Which Trailer. Fast Tow or Ifor and Forestry Trailer

[Ty Unnos]

Hi All

 

Getting myself set up to extract small stuff using either a quad or alpine tractor.

 

What do you think gives me the best setup. A Fast Tow from Riko:

 

Riko UK ::  Fast tow forwarding trailers

 

With the fast tow I can load the tractor on the back and tow it to site and then use the tractor to tow the trailer for wood extraction. I can then bring timber back to base in the fast tow which I like. But can I still use it to deliver logs behind my Defender? Also it is not cheap and unlikely to find second hand. Is it worth it?

 

Or a separate Ifor Williams flat bed and Forestry Trailer:

 

LT & LM - New & Used Trailers - Horsebox, Livestock, Plant, Tippers, Car Transporters, Flatbed, Box Van, Spares

 

Riko UK ::  Small trailers

 

I think the I can still get the tractor and trailer into the Ifor trailer to move to site. The forestry trailers fold up right? And I can use the Ifor to move timber, firewood and charcoal. Is this a cheaper option? Is it more flexible? I reckon I can find a second hand Ifor trailer easily enough but what about the forestry trailer?

[doobin]

You'll make up your mind quick enough when you see the price of those fast tow trailers...

[Ty Unnos]

You'll make up your mind quick enough when you see the price of those fast tow trailers...

 

I know what you mean! Reading the fast tow brochure it breaks down like this:

 

8' x 5' Trailer £3600

Crane £4500

 

And maybe these:

 

Flat bed and sides £1650 - so I can deliver firewood as well.

Powerpack £800 - so I can use crane from behind land rover.

 

And thats all plus VAT and there is probably stuff I have missed.

 

But the other option is Ifor Trailer and Forestry Trailer?

 

Ifor Trailer 2-3K. With sides and cage.

And the forestry trailer 2K? With Crane 7-8K?

 

So none of it is cheap!

 

I guess the most sensible is second hand Ifor and Forestry Trailer without crane.

Edited June 27, 2011 by Ty Unnos

[Chris Sheppard]

I know what you mean! Reading the fast tow brochure it breaks down like this:

 

8' x 5' Trailer £3600

Crane £4500

 

And maybe these:

 

Flat bed and sides £1650 - so I can deliver firewood as well.

Powerpack £800 - so I can use crane from behind land rover.

 

And thats all plus VAT and there is probably stuff I have missed.

 

But the other option is Ifor Trailer and Forestry Trailer?

 

Ifor Trailer 2-3K. With sides and cage.

And the forestry trailer 2K? With Crane 7-8K?

 

So none of it is cheap!

 

I guess the most sensible is second hand Ifor and Forestry Trailer without crane.

 

Think the last sentence just answered your own question

 

Small forestry trailers are like rocking horse poop second hand, so you can pretty much rule that one out right from the start unless you're prepared to wait a good while (thouggh I do know where there is a timber dragon from before AV started bringing them in but it does need some fettling).

 

Unfortunatley with any small scale stuff, the crane is the expensive bit, but there's nothign to stop you buying that at a later date.

 

To fit a tractor and a small forwarding traielr on the same traielr is almost impossible unless you have the tiniest of each and a massive trailer. We just have to make two trips.

 

What about getting the fast tow but no crane until later? Use it as forestrt traielr or log bus and then if you really need a crane then get one later. Might even work out cheaper than going down the new ifor and new forestry trailer route.

[gensetsteve]

I have just got a ifor TT105 made some cheap mesh sides. The 105 takes 3.5 tonne gross without being too clumsy for log deliveries and it does not lend it self to overloading as easily as a TT126

[Robert_S]

there was a video of mini digger on here with a grab and rotator pulling a trailer into extract wood, they then loaded the digger on to the back of the same trailer and towed the whole unit home. looked quite handy:thumbup1:

[gensetsteve]

there was a video of mini digger on here with a grab and rotator pulling a trailer into extract wood, they then loaded the digger on to the back of the same trailer and towed the whole unit home. looked quite handy:thumbup1:

 

That looked a better idea. problem with fitting a crane on a car trailer is it kills the payload which is not great to start with. Your not going to earn a living hauling 2.5 tonnes of cord back to base unless your paid to do it.

[Tom D]

I have an alpine and I tow it on either a flatbed or on the back of an atlas tipper.

 

TBH I wouldn't bother with the timber trailer, get either a front loader or a 3pl timber crane, then just use your tipping trailer, that will be a much more flexible setup.

 

In fact it wouldn't take much to get a short kingpost crane mounted on the back of the alpine leaving the 3pl free for a winch. you could use the mounting points for the rear roll bar or down onto the axle.

[Ty Unnos]

Thanks Guys.

 

Can I ask, are there any negatives to a tipping trailer vs a flatbed? (other than the cost of course)

[Tom D]

slightly higher centre of gravity, and a lower payload, my atlas weighs about a ton empty, so i still get 2.5ton on it which is quite a lot.