Struck Magnatrac (or other crawler/dozer type vehicles): Opinions?

[ElmBurner]

The land where my timber lies is generally fairly steep, with many gullies and an elevation change of roughly 40 ft in about 300-400 ft of run. Up until recently, I figured the only way I was getting wood out of the interior of this area was by cutting/splitting/stacking it where it was felled, then pulling it out piecemeal in a sled or wagon.

I was looking at the back of a magazine last night and saw that there is a company called Struck in Wisconsin that makes a mini-dozer/crawler in the 600-800 lbs range that supposedly can pull 1000 lbs. Sounds like a perfect way to skid logs in a muddy/steep area without tearing up the ground or getting stuck.

From what I have read on the internet, they've been around for quite a while and seem to have a somewhat mixed reputation. The heavy equipment guys consider it a toy and advocate for a 4WD tractor or a real crawler/bulldozer. The DIY/lawn tractor guys consider it to be pretty amazing and something that is easily maintained and can do a lot of work.

Considering my situation (a guy working on his own with about 5 acres of hilly timber), I am leaning more towards thinking this would be a useful addition for me, as well as letting me do things like maintaining my gravel drive, pushing snow in the winter, possibly some very light field work in a hay field.

Anyone have any personal experience with this sort of equipment? Am I on the right track here?

 

[jetsam]

Never heard of them before. Looks like a tracked lawn tractor.

Interestingly, they sell a flatpack bulldozer kit. I am envisioning a team of fifty unhappy, herniated UPS men barely managing to push it off the truck at the end of your driveway, and you popping down there with a screwdriver and assembling it and driving it up to your house. =D

I found some pictures of the thing in the reviews section of their site.

(Sorry for the unhelpful post; I was just amused by the whole concept of the assemble-it-yourself bulldozer kit.)

 

[greg13]

With any tracked equipment make sure you have a cleated track. A smooth track machine (I don't care how big) WILL slide downhill in mud, You might as well be on ice.

 

[SCOTT S.]

Buddy just bought one for $350 bought it from a guy who's grandpa passed and was cleaning out the shed. Cleaned the carb and she's a runner. It's small but I watched him cut through a hard 3 foot snow pile like butter. Neat little machine.

 

[Jon1270]

a mini-dozer/crawler in the 600-800 lbs range that supposedly can pull 1000 lbs.

I have zero experience with such vehicles, but it seems like this claim could easily be misinterpreted. If they mean it can pull a trailer with a gross weight of 1000# over level ground, then it'll pull substantially less on a slope or if you're skidding instead of using wheels. What is the top speed, under load? If your goal is to avoid having to split the wood before moving it, will you be able to move large enough pieces fast enough to be worth it?

 

[Boiler74]

Look at the Portable Winch company. These capstan winches work well and will haul logs up a slope. They aren't cheap but I have one and am happy with it. Combine it with a couple double sheave snatch blocks and you can pull 8,000 lbs.

 

[ElmBurner]

With any tracked equipment make sure you have a cleated track. A smooth track machine (I don't care how big) WILL slide downhill in mud, You might as well be on ice.

It comes with either rubber or grouser tracks.

It's small but I watched him cut through a hard 3 foot snow pile like butter. Neat little machine.

Yeah, that kind of goes along with what I've read about them.

What is the top speed, under load? If your goal is to avoid having to split the wood before moving it, will you be able to move large enough pieces fast enough to be worth it?

Per the spec sheet, the top speed is 3 mph and the "gear reduction" is around 50:1 or so. I think the limit is engine power, not traction. When you are skidding logs, I would guess the friction of the log on the ground is going to out-weigh the effects of gravity, so the slope wouldn't seem to matter much.

Look at the Portable Winch company. These capstan winches work well and will haul logs up a slope. They aren't cheap but I have one and am happy with it. Combine it with a couple double sheave snatch blocks and you can pull 8,000 lbs.

I've considered that, but it's an expensive one-trick pony. Getting a mini-dozer allows me to do other things around my place. Push snow, maintain the gravel drive, etc.

 

[jetsam]

I've considered that, but it's an expensive one-trick pony. Getting a mini-dozer allows me to do other things around my place. Push snow, maintain the gravel drive, etc.

If I wanted to grade gravel, haul timber, and push snow, I'd be looking for a medium farm tractor. Widely available used, plenty of grunt for all those tasks.

 

[woodhog73]

If I wanted to grade gravel, haul timber, and push snow, I'd be looking for a medium farm tractor. Widely available used, plenty of grunt for all those tasks.

I agree. Even a small farm model can do lots of various tasks for someone with a large wooded yard or land or even someone with a hobby farm, etc.

However they are expensive I was looking at prices online and wow they are not cheap.

 

[jetsam]

I agree. Even a small farm model can do lots of various tasks for someone with a large wooded yard or land or even someone with a hobby farm, etc.

However they are expensive I was looking at prices online and wow they are not cheap.

New farm equipment is for people who make their living off of it.

Buy a used Deere and take care of it, and it'll last until you're too old to climb up on it.

Be wary about buying one from a farmer; they are not usually rich people, and they are usually pretty fair mechanics who don't sell good tractors for no reason. Shoot for an estate auction, bankruptcy auction, or a person who had no business owning a tractor in the first place. . Farm auctions are good but all the neighbors are going to be there, so don't expect rock bittom prices.

You could also get lucky and find one that is in good shape and just got upgraded.

 

[woodhog73]

New farm equipment is for people who make their living off of it.

Buy a used Deere and take care of it, and it'll last until you're too old to climb up on it.

Be wary about buying one from a farmer; they are not usually rich people, and they are usually pretty fair mechanics who don't sell good tractors for no reason. Shoot for an estate auction, bankruptcy auction, or a person who had no business owning a tractor in the first place. . Farm auctions are good but all the neighbors are going to be there, so don't expect rock bittom prices.

You could also get lucky and find one that is in good shape and just got upgraded.

What I'm thinking of perhaps is more of a compact tractor ?

There's a Kubota dealer not too far and he has these small tractors but they are far too small for a farmer who makes a living farming. They look more useful to a land owner or hobby farm type of user. According to the website an example I'm thinking of would be Kubotas B2301. I guess it's 23 hp and pictures show it with a front loader on it. It's got big rear wheels for traction and pulling I guess

Something like that looks useful for a small land owner or hobby farm. Not a income producing farm too small for that.

But the thing is they are coming up like $13k for used ??

My buddy bought a New Holland skid steer with a grapple for his tree service business. He uses it for dragging piles of brush and heavy logs out of yards and stuff I can't believe how much easier it is than dragging brush by hand. I've used it when I work for him here and there and it's fun to operate!

If you had a spare $50k laying around burning a hole in you pocket that would be the way to go !

Back to reality anyways I'd be happy with one of those small Kubota tractors but I'm not spending that kind of money. Too spendy for my tastes. But I just think of the stuff I could do in addition to haul logs . I could grade my gravel driveway every year . Also be good when I get mulch delivered for spreading across the various landscape areas , etc. just looks useful to me

 

[peakbagger]

How about one of these http://www.maystrailequipment.com/images/iron_horse/ih_folder.pdf

I have lot of concern for any ride on equipment on hilly steep areas. There are numerous deaths and serious industries from loggers in my region that roll the equipment over when getting sidewards on the slopes. Unless there is monster roll cage they usually get pinned or worse.

When I looked at my wants I picked up one of these. 40 hours on the engine and chassis. 18K and will eat a Kubota for lunch. It has a Case 580 backhoe in the back. It has full roll bar and roof protection. Ugly as heck

 

[Boiler74]

I've considered that, but it's an expensive one-trick pony. Getting a mini-dozer allows me to do other things around my place. Push snow, maintain the gravel drive, etc.

I understand that sentiment. I thought about the purchase a lot. Already have a tractor. But what if I wanted that nice oak log that was too far to get to or pull in a straight line? I can make multiple pulls with the portable winch and get a log out of an area I would have to bushwhack to with my chainsaw to get to otherwise. It allows me to get out of the line of pull, which I like. And it's useful for lots of other jobs. Pull something onto my trailer, take with me in the truck when it snows in case I get stuck, I've pulled over small trees with it (root ball and all), get my tractor unstuck on a slimy hill. Yes, I could put electric winches on each of these things, but I like one tool for many jobs. I'm not saying it beats equipment..... wouldn't trade it for my tractor at all. But it has more than one use for sure.

J.

 

[jetsam]

There's that grey area between lawn tractor and tractor too.

https://desmoines.craigslist.org/grd/5483293797.html

Or you could get a larger machine as a fixer upper if you swing that way.

https://desmoines.craigslist.org/grd/5441829242.html

Are you anywhere near Bloomfield? I think this one might be stolen

https://desmoines.craigslist.org/grd/5458217311.html

 

[firefighterjake]

Top speed is 3 mph? I think I would quickly get frustrated with the slow pace.

 

[ElmBurner]

If I wanted to grade gravel, haul timber, and push snow, I'd be looking for a medium farm tractor. Widely available used, plenty of grunt for all those tasks.

The problem is I am way past trying to do things with a garden rake, a snow blower and a pick-up truck and not nearly big enough to require a John Deere with all the associated maintenance/implement costs. I'm trying to split the difference with a budget of around $3-4k.

Even if I look at the compact utility tractors from John Deere, I just can't justify it. I will probably use the thing for 50-100 hours per year and it costs the same as a decent used car. No way that makes sense, financially.

Top speed is 3 mph? I think I would quickly get frustrated with the slow pace.

When your land is about 15 acres (roughly 1000 ft x 700 ft), 3 mph gets you anywhere in 5 minutes or less. Same as walking.

 

[woodhog73]

What about a toro dingo.

It's tracked and you stand on the back of it. Easy enough to jump off if it did get sideways. You can get a grapple hook attachment for it . You can also get a stump grinding attachment for it. I'm thinking you can also get a front loader attachment for it. Lots of uses for one of those things.

You won't be able to lift huge logs but it will lift logs far heavier than you, I , and 4 other guys combined could lift.

Perhaps an option not sure

 

[jetsam]

What about a toro dingo.

It's tracked and you stand on the back of it. Easy enough to jump off if it did get sideways. You can get a grapple hook attachment for it . You can also get a stump grinding attachment for it. I'm thinking you can also get a front loader attachment for it. Lots of uses for one of those things.

You won't be able to lift huge logs but it will lift logs far heavier than you, I , and 4 other guys combined could lift.

Perhaps an option not sure

Never seen that before, looks cool. Like half of a bobcat. Their promotional video does show it with a frontloader bucket, but it almost tips over when he picks up a big bucket of dirt.

Based on the video wouldn't try to pick up a decent sized tree with it, but it might be able to drag a tree with a chain.

 

[jetsam]

Maybe we are overcomplicating this.

You know what can go up uneven muddy terrain, pull logs, grade gravel, push snow, and cost less than $3000?

A $500 pickup truck with a big winch on the front. Swap out the winch for a blade when needed. When the truck gets stuck, you pull it out with the winch. Use the ball hitch and chains to tow the trees.

 

[woodhog73]

Never seen that before, looks cool. Like half of a bobcat. Their promotional video does show it with a frontloader bucket, but it almost tips over when he picks up a big bucket of dirt.

Based on the video wouldn't try to pick up a decent sized tree with it, but it might be able to drag a tree with a chain.

I'm not sure what video you saw on the toro Dingo ? The ones I saw show a fair amount of tree work. In one of them it is lifting a small to medium sized tree onto a flat bed . Ok probably small tree in diameter but it looks long so it's got to be heavy.

I think they might come in different sizes. But not sure

It is sort of a small skid steer concept without the cockpit but same idea.

 

[woodhog73]

Check out the Toro Dingo TX1000

Looks like it is the bigger model. Looks useful but I wonder how much ? Could be good to keep an eye out for a used one

 

[jetsam]

I'm not sure what video you saw on the toro Dingo ? The ones I saw show a fair amount of tree work. In one of them it is lifting a small to medium sized tree onto a flat bed . Ok probably small tree in diameter but it looks long so it's got to be heavy.

This one. Link is right before it goes tippy.

Maybe I'm paranoid from all my years of driving forklifts, and yes it was downhill a little, but if it's that unstable with just a bucket of loose dirt 8 inches off the ground, it's not going to be suitable to pick up heavy stuff.

Like I said though, that doesn't mean it can't drag heavy stuff, if it has the engine for it. It definitely looks like it has the traction to do so.

Does look like it's out of his price range (though a lot cheaper than a bobcat).

 

[ElmBurner]

Maybe we are overcomplicating this.

You know what can go up uneven muddy terrain, pull logs, grade gravel, push snow, and cost less than $3000?

A $500 pickup truck with a big winch on the front. Swap out the winch for a blade when needed. When the truck gets stuck, you pull it out with the winch. Use the ball hitch and chains to tow the trees.

I considered that, but a 2wd truck with snow chains gets stuck about 15 ft into the timber unless the ground is frozen, as well as being unable to navigate through the trees. I would be more effective going with the capstan winch mentioned earlier (but that leaves me without a way to plow/grade/etc).

Using a crawler that can turn 360 deg in it's own footprint and being about the size of a riding mower is much more usable in my scenario. It lets me not worry about having to clear a road or trail or getting stuck.

I should get some pictures up, so you guys understand what I'm dealing with.

 

[Jags]

A local tree guy uses one of those Dingo things. I see it on the job all the time, so it must have use. After watching it being used, I can't really imagine it doing a bunch of traction work, especially traction work on a steep incline. They seem to spin out fairly easy. They appear to be designed more about low impact (yards, turf, etc.).

 

[jetsam]

If your furthest dimension is 1000', you could also bury a few 6x6s 5' in the ground by your woodpile, mount a huge winch on a swivel on top of them, and winch all the trees in from there. You could start by pulling in the furthest tree back, and the cable would cut down a few trees for you as it pulled the first one in. *


*Jetsam Industries will not be liable if you cut your house in half as a result of any whimsical advice recieved from Jetsam Industries.