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[mikewhite85]

That's a good question. I would assume the orchard ladders go up on top. Maybe the job they were doing didn't require chipping so they stored the ladders In the box instead of the top rack? I think they were hand pruning hemlock trees for a week straight.

Sounds like an expensive trim job!

Some of our recent activities. My 4 year old insisted on dragging some brush.

 

[epicklein22]

For the guys that run both the articulating loaders and mini skids, do you find you use one style a lot more than the other? Or do you stick to one style the most and the other one sits? I’m thinking about picking up a giant g1200hd without tele. I already have a ditch witch mini, and would definitely keep it for the winter months, but wondering if I would rather just run the mini skid over the articulating loader in general.

If I don’t go with the giant, I was thinking about snagging a ditch witch sk1550. Would probably still keep my sk850 for backup.

 

[Helmstein]

Giant operator with 1500 plus hrs. Don't even bother without the teli or power rotation grapple. These machines get stuck very easily and the teli function let's you boom your way out of almost any stuck situation. Just my 2 cents.

My buddy has a vermeer mini skid and he is getting sick of plywooding the lawns on every job. The G1200 is the way to go.

Talk to Dave at branch manager. He's a wealth of information.

 

[epicklein22]

Giant operator with 1500 plus hrs. Don't even bother without the teli or power rotation grapple. These machines get stuck very easily and the teli function let's you boom your way out of almost any stuck situation. Just my 2 cents.

My buddy has a vermeer mini skid and he is getting sick of plywooding the lawns on every job. The G1200 is the way to go.

Talk to Dave at branch manager. He's a wealth of information.

That’s the thing that gets me with the articulating loaders, seems like they need ideal conditions to use them or you’re getting stuck. Not the case with tracks on a mini skid. Mud, snow, hills, etc. I strategically lay plywood and watch the weather pretty close to avoid laying plywood highways when I can, but it’s still part of the routine for months on end. Can’t see it being any different with the articulating loader when a yard is wet. Might not turf the yard like a mini skid, but doing grass burn outs when you’re spinning?

I’d be entertaining the articulating loader for the extra lift capacity and ground speed. Plus I like the idea of a simple engine, my mini skid is starting to throw quite a few codes due to wiring issues/rubs. Avoiding MAP sensors, DPF sensors, EGR recirculation, etc would be nice.

 

[Rabid K9]

That’s the thing that gets me with the articulating loaders, seems like they need ideal conditions to use them or you’re getting stuck. Not the case with tracks on a mini skid. Mud, snow, hills, etc. I strategically lay plywood and watch the weather pretty close to avoid laying plywood highways when I can, but it’s still part of the routine for months on end. Can’t see it being any different with the articulating loader when a yard is wet. Might not turf the yard like a mini skid, but doing grass burn outs when you’re spinning?

I’d be entertaining the articulating loader for the extra lift capacity and ground speed. Plus I like the idea of a simple engine, my mini skid is starting to throw quite a few codes due to wiring issues/rubs. Avoiding MAP sensors, DPF sensors, EGR recirculation, etc would be nice.

What model is that?

My Vermeer is a straight 4 cylinder Kubota, solid & simple. Not much terrain or ground conditions stops them.

I like the idea of extra ground speed & lift height as well, but looking over 100 hp class.

 

[treebilly]

Setting the rigging on one of the last brush picks from this mornings vine covered silver maple.

 

[ZinTrees]

That’s the thing that gets me with the articulating loaders, seems like they need ideal conditions to use them or you’re getting stuck. Not the case with tracks on a mini skid. Mud, snow, hills, etc. I strategically lay plywood and watch the weather pretty close to avoid laying plywood highways when I can, but it’s still part of the routine for months on end. Can’t see it being any different with the articulating loader when a yard is wet. Might not turf the yard like a mini skid, but doing grass burn outs when you’re spinning?

I’d be entertaining the articulating loader for the extra lift capacity and ground speed. Plus I like the idea of a simple engine, my mini skid is starting to throw quite a few codes due to wiring issues/rubs. Avoiding MAP sensors, DPF sensors, EGR recirculation, etc would be nice.

ive ran a g1200t in the rain a bit, 3-5 inches of standing water and jumping curbs with it, on a nice lawn, almost zero damage or sinking, and we were leaving footprints in it, mud sticking to out boots, the giant handled it no problem
see if you can demo one, schedule it for a rainy day and play with it

 

[Helmstein]

I'd pick a giant g1200 over a mini skid any day of the week. What you can do with one, once you know what your doing. I'll run circles around a mini skid.

It's not the lawn you will get stuck on its soft ground like mud or a high water table area. With teli, its a longer learning curve then a mini skid " took 500 hrs to become proficient with a power rotation grapple " Also make sure you have a strong back. The non suspension seat will throw you around. The seat sucks and after about 800 hrs, all the foam flattens out under your butt. They are not for everyone. But definitely for me.

If you have many employees stick to a mini skid. If you have a small crew along with a trusted operator, consider a G1200

That’s the thing that gets me with the articulating loaders, seems like they need ideal conditions to use them or you’re getting stuck. Not the case with tracks on a mini skid. Mud, snow, hills, etc. I strategically lay plywood and watch the weather pretty close to avoid laying plywood highways when I can, but it’s still part of the routine for months on end. Can’t see it being any different with the articulating loader when a yard is wet. Might not turf the yard like a mini skid, but doing grass burn outs when you’re spinning?

I’d be entertaining the articulating loader for the extra lift capacity and ground speed. Plus I like the idea of a simple engine, my mini skid is starting to throw quite a few codes due to wiring issues/rubs. Avoiding MAP sensors, DPF sensors, EGR recirculation, etc would be nice.

 

[Helmstein]

ive ran a g1200t in the rain a bit, 3-5 inches of standing water and jumping curbs with it, on a nice lawn, almost zero damage or sinking, and we were leaving footprints in it, mud sticking to out boots, the giant handled it no problem
see if you can demo one, schedule it for a rainy day and play with it

Agreed with Zin. He's got the right idea!

 

[ZinTrees]

I'd pick a giant g1200 over a mini skid any day of the week. What you can do with one, once you know what your doing. I'll run circles around a mini skid.

It's not the lawn you will get stuck on its soft ground like mud or a high water table area. With teli, its a longer learning curve then a mini skid " took 500 hrs to become proficient with a power rotation grapple " Also make sure you have a strong back. The non suspension seat will throw you around. The seat sucks and after about 800 hrs, all the foam flattens out under your butt. They are not for everyone. But definitely for me.

If you have many employees stick to a mini skid. If you have a small crew along with a trusted operator, consider a G1200

yes, the seat sucks! id replace it with a low back suspension seat, and remove the doors
took me an hour or so to become every bit as good running the giant as I am running my skidsteer
we never got to lift anything real heavy (didnt have big wood down before the dealer took it back) but it seemed to handle it decent

my skid is rated for a 2100# tip capacity, however I had 3 guys on the back for counterweight earlier today with a 24" x 6ft white pine log with some knots in it, at most id say 900#

I was doing lots of chipping with the giant, carrying 5-8 white pine limbs in the grapple, totally off the ground, switched to the boxer and could only lift 2 or 3
(these limbs were 6" by about 20ft)
even tho the boxer is rated for more, I still feel like the giant will lift atleast double, also more stable, easier on the ground, faster

the tele function is killer for feeding a chipper, getting almost 10ft of left-right swing with the articulation is nice, and being able to finesse the grapple into place with a push button vs moving the whole machine is nice, although I wouldnt mind having the extra 500# of lift that you get on the non tele version

the switch for fwd/neutral/reverse takes a little getting used to but all in all not terrible by any means

 

[dbl612]

View attachment 1082064
Setting the rigging on one of the last brush picks from this mornings vine covered silver maple.

lot of unnessasary work there

 

[treebilly]

@dbl612
Explain please.
I will say that we could’ve probably tip tied it and raised it up as he cut. Also could’ve used slings and tried to guess the balance point.
Today was a bunch of choke and strokes. Only two trees that we had to make two picks on. Done by lunch

 

[dbl612]

@dbl612
Explain please.
I will say that we could’ve probably tip tied it and raised it up as he cut. Also could’ve used slings and tried to guess the balance point.
Today was a bunch of choke and strokes. Only two trees that we had to make two picks on. Done by lunch

i always try to tell the climbers im working with to rig up as simply as possible and let the crane take care of positioning or balance issues. the idea is to make it as easy as possible on the climber.

 

[tree MDS]

I pruned a pin oak this week! Lol, I swore I’d never do another one last spring after smashing my fingertip flat against the basket while yanking on a hanger, but us tree people learn hard. Tree was previously stripped out, so looked pretty easy, is the only reason I took it. It was still a pita but not too bad. Lady tried to tell me this thing was only 45 years old (since planting), none of us believed that.

Then we ended the week working at my stump guys house. Pretty nice property.

 

[tree MDS]

With teli, its a longer learning curve then a mini skid " took 500 hrs to become proficient with a power rotation grapple "

yes, the seat sucks! id replace it with a low back suspension seat, and remove the doors
took me an hour or so to become every bit as good running the giant as I am running my skidsteer
we never got to lift anything real heavy (didnt have big wood down before the dealer took it away

Lol. I see you guys missed me!!!

 

[tree MDS]

Boots!!!! Omg!!!!

 

[ZinTrees]

Lol. I see you guys missed me!!!

not one bit

if it wasnt for you, id be an active member to this forum

 

[Rabid K9]

I pruned a pin oak this week! Lol, I swore I’d never do another one last spring after smashing my fingertip flat against the basket while yanking on a hanger, but us tree people learn hard. Tree was previously stripped out, so looked pretty easy, is the only reason I took it. It was still a pita but not too bad. Lady tried to tell me this thing was only 45 years old (since planting), none of us believed that.

Then we ended the week working at my stump guys house. Pretty nice property.
View attachment 1082445View attachment 1082446View attachment 1082447
View attachment 1082449
View attachment 1082450View attachment 1082451View attachment 1082452

No money in stumps they say….

Does he run a few clan labs on the side?

 

[tree MDS]

No money in stumps they say….

Does he run a few clan labs on the side?

Haha. No. Retired military dude. I’m sure a pretty sweet pension plus the stump side hustle for thirty years or so appears to have worked out well for him. He’s like the top of the stump grinding heap. He’s been good to me and doing all my stumps for 25 years or so. One of those good relationships.

 

[tree MDS]

That’s the thing that gets me with the articulating loaders, seems like they need ideal conditions to use them or you’re getting stuck. Not the case with tracks on a mini skid. Mud, snow, hills, etc. I strategically lay plywood and watch the weather pretty close to avoid laying plywood highways when I can, but it’s still part of the routine for months on end. Can’t see it being any different with the articulating loader when a yard is wet. Might not turf the yard like a mini skid, but doing grass burn outs when you’re spinning?

I’d be entertaining the articulating loader for the extra lift capacity and ground speed. Plus I like the idea of a simple engine, my mini skid is starting to throw quite a few codes due to wiring issues/rubs. Avoiding MAP sensors, DPF sensors, EGR recirculation, etc would be nice.

I think the G1200 tele with power rotation is the way to go. I think mine costs me $900 a month or so. But even if it was a grand it’d be worth it. It’s a workforce multiplier.

I’ve had no issues getting it stuck yet either… I do have the tractor and the big giant if I know I’m gonna be mudding though.