RANT & RAVE, a guy at TCI Expo, rubbed my usually thick skin a little thin. The comments that urked me(my Bad) came from stubborn guys with limited experience and closed minds.
I know I have beat this dead horse B4, but I still am surprised at the amount of Tree Dudes that are humping Brush and wood by hand, with ball carts, arches, and even trailers on ATVs. Having been there and done that, I submit the following videos and experiences in attempt to make a working mans life easier and more profitable.
This first video I am posting was made in attempt to show how an experienced mini skid operator with a gravity turning (non powered) SKID grapple (my BMG). The ease of which this man manipulates the grapple is pretty apparent. A powered Rotator would actually slow this operator down. Follow my text explaining why I strongly believe powered Rotators are not necessary on the stand on mini loaders. (I forgot to mention powered rotators extra weight, significant cost increase, and future maintenance)
Upon multiple views and varied comments at TCI Expo 2 other valuable pieces of Information stood out in this Video.
#1 WHY WOULD YOU PAY $15 ~ $20 ~ $30 or more an HOUR for a Laborer(climber/owner) to chip brush & hump Logs by hand.
when a Machine and grapple will finance for around $15 a day? Guys constantly tell me they don't want to go in debt(thats smart) when they can't pay cash, but they kinda finance a groundsman all year at what 30 ~ 35K anyways. Nobody likes paying interest, but you pay out more $$s in labor hours every day then the interest ever works out to be. Not financing a machine and forwarding brush and logs manually is not economically smart.
Watch the amount of material this operator moves by himself, I doubt he broke a sweat (this brush was layed out by a crane on an 80 degree day) This guy could keep this up all day and still go home with some energy left for the wife and kids.
#2 SKID OR BUCKET STYLE GRAPPLE? 4 points to consider
First, if this operator had a Bucket style grapple (carry's the load horizontal to the machine) he would have to drive up on the lawn and grab the brush in the middle. More Turf traffic more damage.
Second, If you were driving into a back yard with a Bucket style grapple you have to line the machine up to the brush and logs and or Doze the brush and logs into line with the grapple. A skid type grapple will turn to the load allowing the operator to take the shortest path in and the GOOD operator will always back straight out. Bottom line --- Bucket grapple more driving/dozing/and damage to your clients lawns --- Skid grapple less turf traffic/less damage, even more important when you run a tracked machine.
Third, A bucket style grapple brings the loads out wide causing more cutting of the material to match the width of the access to the front yard. In tight urban settings guys find themselves trying to pinch the Butt to drag the load length wise (some guys and grapples do fairly good at it), when that doesn't work well they get out and tie a choker rope on and pull/skid the load out length wise (not efficient to feed the chipper this way either). The Skid Grapple? no dozing of the material, drag limbs out as long as possible (cripple the crotches) easily release the load into the chipper or drop the log into its landing.
Fourth, when you feed a chipper with a "Bucket" style grapple the operator has 1 chance to accurately swing the brush butts into the chipper, if he misses he will be skidding back and forth to re-position the load into the chipper. Note in the video how the free spinning grapple keeps the flow more fluid. (less wear and tear on the tracks or wheels also simply faster and easier)
Funny TCI comment "I just want to haul the logs there aint that much brush on my trees anyways"
??? not much brush? yeah I can move branches like the ones in the video all day with one arm . . . . . NOT!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rthC-JAAz3Y&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
Comments, rebuttals, pictures & videos from experienced mini owners, and questions from all interested tree guys welcome
I know I have beat this dead horse B4, but I still am surprised at the amount of Tree Dudes that are humping Brush and wood by hand, with ball carts, arches, and even trailers on ATVs. Having been there and done that, I submit the following videos and experiences in attempt to make a working mans life easier and more profitable.
This first video I am posting was made in attempt to show how an experienced mini skid operator with a gravity turning (non powered) SKID grapple (my BMG). The ease of which this man manipulates the grapple is pretty apparent. A powered Rotator would actually slow this operator down. Follow my text explaining why I strongly believe powered Rotators are not necessary on the stand on mini loaders. (I forgot to mention powered rotators extra weight, significant cost increase, and future maintenance)
Upon multiple views and varied comments at TCI Expo 2 other valuable pieces of Information stood out in this Video.
#1 WHY WOULD YOU PAY $15 ~ $20 ~ $30 or more an HOUR for a Laborer(climber/owner) to chip brush & hump Logs by hand.
when a Machine and grapple will finance for around $15 a day? Guys constantly tell me they don't want to go in debt(thats smart) when they can't pay cash, but they kinda finance a groundsman all year at what 30 ~ 35K anyways. Nobody likes paying interest, but you pay out more $$s in labor hours every day then the interest ever works out to be. Not financing a machine and forwarding brush and logs manually is not economically smart.
Watch the amount of material this operator moves by himself, I doubt he broke a sweat (this brush was layed out by a crane on an 80 degree day) This guy could keep this up all day and still go home with some energy left for the wife and kids.
#2 SKID OR BUCKET STYLE GRAPPLE? 4 points to consider
First, if this operator had a Bucket style grapple (carry's the load horizontal to the machine) he would have to drive up on the lawn and grab the brush in the middle. More Turf traffic more damage.
Second, If you were driving into a back yard with a Bucket style grapple you have to line the machine up to the brush and logs and or Doze the brush and logs into line with the grapple. A skid type grapple will turn to the load allowing the operator to take the shortest path in and the GOOD operator will always back straight out. Bottom line --- Bucket grapple more driving/dozing/and damage to your clients lawns --- Skid grapple less turf traffic/less damage, even more important when you run a tracked machine.
Third, A bucket style grapple brings the loads out wide causing more cutting of the material to match the width of the access to the front yard. In tight urban settings guys find themselves trying to pinch the Butt to drag the load length wise (some guys and grapples do fairly good at it), when that doesn't work well they get out and tie a choker rope on and pull/skid the load out length wise (not efficient to feed the chipper this way either). The Skid Grapple? no dozing of the material, drag limbs out as long as possible (cripple the crotches) easily release the load into the chipper or drop the log into its landing.
Fourth, when you feed a chipper with a "Bucket" style grapple the operator has 1 chance to accurately swing the brush butts into the chipper, if he misses he will be skidding back and forth to re-position the load into the chipper. Note in the video how the free spinning grapple keeps the flow more fluid. (less wear and tear on the tracks or wheels also simply faster and easier)
Funny TCI comment "I just want to haul the logs there aint that much brush on my trees anyways"
??? not much brush? yeah I can move branches like the ones in the video all day with one arm . . . . . NOT!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rthC-JAAz3Y&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
Comments, rebuttals, pictures & videos from experienced mini owners, and questions from all interested tree guys welcome
