Forwarding trailers with cranes

[cessna]

I am considering purchasing a forwarding trailer with built on crane, to use with 100hp 4wd tractor. (1) What is a good all round size forwarding trailer/ lift capacity crane to buy for use in moving thinnings and the odd large beech/oak tree. (2) Which make would you go for,I need a really strong well built machine.

What is the main differences between Farma Cranes and Botex both sold by Jas P.Wilson.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

I am considering purchasing a forwarding trailer with built on crane, to use with 100hp 4wd tractor. (1) What is a good all round size forwarding trailer/ lift capacity crane to buy for use in moving thinnings and the odd large beech/oak tree. (2) Which make would you go for,I need a really strong well built machine.

What is the main differences between Farma Cranes and Botex both sold by Jas P.Wilson.

 

Farma good for occasional use; botex will lift a planet but something like this is better than both:

 

forestry forwarding trailer kesla | eBay

[monkeybusiness]

I've just bought an 11 tonne KTS from Ryetec - it looks very good but isn't being put to work until next week. I'll let you know how it performs!

[RDB logs]

Extending crane and steering drawbar are really worth their extra money, my tractor and trailer would be still stuck in the woods now if it weren't for the steering!!

 

Cheers rich:thumbup:

[renewablejohn]

Another vote for Kesla I have 9 tonne with telescopic crane for extra reach and the steering drawbar is well worth it in tight woods.

[cessna]

Another vote for Kesla I have 9 tonne with telescopic crane for extra reach and the steering drawbar is well worth it in tight woods.

 

Renewablejohn,can you tell me the actual model of trailer and crane you have,and which tractor you pull it with,have you had the unit long. I assume they are very well built.

[renewablejohn]

Renewablejohn,can you tell me the actual model of trailer and crane you have,and which tractor you pull it with,have you had the unit long. I assume they are very well built.

 

Trailer is a Kesla 9T fitted with a 202T crane which I pull with a MB Trac 1000. Had it about 3 years now and the only damage done is the weld on a 8 way hydraulic lever broke off. Have a word with Jim at Caledonian Forestry he normally has some good deals on new and nearly new Kesla kit.

 

If I new I was doing so much road work I would have opted for the brake and lighting kit but at the time I bought it I assumed I would forward to roadside then attach the 202T to the 3 point link and use my air braked 4 wheel drag trailer to pick the timber up from roadside and cart the timber home. Unfortunately the woodland fairies now mean that timber is cut and carted without stock piling even though its not as efficient.

Edited November 29, 2013 by renewablejohn

[muldonach]

We have an old 8t Botex which is built like a brick outhouse, it is perhaps a bit heavy for the Valtra (100hp) on anything but real good ground and reversing is to be avoided if at all possible - thr trailer tends to steer the tractor into a jack knife.

 

dont be too impressed with trailer specs - it is difficult to get the rated weight on to the trailer - that load in the avatar was 5t and we just put another load of moxed hardwoods over the weighbridge for a customer and again it was 5t

 

The Kesla trailers here look like good bits of kit but what tractors are folks using with them - I would reckon I would need 140hp for that fully loaded but whats the experience out there?

 

I don't have a steering drawbar but have often wished for one, front weights on the tractor help quite a bit with traction.

 

One weakness on the botex is that the stabliser rams are weak and liable to bend the ram if you forget to lift them:blushing:

 

If you want to lift big sticks then there is really no option but a big crane although if you have removable bolsters you can lift big sticks on one end at a time, again a big crane adds a lot of weight and tends to lift the front end of the tractor.

 

Cheers

mac

[RDB logs]

We have an old 8t Botex which is built like a brick outhouse, it is perhaps a bit heavy for the Valtra (100hp) on anything but real good ground and reversing is to be avoided if at all possible - thr trailer tends to steer the tractor into a jack knife.

 

dont be too impressed with trailer specs - it is difficult to get the rated weight on to the trailer - that load in the avatar was 5t and we just put another load of moxed hardwoods over the weighbridge for a customer and again it was 5t

 

The Kesla trailers here look like good bits of kit but what tractors are folks using with them - I would reckon I would need 140hp for that fully loaded but whats the experience out there?

 

I don't have a steering drawbar but have often wished for one, front weights on the tractor help quite a bit with traction.

 

One weakness on the botex is that the stabliser rams are weak and liable to bend the ram if you forget to lift them:blushing:

 

If you want to lift big sticks then there is really no option but a big crane although if you have removable bolsters you can lift big sticks on one end at a time, again a big crane adds a lot of weight and tends to lift the front end of the tractor.

 

Cheers

mac

 

I have a palms crane and a polish trailer from Halse of honiton and for the big lumps I also take the bolsters out and with a wire strop looped under the log and attached to the trailer it will roll the log on

[Brushcutter]

I've just bought an 11 tonne KTS from Ryetec - it looks very good but isn't being put to work until next week. I'll let you know how it performs!

 

I saw that at their firewood demo tour. Very nice trailer come with the stags head leavers too.

 

Thats our botex 570 on our 10 tonne euro trailer. On a 100hp tractor and it does struggle with a full load. In fact just pulling the thing around you feel it back there.

 

Good points with the Botex cranes is that is a potential >2.4t lift depending on what grapple and rotor you have on. The reach is either 6,7,8 meters depending on the model. Steering drawbar is standard. Bang for your buck you'll struggle to beat a botex. That one extends which is a nice option. Ewan in the parts department is good too. He stripped a trailer of it breaks in the yard as i needed some.

 

Not so good points are that as said very easy to damage the stabiliser legs. The rams are fairly cheap as it happens a lot. The heating the mounting points up with the torch and nudging the back true with the tele handler is not cheap or easy. If you get the longer cranes its very easy to knock the top off the extension cylinder couplings and pop the welds on the pipe. Its a 700 quid ram on the 570tl as the fixings are welded into the cylinder. Also taking an extension out fitting the ram and putting it back together again is a pain.

 

Farma not had any working experence with but their new generation of trailers look very nice. Not as powerful as a botex but well made.

 

Kesla cranes are proper forestry cranes lack lift capacity still 1.5t range but so much faster on the crane controls. Also a lot more thought is put into the hydraulic lay out. So a lot less things to knock off. Their trailers are very very well built.

 

What it really comes down to is what your budget is. If you want to spend 6-8K then you might get a well used botex. Or a brand new 6 tonne farma. If you want to spend 40-50k then all singing all dancing Moheda/kronos is for you.

 

A lot depends on forwarding distances too if your doing long routes then you don't want a 6tonne trailer.