Forestry excavator with winch

[jmac]

Quite a lot of forestry guys up here using bucket winches with towers on the jib. Check out a and b services killin, they put igland winches in buckets. If you had double drums you could highlead easy enough.

[difflock]

pure happenstance?, more like,  no doubt a whole lotta Google malarky, but this came up in my otherwise quite unrelated Youtube selection.

 

[Big J]

Thanks for all the replies chaps. 

 

Obviously, my budget isn't going to stretch anywhere near 6 figures. My plan was to find a base machine around £20k and then I'd expect the modifications and grab to cost me another £20k. That would be the hope. 

 

I can see that there is a lot of demand for it down here. The one other chap that I know of (has worked for TCD a few times, and he speaks tremendously highly of him) with one in the West Country is booked years ahead. I'm not planning to specialise as a winching contractor, because I think you'd need your head looking at if that's what you actually wanted to do. However, I think it'd speed up a great many jobs and if I can get one of my guys to a high level of competency on it, it could be useful for my jobs, and lucrative if contracted out on other peoples jobs. 

 

What I particularly like about it (versus the tractor) is that on narrow rides (on steep ground) setting up takes seconds. There is no redirect off other trees required. Additionally, you cannot get a tractor 90 degrees to the ride for winching. The high pull on the excavator means the butt stays off the ground too. And if you find you need a slightly different angle, there is no tediousness in resetting the redirect. You just move and put the grab back down to ground.

 

As I said, it would have cut a week off this job (at least) and saved me about £2k in wages. That's one fairly small job too. 12 jobs like that a year and you're the best part of £25k better off.

[LeeGray]

12 minutes ago, Big J said:

Thanks for all the replies chaps. 

 

Obviously, my budget isn't going to stretch anywhere near 6 figures. My plan was to find a base machine around £20k and then I'd expect the modifications and grab to cost me another £20k. That would be the hope. 

 

I can see that there is a lot of demand for it down here. The one other chap that I know of (has worked for TCD a few times, and he speaks tremendously highly of him) with one in the West Country is booked years ahead. I'm not planning to specialise as a winching contractor, because I think you'd need your head looking at if that's what you actually wanted to do. However, I think it'd speed up a great many jobs and if I can get one of my guys to a high level of competency on it, it could be useful for my jobs, and lucrative if contracted out on other peoples jobs. 

 

What I particularly like about it (versus the tractor) is that on narrow rides (on steep ground) setting up takes seconds. There is no redirect off other trees required. Additionally, you cannot get a tractor 90 degrees to the ride for winching. The high pull on the excavator means the butt stays off the ground too. And if you find you need a slightly different angle, there is no tediousness in resetting the redirect. You just move and put the grab back down to ground.

 

As I said, it would have cut a week off this job (at least) and saved me about £2k in wages. That's one fairly small job too. 12 jobs like that a year and you're the best part of £25k better off.

Getting it too and from site, maintenance, insurance, diesel, operator wages and training, lower inspections etc must work out about the same or more than £2k as you’ll save in wages if it’s only doing the odd job. Looks an awesome bit of kit but I’d leave it to the specialists. 

[Big J]

2 minutes ago, LeeGray said:

Getting it too and from site, maintenance, insurance, diesel, operator wages and training, lower inspections etc must work out about the same or more than £2k as you’ll save in wages if it’s only doing the odd job. Looks an awesome bit of kit but I’d leave it to the specialists. 

True, but that £2k saving was on a job where the tractor managed OK. There are loads of jobs where it would be well out of it's depth but the excavator would handle would handle it without breaking a sweat. I can also pop a mulching head on the machine when required, as well as use it for site works, putting tracks in too.

[Jwoodgardenmaintenance]

What about something like LGP Eddie's old kubota setup winch was on a 3 point linkage then had it all set up for his digger on his engcon looked really multi purpose that machine?

 

Jack 

[Matthew Storrs]

http://www.devonplant.com/detail.asp?ID=1635

 

Here you go J, contractor near here has two of these and rates them very highly- one has done well over 15000 hrs and stills feels tight to operate. 

[arboriculturist]

I'd buy a 7.5t with Engcon attachment to start. Demolition grabs lo-cost but for speed and control of handling and stacking timber Engcon take some beating and nothing touches them for groundworks. That gives you the versatility to do everything Forestry related and all future works at your new home and won't be expensive to move about as 6 wheeler or tractor/trailer rigs can move it. Anything larger is overkill for your situation. The idea of eventually fitting a winch is 100% spot on for Devon topography. Those who haven't worked worked in this region may not appreciate your need for the above setup. ?

Edited March 6, 2019 by arboriculturist

[Stephen Blair]

18 hours ago, struie said:

could have a wee whip roon the troops

Troops! Ha ha where you fae?

?

[struie]

6 hours ago, Stephen Blair said:

Troops! Ha ha where you fae?

?

ha,stayed in abdn for 12yrs or so Stephen,but been a bit of a rolling stone,till now,settled in the scottish borders now, you stay in a braw bit o the country though.