Why don't more tree co's have grapple trucks?

[NYCHA FORESTER]

Sounds like a niche!

Think about it.... there may be 3,4,5,... tree co's (even landscrapers for that matter) in your area whom, at one time or another, would benefit from a loader.

Back in the old days when I worked in the private sector we would get calls from other tree co's that had their own loader (but was down for repairs); we would also pay for their service when our loader was down or we had too much work for the one we had.

We would also load and move Railroad ties for the railroad for the same reason.

 

[mckeetree]

I have thought about buying one. I have thought about trying to just sell pick up service to a bunch of different tree companys. I would just charge to pick up the wood. I wonder if I could keep a truck busy offering this service?

Scott

Now that might work.

 

[hammerlogging]

Loader trucks with debris bins seemed to have been huge for Katrina related pickup- I'd look around south MS for a good deal. I'm temporarily working in the area, taking a break from cutting timber (bad idea for me personally), I'll keep my out but the local paper is the Sun herald from Biloxi. they're online.

 

[Scots Climber]

We just use a tractor fitted with a crane towing a 25' logging trailer and or the Unimog Skidder with high sided silage tipper for the chips the other Unimog can't take.

 

[daveyclimber]

We would love to have one as we are a 2-3 man operation and it would help us keep up with our demand right now. Problem is we have too much overhead as it is, just bought our new 7015 trx 3 weeks ago. This will be a future purchase in a couple of years. I see nice units for about 60k regularly. Several tree co's in my area have these.

 

[tree md]

I would love to have one myself but I'm not a big enough outfit fit justify it now. Only the larger tree services I have worked for in the past have utilized them. I have worked with two outfits in the past that kept a knuckle boom working and the guy that ran the knuckle boom also did the stump grinding. Both companies had 5 crews out in front of the knuckle boom. We would chip all the fluff and leave the logs for the grapple truck. I think a truck crane would be a better investment. That way you could use it to do the removals as well as load the logs.

 

[Magnum783]

There is an outfit in NC where I lived before Cheyenne that didn't have a single chipper and he had two of grapples. He did though own a tub grinder and ground all the brush and then sold it as mulch. I think if I was going to get one or the other I would have to look at what I could get disposed of easier. If you have someplace that will take brush that is the way to go IMHO.
Jared

 

[Duffer]

I have a Grapple trailer and could not live with out it, Max load is 9.500 lbs(the only down fall) I use my 2500 ram to pull it. We have a skid steer with Grapple to pick up the heavy pieces. and when we do not want to bring the skid steer we have a great dolly to do the job. Two 5 ton trucks and two Bandit chipper 12 inch. carton 7015 for stumps,
Duffer

 

[ropensaddle]

Yeah, i would like one because I can have fewer employees? I have the work, but not the labor! They aren't cheap, yall are right about that one. But I'm thinking of getting an older model with some milage on it, then replacing anything that needs it.

here is my old mack not much to look at but I just got home
a few min ago and hauled 6 trees today and to uprooted
stumps! The first tree of the day was a large brushy pine
40 dbh got everything in one load but it was a load for sure!
Very few trees will i need to come back a second time for!
Fuel wise the 81 mack twin stick gets as good as my 07
dodge dulley pulling a trailer the tree would have been 5
trailer loads. I could not live without me mack.

 

[lees trees]

I got my old Prentice in 91 and it did allot for me by getting out of the firewood business and in the sawmill business my saws lasted for years instead just one and production went up too I don't it run on the road any more the tractor loads me now and the Prentice unloads hard to get the beast some places.

 

[chucknduck]

I got a grapple

Well, I bought one. Its a 97' Volvo wg64 with cummins L11 330 hp, 200k miles, with a barko loader. 35 grand. I bought it sight unseen, other than lots of pictures and time on the phone with the salesman, which I hate to do, but i think I bought it from a reputable outfit in Florida, that sells lots of them. i will see when I fly out in a few weeks to pick it up. They are a dealer for the loaders, so at least I know where to get parts for it. Does anybody have any insight about this truck or loader, any experience with them?

 

[irish93stang]

The Company that I work for relies heavily on log loaders with 60+ yard debris boxes. We have a fleet of 7 mostly rear mounted and 1 tractor trailer unit with a slideable brush box. The reasons most small companies don't have them is they don't have enough work to keep the truck running. Very expensive start up cost.. expensive to maintain and keep road worthy.. inspection ,taxes, fuel ,cdl driver,hydraulics licenses, experienced operators, overweight permits, bridge height limitations, backyard access, and lawn damage just to name a few.