How small can a boom truck be?

[twoclones]

I collect urban timber for my chainsaw carving business and *think* I need a small boom truck. My current 3/4 flatbed truck and tilt bed trailer is a good size for my needs but if I haul my tractor along to load up the logs, I have to unload by hand then drive back to get the tractor. Big hassle!

So, how small of a boom truck can I find? Or are knuckle booms made small enough to use on a 3/4 ton pickup?

Butch

 

[Brodie]

Your best bet is to obviously speak to a manufacturer.

Depends on the kind of weights that you will want to be lifting. I have a small lift on the back of my ute that will lift a few hundred kg at its full extension and up to a few tones max.

Word or caution if you do get a lift fitted make sure they do it properly i know of a few guys that had the lift installed in the wrong place and ended up bending the chassis rails.

 

[tlandrum]

they build small pull behind trailers with a loader built onto it.

 

[twoclones]

they build small pull behind trailers with a loader built onto it.

That's interesting! I hadn't considered that possibility at all...

 

[kimosawboy]

I collect my own wood as well.
I originally started using a 3/4 4x4 to get me off road into the old logging places for me to do my milling. That got old really quick , as most of the places had been picked over.
Next up was a 66- 404.1doka Unimog, this vehicle will go amazing places and is unstoppable but I was limited in the bed (doka= double cab, small bed) and also the amount I could lift up using block and tackle of the rear bows.
Finally talked the wife into a 416 Unimog with crane. I now have the lifting capacity of 6000lb max to 1250lb at 27', the mog can handle the weight of crane and full load with ease.The rear deck dumps to either side or to the rear to offload. The overall size and turning radius is very small, but it packs a wallop. I now can go into places that have not been picked over get a load of old cedar or fir and drive out without any problems.
If you are serious about getting wood and figure you might get into some ''robust'' areas, Mogs are something to look at.

 

[twoclones]

WOW!!!

Your Mog looks like what I've been dreaming about. I'll have to figure out just how many bears and eagles one of those will cost

Thanks for the pic.

 

[Bigus Termitius]

What did that set you back?

 

[DangerTree]

I collect my own wood as well.
I originally started using a 3/4 4x4 to get me off road into the old logging places for me to do my milling. That got old really quick , as most of the places had been picked over.
Next up was a 66- 404.1doka Unimog, this vehicle will go amazing places and is unstoppable but I was limited in the bed (doka= double cab, small bed) and also the amount I could lift up using block and tackle of the rear bows.
Finally talked the wife into a 416 Unimog with crane. I now have the lifting capacity of 6000lb max to 1250lb at 27', the mog can handle the weight of crane and full load with ease.The rear deck dumps to either side or to the rear to offload. The overall size and turning radius is very small, but it packs a wallop. I now can go into places that have not been picked over get a load of old cedar or fir and drive out without any problems.
If you are serious about getting wood and figure you might get into some ''robust'' areas, Mogs are something to look at.

Thats sweet what length can you carry and whats the tonnage on the unimog?

 

[kimosawboy]

Thanks for the replies about the Mog...
As far as weight goes, without the crane its about 8000lb, GVW is around 13500, but I have gone up to around 8-10k in payload alone. I have a 8' deck and that is adequate for 12' no problem (mostly I slab in the woods and use the crane to put the slabs on the deck).
With whatever length of load I have it will be determined by the ground I have to get out of. My approach and departure angles are 45 & 70 degrees, so if I have a longer load my angles decrees.
Cost wise this unit with all the goodies came in around 20K Canadian.
Here is a link to the original sales ad http://classicunimogs.com/unimog_416_meillercrane.html

I have to admit Unimogs are my first passion and then comes wood!!

 

[twoclones]

$20k Canadian? If I had that much cash on hand, I'd buy the Mog just for the thrill of having it in my driveway. LOL Come to think of it, I could use it to get enough wood to carve up $20 worth of product in a couple of months... Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Thanks for the link and for educating me on this very cool vehicle.

 

[Toddppm]

Everybody should have a unimog!

I've seen a few smaller trucks that are setup with a gentry style crane in the back with a winch mounted in the bed that could haul logs up into the bed pretty easily. That would be a lot easier and cheaper if you can get within the winces reach. Couldn't find any pictures but think about how they carry caskets on trailers and picture it on the back of a truck.

 

[twoclones]

Have you seen that TV commercial where the guy is taking all the bizzare jobs to get money to buy a VW Jetta? I'm beginning to feel like that guy only wanting to buy a Unimog with a crane

Carve 20 mid sized bears, 20 life sized eagles, sell my old flatbed Ford and I just might swing it.

 

[twoclones]

I mentioned the Unimog to my neighbor who owns a Mercedes repair shop. He suggested I might save money buy getting a roll-back bed tow truck with a crane. This is the first photo of such a truck Google found for me...

I also found a guy with a 1976 Unimog 416 with Hiab 950 crane. His webpage details his experience with importing the vehicle, removing the crane to paint it, etc.

http://userweb.windwireless.net/~jimc/Mog.html

 

[kimosawboy]

I'm always looking at different Mog sites and I remembered these guys had trailers that might give you some ideas. 250kg lift extended and yard behind a truck or car.
http://www.unimogs.co.uk/unimogsforsale.asp

G Vavra

 

[Taxmantoo]

I also found a guy with a 1976 Unimog 416 with Hiab 950 crane. His webpage details his experience with importing the vehicle, removing the crane to paint it, etc.

http://userweb.windwireless.net/~jimc/Mog.html

That's Jim Cathey, he's on the Mercedes email list at OkieBenz.com.
I was thinking of him as I read this thread. I'm pretty sure there's a Mog specific forum on the net, but I don't know where.
http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com

 

[TumblebugTaylor]

Our grey market tractor dealer brought in 12 Mini trucks I think they were Dihatsu and a few oter brands with bucket booms. 3 of them had little knuckle booms for demo pick up. These things were tiny but had 4x4 and locking rear diffs.

I thought of buy one of each. Should have but I was more interested in bars at the time. I have a friend that has some small prentices that were hold overs from the days of short wood pulping.

 

[racnruss]

small bucket truck

I met Phillip Shaumburg from Kansas. He makes the little helper carts.

He has an old F250 4x4 that he made into a bucket truck by taking a boom from a tow behind trailer style lift, and grafting it onto the frame of the pickup. It looked really cool and he said it will go about anywhere. I believe it was about 40' tall.