Upgraded my scrounging abilities for next season

[upstateny]

Well this year since last October has provided alot of opportunities for changes in life. Wife and I bought a house with wood stove, but I've grown up with having firewood/wood stoves in the house.


Upgrades started by included buying a 2004 Duramax for pennies on the pound (literally), then I picked up a homebuilt dump trailer off my uncle for $800. That alone improved my abilities greatly from the measly half ton I had last season.

New for next season is an Athey's skidder that I'm moving to my family's woodlot that we cut with a farm tractor and farmi winch. Its a cute little thing, should be able to pull it on a gooseneck trailer with the Duramax. It appears that someone found the abandoned skidder and had a Duece and a half military rig for parts. The skidder currently has the GMC inline 6 cylinder 302, mated to a clark 202v transmission and feeds power to the transfercase out of the duece, along with using both rear axles out of the truck (one up front and one in the rear). Even used the hydraulic drive winch off the truck! Cant wait to get it buttoned up and ready to pull some wood!

 

[stihlman27]

Very nice can't go wrong with a Duramax. I'm looking g to get a dump trailer also hopefully around winter or beginning of spring

 

[babybart]

But is it really scrounging if your family has a woodlot?

 

[upstateny]

It's a sugar bush, so we "scrounge" the diseased and other trees. Is it real scrounging? No! But I will still scrounge closer to home, it's an hour plus ride with a loaded trailer to the lot. Plan is to cut some neighbors wood too

 

[upstateny]

Very nice can't go wrong with a Duramax. I'm looking g to get a dump trailer also hopefully around winter or beginning of spring

The dmax hs 320+k on it. I rebuilt transfer case in it after I bought it as it had been ran dry

 

[Full Chisel]

Looks like you pretty well have your bases covered! I'm working hard on getting a dump trailer myself... $800 is pocket change for one!

 

[stihlman27]

Looks like you pretty well have your bases covered! I'm working hard on getting a dump trailer myself... $800 is pocket change for one!

Yeah there hard to find one used on craigslist and if you do you better hop on it quick one I'm looking at getting is 6k out the door

 

[Full Chisel]

There is a local outfit that has dual lift 12' dumps for $4500. It looks like a nice unit and would be plenty enough for my needs. I just want to be able to put a full cord on it and be able to haul the sub-compact Kubota. 12' would be plenty enough for that.

 

[stihlman27]

There is a local outfit that has dual lift 12' dumps for $4500. It looks like a nice unit and would be plenty enough for my needs. I just want to be able to put a full cord on it and be able to haul the sub-compact Kubota. 12' would be plenty enough for that.

Oh yeah definitely that's what I'm looking for a 6x12 and for $4500 you can't beat that a 6x12 up my way you can't find any under that there all about $5500 and up depending in what you want as far as features

 

[upstateny]

The dump trailer is quite the unit in and of itself. It was an equipment trailer (homebuilt) at one point, then my uncle turned it into the dump trailer you see now. Its 6x9, I assume it was an 18' equipment trailer, with 30" sides. If i pile the wood in, and round it slightly, I get over a cord in it.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Cool skidder. I'd advise on chaining it up, the r4 tread is really "meh" for off riad.

 

[upstateny]

Oh it's definitely getting irons. I have 4 single diamonds I'm going to narrow up for those little tires.

Actually saturday I got it fired up for the first time after buying it and re wiring it. Tonight I hope to start pulling the transmission to diagnose the clutch issue.

But for what I paid for the machine I cannot complain about putting some money in to it.

Oh! And it also got a new seat