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[Rabid K9]

No depending on the wood species it adds up quick. It’s got two 7k axels trailer weights 2700# I believe so you could push it to 11/12k payload if needed. At that point I might as well call a log truck, but that trailer is for residential work and that’s exactly where it shines.

Yes, looks extremely useful. Would be a fuelwood gathering weapon. What is a self loading log trailer like that worth in the US?

What species was that? And what do you do with all the wood?

 

[Rabid K9]

Avant with fixed grab is becoming a new favorite. What an animal.

Looks very clean, even the grapple. What is the panel durability like on the Avants?

 

[Helmstein]

Looks very clean, even the grapple. What is the panel durability like on the Avants?

Not great. That's its downfall. First day we cracked (small crack) one of the panels. But eventually I will have some of the front panels bedlined. Thats makes them extremely durable. The giant is far superior by design in regards to the panels.

@Rabid K9 and @Mick Dempsey are the inspiration for the fixed grab idea. That's why these forums are so valuable. Thanks guys!

Edit:
MDS was the inspiration to the big wheel loader idea.

 

[Rabid K9]

Not great. That's its downfall. First day we cracked (small crack) one of the panels. But eventually I will have some of the front panels bedlined. Thats makes them extremely durable. The giant is far superior by design in regards to the panels.

@Rabid K9 and @Mick Dempsey are the inspiration for the fixed grab idea. That's why these forums are so valuable. Thanks guys!

What other brands did you look at before going with the Avant?

What was it that sold you on the Avant?

 

[Helmstein]

What other brands did you look at before going with the Avant?

What was it that sold you on the Avant?

Avant 860I is the only class machine thats around 6500lbs and has a teliscoping boom. Teliscoping boom is mandatory on a wheel loader Imo for tree work. With a Giant you have to get into a 8,000lbs-10,000lbs machine for the teliscoping feature.

The cab was also the big selling point A/C and heat, an unbelievably comfortable air ride suspension seat with high back rest, lumbar support, and heat.

The motor on the avant has no dpf and no deff fluid. Their for idling is not a problem. It's as close to a pre emmisions motor you will get these days. Jealous Australia still lets you buy non emmision diesels.

The big decision was what style grapple to buy and from what manufacturer. The machine is almost 12' long so I needed a grapple that kept the machine as short as possible but could handle the abuse of a larger machine. I didn't like the dangle grapple that avant offered.

 

[Rabid K9]

Avant 860I is the only class machine thats around 6500lbs and has a teliscoping boom. Teliscoping boom is mandatory on a wheel loader Imo for tree work. With a Giant you have to get into a 8,000lbs-10,000lbs machine for the teliscoping feature.

The cab was also the big selling point A/C and heat, an unbelievably comfortable air ride suspension seat with high back rest, lumbar support, and heat.

The motor on the avant has no dpf and no deff fluid. Their for idling is not a problem. It's as close to a pre emmisions motor you will get these days. Jealous Australia still lets you buy non emmision diesels.

The big decision was what style grapple to buy and from what manufacturer. The machine is almost 12' long so I needed a grapple that kept the machine as short as possible but could handle the abuse of a larger machine. I didn't like the dangle grapple that avant offered.

Makes sense.

Have been looking at second hand Merlo telehandlers, speaking of telescoping booms. Seems like a lot of machine for your dollar, bit heavier, but lots of uses.

Be interesting with a rigid grapple on a 7 or 9m boom with four wheel steer.

Our rural work is often extra rough on equipment, one reason I like the little Vermeer, it’s a compact bulldozer. Another tree business recently bought an bigger Avant locally, they’ve been doing it all by hand prior to that machine, be interested to see how long before there is an ‘event’ with it. One thing I find in our region is a lot of good climbers / arborists are mechanically handicapped, which leads into very average machine operation skills.

** I’ve never rolled a machine, gone through a septic tank lid or banged into a tree, guess that is how one becomes a less handicapped operator….

 

[pdqdl]

Does that machine take standard skid steer attachments?

 

[Helmstein]

Does that machine take standard skid steer attachments?

It can accept a standard skid steer attachment plate with an adapter. The attachment plate is called euro style.

 

[pdqdl]

John Deere tried to do that to me with a tractor. I specifie quick attach plate, and they tried giving me the John Deere version.

That was probably just as well built, but it forces you to use only their attachments or use some stupid adapter.

 

[661Joe]

Yes, looks extremely useful. Would be a fuelwood gathering weapon. What is a self loading log trailer like that worth in the US?

What species was that? And what do you do with all the wood?

Depends where you get it at. Can find them 16000$-30000$ depends if new or used and what style…. That was an oak there we take the manageable peace’s and split the big ones we give away/sell or we put them in the fire pit

 

[Helmstein]

John Deere tried to do that to me with a tractor. I specifie quick attach plate, and they tried giving me the John Deere version.

That was probably just as well built, but it forces you to use only their attachments or use some stupid adapter.

We opted for the avant grapple that has a narrow attachment plate (20" wide). The standard skid steer quick attachment plate is so wide that if we went with a dangle grapple from branchmanager it would make feeding the chipper a real pita. The attachment plate would always be hiting the feed table area while machine feeding.

I agree with the whole adapter bull crap. Makes you stay with that brand of attachments.

 

[Helmstein]

Makes sense.

Have been looking at second hand Merlo telehandlers, speaking of telescoping booms. Seems like a lot of machine for your dollar, bit heavier, but lots of uses.

Be interesting with a rigid grapple on a 7 or 9m boom with four wheel steer.

Our rural work is often extra rough on equipment, one reason I like the little Vermeer, it’s a compact bulldozer. Another tree business recently bought an bigger Avant locally, they’ve been doing it all by hand prior to that machine, be interested to see how long before there is an ‘event’ with it. One thing I find in our region is a lot of good climbers / arborists are mechanically handicapped, which leads into very average machine operation skills.

** I’ve never rolled a machine, gone through a septic tank lid or banged into a tree, guess that is how one becomes a less handicapped operator….

That would be really neat to run a smaller telihandler for tree work. Giant has a telihandler that is very compact and would kick ass on the right job site.

I put our baby giant on its side last year. I made to sure to shut the motor off immediately. Once it was righted I left it sitting for 2 hrs and fired it right back up. We got lucky. Another reason why the larger machine is key, not using a small machine at 100% lift capacity Day in and day out.

 

[mikewhite85]

Putzing around in Corning ny this week. Don't tell anyone we did a little bit of deadwooding on this oak!


Did a nice bid for a national cemetery yesterday. Some very large Norway maples precariously hanging over numerous military tombstones. The stump grinding specs are to sod it over and haul all chips. Needless to say the stump grinding price was on the higher end.

Last time they hired us the specs required a certified arborist. This time they are getting quotes from some of the local guys so we'll see. All in all it's about 2 weeks of work.

 

[Rabid K9]

Had to do a run up to the city to take stump grinder into dealer yesterday. One dealer covers the entire state & adjoining territory, just a mere 1.6 million square miles….

So my eight hours behind the wheel is ‘just up the road’. New Ranger makes for easy driving.

Saw this big horse in the Vermeer yard, beast of a machine, literally twice the size of the 18”. Very impressive in the flesh. Horizontally the offset rollers must be 50” wide. At 17500 lbs both trucks can theoretically tow it but at $380,000 AUD not sure the wallet can….

Then dropped by the Bandit dealer
& they had a nice new diesel grinder in there.

 

[Rabid K9]

Putzing around in Corning ny this week. Don't tell anyone we did a little bit of deadwooding on this oak!
View attachment 1079562

Did a nice bid for a national cemetery yesterday. Some very large Norway maples precariously hanging over numerous military tombstones. The stump grinding specs are to sod it over and haul all chips. Needless to say the stump grinding price was on the higher end.

Last time they hired us the specs required a certified arborist. This time they are getting quotes from some of the local guys so we'll see. All in all it's about 2 weeks of work.

Certified or not, can they pull it together for a job of that scale?

 

[mikewhite85]

Certified or not, can they pull it together for a job of that scale?

My quote came in around 46k. It is high for around here but I feel like sodding over your stumps in a pristine cemetery takes a lot of time. There are also 17 large pin oaks on the trim docket (for those we would wait til December). But quite a few beastly precarious removals. Would use a 55ton crane for one day to get a few of them. The others are out of range and need to be carefully climbed and rigged....The other guys are "local yokels" who don't wear helmets but have good longstanding reputations and some nice tree removal equipment. I kinda doubt I'll get the job but it was a cool opportunity to bid.... That's a nice looking chipper!!! I think I'd spend 380k on my kids' college funds though!

 

[mikewhite85]

Oopsie daisy. My newer feller got this one stuck in his hinge on a big hemlock and crushed it after cutting the holding wood with another 461. There is almost nothing usable left on the saw except for the bar and chain unfortunately. I think I paid 600 for it 2 years ago so it's had a pretty good run. I'm glad it wasn't the 500.


We got new tracks for my mini skid. WOW what an improvement. Haven't lost a track all week!

 

[Helmstein]

Ran across a Bartlett tree truck last week. Look at how well they set these trucks up. I love the tool boxes behind the rear wheels/ ladder to hop in the box.

 

[Haplo]

Ran across a Bartlett tree truck last week. Look at how well they set these trucks up. I love the tool boxes behind the rear wheels/ ladder to hop in the box.

Is that a plywood rack on top?

 

[Helmstein]

Is that a plywood rack on top?

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.