Kranman Bison

Having stopped doing forestry a year and a half ago to focus on sawmilling, I must admit that I sometimes miss it, and I'm hoping to do a limited amount of it again on the basis of purchasing standing timber and managing the job, selling the timber etc.

Part of that requires extraction, and I've always been taken with mini forwarders. The Kranman Bison always struck me as good value and I was wondering if anyone had any experience of them? I have a friend who I think I stand a sporting chance of persuading to buy one.

Separately, them seem to have a prototype processor attachment, which I think would be great for the smaller diameter softwoods we have so much of up here. Here is a video of it in action:

Thoughts?

And a dedicated little processor:

Nice little kit but time you buy it (and they won't be cheap) then pay operator will you get enough production to justify it? I suspect not

Fully specced Bison 6000 (no processor price available that I can see) is £25k. 30t a day at £10 a tonne should see a reasonable return.

You'll never do 30t a day with that J, remember you also need cutter to fell trees too

Edit - sorry, just realised bison is the forwarder. Still won't do 30t a day

You'll never do 30t a day with that J, remember you also need cutter to fell trees too

 

Edit - sorry, just realised bison is the forwarder. Still won't do 30t a day

We used to have an Alstor following us round on the hardwood. He'd regularly do 40 tonnes. 30 tonnes is only 15 loads (one every 34 minutes on an 8.5hr day).

I must admit £25k is cheaper than I thought it would be. They have their place I guess, but sorry, I've never once know these wee forwarders to turn out decent volume day in day out

Is their spec sheet correct.. Says it only weighs a ton. Surely time crane, bolsters etc that can't be right?

http://www.kranman.com/images/pdf/bisonbroschyr/Kranman_Export.pdf

Is their spec sheet correct.. Says it only weighs a ton. Surely time crane, bolsters etc that can't be right?

 

http://www.kranman.com/images/pdf/bisonbroschyr/Kranman_Export.pdf

I think the Alstor weighed in at 1300kg if memory serves.

As you say, they have their place. Good for low impact sites, first and second thinnings and small jobs. You only need an Ifor trailer to get them to site, removing all haulage costs.

I think there's someone with a Vimek out your way, not sure what it weighs - 5ish ton?