i want to turn my jcb 3c into a forest machine, but need your help/suggestions first..

[total-tree-care]

as the title suggests, i have searched high and low and yet to no avail..

firstly, does anyone have a picture or information with regards to fitting a grapple/rotator to the back actor on a jcb 3c? there was talk of a man who had done this one of the tree surgery forums, but the man never put up the pictures he promised, and he also wouldnt elaborate on how he achieved this,


and secondly, surely it must be possible to fix a tow hitch off some description to the tractor, allowing for towing capabilities?
i have a jcb 3c and dont plan on shifting the back actor, it is perfect as is over to one end, so as i wont need to slide. surely i can fabricate a strong plated tow hitch to the bottom of the rear frame to allow me to pull a trailer?


i couldnt find anything relating to this on the internet, and before i do something very stupid, or very foolish i wanted your guys opinion

thanks people!!

[Joes1989]

You'd probably be able to fix a fixed grapple on the backhoe! But a hydraulic one might not be possible, I'm not sure!

[TullyveeryClassicJCB]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRSYzNANSKM

You can buy bolt on tow hitchs for JCBs. I think they used to be sold on Ebay.

[Tracshovel]

Here is a view of the drawbar and how it is fitted.

http://youtu.be/kx6l9unBzsc

I see no reason why you could not fit a hydraulic log grapple onto the back actor. You could use the bucket hydraulic circuit to open/close the grapple.....if you needed a rotator then another service would be required or use a solenoid diverted valve from the bucket linkage.

Ground clearance in the forest may be an issue because of the rear jack legs......quite easy to get hung up on stumps.

[County1174lwb]

I think a 3c would really struggle in almost 99% of woodland situations as traction, manoeuvrability and as trackshovel says ground clearance would be very limited.
Maybe in a yard it would be ok but don't forget if you have the king post stuck on one side then you won't be able to lift anything heavy from over that side of the machine which will also narrow your working range.

Just my thoughts...

Ian

[total-tree-care]

in an ideal world i would get a dedicated forwarder, but as funds restrict i am the proud owner of a 3c, lol
i have a timber trailer and have been using a range rover to pull it, and the 3c to load,
but the links above are ten fold better than the idea i had in my head, and will also allow with not so much hastle the kingpin to be slid!
at the moment i am loading with a strop, which is a nightmare, i am going to look at a non hydraulic grapple/log tongs, (slide over and grab the wood when gravity pulls the tight.) i have got the machine into the forest and so far have not got stuck and we have had alot of rain, and i am working within 10m of a canal, so the ground is quite boggy, nearly got the rangie stuck a couple times.. surprisingly the old girl was working wonders handling +/-25inch diameter 3msticks of oak, until the old uj on the prop let go, but thats a different story!
so what is involved in mounting a rotator to the back arm? i think it would be a case of getting an hitch from a bucket and then mounting a rotator? but i have not ever had to think about things like this, previously i have jumped in the right machine for the job, and got paid at the end of the month, but now i need to put my plans into action, i have alot of timber to handle and process, and the more end product i make, the bigger/better/more effective the toys will be, but i have to start somewhere, and you cant run before you can walk..

cheers for the input guys, it is great to get answers!

Jr

[County1174lwb]

You could hang the rotator from the bucket pin hole on the dipper with a 2 way link so it can tip both ways and use the bucket ram function to turn it if you are going to use a set of manual tongs.

Hope it all works out for you Jr.

Ian

[diggerjones]

i like the idear of towing a trailor with your machine but i think a log grab/rotator might be a load of hassle for not much return. that trailor hitch on you tube looks good. on my machine i think it would slide in the rails from the side so would be real quick to put on or off. if it were me i would carry on with straps/chains. my thinking with the bucket off and grab on you cant get yourself out when stuck. what about a tipping tree carrier then at leest you aint got to unload it.
dylan

[total-tree-care]

i have attached the tongs that i am thinking about using till finances allow a rotator and grapple,
although i loose the bucket for recovery, i always have large pulleys, strops and cables, so hooking up a recovery sytem to either self recover with the back arm taking the slack in, or using another vehicle isnt really an issue of mine,
and with regards to tipping off the load at the other end, my yard is only 0.8miles away from the forest, so if i use the jcb to load, and haul, then it will be easier to unload in the same way as loading.. or if the right one comes up on ebay for a good price get a big gantry crane to unload the trailer of the 3m trunks a trailer load at a time

[XS650]

All sounds very interesting , any pic of beast(s) in action in the woods
Craig