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pull the mill

Started by wscott, July 02, 2003, 06:22:10 PM

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wscott

 
All you sawyer with portable mill. What do you pull your mill with? Would like to know what make of mill you have and length of  mill. Do you use pick-ups 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, 4WD, any with camper shells, flat beds, one or two ton trucks and anyone using a step van? Any comments would be greatly appreciate.
wscott
You should always marry a ugly girl, when she leaves you, you want feel so bad.

Neil_B

Wscott,
Timberwolf TimberPro mill, 24' long, 5000lbs, dual axles, surge brakes. Have a GMC3500 1 ton diesal pickup, 4x4. Haven't towed it anywhere yet though :-/. It was delivered with a Ford F250 from BC to Ontario. Was told it tracked well on the way here but I'll find out soon enough, I hope :(
Timberwolf / TimberPro sawmill, Woodmizer edger, both with Kubota diesels. '92 Massey Ferguson 50H backhoe, '92 Ford F450 with 14' dump/ flatbed and of course an '88 GMC 3500 pickup.

hawby

wscott,

Towing my LT40HD with a '92 Blazer S-10 V6 4x4. It is all it wants to handle on the x-way at 65 mph, but I like the manuverability in close quarters.

Looking for a F-250 diesel, or 2500 GM (don't care fuel) to use for hauling not only the mill, but logs and lumber. Have use of my dad's Chevy 2500HD 4x4 on a part time basis. (Usually the part that I don't need it :D) It really handles the towing well, but doesn't turn as tight at the S-10.

I HAVE to use it for hauling the Bobcat though. The S-10 would be doin' a wheelie.... :o

hawby
Hawby

Missin' loggin', but luvin' the steady check...

woodmills1

I tow my LT-40 with both my 86 chevy 1 ton and my 86 Toyota pick up.  can't wait till the new 03 tacoma is broke in enough to tow.  I do have to shift the toyota a lot. :D
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

Tom

I spun the bearings in my V6 1988 Toyota pulling my LT40.  The mechanic that rebuilt it said that he could find nothing wrong except for a couple of corners that were sludged. Clean as a whistle.  He figures that the lugging on the expressway did it in. :-/  I spent a good deal of downshifting even on flat ground so he might be right.  It served me good as long as I was using it like a car. :)

WoodChucker

I have a WM LT-15 and I pull it with a 2001 Chev 4x4 PU 3/4 ton. It's 24' long and handles real good, even on the e-way.

R.T.
If a Husband & Wife are alone in the forrest fighting and no one is around to hear them, is he still wrong anyway?

LSUNo1

I have a Cook MP-32, about 3000 lb, pull it with a 1500 HD 4x4 with the six liter 8. Driving it home from Alabama through rolling hills I could definitely tell it was back there and gas gauge needle moved as fast as the big hand on a watch toward E :(. On flatlands though I forget its back there. If I had to do again I'd get a 2500 for times when pulling the mill and hauling a full load in the bed at the same time.

Percy

I have an LT70(5000lbs) and I pull it with a 1993 GMC 1500 4X4 with a 305 gas pot and a 5 speed manual. It aint enuff truck for this mill and the tranny on ol POST(piece of sh*t truck) is makin lotsa noise these days and  I gotta add fluit to it regular as its leakin. We have a 1992 F250 4X4 diesel as well(wifes horse pullin unit) and it looks like Im gonna inherit that one. I used it to pick up the new mill this spring and it pulled it fine enuff but Id really like one of them new biggass Ford diesels or a GMC duramax...its a moneything tho :'(
GOLDEN RULE : The guy with the gold, makes the rules.

WoodChucker

LSUNo1,

welcome to the forum. I sure hope your the type to ask lots of stupid questions, you could save me a lot of time.  ;D

R.T.
If a Husband & Wife are alone in the forrest fighting and no one is around to hear them, is he still wrong anyway?

BBTom

I pull my LT40HDD42 Super (5000 lbs) with a 1996 K2500 Chevy.  I can relate to the guys that like the manuverability of a smaller truck, and it might be ok on the road, but you almost need a biga** truck when you have to pull it though a field and past the woods by the creek and over the hill to those three little aspen logs that the customer feels is the greatest thing that ever came his way.  Just remember to treat those little logs as if they were gold, for you never know if the customers brother is the guy that has the 150 acres of prime cherry just waiting for someone to treat him with respect.
2001 LT40HDD42RA with lubemizer, debarker, laser, accuset. Retired, but building a new shop and home in Missouri.

Kevin

2000 Skidoo long track, boldly going where no mill has ever gone before.  ;D

ARKANSAWYER

   I started pulling my LT40HDG with a full sized Bronco with 400 engine and man could I get it into some tight spots.  But needed to haul more stuff and needed to pull a gooseneck so I could get rid of more lumber faster.  I now use a 3500 Dodge 4x4 diesel extended cab and can pull what ever I want when the weight man is not around.  It is a good rig and does a very good job here in these hills.  I can not get into the tight spots as good but I can go about any where I want.
ARKANSAWYER

ARKANSAWYER

johnjbc

LT40HD behind a 94 Ram 4x4 with Cummings Diesel. Don't even know its back there, :D ;D but when hooked to 10K of trailer and Kubota Backhoe I'm down a couple gears going up an down our Pa Ridges. Teaches you to keep your trailer brakes working real good. 8) 8)
LT40HDG24, Case VAC, Kubota L48, Case 580B, Cat 977H, Bobcat 773

oakiemac

I pull my 24' Mobile Dimension trailer setup with a 3/4ton 1968 international pickup. The truck is heavy duty with a bumper mounted winch and oversized tires plus the age of the truck and it's unique looks gets a lot of attention. In the next day or two I'll post a picture. 8)
Mobile Demension sawmill, Bobcat 873 loader, 3 dry kilns and a long "to do" list.

steveST

Pull mine with a long-bed F-250 chipped PowerStroke. Not a problem pulling it...I think I could pull it up a mountain with the trailer brakes locked up, but it is a *BEST* to manuever around with that LONGGGGG truck.

How 'bout THIS for a tow vehicle. http://www2.us.porsche.com/english/usa/cayenne/cayenneturbo/experience/default.htm
You could tow 7700# today, beat that corvette at the light tomorrow, and sport to dinner with the local mega-yuppie crowd!
Calculate the payments once though.   ;D

Oregon_Rob

Does anyone use a ball off the front end of their rig to get into tight areas? I have never used one, but I sure see them a lot.
Chainsaw Nerd

OneWithWood

I pulled my LT40HDG25 home from the Woodmizer plant in Indy with my '86 F250 4x4 with a 460 gas engine.  Hardly new the rig was back there except on the winding, twisting curves of the road I live on.
I will find out what the truck is made of this weekend when I pull a rented Bobcat 331 mini excavator home for some work on the saw barn.
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

ohsoloco

I can pull my Lumbermate around the yard with the garden tractor....talk about maneuverability  ;D

DanG

Hawby, since you're in the shopping mode, why not look for a 1-ton instead of a 3/4?  Unless you just gotta have a brand new one, there shouldn't be much price difference, but you will grow to appreciate the dual wheels. I have a little story to illustrate my point:

A while back, my son-in-law borrowed my dually and horse trailer to take his family on an outing. On the way home, while in a pretty good left curve, (and probably too fast ::) ) they blew a right rear tire. He had his wife and 3 kids in the truck, and 5 horses in the trailer. I shudder to think what would have happened if he hadn't had the dual wheels. :o

My milling business isn't really even up and rolling, yet, but I'm already hauling loads of logs that makes the F350 think I've lost my mind. ;D  Get the biggest, toughest truck you can lay your hands on.

One other thing you might keep in mind...and I learned this one the hard way. :-/   My truck is a 1988 F350, with a 460 and 5-speed. It's a great truck, EXCEPT, the frame is not nearly stiff enough to suit me. There is a lot of twisting going on back there.  Also it is what Ford called a "One Ton Lite."  It has the one-ton frame and rear, with a 3/4 ton front end. I didn't know this until I had to replace the tie-rod ends, and the 1-ton parts wouldn't fit. >:(  Ford  apparently kept this little secret pretty close to the vest, as very few parts folks seem to know about it. It probably explains why the rear brakes are so much stronger than the fronts, and the rears will lock up in a hard stop.  Not good!   Make sure you get what you pay for on both ends of the truck. :)
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

Mark M

I have a Norwood mill and just hook in on behind my bicycle. Works DanG good as long as I'm going down hill, in fact I don't even have to pedal :D

Mark

kentuckyboy

     I pull my LT40HDG25 with my Chevy 2500 4x4 with 5 speed transmission. It pulls really well, a lot better than the gooseneck cattle trailer loaded. Probably in the future, a dually with flatbed would be nice. But for now the 4x4 works very well.

hawby

DanG,

Yep, I am in the shopping mode, and right now that is all I can do. After the BobKitty, and TODAY, my Nyle kiln is on its way ( 8)Well it ships on Monday! 8) So, I have depleted my capital.

You are correct about the 1 tons and dualies. In fact, I have found the average price to be less on the used dualies. I think I am gonna have to get down to Texas though to get one. They seem to be the most reasonable priced and nicest trucks for the money.

Actually, I may have a deal cooking on one for Labor Day. Depends on whether he gets his price on ebay. I am hoping to run enuff wood through the kiln to get one around then.

I agree the dualies are safer. They are more stable at highway speeds. The only thing I have a concern about is finding a parking spot at work ;D

hawby
Hawby

Missin' loggin', but luvin' the steady check...

Furby

With a 1 ton, you can make your own parking spot! :D :D :D

DanG

Hawby, I work right smack in the middle of Tallahassee. I leave the dooley in the edge of town, now, but I used to park it downtown. I would leave one wheel up on the sidewalk, and was approached about it by a parking cop. I asked him, "You rather have it on the sidewalk, or the middle of the street?"  He decided the sidewalk was better, and never bothered me any more. :)

The more you get accustomed to driving it, the more Volkswagen-like it gets.
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

biziedizie

  When I had a flat deck 1 ton I would sooner drive that around then the car. I could see better and knew exactly where each corner of the truck was and I could back that sucker into most parking spots that I would never park the car even though I knew it would fit. Couldn't see a double DanG thing in the car except the hood. :D
  It drove better on the highway then the car and if it was a windy day the truck stuck to the road where as the car was all over the place.
  Got a F 250 4x4 now and it sure is nice being up high again.

   Steve

isawlogs

 I have a 1993 LT40HD towed it with a 84 nissan 4x4 ext cab(was always looking for another gear)Got a 87 chev 4x4 3+3 1 ton single wheel diesel with 8 ft box and a cap  lots of power at first I thought that it would be hard to maneuver the mill around, but it worked real fine one of the better trucks I've owned put 450,000 kl on it and put it to rest .Now Ihave a 91 dodge 3/4 ton 4x4  with cumins turbo 8ft box lots of power in this truck ,Also have a mazda b2600 4x4 ext a cab it pulls the mill but it laques power in the hills and on the flats....If my finance minister (the better half) would let me have my way I would buy the new ford 350 4 door diesel 8 ft box with 6 speed stick tranny ....
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

Haytrader

I'm with you, isaw, would like to have one of those good lookin Ford duelly deisels. The new Dodge looks good too and is supposed to have a little more power and they say, quieter. But, I am in the "no payment" mode so guess I will keep drivin the ol 99 Dodge deisel tonner. Mine has an 11 ft. flat bed and I thought I wouldn't like it cause of the length, but it is really handy and parking is no problem out here. Durn near as un populated as Mark is in N. Dakota. Shoot, out at the only pack and sack here, we park side by side so you wouldn't even need a reverse.

 :D  :D  :D  :D
Haytrader

LSUNo1

WoodChucker,

Yes, most of my questions will probably fall into the stupid category. As a matter of fact I'm working on a list of em now. I have my first paying job cutting tomorrow and Im sure I'll have quite a list by the end of the day.  ???

Oregon_Sawyer

I have a LT40.  I purchased it used and it was located about 250 miles from me.  I am a truck driver and was dreading the tow home as I figured it would only tow at 45 miles an hour.  I was driving a full size Ford Van F250 with a V-8.  I was pleased to find out that I could pull it at freeway speeds easily.  
I then bought a newer Ford F250 with a six and have pulled the mill with it.  It has to work in the hills but does quite well.  Many jobs I have had to have the owner pull me in with a 4-wheel drive or tractor.
I just recently bought a very used 84 GMC 1-ton dually 3+3.  It has a older 396 in it.  I don't even know the mill is behind me.  I pulled it to Portland the other day at 65 & 70 miles an hour.
I really like the vans as they have everthing in them all the time that I need for a job.
The 3+3 works nice for hauling the whole crew.

Ideally I would like a 4x4 1-ton extended cab dually with a standup canopy.

I know i will not be able to tow the LT70 with my van.

Loren
Sawing with a WM since 98. LT 70 42hp Kubota walk behind. 518 Skidder. Ramey Log Loader. Serious part-timer. Western Red Cedar and Doug Fir.  Teamster Truck Driver 4 days a week.

AtLast

Pull mine with a 2003 F-250 power stroke....

Larry

Guess I have towed about everything with about anything.  Might have to exercise the right hand and foot with the smaller trucks but they get the job done.  The really big problem is getting the load stopped unless you have very good trailer brakes.

Present ride is a 97 F350 Powerstroke and it will handle trailers like fertilizer carts without brakes up to about 10K pretty good.

Had a guy up here that pulled his mill with a 3/4 ton Chevy van.  I really liked his setup because he had bins for spare parts, hooks for spare bands, slots to put the chainsaw in, and everything was organized.  The only problem was no 4WD so he couldn't get in and out of the tough spots.  I would think a utility bed on a 4WD would be the way to go if you want to be portable full time.  You could also haul a a few BF on top of the utility bed if hard pressed.
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

Bibbyman

We pulled our old LT40 manual with a 93 Dodge Dakota. Later we got our 3500 Dodge with V10 auto.  Pulled our 96 Super just fine.  Only pulled our new LT40 Super one time - home. ;D

I heard a rumor that the Wood-Mizer guys didn't like to do demos in Florida because they got too many speeding tickets doing over 80 in a 70 on the interstate. :o Or maybe it was Georgia on the way to Florida.

A guy south of me had an old Wood-Mizer LT30 he pulled with an old Chevy LUV.  He also had a little bumper hitch trailer.  He said when he got 300 bf of grade sawn and on the trailer,  he take it to the broker and he was done for the day. ;)
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

AndyB

Bibbyman

It was most likely Georgia.  Those guys are really tough.  I went to a graduation party down there and indulged in a few spirits.  Decided to leave the car and walk back to the lodge.  Trooper gave me a ticket for reckless walking and attempting to crawl. :D :D :D

Andy

Ianab

Mill rigged for transport, tow with whatever I have on hand. Company Honda, Dad's Nissan 4x4, Kawasaki ATV.....
Portable should mean portable  ;)


Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

RMay

I pull my LT40HDG25 with my G.M.C 3500 with 5 speed transmission. I don't even know the mill is back there. 8)

RMay in Okolona Arkansas  Sawing since 2001 with a 2012 Wood-Miser LT40HDSD35-RA  with Command Control and Accuset .

Sawing Logz

I have a Timber Harvester 36HTD30 5340 pound's tandum axle , with a 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 (last year of the old body stile)extra cab short bed 360 gas 4x4 with no chip (yet) and it pull's just the same with a car trailer with a Hemi charger on it. Heck I got 11.53 mile's per gallon bringing my mill home with only 1452 miles on the truck. I will make this concession I could use a long bed.

Good Luck!
City Forrest Treecycler

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