Alstor 8x8??

[areleywood]

any machine rolls if you are running across a slope its basic forwarder driver skill that you plan your routes accordingly and run slopes straight or if too drastic winch down the timber and drive out straight from the bottom . its not the machine that is flawed but the operator training . i'm 6ft 4 and operate the machine fine and the machine has passed all the standards to work on fc ground with or without the full cab . All i seem to get is people who try to dismiss the machine i use it for proper forest operations where i need to make money from road side sales and i'm still making a profit. Many people have tried to make smaller machines and i have demo'd loads of them , its simple the alstor works

[cousin jack]

got a combi drag just need to find the motive power for it

 

i have to agree with john about how well made some are made and this inferulanced my choice of getting a horse

 

I've got a good mare for sale, where did you get yer kombi drag from, they are a well engineered bit of kit.

[doobin]

I agree with Big J- way too pricey for what it is.

[RichardT]

I am sure that there are agricultural mechanics here that could build a better machine for a lower price.

 

I agree, let's crowdsource a spec, seedcorn funding and crack on with it!

[Chris Sheppard]

I am sure that there are agricultural mechanics here that could build a better machine for a lower price.

 

I agree, let's crowdsource a spec, seedcorn funding and crack on with it!

 

I reckon a smaller driven trailer with steering drawbar (of around 2.5-4T) would be a good first part to the project as there's currently nothing available like that. The only small driven trailers I've seen are tiny like the vahva jussi and kranman.

 

Once a working trailer was built, it probably wouldn't take a lot of doing to make a front end and splice the two together into a working unit.

 

If it could be kept as close to 2.5T and sub 16ft as possible then that would be a huge advantage as it would be easily transported too.

 

However, IMO, in the UK there'd probably be more chance of selling a trailer than a complete forwarder. The downside of the tractor and trailer though is that it takes two trips each time to transport it onto site.

 

When at Riko, I looked at the possibility of using one of the smaller alpines as a front end of a small forwarder or stretching an artic steer AGT but still kept coming back to the driven trailer idea - like with everything though it's time and money.

 

Slighty off on a tangent, I still think a mid sized dumper could be made into a good compact skidder. Take the tub off, make it reverse drive and mount the winch and butt plate where the tub were - mini timberjack

Edited March 24, 2013 by Chris Sheppard

[john k]

I reckon a smaller driven trailer with steering drawbar (of around 2.5-4T) would be a good first part to the project as there's currently nothing available like that. The only small driven trailers I've seen are tiny like the vahva jussi and kranman.

I agree. There definitely does seem to be a gap in the market.

 

Something like an AGT850 with a powered trailer would surely give an Alstor a run for its money and be way more versatile.

[Chris Sheppard]

I agree. There definitely does seem to be a gap in the market.

 

Something like an AGT850 with a powered trailer would surely give an Alstor a run for its money and be way more versatile.

 

For sure. Can't beleive there's nothing available off the shelf in that size yet.

[treedave]

Gotta say the alstor has its place and its problems. I've driven one enough to get my Fmo on it and decide to go the alpine & trailer route. Looking at a big hp alpine and still trying to source a good 4-5t trailer (recommendations welcome). Have decide to go drag to start with and retro a cage drive later. This is due to finance and not being able to find a suitable off shelf driven unit. Have heard that Riko are looking at a driven trailer system, but struggling with the complexity/ longevity/cost/weight equation.any updates Jim?

 

 

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[RichardT]

I still think a mid sized dumper could be made into a good compact skidder

 

You'll occasionally see homebrews of this type on Blocket.se - Sveriges största Köp & Sälj marknad, also smaller ones designed for skidding elks to roadside.

 

The obvious advantage of a tractor front end is that it can do other stuff when not hauling a trailer. I've probably posted this eg before: Mactrac | Miniskotaren Mactrac

 

Then again something like the Kranman Bison front end could equally be mated with a simple skidder or loader back end....

[Chris Sheppard]

Gotta say the alstor has its place and its problems. I've driven one enough to get my Fmo on it and decide to go the alpine & trailer route. Looking at a big hp alpine and still trying to source a good 4-5t trailer (recommendations welcome). Have decide to go drag to start with and retro a cage drive later. This is due to finance and not being able to find a suitable off shelf driven unit. Have heard that Riko are looking at a driven trailer system, but struggling with the complexity/ longevity/cost/weight equation.any updates Jim?

 

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Our 4T weimer's been a good trailer on the whole. The wheel track could do with being about 6 inches wider and a steering drawbar would be nice but it's a scaled down big trailer rather than a scaled up small trailer. We've only got the 3m crane on it but as it's a cut down 4.1m e can retrofit the longer booms if we wanted to.

 

Did you ever see pics of the drive unit Steve fitted to one of the smaller JMS trailers? Worked well enough to push the tractor round just off the trailer wheels. Limiting factor with the JMS trailers was they were on quad type tyres so wuld have worn fairly quickly.

 

I still think a mid sized dumper could be made into a good compact skidder

 

You'll occasionally see homebrews of this type on Blocket.se - Sveriges största Köp & Sälj marknad, also smaller ones designed for skidding elks to roadside.

 

The obvious advantage of a tractor front end is that it can do other stuff when not hauling a trailer. I've probably posted this eg before: Mactrac | Miniskotaren Mactrac

 

Then again something like the Kranman Bison front end could equally be mated with a simple skidder or loader back end....

 

That Mactrac looks a simple enough thing.

 

Reckon an old compact tractor could be chopped about enough to make a front end not disimilar to the kranman front end. Can usually lose a good few inches off the bonnet before getting to the front of the engine.

 

I'd love to have the time and facilities to make a proper little homebrew thinnings forwarder but I don't think it's ever going to happen.

 

Best we might manage is to stick a steering drawbar on ours and maybe one day some wider offset rims and drive cages.