Forestry excavator with winch

[Big J]

The existence of forestry excavators with winches has recently come to my attention and had we had one on our present site, we'd have cut a week off the (4 week) job. 

 

I've another job in summer for which it would be tremendously handy, so considering setting one up. 

 

This short video illustrates the winching side of it:

 

 

Coupled with the winch, I'd stick a (fixed) demolition grab on the end, giving me the ability to quickly handle whatever I've brought up to the track. The site we have in summer is fairly similar in terms of topography to the one in the video. 

 

Has anyone worked with a similar machine? What would you recommend in terms of size of machine? 10-14t is my thinking with minimal or zero tailswing. 

 

Any pointers would be much appreciated, including which base machine to consider. I've used plenty of smaller excavators, but nothing over 3t really. 

 

[MattyF]

Would say you would want around 20 tonne after chatting to a guy the other day... he brought a 22t jcb with the intention of doing the same but it’s just sat in the yard and used for loading chains and digging drainage when they have to de bog machines instead , but as he said it won’t take a lot to fit a winch to it.

[Gray git]

Got to work next to this lovely piece of kit just before Christmas and the highlead made getting these large nobles up the banking a brease and then could just clear his own landing as he went, the speed of the winches was amazing and even though he was only just resting the head on the ground and not swapping for the bucket or grab it was amazingly stable.
14ton zero tail I belive and he had been cutting line thinnings the week before with it as can work so close into itself without destroying the rest of the stand.
Big money like having all the modifications done and remotes fitted.

[MattyF]

Just looked at his machine and it’s 17t not sure where I got 22 from.

[markieg31]

I have worked with a chap who has one of these winches set up on some pallet forks for the back of his tractor. Winch is on a remote. I used it for felling some trees off a bank and it wad a pure breeze. Very quick and has a fairly decent pull! On a digger it would be a weapon. Shame a drone hasnt been made to connect cable to the timber yet.

[spuddog0507]

4 hours ago, Big J said:

The existence of forestry excavators with winches has recently come to my attention and had we had one on our present site, we'd have cut a week off the (4 week) job. 

 

I've another job in summer for which it would be tremendously handy, so considering setting one up. 

 

This short video illustrates the winching side of it:

 

 

Coupled with the winch, I'd stick a (fixed) demolition grab on the end, giving me the ability to quickly handle whatever I've brought up to the track. The site we have in summer is fairly similar in terms of topography to the one in the video. 

 

Has anyone worked with a similar machine? What would you recommend in terms of size of machine? 10-14t is my thinking with minimal or zero tailswing. 

 

Any pointers would be much appreciated, including which base machine to consider. I've used plenty of smaller excavators, but nothing over 3t really. 

 

that will be a lot of money to spend on that set up and to justifie that investment i would say you need 1 years work not just 1 job in the summer, you have a decent tractor and winch all ready we had a small sky line set up on a job with our little kubota and 4.2tonne igland with a haul back line wich made the job much eaiser than up and down a banking dragging a heavey winch cable OR can you not hire some one in with the kit to help you out on this one it would be far cheaper and when job is done you have no maintaince or up keep of machine, we hired a tracked tractor in on a job i was so amazed at what we could do with it i very nearly bought one, and glad i did,nt now as it would of only been used on 1 other job a i cant justifie that,

[jmac]

Just got a quote to convert a 22 ton digger to winch 130 grand!!! 

[ForestryFinance]

39 minutes ago, jmac said:

Just got a quote to convert a 22 ton digger to winch 130 grand!!! 

Let me know if you want funding for that ????

[struie]

2 hours ago, ForestryFinance said:

Let me know if you want funding for that ????

could have a wee whip roon the troops

[jmac]

3 hours ago, struie said:

could have a wee whip roon the troops

Might just get 2 of them then ???.