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Lowboy questions.

Started by BargeMonkey, April 21, 2017, 01:26:03 AM

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BargeMonkey

 I figured I would throw this one on here, alot of you guys have been around these newer trailers so I want to ask opinions before I do something stupid 😂 I've had my trailer a long time, it's always been kept up and it works great, unfortunately the well length is 20'. We have looked at 3-4x used good shape lowboys in the 35-50ton class, I've kind of been holding out trying to find a decent dropside because of height with the forestry iron. I've heard both good and bad about them, the beam is 46" apart and 8" high. This trailer is set up to load off the back, both pony and wetline so I'm not glued to a dedicated tractor like the trailer I have now. Anyway, want to know if anyone has ??? Good/bad to say about a dropside versus a regular flatdeck. It's a 2004 ??? Dynaweld 35T, 26' of well. 

  

 
I have about 0% experience with a NGB trailer. Seen a few but never used one, they say it's so much nicer than a ground bearing neck. Again asking questions. 

 
Picture of the lowboy I have now.

Are all you CTL guys getting moved on dropsides ? 2 other big guys I know have them. I looked into a used 860 Valmet and I couldn't even begin to move it, that guy said for it to be legal height it had to go on a dropside. I don't want to go buy a diff lowboy, buy a different forwarder and then kick myself, I've still got a 20T tag trailer so it just means the narrow width stuff sits on the back or goes on a tag. Just wondering how nice they are, any quirks or if they are the way to go with the woods iron.

bushmechanic

I can't speak on the drop side trailer as I don't think I ever saw one. We are getting a new tri axle 30T to tow behind the wood truck or dump truck with the air tilt. We have a Rottne harvester that will go to the max height of 13 foot 6". We had a trailer just like yours we had the side extensions welded out to get our machines on it because of width. Around here you wouldn't be able to use that dropside as you would be bottomed out in the forestry roads, nice on the road I would imagine low center of gravity. Good luck in whatever you decide. 

snowstorm

i have had my gear on several drop sides. i dont see any down side to it. the neck height is adjustable. i would think a wet system is better than a pony motor. you know its gonna work. it wont be out of gas or the carb gummed up. on one trailer it was open between the wheels so you had to watch what went where and chain it down

snowstorm

Quote from: bushmechanic on April 21, 2017, 05:46:36 AM
I can't speak on the drop side trailer as I don't think I ever saw one. We are getting a new tri axle 30T to tow behind the wood truck or dump truck with the air tilt. We have a Rottne harvester that will go to the max height of 13 foot 6". We had a trailer just like yours we had the side extensions welded out to get our machines on it because of width. Around here you wouldn't be able to use that dropside as you would be bottomed out in the forestry roads, nice on the road I would imagine low center of gravity. Good luck in whatever you decide.
any chance you have a picture of the rottne on a tag along trailer?? do you chain the head to the boom? no matter how i do it its a pain getting the crane low enought

1270d

The company that moves us has a drop side like that, as well as a "normal" lowboy which we usually move with.  The drop side is nice as long as the conditions are good.  It's too low for a lot of our roads though and will get hung up.  At that point it's very difficult to unload off the side with the frame rails sticking up like that.

Our equipment is all in the 14 to  14' 6" foot high range on the trailer and 10-10 1/2 ft wide.  If you run much bush roads the drop side is probably just too low.

Gary_C

A friend of mine had a drop side lowboy and his dozer was not wide enough to straddle the rails so he had to put one track on the rails and one on the drop and he beat up those rails pretty badly. Some equipment just cannot be loaded on a drop side trailer. The problem with low ground clearance should be the same for flat deck and drop deck trailers.

I have a 35 ton Witzco that I've hauled all my forwarders and harvesters on and it has been OK other than the usual low clearance problems plus the two harvesters have been a height problem that I have just worked around. The Valmet 546 6 wheeler was about 15' 6" high that I could only get down to about 14' 6'' by driving the cab wheels slightly up on the wheel wells so the mast tilted down enough to takeoff about a foot. Then you just had to watch out for low power lines and overpasses. With the present Ponsse Ergo and Valmet 840 I am close to legal loaded so I don't worry but I generally know the routes I usually travel on. By law they are supposed to give you 17' or 18' of clearance or have it marked but you can't count on that.

It would be best to have a ride height control trailer but they are pricey. I don't have either ride height control or NGB and just have to be prepared. I try to keep some wide boards in the trailer and I have buried a few in some soft places. Blacktop on a hot day can also be a problem. I generally unload on main roads and drive the machine into the job just because of uneven driveways and poor ground conditions. But I've been hung up a few times too. Once or twice I've had to side unload to get out of a bad place.

It's never easy.  :)
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

Skip

One of the problems with rails is you can't side load, did a lot of that on the pipelines, fast but hard on the deck.

barbender

I've never seen a dropside before. We have Loadking detachable lowboy trailers that move everything this large logging spread has, including about 10 each processors and forwarders, and several conventional crews with large delimbers. I don't know the well length offhand.
Too many irons in the fire

1270d

The dropside we have used is definitely lower than the regular one, and longer.   It will get hung up on a large pebble 😁

1270d

 

 


This is the normal trailer, I think it's a Rogers.

BargeMonkey

 I appreciate the info guys. Im not in a rush to upgrade, been looking and this one finally came up for sale. We don't normally spend money unless the deal is right, the guy has dropped his price pretty hard. 2 other bigger loggers I know have dropsides, claim it's the way to go. Trying to stay away from a 50ton because my father isn't the type to tell someone NO, I want no part of the 330-345 size stuff. 80% of my iron won't have a problem with the rails, our small dozers rarely see a lowboy but again got to ask around. Anymore we don't put a truck or trailer into a hole, let someone else destroy their truck, we had a brand new 20ton eager beaver tag trailer destroyed in 1997 ? Moving a 518 backing into a bad place, been down that road. I carry aluminum blocks with this lowboy for the neck, you do have to watch dragging or getting hung up. I've stayed away from any new iron being pennyless with my divorce, I'm hoping to write 1x more check when I get home then go look at this trailer if its still there in a week. 😂 We where at Milton Cat in Clifton Park the other day and they want to play let's make a deal on some used forestry iron they cant find homes for, the only way im going to get decent money out of that forwarder and delimber i have is to trade it to them on low hr stuff. I don't want to own anything I can't move myself, that's why im wondering how you guys are moving these harvesters and 8 wheelers ??? At somepoint there will be a "564/574 Cat" question posted on here 😂

killamplanes

I have a 5yrs old pitts non ground bering. I had a ground bering and with loading on roads heavy equipment it will leave a nice circle dent sometimes several inches deep. Mine is air ride and adjustable neck. On even ground I can slam it within 3 inches to the ground or in 1 minute I can adjust it atleast 14in high. Easy to detach. I detach and leave the neck on semi and go to town and eat lunch then go back to work. At the time ruffle 5 yrs ago I spent 42k. Main thing we use it for is trackhoe. And dead machinery recovery...
jd440 skidder, western star w/grapple,tk B-20 hyd, electric, stihl660,and 2X661. and other support Equipment, pallet manufacturing line

wannaergo

I don't know much about the Lowboy, but the 564/574 cat comment got my attention...  I would personally advise against adding one to your headache list.  I'm not a fan
2016 Ponsse ergo 8w
2014 Cat 564
Husky 385

BargeMonkey

Quote from: killamplanes on April 21, 2017, 10:37:42 PM
I have a 5yrs old pitts non ground bering. I had a ground bering and with loading on roads heavy equipment it will leave a nice circle dent sometimes several inches deep. Mine is air ride and adjustable neck. On even ground I can slam it within 3 inches to the ground or in 1 minute I can adjust it atleast 14in high. Easy to detach. I detach and leave the neck on semi and go to town and eat lunch then go back to work. At the time ruffle 5 yrs ago I spent 42k. Main thing we use it for is trackhoe. And dead machinery recovery...
The plate on the "foot" on mine is 8x8, I'm sure you've had a heavy machine on and sunk it 3-4" past the blacktop. 😂  the best is when someone gets the pins put in, locks the neck down and doesn't pick the foot up. The foot went about 50ft, then that ripped off and the cylinder dug for another 50ft. Driver figured he was "hung up" and locked the power divider in, put it in LL and away he went. The county wasn't too happy. 😂 now when I load a machine I check 2-3x to make sure it's up all the way.
I've always liked the pitts trailers, you've had no issues or anything funny with them ? For the money they are a nice trailer, the cost of lowboys is out of sight. I can buy this one for around 20k, I'm figuring it will a need some boards, some paint and be gone thru. The guy who has it doesn't sound like the type to nickle and dime on maintenance, I just know the devil I have with mine and from what I hear a NGB is so much nicer.

woodmaker

I have an older 35 ton rogers 10 ' wide ,flat deck ,ground bearing,with a short well.I have used ngb trailers in the past,and have to say there is no comparison.Anyone who has been high-centered across a road ,with  traffic stopped and backing up on both sides,while you are trying to get extra plates between the legs and the deck,will most likely agree.
As for the drop deck,if you need it,you need it.It wouldn't for my application because I often have to side load on paved roads(to keep the peace with local d.p.w. bosses).
franklin q80,builtrite 40,husky 372,sachs dolmar 123, dozers,excavators,loaders,tri-axle dump trucks ,autocar tractor with dump,flatbed and detachable trailers, and 8  f350 diesels

killamplanes

I have had no issues with my pitts trailer. With that said pitts trailers are not used around here by the over the road equipment haulers. They use the more expensive lowboy nam brands. When I got this one new I looked at 10 used ones. They either had enough cracks to were out a new welder or the salt ate them out like cancer. It's near impossible to do a good power washing to a lowboy. They rot the beams out under the boards cause you can't get to that area. It's always (in my experience here) 5 times worst cancer than you think when the boards are removed...
jd440 skidder, western star w/grapple,tk B-20 hyd, electric, stihl660,and 2X661. and other support Equipment, pallet manufacturing line

CTL logger

Quote from: BargeMonkey on April 21, 2017, 09:59:57 PM
I appreciate the info guys. Im not in a rush to upgrade, been looking and this one finally came up for sale. We don't normally spend money unless the deal is right, the guy has dropped his price pretty hard. 2 other bigger loggers I know have dropsides, claim it's the way to go. Trying to stay away from a 50ton because my father isn't the type to tell someone NO, I want no part of the 330-345 size stuff. 80% of my iron won't have a problem with the rails, our small dozers rarely see a lowboy but again got to ask around. Anymore we don't put a truck or trailer into a hole, let someone else destroy their truck, we had a brand new 20ton eager beaver tag trailer destroyed in 1997 ? Moving a 518 backing into a bad place, been down that road. I carry aluminum blocks with this lowboy for the neck, you do have to watch dragging or getting hung up. I've stayed away from any new iron being pennyless with my divorce, I'm hoping to write 1x more check when I get home then go look at this trailer if its still there in a week. 😂 We where at Milton Cat in Clifton Park the other day and they want to play let's make a deal on some used forestry iron they cant find homes for, the only way im going to get decent money out of that forwarder and delimber i have is to trade it to them on low hr stuff. I don't want to own anything I can't move myself, that's why im wondering how you guys are moving these harvesters and 8 wheelers ??? At somepoint there will be a "564/574 Cat" question posted on here 😂

We can't move a feller buncher legally on a 35 ton drop deck. My 735 Timberpro only measures 13'4" on a flat deck rgn trailer. Imo Cat should stick with moving dirt their forestry equipment is awful. The best day in 4 years was when my 574 went down the road what a pile of junk, I could write for hours on how bad a Cat forwarder is..

wannaergo

Quote from: CTL logger on April 22, 2017, 07:32:16 AM
I could write for hours on how bad a Cat forwarder is..

You too huh?  :D I'm of the same opinion
2016 Ponsse ergo 8w
2014 Cat 564
Husky 385

barbender

Their CTL equipment sure has a poor reputation. We run a few Cat skidders, I'm not around those but they must have something going for them, the boss just bought another- a 535, I think. We're supposed to demo a Cat forwarder, I'd like to get in it just to see how they stack up. If I'm not mistaken, aren't the forwarders different from the Euro models they used to have? They are built like a skidder, they look North American. My only real gripe with the Ponsse forwarders is the body panels, hood etc. are still made for the intensively manicured euro forests. I hear I'm getting a new one, I'm not relishing the thought of the first bent light duty sheet metal.
Too many irons in the fire

snowstorm

The euro cat was a eco log.now there fowarder is a cat. Timber king.  Fab tech

BargeMonkey

 I'm suprised, but glad to hear it. I've dealt with 2 other guys who have new ones and they swear by them. They look rugged, like you guys have said about not being euro and flimsy. I've really only got 3 choices, Cat, Komatsu or Timberpro where I'm at. I can't type the words on here to describe what I think of my regional salesman / Nortrax, or what they can stick where. 😂  I'm done buying Deere iron. Anderson out of Albany seems pretty good, they still look at you funny when you start talking CTL equipment, I flat out asked the head service guy one day about dealer support and everything comes from Maine. CJ's is 2.5hrs from me, I don't mind a little but that gets old. Cat has 2x 574's right now low hr they want to find homes for, I'm in the middle of getting on my knees again when I get home with the bank reps from Norwich to finish up our gas station so I didn't dare even go look, I'm not window shopping, just trying to narrow down color. 👍
I 100% agree on the problems with buying a used lowboy, it's just so hard to justify a new one sometimes. I will move a couple other guys local, other than that I want no part of it, strictly for me only. Ive looked at a couple brands and I honestly liked the Pitts trailers, the thing is when you start shopping NEW, we would probably go with a 50-55 and then your getting into a trailer that doesn't get off the blacktop. I just honestly don't know that much about them, I was kind of under the impression the new Timberpro stuff was dropside only for height, if I ever had to go that far I can get Beisler from Oneonta to move me, I would rather go with a conventional flat deck trailer but again that's why im asking questions. This one has been welded up, it's been used, the owner didn't hide it, I'm just so cheap 😂 I figured I could get out of my trailer and upgrade and not spend a fortune.

wannaergo

Yeah cat bought out fabtek in 05 I think.  They got the 501, and 564 from that deal. Barbender, if they bring a cat forwarder to your job, you will be blown away by how primitive it is compared to your Ponsse. Our 2015 cat 564 is eons behind our old 2002 caribou. Not only the interior of the cab, but  the engineering of the machine as a whole.
2016 Ponsse ergo 8w
2014 Cat 564
Husky 385

1270d

I'll be another anti cat guy.  They are built well for very solid flat ground and bulldozing, but the crane and hydraulics are so far behind the Nordic machines.

Barbender, have your machine ordered with the protection package.   They put extra thick pieces in some areas such as the bottom of the side pontoons to keep them straight.

millcreek40

My father bought a new 42 ton Talbert  non ground bearing detachable with a pony motor & a wet line set up. Best of both worlds. We usually used the wet line but you could use any truck in a pinch. The non ground bearing set up was great. He welded a plate across the back of the truck  for the cylinder to push on. No blocking needed. Also if the trailer got hung up, stop raise it up , carry on. The best trailer we ever had. Came with EPAi  Decking on it. Still was on it when he sold it
Two 240A Timberjacks, Mack log truck, Multitek 2040 wood processor.

chevytaHOE5674

Quote from: 1270d on April 22, 2017, 09:24:51 PM
Barbender, have your machine ordered with the protection package.   They put extra thick pieces in some areas such as the bottom of the side pontoons to keep them straight.

That newer Ergo I was running had the protection package with the thick metal in the bottoms of the pontoons. Funny thing is for that machine the extra piece of steel was just glued into the pontoon. One week worth of bouncing through the woods and it fell out. Service guy said that you need to drill and bolt them in if you want them to stay. Hopefully the new machine are better. ha

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