Brush trailers

My son figured that one out by himself. I wondered how long it would take him. We get upwards of 1500# on our 5X10X4 trailer without cutting down the stuff. Just wish we had an easier way to unload. I am thinking though.
 
Clever minds will figure out better ways of working without being taught

Marv taught me how to stack brush in woven layers. When we got to the dump we pulled out the 2x4 side stakes. We’d poke them into the sides of the load and roll it off late by layer. Pretty amazing how much we could take off

When we got to about 2-3’ load we’d grab the branch butts and get this side to side wiggle/slide going. At some time we’d drop the butts and drive out from underneath

Laying in a rope/chain/cable about ⅓ back from the front worked too. If a front end loader was around $5 made sure the choked load would be plucked off so easy! Grab it and drive out from underneath.
 
If you've watched the Beverly Hillbillies intro with them moving, I sometimes refer to trailer loads as Beverly Hillbilly loads. I use rope for tying down in those cases. Once on a windy day I had nearly finished stacking and a gust blew the top off the pile. So I tied a temporary diagonal to compress the pile so a) it wouldn't fall over and b) I didn't have to reach as high to stack. Since then its sop for more load to tie, compress, stack on top, tie another diagonal with first embedded in the pile, stack some more, then thread the first rope out of the pile and make it the new top rope wash rinse repeat.

I also use the form a base at the bottom method so after you shrink the pile during unload, depending on the density of the branches, grab the final "bale" and slide it out the end. Sometimes that bale can be a couple feet high if lighter branches. The bottom branches are the handles you grab. You pick and trim the bottom layer to slide nice.

I've contemplated an attachable post out the rear of the trailer to make a self contained winch pull anchor but never followed through. It's kind of like taking a break to spend an extra five minutes doing unload which always goes much faster than loading the trailer. Maybe I'll change my ways if I start feeling too tired.

So, Tom, I reinvented your wheel. :)
 
southsoundtree said:
What looks like a capstan on the feed tray?
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Good eye....it indeed is a capstan that has been looped into the hydrolic system...the previous owner was a industrious fellow and he had it rigged up. I must admit that ot works incredibly well and has saved us from a bunch of dragging and arbor trolleying
 
Dump trailers can usually hold much more brush than one may think. The key is cutting it all up once it’s inside the trailer (I use a saw with 24in bar usually), and it breaks it all down and now you’ve got more room to keep filling.

I’ve got a small-medium sized dump trailer I added sides to, and I’ve already done three pruning jobs without dumping and it’s not even filled up full. When the brush is first put in it may overflow, but once it’s cut up it takes up much less space.

A full trailer with brush that isn’t cut up can likely become a trailer that is half full or even less when cut up.
 
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oldoakman said:
And a chipper cuts that brush into even smaller pieces so you can get even more brush on a trailer.
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Right...but not everyone can afford a chipper or wants to invest in one. It takes little effort to get in the trailer and cut brush up with a saw, but it is much less cost than having to invest in a truck and chipper.

All depends on what route you want to go. No one way is better than the other in my opinion, it’s whatever works for your business and what you’re doing.
 
I have two chipping contractors
oldoakman said:
And a chipper cuts that brush into even smaller pieces so you can get even more brush on a trailer.
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Chipper would be ideal, but doesn't fit my business model. I'm a sole proprietor and only operate 1-3 days a week. I have two steady chipping contractors that I use. One operates out of the east end of the city, one out of the west.

An hour of chipping costs me $225. If a job requires more than 2 trips to the dump I just work the chipping cost into the quote. I'll often do a small job first and dump the brush (sometimes discreetly) at the second job if I'm bringing a chipper in for cleanup.

This model saves the initial expense of buying equipment, but I also pass along the burden of maintenance and equipment storage space to the contractor (who has to do those things either way). Also my trailer is small enough that I can tow it will a mid sized SUV and it parks nicely in my city sized driveway. I just have no need for a half ton living in the city, did it for years and it sucks.

It's not for everyone but this setup is very efficient for the type of work I do.
 
therianclimber said:
I have two chipping contractors

Chipper would be ideal, but doesn't fit my business model. I'm a sole proprietor and only operate 1-3 days a week. I have two steady chipping contractors that I use. One operates out of the east end of the city, one out of the west.

An hour of chipping costs me $225. If a job requires more than 2 trips to the dump I just work the chipping cost into the quote. I'll often do a small job first and dump the brush (sometimes discreetly) at the second job if I'm bringing a chipper in for cleanup.

This model saves the initial expense of buying equipment, but I also pass along the burden of maintenance and equipment storage space to the contractor (who has to do those things either way). Also my trailer is small enough that I can tow it will a mid sized SUV and it parks nicely in my city sized driveway. I just have no need for a half ton living in the city, did it for years and it sucks.

It's not for everyone but this setup is very efficient for the type of work I do.
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Toronto??
 
climbingmonkey24 said:
Right...but not everyone can afford a chipper or wants to invest in one. It takes little effort to get in the trailer and cut brush up with a saw, but it is much less cost than having to invest in a truck and chipper.

All depends on what route you want to go. No one way is better than the other in my opinion, it’s whatever works for your business and what you’re doing.
Click to expand...
I hear smaller outfits (like mine) say this all the time. I've been running a small Jansen gt2000 clone, sold by woodmaxx, for 2 years now. It is a gravity feed drum chipper with a 12x6 chute opening. Light and small enough to mount on the tongue of most any trailer. Best 2k I ever spent! Its probably paid for itself 20 times over. Best part is it creates fine chips that clients practically beg to keep. Chainsaw chipping works but this is an upgrade in every way.
 
Barc Buster said:
I hear smaller outfits (like mine) say this all the time. I've been running a small Jansen gt2000 clone, sold by woodmaxx, for 2 years now. It is a gravity feed drum chipper with a 12x6 chute opening. Light and small enough to mount on the tongue of most any trailer. Best 2k I ever spent! Its probably paid for itself 20 times over. Best part is it creates fine chips that clients practically beg to keep. Chainsaw chipping works but this is an upgrade in every way.
Click to expand...

Just looked this up. Seems like a pretty sweet, compact, in-expensive solution. Sometimes in tight streets in the city it can be a pita to get our 12" chipper with trucks and trailers parked. Care to share a pic of the setup?
 
Barc Buster said:
I hear smaller outfits (like mine) say this all the time. I've been running a small Jansen gt2000 clone, sold by woodmaxx, for 2 years now. It is a gravity feed drum chipper with a 12x6 chute opening. Light and small enough to mount on the tongue of most any trailer. Best 2k I ever spent! Its probably paid for itself 20 times over. Best part is it creates fine chips that clients practically beg to keep. Chainsaw chipping works but this is an upgrade in every way.
Click to expand...
Never heard of mounting it to trailer. Got any pics?
 
RyTheTreeGuy said:
Just looked this up. Seems like a pretty sweet, compact, in-expensive solution. Sometimes in tight streets in the city it can be a pita to get our 12" chipper with trucks and trailers parked. Care to share a pic of the setup?
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climbingmonkey24 said:
Never heard of mounting it to trailer. Got any pics?
Click to expand...

I don't currently have mine mounted to the tongue of my trailer, but it will fit. I've considered fabing a platform/ramp to mount it to the tongue for more cargo room on my equipment trailer, but never seem to find the time. The point is this little chipper is flexible. Fits through a standard garden gate to chip in backyards etc. I know it has its limits but for me it beats chainsaw chipping hands down.
20200601_183700.jpg
 
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