old forwarder info plz

[jackchich]

i've been considering getting one of those smallish 6x6 forwarders like this

 

valmet 836

VALMET 836 TIMBER FORWARDER NEEDING REPAIR on eBay (end time 29-Oct-09 18:11:22 GMT)

 

or

 

KOCKUMS 84-35

KOCKUMS 84-35 FORWARDER 6WD on eBay (end time 04-Dec-09 15:14:26 GMT)

 

 

 

has anyone got one or knows if they are any good

 

what i want it for is collecting cord wood around are steep woodland! winching takes an age and some of the stuff is a very long way down.

 

how do they fair on slopes loaded up? i live in a very hilly part and 4x4 tractors will go up and down but hardly even tow a unladen trailer up are steep slopes!

 

can they be used on tarmac roads? got to travel 3 miles on a main road to and from woodlands!

 

what sort of speed can they do?

 

any pics of them on steep slopes would be great

 

also any prefrences on what ones to get?

 

its mainly for firewood. my current setup it dragging the trees one at a time up on the link arms of a 100hp 4x4 tractor then loading them up at the top with a hiab! these forwarders looked ideal for under 10k???

 

cheers

jc

[taz]

Hi jc

I drove a 836 for a couple of years when they were in fashion and i can tell you they are totaly guttless a waist of time.

I have also drove the kockums loads of power with it being 6cyl but they are nose heavy easily tipped on the front end and they are both torque converter not so good on steep ground make sure you have good brakes.

Hope this helps

 

Ewen

[penfold]

have a word with Mr ed or buzz on here mate.

[Chris Sheppard]

I'd say unless you are pretty handy with the spanners then you could be just buying trouble with an older purpose built - also, you'd need to factor in some decent tyres and/or chain/tracks.

 

Also, if you had to put tracks and chainc on then you wouldn't really be wanting to do any road miles without removing them first and generally they are quite slow. There was a timberliner trailer on ebay with driven axle which might have been worth a look but I don't know if it's still there.

 

If you already got a decent tractor then what about a radio controlled winch with a decent pull on it?

[PeteB]

I would agree with that. Buying something that has done the rounds with a contractor will be nowt but trouble. There are loads of used tractors out there with 4x4 and to be honest, the system that you are using sounds adequate for the circumstances.

[Joy Yeomans]

forwarders like this are great on steep slopes BUT haave to have band tracks ando r wheelchains on - then it wouldnt be able to go on a highway - driven forwarder trailer would be better or winch together and pull out

[jackchich]

thx for the very helpfull replys. ideal i'll avoid the forwarders then!

 

i've never realy thought of a remote controlled timber winch. the more i think about it the more it makes sence!

 

whats a good make? and where can i get one? or can i convert my 3 point linkage winch?

i presume they are hydraulic winches with a 12v solinoid?

 

any info would be great!

jc

[Highland Forestry]

The ideal tool for the job is a purpose built forwarder..

They do have thier drawbacks as already mentioned on this thread but if you want a machine that will do the job properly..

 

timberjack forwarder on eBay (end time 14-Dec-09 21:59:31 GMT)

 

This is the best forwarder i've seen on ebay for a long long time.

 

 

Tractor and timber winch is another way to do it, but bear in mind you need an operative and most likley a labourer also, and winching can be a slow process, especially over stumps and through rocky ground.

 

The valmet that is on ebay at the moment is cheap but needs alot of money to get it up and working, as well as a new computer and mini levers etc.