best/smallest machine to pull/push big trucks when wet?

[justwater]

Opinions needed. I run a well drilling company and sometimes have trouble getting trucks in and out of properties when it's wet. What would be the smallest and most feasible machine to easily help pull or push trucks (largest 45000lb loaded) into and out of job sites? I would imagine something with tracks. would a crawler loader/backhoe work? they seem weird but it would be more handy to me than a blade. Maybe a better option? Any opinions welcome. Thanks

 

[Sysop]

When a well was drilled near my place, they had to take a dozer up the hill, anchor it down as a pulling point. It was equipped with a winch they used to drag all the other equipment up the hill.

 

[Rustyiron]

I've seen guy's rig up a BIG hydraulic winch that mounted on a skid steer. Iirc he used part of a backhoe frame with the outriggers that had been altered to aggresivly dig in under winching loads. Put some over the tire metal tracks on it and they'll go anywhere and you can move it around with a pickup truck. Your welcome! (I know you were just looking for a reason to justify buying a SS)

 

[justwater]

Thanks. Hadn't thought about a mobile anchor/winch, like to see a simple setup in action. Have had winches on trucks but never works out right when you need it. We have a couple farm tractors, wonder if something like that could be done with a 3 point setup? It isn't massive equipment. A truck with a drill rig and a short tandem support/water truck. My initial thought was to look at the smallest track machine that could handle it and weld push bumpers on everything.

 

[RickB]

45,000 lbs might not be massive equipment, but dragging it through the mud is no small task. Track loaders typically have street pads and won't pull like a dozer with grouser tracks, a smaller machine with a winch is appealing until you don't have anything to anchor it to.

Go old school. Find a pony start D6 9U with a straight blade and winch. Get'er done!

 

[mapper]

Crawler with a winch, so you don't have to push in muddy conditions, park it on dry ground with good traction and pull the other equipment out. If you think that a stuck wheeled vehicle is tough to extricate from mud, try getting something on tracks out.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Check out the track units that area used by mobile home installers. Winch are on some or can be installed. Might be a interesting combination of size, weight, ability, and cost.


CSI | 465 / 48 House-Tug

 

[aczlan]

Check out the track units that area used by mobile home installers. Winch are on some or can be installed. Might be a interesting combination of size, weight, ability, and cost.


CSI | 465 / 48 House-Tug

One nice thing about those, is that at least some of them are remote controlled so (in theory) one person could drive the truck and winch themselves out or push or pull themselves out.

Aaron Z

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Forget a tractor! 45,000 pounds stuck in the mud will take a fair size dozer to drag it through... A newer D3 or better yet D4 with a winch will get it done, the winch is the key...

Bigger dozer is better, but a newer D4 will be easier to haul and is more useful for clean up after...

SR

 

[Egon]

Swamp mats??