Alstor 8x8??

[Chris Sheppard]

We are still working on the idea of the small driven trailer for the alpine.

We really want to go with a PTO driven set up as most of the alpines have a ground speed PTO and it would be good to utilise that. The problem is balancing weight, price and quality.

There are PTO driven tipping trailers available on the market, but none are quite suitable for converting.

AGT 850 is about £18k+vat. One of our 3 ton trailers with a crane is about £8k+vat, if we added £6k+vat for the drive system that would be a total price of about £32k+vat. Cheaper than an Alstor, but would enough people buy it to make it worthwhile developing?

 

Before I worked at Riko I built a small hydraulic drive skidder from scratch. Cracking project, really enjoyed doing it.

Is there actually anyone who would stump the cash to build a rival to the Alstor? Always looking for another project....

 

Did you find a home for the skidder Jim? Wonder if it could be strected and have a bogie axle fitted at the back instead without too much chopping?

[JimE]

Hi Chris,

yea, sold it to the guy who built the amphibious cars for Top Gear.

Am working with him using the componenets from it to make an amphibous rescue craft!

Was a bit sad cutting up my lovely tractor, but the new project is pretty interesting!

 

I'd be willing to make another unit more like the alstor, but dont have the cash to stump up!

[normandylumberjack]

Would love to see some photos JimE, sounds like a good piece of kit!

[RichardT]

Jim, If you've got rid of your photos of the mini skidder I've still got the ones you sent me a while back when I was under sore temptation to buy it....just as well it's gone as I've now got shot of the little Mog 411 and created some shed space, but a pity it's getting dismembered.

 

Come to think of it, as you can't at the moment find me a used big alpine maybe you should build me one...

[JimE]

This is the only picture I have at work.

It was taken just before I sold it, so I had taken the linkage off the back.

[Chris Sheppard]

Hi Chris,

yea, sold it to the guy who built the amphibious cars for Top Gear.

Am working with him using the componenets from it to make an amphibous rescue craft!

Was a bit sad cutting up my lovely tractor, but the new project is pretty interesting!

 

I'd be willing to make another unit more like the alstor, but dont have the cash to stump up!

 

At least it's going to live on in one shape or another

[Breezeblock]

Jim, If you've got rid of your photos of the mini skidder I've still got the ones you sent me a while back when I was under sore temptation to buy it....just as well it's gone as I've now got shot of the little Mog 411 and created some shed space, but a pity it's getting dismembered.

 

Come to think of it, as you can't at the moment find me a used big alpine maybe you should build me one...

 

post the pics i like to see oddball/homemade stuff

[areleywood]

plus forestry guarding

[Big J]

I have broached the subject with my tame engineer, and he seems to be quite interested. He did have one superb idea for an anti roll side slope system, which is to have the timber bogey on a horizontal sliding rail (similar to the sliding bogeys on timber haulage trailers). Hit an unavoidable side slope, all you need to do is move the load across a foot and it should be far harder to roll.

 

It would obviously be an expensive option that would be expensive and incur extra weight. However, if a lot of your work involved sideslopes, you might have the market to yourself.

[tcfengineering]

I have long thought of making something similar for myself. In fact I have the main spine, pivot and engine mount drawn up in CAD, just have never taken it further.

 

There is a fair bit of development work to get this right, I dont think its as simple as some are making out. The big question is, what would people be willing to pay ? The concensus seems to be that the Alstor is too dear, but what would be the price ? £20k, £25k ?

 

This would have a big bearing on weather it was worth putting the effort into development and testing/certification, etc...