Articulating Loaders Stability

tnttree

tnttree

Branched out member
Location
Minnesota
Anybody who knows me knows, I love how mini loaders can make a tree guys life so much easier, But Articulating loaders are by far my favorite brush and log forwarding / loading machine. I can bet most tree guys who run them would agree with me.
Every Tree guy I talk to are especially concerned about their high end client’s turf. Personally I don’t care that much for grass, but my clients always seemed to value it more than their trees (another Story). For this main reason I always had an Articulating loader for debris forwarding in my Iron collection. These machines do NO turf damage, have great maneuverability, speed, lift height, great visibility, plus my lazy butt gets to sit and ride. The small Arty’s have all these plus’s and are not that much more money than the high end diesel Minis loaders available today. Just had a tree guy tell me that a dealer for a certain unnamed “monster Cadillac” mini loader wanted 31K for it! Sheesh, I can put a 140, a BMG and a Dual Arty package together for 30K ! (whoops shameless self promotion)
gehl140dualBmg2-1.jpg
 
The only drawback to these machines, in my opinion is stability. They are tricky to get used to and invariably they get rolled over by the inexperienced overzealous operator. I to rolled my swinger and an old Case Scatback loader back in my field days. Rookie employees probably added 3 more of these incidents over the years. This prompted me to only let my experienced operators run my articulating loaders.
Pretty scary stuff when you see your machine on its side like this one, makes ya heart sick.
340rolled.jpg

Still dramatic events like this did not dissuade me from keeping this class of loaders at the top of my must have tree removal equipment.
 
That said some tree guys who have experienced a rollover, have written off this great tool for their company as to dangerous for their employees.
For a long time now, for this reason I have been meaning to get round to making some duals for the Gehl AL140 I sell. Which several of my customers have rolled some more than once.

Click the picture to start video


I gotta tell ya the stability these duals give to the machine is greatly improved. I would have rolled at least a half dozen times doing what I was doing.
 
ONE MORE THING TO THINK ABOUT DIESELS

Engineers are rumoring that the new tier 4 requirements that hit in 2014? for small HP diesels are going to double the price of engines. this means a $4000 25 HP eng will cost the mfg $8000. They are rumored to be very finicky in cold weather, hard starting and other emission issues.

they say that high costs will revert them back to gas small engines.

I don't claim to understand all the tier 4 changes , but given what they tell me, a guy considering equipment with a small HP Diesel engine, just might want to buy sooner than later

If you know more about this subject please add to the conversation/rumor
 
[ QUOTE ]
ONE MORE THING TO THINK ABOUT DIESELS

Engineers are rumoring that the new tier 4 requirements that hit in 2014? for small HP diesels are going to double the price of engines. this means a $4000 25 HP eng will cost the mfg $8000. They are rumored to be very finicky in cold weather, hard starting and other emission issues.

they say that high costs will revert them back to gas small engines.

I don't claim to understand all the tier 4 changes , but given what they tell me, a guy considering equipment with a small HP Diesel engine, just might want to buy sooner than later

If you know more about this subject please add to the conversation/rumor

[/ QUOTE ]

Get Mike Maederer to buy one...

So then I can go work with him and run one! Plus last time I was over there he built some new out buildings and they are very empty. Don't give him my name for this intel
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According to a friend who works for the local Bobcat dealer, the changes with Tier 4 are going to make non-road diesels meet similar standards for on-road diesel engines. Tier 4 is approximately 90% less allowable emissions than tier 3, so serious changes are going to be necessary.

Between the need for more advanced filtration of the exhaust and the addition of catalytic reducers like DEF(diesel exhaust fluid), it's going to increase cost, size, and complexity.

DEF is a good example of why and how the complexity is increased. A storage tank is needed to hold the DEF and an injector system is needed to mix the DEF with the exhaust.

Yet another system to put on the daily equipment checklist, another tank to keep filled, and another container to toss in the fuel locker.
 
the Tier 4 emission standard and its effects on diesel engines is exactly why engine manufacturers with the backing of American businessman (both large and small) need to tell the EPA to "GO TO H..L". It is absolute insanity, what we are allowing to be done to us and our ability to productively make a living. If left unchecked it will eventually have devestating effects on all of us!
 
I hear CAT is pulling their over the road line because they just can't keep up.

Nice loaders Dave, someday!
 
Dave, strictly from a stability standpoint, how did the Boxer articulated loaders compare with the Gehls?

Also, with your extensive experience with the Swinger loaders, how would you rate them in stability- as compared to the German built machines?
 
We have had a Swinger since 2005 and currently have 2. We have never had a roll over and not come close (that I am aware of). While I see the possibility to roll the over, it seems that it would take a substantial error.

We use root grapple grapples on ours. I wonder if keeping the load closer to the machine increases stability?
 
I have a 2005 Swinger 2000 that I bought new. We just put in our 3rd center link a few weeks ago. I have a 1998 240 (I think that is the correct model #?). I have had it since 2008. The 240 is in our shop now and we are about to replace the center link for the first time.
 
I had a Waldon with a fork/grapple unit. Two times I laid it on its side. Very scary!

What I learned was to keep heavy loads very low and not to make turns going down hills.

Arties can be dangerous but other loaders can be tipped too. Being taught proper procedures is important. I had to learn on my own.
 
Both of them have the John Deere. The 240 is a tougher machine. The guys prefer the 240 and leave the 2000 if given the choice. They are very close in performance, but the 2000 seems to be more fragile. The newer 2000 looks better...

It is laughable because I paid 45K for the 2000 new. I bought the 240 on ebay sight unseen for 6K.

Have you used the "skidder" style grapple (like the one in the picture above) on a Swinger? If so what's your opinion?
 
[ QUOTE ]
I hear CAT is pulling their over the road line because they just can't keep up.

Nice loaders Dave, someday!

[/ QUOTE ]

Cat pulled their over the road engines 2 years ago, now International is producing a Cat"clone" with their emissions technology on it.
 
As for the Branch manager or BSG grapples on a Swinger (or any other articulated machine), I have found them to be only practical for feeding a large chipper (where you are "forwarding" very long tree sections). The biggest shortcoming of this type of grapple is the fact that you have no pushing or "bulldozing" capability- everything is grabbed by dropping the grapple down onto it. I personally have a BSG grapple and for the most part it sits idle in the shop, if favor of a standard bucket grapple (we are though hauling debris-not chipping).
 
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