chips and dump trucks

[diltree]

I see your point.....but an f-550 is a pretty big truck while a F-450 will still provide you with some of the advantages of a smaller truck, example: residential snow plowing, Getting into tight spots, using the truck as a mode of transportation when pricing jobs, better in back yards

 

[Tree Machine]

Less is more

What if an F-250 4x4 had a beefed-up rear suspension. If you're only pulling a 6 or 9" capacity chipper, with the occasional full load of chips, is is necessary to have more? F-250's have the Allison transmissions, don't they? How big do you really need to go?

This all totally depends on your specific needs.

Pickup trucks in these 'flatbed' ranges (for us) are multipurpose utility arborist trucks. Big chip trucks, and crane trucks and bucket trucks with chip dumps, those are a total seperate something else. These 'pickups', ask yourself what do we use them for? For towing trailers or a chipper, stowing our gear and a place for chips.

If this multipurpose rig is going to be driving you on occasional errands and to do estimates the fuel costs can soar. I can appreciate 'go big or go home', but there's a certain place for that. I'm not entirely convinced bigger is better. I can see advantages, but I can weigh disadvantages. Chips aren't that heavy and it's difficult to put on enough firewood to challenge a modded rear suspension. Ability to squeeze into tighter spaces is one of the most important things for me, ability to command odd terrain. And be economical and versatile.

It really depends on the chipper you're towing. Big chippers demand bigger trucks.

 

[Tree Machine]

Oh.

 

[Tree Machine]

All I've ever employed in my treecare have been regula,r people-sized pickups. I really don't know what I'm talking about on bigger models because I've just never used these bigger, musclier, hungrier trucks.

All I've ever driven (other than my early noob years) have been flatbed pickup trucks. I don't even know if they're 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton, and I've never had duallys. I do have 4 WD.

My current truck, which is a sacrificial test dummy, is a 1979 flatbed with fat tires. This truck does everything I need and it was paid off in a week of jobs and continues to get me around almost three years later.

If I had an F-250 under me, I'd be in hog heaven.

If I had the truck in this picture, I'd be over-muscled for all practical purposes, but 'too much' is always better than 'not enough'.

 

[Stumper]

Jim, An F250 can pull a big chipper and a load of chips-I've done it-But technically it is overloaded and the handling-particularly braking is affected. In the flatlands of cntral Indiana it would be doable if not ideal. Moving up to a 1 ton makes an enormous difference. With a big box you may be able to exceed the GVWR but the the truck has actual capacity to spare. I wound up with my big chip truck when I was actually looking for a 1 ton. It is kind of ironic- the one ton would haul almost as much, maneuver into tight quarters better and cost less to license.......but the big truck draws business like crazy.

 

[topnotchtree]

for a tailgate I would make one solid gate all the way across. frame the gate with square tubing or the like, and use steel mesh instead of plate steel. Lighter and less wind resistant. I will try to post a pic of my tailgate soon.

 

[Tree Machine]

Thanks, Stumper. I re-read this entire thread and have a better grasp on how things are sized. I particularly enjoy your last line ".......but the big truck draws business like crazy." I'm glad it works that way for you.

I've always felt that having the smaller rig was what drew business like crazy. They see small and they think 'low overhead'. They think 'less expensive than the big companies'. They see that less money was poured into the transportation, and more money poured into the tools that will be doing the work on their trees. And there's something about people wanting to support the 'little guy'.

Ultimately, I have gotten a lot of (unexpected) positive feedback on the organization of my tools. That appeals greatly, especially to folks who use tools. Even the ladies give me the occasional, "Wow, you're really organized." Apparently, this impression is important to people.

 

[Tree Machine]

for a tailgate I would make one solid gate all the way across. frame the gate with square tubing or the like, and use steel mesh instead of plate steel. Lighter and less wind resistant. I will try to post a pic of my tailgate soon.

I'd like to see that. I chose not to use hinges for specific reasons. It would be great to see what you've got.

I added a fairly cool chain sharpening rig to that big, thick, fold-down oak plank. I've gotta dig that up. It's nothing remarkable or new, just a twist on an old idea that I think a lot of you might really like.

 

[topnotchtree]

Been awile since I posted pics. Hope this works.

 

[topnotchtree]

A few more. We used 1 inch angle iron to frame the gate. It is admittedly a little flimsy, I would have used heavier angle iron but 1 inch is what we had to work with. The hinges took awile to design and build, but they work well.

 

[Tree Machine]

It works. I like it. Your hinges allow you the full 270 degree swing and you can remove it entirely if you wish. It sure doesn't look flimsy. I appreciate the thought you put into that. Nice work.

 

[topnotchtree]

Thanks TM, getting some tool boxes on that truck and a coat of paint is next on the "things to do" list. We just had to make the post where the hinges are sturdy enough to hold the weight of the gate at full swing. We built the sides on the bed permenantly, and the top of the chip box unbolts off like a truck cap. That way the truck can be loaded from the sides if I need to haul topsoil or such. Wood chips will not go thru the gate, but I have to tarp the gate to haul sand or the like.

 

[priest]

F-550 pretty much done

Here's the truck I've finally got completed. The sides are removeable, as are the expanded metal extensions. I'm going to install a higher-reaching deflection shield now that I have seen how much I can increase my chip capacity with one. It will be hinged so that it lays flat on the top of the sides but can be raises to deflect chips down into the bed to increase capacity.
Please refer tree jobs to pay for all this shi*.

 

[Tree Machine]

With chip capacity being your goal, I say you get an A!

 

[topnotchtree]

She looks very pretty. Oh, and the truck looks good too.

 

[TreeJunkie]

Priest,

Nice looking truck. Who built the box? What did a box like that cost to build. I was shopping for similar unit a while back and some of the quotes to build a box and put on new dump kinda scared me off.

 

[priest]

An equipment company nearby installed the hoist and built the box. Everything turned out pretty good in the end.

Unfortunately, I can't recommend the company because the hoist was severely flawed when I went to pick up the truck the first time. The bracket they mounted it on was under such torque that when the hoist was raised it would visibly twist and appeared it would break. Very dangerous. And that was with no load in it. I made them redo it correctly. Plus they exceeded their timeframe for completion of the job by over two weeks.

The bill was for close to $5000 after tax, but we agreed on $4500 total due to all the headaches.

The hoist is a Bulldog 10-ton and is $2100 for the kit. $1700 for the box (painted), plus extras like the platform over the cab, the sheet metal to mount signs on, re-doing the trailer hitch so the bed won't hit it when it dumps, etc.

It only dumps to about 40 degrees, which is really a little inadequate. I wanted it to dump to at least 60 degrees, but they could not install the hoist that far toward the rear without interfering with my 5th wheel mount. And I've got to have that (the sides come off so I can use it to haul a 5th wheel trailer). But it does dump most of the load on its own, and the rest comes out with a few encouraging pokes with a long pole (not that pole, you sick bastards).

I had a hard time finding anyone that would install the hoist, so I can't tell you where to go for that. But I strongly recommend that wherever you go for any work of this nature you get a written, itemized estimate that includes the anticipated timeframe and explains how the bill will be adjusted if they don't fulfill their promises.

 

[Tree Machine]

That's good advice, Priest, and can be applied to a lot of different scenarios. Folks fail to realize that tying up your gear cripples your business and costs you money above and beyond that of what you're spending with them. Your signed estimate, and details, is a written contract. If they're working under contract and realize the repercussions of their delays, they're more likely to stay on task with your project.