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A branch manager costs over $3000 https://www.branchmanagerusa.com/shop/rotating-grapples/bmg/

It's an exceptionally well designed grapple. Great for feeding chippers. BCK's with the ditch witch is a very nice set up. Most of us rent cranes when we need them.
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I have both grapples on my tx1000. The Dingo grapple is better except for dragging a big stem piece to the chipper...but that's it. The Dingo (grapple rake) can push logs around and is faster grabbing pieces and gets them higher in the air and can push logs around in the bed.

Most decent size tree companies around here own a crane and just sub for giant trees in a back yard or booming over a roof. My 25 ton National 990 with 105' of reach and 145 with jib will handle all routine removals like "easy peaszy" Connecticut removals.

 
removal scheduled for next weekend, hoping its got enough structure left that I can climb it, and take 2 or 3 smaller pieces and keep it out of the road when I drop it

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Any one else beat their heads on the wall occasionally with the all those 'small' things that seem to plague productivity & make keeping the fleet in good order a hard task ....

Today was one such day.

In order:

* Had my first Pfizer shot.
* New starter pulled the pin at literally the last minute, after pretty much begging to be given a chance for a job.

Rolled out to a property to do quick clean up of recent storm fall marri over a caravan, property is on market so they wanted it done quick.

* On way, windscreen seal strip on 'new' truck was working it's way loose, one of those small jobs hard to find time to fix.
* 661, on my favourite saws, flat out refused to start, never having previously had any issues. 500 was tagged in for docking the bole, but still annoying.
* Found piano hinge on Vermeer 925 bonnet was bent, quickly fixed on site.

Job done without fuss, manager expected couple of days, took a few hours, so she was happy, she also complemented the Vermeer on it's lift capacity, made the 75hp tractor sitting at the property look very anaemic. Felt a bit lethargic from vaccine, decided to get home early rather than head to next job as partners birthday....

* Loaded gear, jumped in new truck, could smell that distinctive burnt plastic smell. Rear camera screen not working, suspecting fuse & wiring issue, couldn't find anything obvious, parked truck away from other vehicles at yard in case it decided to do anymore melting in the night.
* One of my new guys had borrowed the stump grinder to do a few small stumps at his place, clutch electrical issue flared up again, not starting, stuck in middle of driveway. Leave it for night, will pick it up with HIAB tomorrow.

Tomorrows job finally locked in after being rescheduled three times. Three black wattles at furthest point of property from road. Owners are very fussy, painful even & made particular point of preserving the grass, which is still just emerging from it's winter dormancy. We also have to tram everything out through the veranda, which runs down the entire length of the house, across the pavers. Easy job, but suspect owners may make it challenging.

* Vermeer has an ongoing leaking o-ring issue in one the valves in the hydraulics, have replaced many times, blows out again each time. Warranty issue, but have to get machine the four hours to dealer & have it out of service for a $2 part. Sold the other Vermeer earlier in year, so no spare machine, too much work on to have it out of action. So trailing a steady drip of hydraulic oil from 925, which won't go well for tomorrows paving crossing. Don't have MDS's 5000km worth of ply at disposal....
* Mounting plate of Intermercato grapple has been bending for some time (not built to same robustness as grapple or machine), causing movement in grapple, bent locking pins on mounting plate. Grapple is effectively stuck on machine at present, not terrible, but have some bucket jobs for machine waiting.
* Decide to take machine up to dealer in city (going up for wedding on weekend) & drop off on Monday, of course Monday is a public holiday....

Did manage to get windscreen seal back in, so at least at small victory. Although that's balanced by the fact pulled the handle of the second big shot last week & still have got that fixed.

Sorry for the ramble, just venting.
Pictures or none of it happened. No "dear diary" rambles :thisthreadisworthlesswithoutpictures:
 
I have both grapples on my tx1000. The Dingo grapple is better except for dragging a big stem piece to the chipper...but that's it. The Dingo (grapple rake) can push logs around and is faster grabbing pieces and gets them higher in the air and can push logs around in the bed.

Most decent size tree companies around here own a crane and just sub for giant trees in a back yard or booming over a roof. My 25 ton National 990 with 105' of reach and 145 with jib will handle all routine removals like "easy peaszy" Connecticut removals.



Nice machine! How often do you use your crane though? We live in a rural area and only do about a dozen crane jobs a year so it wouldn't be worth it for us. My next purchase will be a used clam truck. I'm planning to look at this one on a rainy day soon.
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My guys have actually been using our traditional style grapple more than the BMG lately
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A branch manager costs over $3000 https://www.branchmanagerusa.com/shop/rotating-grapples/bmg/

It's an exceptionally well designed grapple rated to lift up to 2000 lbs on the right machine. Great for feeding chippers. BCK's with the ditch witch is a very nice set up. Most of us rent cranes when we need them.
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Never seen that Dingo model before. What are the specs on it? Year?
 
Nice machine! How often do you use your crane though? We live in a rural area and only do about a dozen crane jobs a year so it wouldn't be worth it for us. My next purchase will be a used clam truck. I'm planning to look at this one on a rainy day soon.
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My guys have actually been using our traditional style grapple more than the BMG lately
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Nice looking loader dump. Shows you don't have to mortgage the house again to get one. That little Dingo looks like a tuffy.
 
PS...crane goes out at least once a week sometimes daily. Couldn't live without it. It's my 5th crane over the years. Not a driveway crusher. Heading out tomorrow if it don't rain again. My 90 ton sub crane guy (think he has about 9 cranes) Wingate Crane, keeps wanting to buy it from me for his fleet. I said not yet. https://cranenetwork.com/dealer-cranes/wingatecrane?id=85924
 
A branch manager costs over $3000 https://www.branchmanagerusa.com/shop/rotating-grapples/bmg/

It's an exceptionally well designed grapple rated to lift up to 2000 lbs on the right machine. Great for feeding chippers. BCK's with the ditch witch is a very nice set up. Most of us rent cranes when we need them.
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your trying to explain and clarify an issue to someone that thinks splicing his own fliplines (lifeline) very little experience doing it and without a stress test is a good idea with.

But he does have a friend that has a crane that can lift 800 lbs so there's that.
 
I have both grapples on my tx1000. The Dingo grapple is better except for dragging a big stem piece to the chipper...but that's it. The Dingo (grapple rake) can push logs around and is faster grabbing pieces and gets them higher in the air and can push logs around in the bed.

Most decent size tree companies around here own a crane and just sub for giant trees in a back yard or booming over a roof. My 25 ton National 990 with 105' of reach and 145 with jib will handle all routine removals like "easy peaszy" Connecticut removals.


oh sure, but can it lift 800 lbs?
 
your trying to explain and clarify an issue to someone that thinks splicing his own fliplines (lifeline) very little experience doing it and without a stress test is a good idea with.

But he does have a friend that has a crane that can lift 800 lbs so there's that.
if your going to cry about every little thing then I suggest you take your trump profile picture down and replace it with biden, suits you better
 
The self proclaimed “most experienced tree man in the world”. Lmfao.:laugh:
Listen....You don't like me and I really don't like you. How bout you take your little wise mouth sissy boy and start your own thread. You could call it "MDS and My Butt Buddy...That's How We Roll".

Here...you can whack off to this tonight until you 2 meet up again for another "touching session"....lol

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your trying to explain and clarify an issue to someone that thinks splicing his own fliplines (lifeline) very little experience doing it and without a stress test is a good idea with.
you dont stress test every bowline you have ever tied, a splice is no different than a knot, esp 3 strand, ***** stupid easy
 
1990 Mack ms300 with 300 Engine, 18' chip box dump with removable top and dumps straight up. Have to remove the pintel hitch or it scrapes the ground. 8.8 Litre, 538 CID L6 Renault diesel made in France, Short wheelbase so it can easily make a u turn in any cul de sac WITH my BC 2000 Vermeer 20" 2 axle chipper attached to it. Starts every time every day and can drag my 15,000 lb. chipper straight up a hill easily. Can back in the tightest driveway you ever seen Why? It is a cab over. 180,000 miles. Not for sale...just bragging Jeffy. It is easy to finance new stuff like some other braggarts (MDS) on here. Talk some schit, show some pictures...back it up.

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