- measuring wheel for 4 roller -

[BargeMonkey]

 Im thinking about looking at a machine with a 4 roller, but it only has the "roller" measurement and not the 3rd wheel. Its wired for it, and the space is there. Whats the cost to add one ? Is it worth it ? Ive been looking around at parts and there seems to be alot of support for them, my local Cat dealer is 1.5hrs away but I didnt know if you guys had another place you had good luck getting parts. My forwarder has basically sat since march, and ive got some woodlots that strictly CTL would work on, plus its only 8-6 so its super portable unlike my Timbco which is a pig on the trailer. Go big or go home I guess.  :D

[snowstorm]

i went to the big city friday to get a bar. so i went over to cat an looked around. they have a 416 timco with a rolly.it looked pretty ruff with a lot of welding rod used on the head. they also have a 501 with the fabtek dangle head. that head is big but it also had been broke and welded in several places. there was a 1000 keto on ebay that would cut and limb anything...with in reason

[ABTS]

 I have a independent measuring wheel on the 153 . Works good . Not as great on crooked wood but straight more accurate than just the wheels . Is the head a fabtek head ? if so cat should be able to hook you up . My brother might know of someone else I will check with  him also.

[Corley5]

  I was told that new from Cat the complete bolt on setup was $3,800.00.  The updated third wheel "wheel" alone is over a grand.  It has a wider toothed rim for more positive log contact than the originals.  Encoders are 100 dollars cheaper from Joral than Cat.  Cat encoders from area Cat dealers appear to be Jorals.  Before Cat, Fabtek sourced hydraulic cylinders and maybe other parts from John Deere.   
  There are lots of four rollers in this area.  When I started looking to replace my Risely Slingshot I asked the guy that does my trucking what he felt was the best head from his observations trucking wood from jobs all over Michigan and he felt and still feels that four rollers have the most up time compared to others.  He says he's trimmed more miscut wood from Risely Rolly IIs than others  ;) and Ponsses seem to have the most down time.
  The neighboring sale to the one I'm on has what I think is a 490 JD carrier with an older four roller.  It doesn't have the 3rd wheel.  They're producing wood that looks good.  It's a mostly quaking aspen clear cut but there's some hardwood mixed in.     

[BargeMonkey]

 Its an older 4 roller on a deere carrier. Its made its way from the lake states, she could use a little love but not too bad, no fresh paint to hide the sin. Im not pressed for 1" accuracy, if my pulp falls 2" either way its ok, and im getting out to mark the real good stuff. Just something new that I know nothing about. There are a few monster clear cuts coming out my way, I dont wanna be stuck cutting softwood but there isnt another 100% mechanical operation within 30+ miles of me. The jump from a skidder - dozer took some convincing, problem is the insurance, and lack of help. How many cord do you see these guys cutting a day ? If it was following a timbco strictly processing, it would bury a small forwarder ?

[Corley5]

I'm not sure what they're producing per day because the guy that owns the forwarder doesn't show up much :-\  It's a C4 about the same vintage as mine but a bit rough around the edges.  If we were doing a load count like "Axe Man" we'd be way ahead.

[BargeMonkey]

 Ive seen 1 of these work, guy did quite a few big clear cuts around here so I know they will handle it. Just trying to gauge volume, I know no 2 woodlots are ever the same. I miss the "american loggers" show, the Pellitier's seemed to really have a tight business. Bobby Goodson had an impressive operation, even with the TV drama. The clowns over in russia dont impress me at all, and "axe men" has went down the tubes.

[wannaergo]

If the head doesn't come with the wheel, it's almost not worth replacing. I knew a guy that would buy a brand new 501, and have cat take the wheel off before they delivered it. I only use mine when cutting logs, but i usually just do them with a tape measure anyways. I find that the roller measure is pretty accurate for the most part. If you're cutting uglier wood, then the rollers are much more accurate. I had to replace a cover and an encoder for mine, and we figured if i didnt have warranty it would have been over a grand. unless you could find an older used one, i wouldnt even bother.. I don't know how fast those older heads are, but i think if it's chasing a buncher it'll bury a small forwarder. I keep the boss man pretty busy, and i'm cutting off the stump. he's running a 5 cord machine.

[Corley5]

Down here most guys with the independent wheel don't even have the encoders in the feed rollers hooked up, if they're even still there.  I've seen then completely gone with a steel plate on the back of the roller motor where the encoders go.  Mine are on a shelf in the shop and I've got JIC caps where wires go in for the encoder.  Of course there's no diameter measuring with them gone but after cutting enough it's pretty easy to judge diameters by eye

[Corley5]

Falling and processing in one operation with one machine would seem to me to be easier than having one machine falling and one processing.  The Fabtek will put trees down just fine.  The combo you're looking at should put 30 cords on the ground in a day maybe more.

[BargeMonkey]

 The owner was great about explaining it to me, I guess the computer is pretty basic, 4 pre-sets. I can read a wiring diaghram but when you really start getting into the hardcore electronics I look like an idiot. I appreciate the answers, like anything im kinda stepping out into the unknown.

[snowstorm]

The owner was great about explaining it to me, I guess the computer is pretty basic, 4 pre-sets. I can read a wiring diaghram but when you really start getting into the hardcore electronics I look like an idiot. I appreciate the answers, like anything im kinda stepping out into the unknown.

is it on a 490 ? how do they do in hemlock? hemlock limbs harder than hw

[1270d]

the 4 roller fabtek heads are supposed to be great in hemlock/big hardwood.

[snowstorm]

some of the hemlock we have here can be pretty hard to limb. the younger stuff rolls thru good. the older bigger trees may have 2 to 3" limbs every 6" apart so your not cutting just one at a time it may be tring to clean off 4 or 5 at once

[deastman]

When I bought my processor with the Fabtek four-roller and started working on it the guys at Cat told me that most guys just run the encoder in the independent measuring wheel and not in the rollers. That's what I do, some of the points on my rollers aren't real sharp and they slip on the trees sometimes so I use the independent measuring wheel and it's pretty accurate.

[BargeMonkey]

 Yeah its a 490, which is a plus for me because we still have 1 other D series excavator, a 95 590D that stays in our gravel pit. Finals are out there, parts are available. With the state having a 40k lb max weight limit most of the year your kinda limited. There are quite a few clear cuts coming out my way, 200acres plus, and only 2 other mechanical guys in 50 miles I know of who fall under 40k.