Guess where this Pic was taken?

Looks Crazy but it works!

For several years we used a converted skidder to move our chip vans to the chipper and position them for loading. I was originally convinced that the radius of the road prism was the limiting factor in transporting chip vans into and out of the woods logging roads. We were operating year round and we quickly found that the least tractive effort was when a road was used hard during the summer when dry. The road prism turns to powder and traction is diminished. This tractive effort problem combined with tight radius turns eliminated many logging roads from use. If we controlled the road, widening the road was a small problem but if , as is common, the roads have multiple easements, reconstruction was prohibited, then the skidder was one solution.
Getting to this point consumed 3 semi tractors and eight vans. After using the skidder for these several years we developed the roll-off system pictured elsewhere.

This was in the ninemile area west of Missoula, Montana. The road had several pitches 11-15% and the turn around distance was almost five miles. The road prism was 11-15 feet wide and the skidder was driven off the road while tracking the vans tires centered on the road prism. It does require an attentive driver and an air supply is necessary on the skidder for trailer brakes. If you meet traffic they back up.

Fun But Expensive Projects$$$$$

We tried the bundler twice. Once in Florence, Montana and once on the Burnt Fork Ranch at Stevensville, Montana. This caused us to develop the roll-off bins as we felt that they could compete because the bins use no twine and the container is already loaded as a large bale. The limbs actually hold the material together without the twine.
When the large bales are unloaded they maintain their shape and feed into grinders very well. As with the baler the material is as clean as the operator is careful. The bins are very simple as there are no moving parts to break, and require only one trip across the ground  because the material is baled and loaded in one operation. The bin bales are less dense than the twine baler. We hoped to have a bale off to compare the costs but have been unable to do this test.
The bins are much faster than the twine baler and utilize 1/2 the trips over the ground. It would be interesting!

On this job we ground the twine bales with a 3680 Bandit Beast. The twine became wrapped around the teeth, and the drum looked like a big fuzz ball. We couldn't cut it off with scissors or our leatherman, so we melted it with the cutting torch and pulled it out with a 4 wheel drive pickup. Looked like a big fuzzy mat made of binder twine. Don't ask what we did with it.

Ckye, my son, and the landowner on a job in the Bitterroots. Looks like the owner is OK with the job. Ckye has the Log Max 5000 and bunks on at the operation.

The bins can be dumped, or exchanged for log bunks, or a fire tank, etc. in about 3 minutes depending upon conditions. All can be loaded on the truck in about the same amount of time. Versatile and quick!

Our latest project will be a grinder on the roll-off frame. Wait till you see that! We will be able to go from either in about 3-4 minutes. A forwarder can be many tools.

Switched all the other stuff off and put on the concrete tank to go pour more bases for Lost Trail Ski Area new ski run. The forwarder is much less expensive than a helicopter. Bill Grasser is cleaning up before the next pour.

When the tank was unloaded some concrete remained inside so we'd crawl in it and shovel the remainder out. A very messy operation. Somebody came up with the idea of using a vibrator to move the concrete out and it works great. Judy, an owner and THE BOSS, is operating the 18 hp vibrator to complete the unload. She's smiling because I'm kidding her about operating the vibrator! Glad she smiled and didn't hit me with it. HA HA.

An engineer, a salesman, and two owners looking at the wear on the experimental blower on an experimental Vemeer 6000 prototype #1. My idea.

 

Finally quit looking at it, and started grinding some fuel for the Darby Fuels for School Project into a smaller live bottom.

More to Come!
Keep Checking.

Smile.  It'll keep'em wondering..