Opico Skidster or sherpa mini loaders

[Mark Bolam]

20 hours ago, Blah said:

I had an Ifor 12x5 flatbed w/ dropsides before I bought the Sherpa, so it goes on that, on aluminium 8ft ramps. Plenty of space for all the extra attachments. 
 

It’s a bit more faff than a dedicated plant trailer with a drop down ramp back, but it’s what I have and it does the job.

 

The guys I work with all run 4x4 tow trucks, as opposed to transit tipper. One of us will tow the tipper trailer, another the chipper, and me the Sherpa train hopefully quite often. Quite useful to be able to shift the trailers and chipper around on site with the Sherpa.

 

I also have a towball mounted on the grab, but it sits on top of it, rather than on the side like yours. That means there’s less underneath the towball so i end up dragging the grab on the ground when the trailer gets nose heavy. Your arrangement is better I think.

 

The Klou grab I have is pretty well thought out.

I see what you mean about your towball configuration.

Stag Machinery do a dedicated towball attachment for under £300.

Anything beats handballing chippers and trailers about!

 

I’ve rinsed some jobs just because the loader gives me the ability to take the chipper to the trees.

Just won another 3 day job for exactly that reason.

 

 

[Blah]

It's fine on two wheeled trailers / chippers, it's on double axle jobs that you need a more delicate touch. I can make it work for now. It needs to earn me some money before I spend more on it!

 

I'm getting quite load creaking when I lift or tilt. I'm assuming it's coming from the bushes on the lifting arm pivot points, which don't have grease points on my machine. Is this normal? Anything to worrry about / fix?

 

 

[Mark Bolam]

The WQ has grease nipples there.

I’d definitely try and get some grease in there somehow!

[doobin]

4 hours ago, Blah said:

It's fine on two wheeled trailers / chippers, it's on double axle jobs that you need a more delicate touch. I can make it work for now. It needs to earn me some money before I spend more on it!

 

I'm getting quite load creaking when I lift or tilt. I'm assuming it's coming from the bushes on the lifting arm pivot points, which don't have grease points on my machine. Is this normal? Anything to worrry about / fix?

 

 

The Sherpa uses plastic bushes in there. They can tend to creak. A squirt of silicon spray or any light lubricant will sort it. 

[Mark Bolam]

And grease, loads of grease.

Get a kid with little hands and a tub of grease and give them a quid.

 

The plastic brushes will love it.

[doobin]

1 minute ago, Mark Bolam said:

And grease, loads of grease.

Get a kid with little hands and a tub of grease and give them a quid.

 

The plastic brushes will love it.

There’s no way to get grease onto the plastic bushes. Spray lubricant is all you need as plastic bushes are pretty self lubricating anyway. Some are oil impregnated also. 
 

I remade all the wear pads studs for my multione in Oilon rather than the original nylon. Saved me an absolute fortune compared to the spares prices and it’s a much better job of it. Removed the grease nipple (as you don’t achieve much lubrication of the inner sliding surfaces by pumping grease in at one end!! And just spray wayoxy in there now. 

Edited October 25 by doobin

[Mark Bolam]

I know!

Didn’t realise it had plastic brushes.

 

I have some teflon spray that is pretty good.

[Blah]

On 25/10/2024 at 17:24, doobin said:

The Sherpa uses plastic bushes in there. They can tend to creak. A squirt of silicon spray or any light lubricant will sort it. 

 

Silicone spray worked a treat. No more squeaky bushes. Thanks!

[dumper]

Doobin how did you get on with the ditch witch ever get it going?

[doobin]

33 minutes ago, dumper said:

Doobin how did you get on with the ditch witch ever get it going?

Worked beautifully and shitloads of pushing power. Fantastic machine on the right job but that right job came along only three times in over a year so I sold it.