Alstor 8x8??

[Chris Sheppard]

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...

 

Price wise, I really don't know. Mid £20K's would definitely make it more attractive compared to an Alstor I'm sure.

 

Like the Alstor, I'm sure it would be a fairly niche market so there's never going to be the huge numbers of sales.

 

I've no real experience of the Alstor other than wathing them at Demos or on the internet, but things I see as negatives are the ATV type tyres look as though they could be easily damaged, the lack of reverse drive on the base models and the small payload.

 

I realise the payload can't be made much more without making the machine bigger but I feel a machine that sat between the Alstor and say a Vimek 606 would be a good useable size.

 

Sub 6ft wide between the bolsters and artic steering would be able to wiggle through most younger thinnings in the UK.

 

8wd would be nice, but 6wd would be a good starting point.

 

Reverse drive.

 

Diesel Engine.

 

Good hydraulic flow, with enough pressure to be able to handle something like a biomass shear (or even a bed processor/small stroke harvester head?)

 

Being able to transport it on a trailer behind a suitable 4x4 would be a huge advantage, even if it meant a purpose built skeletal trailer.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

http://www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/RESOURCES/REF_LIB_RES/PUBLICATIONS/TECHNICAL_DEVELOPMENT/TN4098.PDF

 

Some interesting costs/m3 there; not entirely favourable either...

 

quote: "alstor... 3m3/hr @ £4.60/m3 on 3m produce". And that was then!

 

A £40k machine to do that

 

So VERY terrain specific only ?

Edited March 30, 2013 by TimberCutterDartmoor

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

You'd not catch me paying myself £8 an hour for extraction! Not worth getting out of bed for!

 

aye, some of those figures are well off; the very low volumes removed with the bigger gear only prove that of course they're going to struggle in a swamp whereas an alstor might do better since it weighs a tenth!