice looking rig. Hope it's as nice mechanically as it looks cosmetically.
Very nice rig and I think you will really like the grapple. Local logger friend of ours got his first grapple (used cable only for years) recently and is totally happy with it.
Big time saver.
Big time saver.
