JD550 crawler logging, weight & balance?

[Celeriac]

Right now I am in the process of installing an arch on my JD550 dozer, which is a challenge as it's bent six ways from straight.  The real question is should I be looking to add some weight to the front of the machine?  My gut feeling is that the higher pull point combined with the  added weight of the arch will require some forward weight keep things even.  Thoughts?

[mad murdock]

I haven't run a cat with an arch, but have seen several of them here, and to my knowledge, there was no counter weight installed on the machines I have seen.  I am sure you will get some good feedback on here in short order.

[240b]

I had a 350 w/ a factory arch and it does lever the front end off the ground. after that wore out I got a D3 hystat with an allied winch which was way to big for the tractor. Great for bunching not skidding. Cat did have counter weights (one under the rad. and also bolt on ones for the front idlers.) They do help.  If its an older 550 (before "g" model) keep a eye the side frames (channel shaped frames foward off the final drive cast housing they don't take the torque from an arch very well.

[captain_crunch]

Even tho everybody uses them they have a drawback of putting quite a load on the finals and rear sprokets. The extra lift is a great help but I would not wood er down too much. Loggers use them for production so they can aford new machine as cost of doing buisness. But if you are like me the machine needs to last forever beings I could not justify a new one. So be carefull about overloading arch the rearing up is kinda trying to tell you somthing
Brian

[Bobus2003]

I have skid my fair share with my '94 JD550G and i think its horrid.. Yeah it can pull and does the job, but you end up doin way more damage to the forest than a guy would do with a Skidder with Ring chains on all 4..

[Celeriac]

Thanks, I do appreciate the advice.  This is far from a commercial enterprise, mostly tinkering in the farm woodlot with blow downs and what not, so the wear and tear concerns are less.   A few hours here and there is a far cry from commercial logging. 

keep a eye the side frames

Just replaced them.  :-[

As for tearing up the woods it seems to me that the operator has a lot to do with it.  A cowboy on a skidder can tear up a lot.

[treefarmer87]

I have a  450 c deere. it does really good pulling, mine doesnt have an arch though. those tracks really tear stuff up like Bobus2003 said. i used it one day when the tractor was down i dont like to use it because of the wear and tear on the undercarrige though.

[OneWithWood]

I have been using a JD450C crawler/loader with a factory arch on it for years.  If you go slow it can be a very good skidding machine.  I work on some very steep terrain so I often pay out cable going up to the top of a slope and pull the hitch up with the winch rather than pull the hitch up snug to the arch.  On level ground I keep the ends of the logs up off the gorund to minimize damage.

I now have a Logrite tractor arch and will use it to raise the tails so I may not need to winch up slopes anymore.

I have grouser treads and turning in a tight circle will tear up the ground a good bit.  I try to stick to my well used skidder trail and winch the logs in to the crawler wherever I can.

[Emajsh]

We have a 450d with a factory arch that we use for bunching sometimes if we're down a skidder. Its ok if you only have a tree or two behind you but if you have alot to pull it tends to rock up on the back of the tracks. We usually use it when we have snow or are building roads so the ground disturbance isnt so much an issue. So i guess it depends on how you plan to use it, but it works good in our situation. And no we dont have any added weight to the front