Are clam trucks still viable in this economy? (for a smaller mid-west residential co)

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ropensaddle said:
Well yes; I was merely pointing out something that will come up! You will probably want to add a tag axle if the truck is very heavy! The controls on the side well if your careful it could work its just if you blow a line the log is gonna fall ya know. I would end up running over load every time but that's me as I am thirty miles from everywhere:cry: It will still help you in many ways you don't even know yet. I dug my water lines and storm shelter put a motor in my bucket it is very nice having it around.
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Also scrapped a few clunkers with it!
 
What's a tag axle? Also, I am not familiar with the side control style grapple trucks; are the hyraulics or the grapple arm more likely to fail and if so, is the operator in a dangerous position and more likely to get injured, since he's standing at the side of the truck under the equipment? Could this risk be reduced by cutting the wood up a little smaller? Obviously, I would rather not have to cut up the wood too small, only enough so the grapple can handle the load more easily.
 
conlan said:
What's a tag axle? Also, I am not familiar with the side control style grapple trucks; are the hyraulics or the grapple arm more likely to fail and if so, is the operator in a dangerous position and more likely to get injured, since he's standing at the side of the truck under the equipment? Could this risk be reduced by cutting the wood up a little smaller? Obviously, I would rather not have to cut up the wood too small, only enough so the grapple can handle the load more easily.
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Well the hoses on grapples get some abuse from brush and logs if you change the hoses before they get too bad you should be ok but yes I was thinking of safety! Remember grapples don't have holding valves like bucket trucks so you blow a line and its gonna come down or loose if its on the squeeze circuit! I would be careful not fearful just try to keep the log in a spot that if it went bad your not in the way! I would say 15 foot if smaller logs but if you get in the real big stuff you will have to cut it short and drag it to you before going up. You'll get the hang of it just be careful and slow at first. I have operated more dangerous we had a side loading pulp wood truck they are outlawed I think now fast but definitely scary.
 
Thanks for the advice - greatly appreciated! My intention is to use this grapple truck to haul chunks of wood like big rounds or awkward large pieces, not logs for milling. If I have lots of big logs for milling I know a couple of guys with logging trucks and they haul it for me. We do lots of single or multiple tree removals where there is no space to drop big logs, so it usually gets cut up. It would be nice to have some kind of grapple that will lift 4- 6 foot long pieces (2 feet thick) for example, or sometimes 3-4 feet diameter rounds by 2 feet long. This would greatly reduce the amount of wood cutting and handling my guys would have to do. If we did big tornado or hurricane cleanup, or big demolition jobs then it sounds like be huge double or triple axle grapple truck would be the way to go.
 
I get by pretty well with a skidsteer and my dump trailer. Yes, it is a little slow having to make two trips from the job but the vesatility is hard to beat for me. Then again I am not selling logs just fire wood so I cut everything about six foot or so. I can get five tons of wood/chips in the trailer and still be under CDL = less money for the gov/insurance = a happy camper. Toys are nice if you can make them pay.
 
ropensaddle said:
Also scrapped a few clunkers with it!
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Hey Rope, you ever tear down a small house or building with yours? Now thats fun! Had a bit of fun smashing a Mazda with one at a drunken party years back. I was the king that nite. 7 loads of logs on the fire. That fire went for 5 weeks! God I miss those DAZE.
 
flushcut said:
I get by pretty well with a skidsteer and my dump trailer. Yes, it is a little slow having to make two trips from the job but the vesatility is hard to beat for me. Then again I am not selling logs just fire wood so I cut everything about six foot or so. I can get five tons of wood/chips in the trailer and still be under CDL = less money for the gov/insurance = a happy camper. Toys are nice if you can make them pay.
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The guy I worked for last year did it that way. We did some good sized removals. He had a Bandit 1590. I would take that chipper over a Vermeer 1800 any day of the week! With a chipper that eats like that, we didnt need to make more than one load on any removal we did from the end of July to the middle of October. I you wanna keep a clam truck busy, you gotta wanna, and be an under-bidding A-Hole. Trust me on that. You gotta give away big removals to do it around me, wich I wouldnt have a problem with, if I had the ads. I just dont have the right help to give me the go-go juice anymore. I'll just sit and wait for the good$ to come to me. When I go after it, all I do is lose. And piss on Gov. EffinVampires!!!! Flushcut, you should find me work or work with me. Sooner or later Ill make it worth your while. cant do it till june/july. thats when we pay for plates around here.
 
conlan said:
Thanks for the advice - greatly appreciated! My intention is to use this grapple truck to haul chunks of wood like big rounds or awkward large pieces, not logs for milling. If I have lots of big logs for milling I know a couple of guys with logging trucks and they haul it for me. We do lots of single or multiple tree removals where there is no space to drop big logs, so it usually gets cut up. It would be nice to have some kind of grapple that will lift 4- 6 foot long pieces (2 feet thick) for example, or sometimes 3-4 feet diameter rounds by 2 feet long. This would greatly reduce the amount of wood cutting and handling my guys would have to do. If we did big tornado or hurricane cleanup, or big demolition jobs then it sounds like be huge double or triple axle grapple truck would be the way to go.
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Sounds like you'll be better off with a mini and a bmg. Mine def works harder than what you need it to do!
 
prentice110 said:
Flushcut, you should find me work or work with me. Sooner or later Ill make it worth your while. cant do it till june/july. thats when we pay for plates around here.
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Any time just shoot me a line! If I can use that bad boy or you I will give a shout out. Especially if I spread into the southern counties like Kenosha, Racine, and Walworth. That would pretty much fill in the gap between us, I have dump sites around the Delavan area and I know of a few guys that heat with wood in Darien which is about twenty give or take miles from Harvard just north of the border. A lot of getting work is pushing the advertising and then word of mouth takes over. Networking is also key the more people you know with skills that you can use and vise versa helps push your name around. I would love to stay and chat but I got four stumps and a rotten linden to tip over this mourning before the weather heads south. TTFN
 
conlan said:
Thanks for the advice - greatly appreciated! My intention is to use this grapple truck to haul chunks of wood like big rounds or awkward large pieces, not logs for milling. If I have lots of big logs for milling I know a couple of guys with logging trucks and they haul it for me. We do lots of single or multiple tree removals where there is no space to drop big logs, so it usually gets cut up. It would be nice to have some kind of grapple that will lift 4- 6 foot long pieces (2 feet thick) for example, or sometimes 3-4 feet diameter rounds by 2 feet long. This would greatly reduce the amount of wood cutting and handling my guys would have to do. If we did big tornado or hurricane cleanup, or big demolition jobs then it sounds like be huge double or triple axle grapple truck would be the way to go.
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Even so, it will be really easy to overload that 33k GVW truck, and those fines are pricey!
I think the smaller truck has a lot of advantages, but I would factor the cost of adding a drop tag axle in your purchase. You won't regret it.
 
prentice110 said:
Hey Rope, you ever tear down a small house or building with yours? Now thats fun! Had a bit of fun smashing a Mazda with one at a drunken party years back. I was the king that nite. 7 loads of logs on the fire. That fire went for 5 weeks! God I miss those DAZE.
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Yeah tore one down on the farm :cheers:
 
tree MDS said:
What's the other one, the Beever Squeezer? I'd go with that one, just on the name alone..
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Yeah, if you feel like paying twice as much, for a WAY heavier grapple that cant lift as high cuz the rotator is so long. Im quite happy with the bmg. Little thin on the steel, but hey, MT52's only lift 520lbs, so give me the lightest attachment possible.:eek:uttahere2::msp_tongue:
 
prentice110 said:
Yeah, if you feel like paying twice as much, for a WAY heavier grapple that cant lift as high cuz the rotator is so long. Im quite happy with the bmg. Little thin on the steel, but hey, MT52's only lift 520lbs, so give me the lightest attachment possible.:eek:uttahere2::msp_tongue:
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I lift 1500+ with my mt52 on a daily basis with a bmg
 

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