Down in the woods today.

Talk about forest machines here
User avatar

DaveS
Posts: 423
Joined: Sat Jul 12, 2008 10:20 pm
Real name: David Shearer
Location: Central Scotland
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Down in the woods today.

Post #31 by DaveS » Tue Jan 26, 2010 11:02 am

**Major re-edit of this post since yesterday, following a trawl through my archives! :oops: **

The conversion looks like it is one done by J. P. Wilson the County refurbishers, as it is identical to the one in the picture below of their demonstrator, with the crane mounted mid-way along the cab, the roof design where the lights are, and the long mudguards with operator entry at the back. I was led to believe that they made only one.

Jones used a cab that looked like a Duncan (I think it may have even used Duncan doors) with a large RHS frame from the axle incorporated at the back edge for the crane. The branch diverters would have been from the cab right out to the front too, but they often got damaged and replaced with whatever was to hand.

Chieftain Forge's crane cab looked like it was cut from solid plate, and had the distinction of being the only cab ever tested by the NIAE that was still completely undamaged after the tests and fit for sale!

The slew cylinders on that one are in fact at the bottom of the column, as it's a short-column crane and the column stops at them on the cab roof.

Dave. S.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

User avatar

DaveS
Posts: 423
Joined: Sat Jul 12, 2008 10:20 pm
Real name: David Shearer
Location: Central Scotland
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Down in the woods today.

Post #32 by DaveS » Wed Jan 27, 2010 5:03 pm

Here's a real oddity - it's a conversion from what was a Mini Brunnet forwarder, one of the few forwarders which had the crane mounted on an external frame over the cab, with the cab turned around and moved onto what was the log bunk, and a larger crane fitted to convert it into a harvester.

A lot of work to go to!

Dave. S.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.


Topic author
pk1200
Posts: 270
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:56 pm
Real name: Brian Donnelly
Has thanked: 81 times
Been thanked: 59 times

Re: Down in the woods today.

Post #33 by pk1200 » Wed Jan 27, 2010 6:40 pm

Hi david
was the Brunnet conversion carried out only once or was many machines altered.It seems to be a lot of work moving the engine ,finding and mounting. the bigger crane etc.Would it have made economic sense?


BulldozerD11
Posts: 790
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2008 2:40 am
Real name: Dave
Location: Northern England
Has thanked: 57 times
Been thanked: 5 times
Contact:

Re: Down in the woods today.

Post #34 by BulldozerD11 » Wed Jan 27, 2010 7:22 pm

Interesting photos Dave and info :thumbup:

Dave
Interested in Tractors, Plant, Heavy Haulage or Steam visit http://tractors.wikia.com/wiki/Tractor_%26_Construction_Plant_Wiki
Help document every manufacturer model build, and record every machine in preservation, clubs and events etc.

User avatar

DaveS
Posts: 423
Joined: Sat Jul 12, 2008 10:20 pm
Real name: David Shearer
Location: Central Scotland
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Down in the woods today.

Post #35 by DaveS » Fri Jan 29, 2010 11:30 am

pk1200 wrote:Hi david
was the Brunnet conversion carried out only once or was many machines altered.It seems to be a lot of work moving the engine ,finding and mounting. the bigger crane etc.Would it have made economic sense?


Brian,

In the early days of harvesters people were a bit sceptical of excavator conversions and many wanted wheeled bases like the Scandinavians used, but wheeled harvesters were more than double the cost of an excavator based harvester.

This resulted in quite a few machine builders (usually agents for the various heads) building specials like this one. It used a Silvatec head.

Various other things were used as base machines - conversions of older two-gip harvesters like the Rottne, forwarders, Kockums four-wheeled feller/buncher chassis, skidders, M-B Tracs and quite a few Matbro Telerams with the boom removed and a crane fitted! :think:

Excavators almost took over after that for a while, but now there seems to be more money in the woods and with contractors buying more brand new machines the purpose built chassis are more common - and the giant tracked 360 degree self-levelling harvesters! :D

Dave. S.


Topic author
pk1200
Posts: 270
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:56 pm
Real name: Brian Donnelly
Has thanked: 81 times
Been thanked: 59 times

Re: Down in the woods today.

Post #36 by pk1200 » Fri Jan 29, 2010 5:16 pm

Hi dave
I think that the pendulum may have swung back towards excavators because of better/faster hydraulics=better production,cheaper initial outlay,cheaper parts, servicing, and bigger second hand market.


Topic author
pk1200
Posts: 270
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:56 pm
Real name: Brian Donnelly
Has thanked: 81 times
Been thanked: 59 times

Re: Down in the woods today.

Post #37 by pk1200 » Fri Apr 16, 2010 10:25 pm

Found this little machine busy working away meanwhile pics 3 and 4 show a unit which seems to have settled into retirement.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.


TaylorLambert
Posts: 111
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 3:09 am
Real name: Taylor Lambert

Re: Down in the woods today.

Post #38 by TaylorLambert » Tue Apr 20, 2010 12:47 am

THanks for posting all the neat pictures of the forest machines. Im gettin into salvage logging in my home town. Im interested in the Grab on the Close up picture of the County. Does it use just one cylinder to pen and close the grab or a complex linkage or 2 cylinders. Ive been looking at many designs so I can build my own. Most machines used here are skidders, I think there is one old Ford based Forwarder thats got large tires up fron and balloon tires on back. I see it a few times each year, I even did some welding on it but cant recall the name. Our logging sites look terrible compared to the ones pictured, even if the timber is select cut the compaction and rub damge kills tons of the standing trees.


ARPS co also made several sets of tracks for Ford and Feruson tractors. My father lived in South Carolina for afew years and said that they had several conversions there for logging cypress and mucking hog parlors. They used grease tube and some had screws to set the track tensions. Ive even seen them for small Allis Chalmers G tractors. Arps als omade small backhoe attachments and blades and Larger backhoes to.


clockworklozenge
Posts: 95
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2009 6:45 pm
Real name: C walker

Re: Down in the woods today.

Post #39 by clockworklozenge » Fri Jun 11, 2010 10:47 pm

Image
URL of the original image: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4672026864_995e913589_b.jpg

Image

Image
URL of the original image: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2794/4540876127_d6c22882fc_b.jpg


Topic author
pk1200
Posts: 270
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:56 pm
Real name: Brian Donnelly
Has thanked: 81 times
Been thanked: 59 times

Re: Down in the woods today.

Post #40 by pk1200 » Sun Jan 09, 2011 11:57 pm

some photos
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.


Return to “Forest Machines”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests