mud chains for truck

amberwood · April 22, 2011, 12:34:11 AM

Morning all. We currently run a hot trailer system with one prime mover pulling two trailers of CTL pine. We can just squeeze in 3 loads per day if there is no loading time, just the trailer swap. The problem is that with recent rain, and winter rapidly approaching we now have traction issues getting the unloaded truck back onto the landing. Just not enough weight on the drives to make it the last 15m. I was thinking of using our spare truck, fitted with mud/snow chains to shuttle the trailers down the hill from the landing to the edge of the road. It is 400m of downward slope. We had considered running the forwarder down the hill but with an existing 450m skid down the hill to the landing the turnaround time for the forwarder would blow out to over an hour. The ground is quite hard, with alot of rock in it, its just the loose material on the landing, and approach ramp that turns to 50-100mm of slippery slush when wet.

I guess I am looking for opinions on semi fitted with chains. How well do they work?

rgs

DTR

mahonda · April 22, 2011, 01:37:01 AM

Chains are the only way we can run most parts of the year here in northeastern oregon. We got a short logger and he can put on doubles in ten to fifteen minutes. The trick is put them on before you need them.

amberwood · April 22, 2011, 04:01:32 AM

I was not even considering taking them off. Just leave them on the Mack and it can do laps from the landing to roadside. The second truck can take them from roadside to the customer.

All up taking the access road and loading time out, then adding back the trailer changover time we should save an hour per load.

An alternative is one of these in 6*6, with a turntable. Just to do the access road.

DTR

northwoods1 · April 22, 2011, 09:31:38 AM

For 8 years I worked two federal sales here right out my back door, one was called trappers cabin and the other was perch lake sale, that were really rough ground and way back in off of even a gravel road. Lots of hills and rocks. We loaded trailers and had an old Mack that stayed chained up that was used to pull loads out to the gravel roads so the on road trucks did not have to try and come back into the rough country.
When I worked on the Menominee Indian reservation here there were a number of these units in use called "polar prehaulers". If you look at this link you will see one for sale it is 6 rows down.
http://delichsales.com/ The roads on the Res are mostly just dirt and far from any gravel so these units were a big help in keeping the wood moving.
These units were made by a guy in a small welding shop about 10 miles from me in Polar, WI. His name was Pat Crawford and he went on to design and build The Timbco feller buncher and finally what is now Timberpro.

Maine372 · April 22, 2011, 05:03:22 PM

its a common thing in the south east US to use a military or other 6x6 chassis to move loaded trailers roadside. if it works for them it should work for you. not sure how well the chains will perform on the rock but its worth a try.

redlaker1 · April 22, 2011, 05:39:10 PM

up here they just push the loaded trucks out with a dozer or skidder. not sure if that is an option for you.

if its a bad access to the landing they will just give the truck a push until its on good ground

amberwood · April 22, 2011, 09:43:49 PM

thanks for the ideas. Our problem is getting the empty truck/trailer up the hill onto the landing. The incline with an unloaded truck is just too slippery. We are avoiding putting tracked gear onto this road if at all possible as it is on the only way in or out, through a 18ft gateway. Tear it up and we are snookered. Looked at the Polar, it is basically a forwarder in a truck chassis.

It looks like either chain up the Mack or grab the RFW 6*6 to shuttle the trailers.

DTR

Bobus2003 · April 23, 2011, 03:48:55 PM

Around here theirs a few Modified Skidders with Extended rear frames and a 5th wheels Plate.. Many are using Semi rear frames/axles.. so its Twin rear drivers on Semi wheels, with Chained Skidder tires up front.. they shuttle trailers in some nasty mud and deep snow

thecfarm · April 23, 2011, 09:26:28 PM

Never seen that before. Pictures?

Bobus2003 · April 23, 2011, 09:52:24 PM

Quote from: thecfarm on April 23, 2011, 09:26:28 PM
Never seen that before. Pictures?

I don't, But i will get ahold of my Buddy and find out where their workin and try too get some..

amberwood · April 24, 2011, 12:00:01 AM

That would be interesting to see. If we were going that way there are alot of older 6*6 forwarders around here that would be an ideal base to strip the crane, headboard and bunks etc off and add a turntable. Then you could keep the bogie drive/tracks. Almost unstoppable.

hmm

DTR

northwoods1 · April 24, 2011, 08:29:34 AM

Quote from: Bobus2003 on April 23, 2011, 03:48:55 PM
Around here theirs a few Modified Skidders with Extended rear frames and a 5th wheels Plate.. Many are using Semi rear frames/axles.. so its Twin rear drivers on Semi wheels, with Chained Skidder tires up front.. they shuttle trailers in some nasty mud and deep snow

bobus, I can't quite make out what that pic is your profile but it looks like a tipped over machine? Tell me more so I can feel better about all the times I have toppled machines

thecfarm · April 24, 2011, 09:10:13 AM

On my way to church. Odd I looked at his gallery this morning. Just click on to the picture,this will take you to his gallery.Seems like their use to be a link that took you to the thread that the picture is in. It's a JD skidder on it's side.

Dave Shepard · April 24, 2011, 09:21:53 AM

There is a "Search the Forestry Forum for this photo" option just under the IMG code if you are looking at the information for that particular photo.

This will take you to the thread where that photo was posted.

Bobus2003 · April 25, 2011, 12:00:43 AM

Quote from: northwoods1 on April 24, 2011, 08:29:34 AM
bobus, I can't quite make out what that pic is your profile but it looks like a tipped over machine? Tell me more so I can feel better about all the times I have toppled machines

Its the Pic from February 2010 when i flopped my JD440 over on its side:
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,42241.msg610326.html#msg610326