mini excavator in the forest

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I drove by interesting site today. A guy had a Takeuchi 165 right in the middle of the woods logging about 2 acres. I've seen plenty of excavators on landings and even some on logging trails but I never thought to use one as an extractor or forwarder attached to a trailer as I do not think they would make a good skidder. Was just wondering if anyone else uses a mini or midi excavator as such and if so, what are the pitfalls other than clearance of bringing something like this directly into the woods?

 

[aczlan]

Would probbaly be hard on the drive motors to use it to pull a trailer.

Aaron Z

 

[Gordon Gould]

I saw a video of one being used like you saw. The trees were hand felled and bucked up where they lay. The mini had a grapple and pulled a trailer. It followed the choppers around picking the saw logs and forwarding them to the landing. It was said to be hard on the mini but a fast and over all cost effective method on some small job sites.
It is a interesting idea.

 

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I saw a video of one being used like you saw. The trees were hand felled and bucked up where they lay. The mini had a grapple and pulled a trailer. It followed the choppers around picking the saw logs and forwarding them to the landing. It was said to be hard on the mini but a fast and over all cost effective method on some small job sites.
It is a interesting idea.

That is something I'd like to see as well if you can remember where you saw it that is.

 

[slowzuki]

They use Kubota 161's and other mini's here with processor heads on them for thinning. They drive on the slash and a forwarder picks up the wood.

Similar to this video only not clearcutting:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udzQHYCJCo0[/ame]

More like this:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezwo9vIxLms&feature=related[/ame]

 

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They use Kubota 161's and other mini's here with processor heads on them for thinning. They drive on the slash and a forwarder picks up the wood.

Similar to this video only not clearcutting:
Neuson clearcutting - YouTube

More like this:
Neuson - YouTube

They may use the body of a mini ex but the track chassis design makes these things "shovel loggers" which are designed specifically for this kind of work. I'm talking about he regular mini. I would think it would have to be at least a 6 ton machine. I did find a video of a guy using a mini as a forwarder. There does seem to be a general concern of the undercarriage getting beat up but I have nothing to gage this by. Thanks for the videos.

 

[slowzuki]

No I'm talking regular mini too, I just can't find a video of one. Regular mini ex with some backwoods cab armouring.

 

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No I'm talking regular mini too, I just can't find a video of one. Regular mini ex with some backwoods cab armouring.

I found a video of one but my computer is not allowing me to post it here. I opened it in another window and saved it to my desk top but my Mac states it doesn't recognize a format or something of that nature. This is the site its at. Speedloading 2 - YouTube.webarchive

 

[Gordon Gould]

That is something I'd like to see as well if you can remember where you saw it that is.

I can't find it for the life of me. It was a mini and trailer like the one you found above on utube. They were cutting a plantation with parrallel roads wide enough for the mini. The trees were fallen across the roads into the previously cut area and bucked up. The mini followed them up the rows picking the logs.

 

[High Compression]

I drove by interesting site today. A guy had a Takeuchi 165 right in the middle of the woods logging about 2 acres. I've seen plenty of excavators on landings and even some on logging trails but I never thought to use one as an extractor or forwarder attached to a trailer as I do not think they would make a good skidder. Was just wondering if anyone else uses a mini or midi excavator as such and if so, what are the pitfalls other than clearance of bringing something like this directly into the woods?

My brother-in-law and I cleared 3 acres in 3 days with my IR ZX-75 excavator and his Bobcat T-250. With the hoe, I was able to reach up high and push the trees over, root ball and all. Then grab them with the thumb and position them so he was able to come in with a grapple bucket and move them out to the open where we processed them. Worked really well.

 

[Jlillie2]

They may use the body of a mini ex but the track chassis design makes these things "shovel loggers" which are designed specifically for this kind of work. I'm talking about he regular mini. I would think it would have to be at least a 6 ton machine. I did find a video of a guy using a mini as a forwarder. There does seem to be a general concern of the undercarriage getting beat up but I have nothing to gage this by. Thanks for the videos.

I got my Takeuchi cheap because the guy that had it before me tried to push boulders out of the ground with the push blade. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIEFdUXaWak]Jims Excavator #9 - The takeuchi is kinda fixed (as good as its gonna get) - YouTube[/ame]
The video link above shows the end result. The trac motor parts are NLA for such an old machine, and if I tried to replace the entire thing, I'd have to replace both as the speeds can not be matched. So the moral of my story is, don't overload the machine, 'cause you ain't gonna save any money that way.
The trac motors are designed to lite pushing, and moving the machine, much more than that, and you will probably wreck it. Just my two cents.

 

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I got my Takeuchi cheap because the guy that had it before me tried to push boulders out of the ground with the push blade. Jims Excavator #9 - The takeuchi is kinda fixed (as good as its gonna get) - YouTube
The video link above shows the end result. The trac motor parts are NLA for such an old machine, and if I tried to replace the entire thing, I'd have to replace both as the speeds can not be matched. So the moral of my story is, don't overload the machine, 'cause you ain't gonna save any money that way.
The trac motors are designed to lite pushing, and moving the machine, much more than that, and you will probably wreck it. Just my two cents.

Thanks Jim. The issue you raise is certainly important for me as I am strongly considering a komatsu PC 75 over a new tractor purchase. they want around 20k for a machine with just over 3000 hrs. I would assume this is part of the reason of the general recommendations of having a unit over 6 tons. I do not think i would mess with logs over 1500 Lbs but to use this thing as a forwarder of course raises the issue of puling a trailer that is loaded with a complete 18" oak 60' tall would be closer to 3000lbs but on wheels as opposed to skidding one out. All new territory for me so I have to go slow on this decision.

 

[Jlillie2]

One more more thing to consider is that its not just static loads, but shock loading that will really put a hurt on track motors. So a loosely connected trailer is really going to beat those gears up. And track motor gears are startlingly small as far as I'm concerned. (Even on the larger machines.)

 

[slowzuki]

Which is funny because all the escavator operators here work over their motors instead of the idlers. I asked a guy why and he said the bearing are stronger.

Re the trailer, as long as you aren't climbing big hills it should be ok. Look at the load they are under climbing a steep bank.

 

[Jlillie2]

Thanks Jim. The issue you raise is certainly important for me as I am strongly considering a komatsu PC 75 over a new tractor purchase. they want around 20k for a machine with just over 3000 hrs. I would assume this is part of the reason of the general recommendations of having a unit over 6 tons. I do not think i would mess with logs over 1500 Lbs but to use this thing as a forwarder of course raises the issue of puling a trailer that is loaded with a complete 18" oak 60' tall would be closer to 3000lbs but on wheels as opposed to skidding one out. All new territory for me so I have to go slow on this decision.

Which is funny because all the escavator operators here work over their motors instead of the idlers. I asked a guy why and he said the bearing are stronger.

Re the trailer, as long as you aren't climbing big hills it should be ok. Look at the load they are under climbing a steep bank.

It might be different with the larger machines, but all of the small machines have their push blades mounted in front of the idler. So when you are digging, you are positioned to dig over the rollers, not the drive motors. And the motors are protected by any kind of shock load by the blade being into the ground in front of you. You are pulling into the blade, and there is very little stress on the drive motor(s).

 

[slowzuki]

The damage you show in the video just looks like too much torque applied, ie trying to move an immovable object. Like you mention, its a back fill blade for moving loose soil, not a dozer blade.

Some midi's have a dozer blade and upgraded undercarriage to handle the loads, but they are 6 ton + machines.