The Wallenstein Solution

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CuttingEdge
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The Wallenstein Solution

Post by CuttingEdge » Mon Jun 27, 2016 11:36 am

I finally answered my problem of getting wood out of the forest with my bulldozer. As some of you recall I was having a lot of issues snapping 3/8 chain chokers when logs got hung up on stumps, roots and rocks. Well when I passed an equipment place on my way to get my dozers starter fixed, I came across a Wallenstein Forestry Trailer and after a bit of thought, figured this was the best answer.

The general idea was that by having a grapple and lifting the logs onto a trailer instead of dragging them on the ground, I can take a lot of the shock force off the bulldozers undercarriage. Forestry trailers drag relatively easy through the woods because of their walking beam suspension and 4 wheels. I am thinking that since my dozer (or Kubota tractor) will only being towing weight on wheels now, it will add years of life to the two machines.

Its a small trailer because the equipment place ordered one and never sold it for the last 2 years and the owner wanted it GONE. I came along and bought it for cost, so I am pleased. Still a lot of money, but it doubles as a back hoe, dump trailer and post hole driller. As many of you know I own a farm so I have a lot more needs then just logging. One of the biggest uses I envision is moving haybales around. It can easily handle them at full extension which is nice. I am sure it will help in picking rocks out of my fields, putting in gate posts, and digging waterlines.

At first I was disappointed with the 8 foot trailer and its 5000 lb rating...about a cord, but I already have another woods trailer that is 12 feet long, so my plan is to weld a hitch onto the back of my existing trailer so I will have tandem trailers with the log grapple in the middle of them. This will allow me to load two trailers with wood and thus move 2 cord at a time instead of 1. Since I am moving about 1/4 of a cord per run from the woods to the landing now, it is going to save a LOT of wear on my tracks since one trip will be bringing in so much more wood.

The only option I did insist on, is the powerpack. I wanted this trailer to be fully functional on the landing as a stand alone unit, be able to be used on the back of my dozer with no need for additional hydraulic work, or even being used behind my SUV if say I need to move boards or slabs from my sawmills to customers. It was way overpriced, but I think the functionality of it will ultimately pay for itself.

Will this all work as planned?

I am not sure, but I think getting the wood onto wheels is a huge part of the solution. Here is a video on Youtube in case you are wondering just what a Wallenstein Forestry Trailer is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lusaW8nMkI
I have no intention of traveling to my grave in a well manicured body; instead I am going to slide into heaven with a big power turn, totally wore out with busted knuckles, jump off my dozer loudly yelling, Woo Hoo, another Shepard has just arrived!

whiteclipse16
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Post by whiteclipse16 » Tue Jun 28, 2016 5:28 am

That thing looks cool.
So do you get the bucket and post hole digger and bed pan with the log trailer or is that stuff sold separately?
My stepdad has the Wallentein 3-point hitch winch and the thing is amazing. He runs it with a small 30HP john deere and it'll pull some very large logs with only running the engine slightly above an idle.
Ben

Great Grandpa's 1960 440ICD 602 blade
Between SN's: 455,633 - 456,801
Currently Rebuilding/Restoring

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CuttingEdge
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Post by CuttingEdge » Tue Jun 28, 2016 11:58 am

Wallenstein is well made, a bit more expensive, but well made. I could see that from winches, to backhoes, to trailers.


I do not have a Wallenstein Winch, but I have a Fransgard Winch on my Kubota Tractor and it is nice!! 150 feet of cable, a tractor that can sneak between trees, and as you pointed out, I do the majority of my pulling at an idle. Yeah I could rev it up and get some serious line speed, but I like slower!

To answer your question, the trailer came with the accessories you mentioned as part of the package, with the exception of the flat bed and auger. But I already have a flat bed trailer and auger bit so I was okay with that. I also opted out of the winch as a separate buy-option because with 50 feet or ROPE, it could in no way replace my Fransgard winch. (Again 150 feet of steel cable). I also opted out of the highway package because as a Farmer I can get move down the roadway with immunity 50 miles from home. (Even then, Northern Hydraulics can get you trailer lights cheaper).

I am not sure if I can get enough of a side bite on hay bales to load them, but I am sure I can make extensions for the grapple just to lift hay bales around and it can more then handle them at full extension.

But the rest it came with. The 12 inch backhoe bucket, dump body, grapple and so on. Definitely a good package deal.
I have no intention of traveling to my grave in a well manicured body; instead I am going to slide into heaven with a big power turn, totally wore out with busted knuckles, jump off my dozer loudly yelling, Woo Hoo, another Shepard has just arrived!

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mapaduke@yahoo.com
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Post by mapaduke@yahoo.com » Tue Jun 28, 2016 6:03 pm

At least you will save some were on your chain saw chain by carrying the logs out. Dragging them drives a lot of dirt into the bark.
nothing crawles like a deere

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CuttingEdge
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Post by CuttingEdge » Wed Jun 29, 2016 5:46 am

You got that right. It also opens up the firewood market a little better because of clean wood. Its only marginally better because people prefer tree length wood over 16 foot or 8 foot, but they would get a far better idea of what they are buying. 16 foot and 8 foot is easy to measure cord for cord where as tree length is highly speculative.

I have been looking up home made debarkers on Youtube as I would like to debark my trees before going to the sawmills, but maybe now taking the time and money to do that would not be worthwhile?
I have no intention of traveling to my grave in a well manicured body; instead I am going to slide into heaven with a big power turn, totally wore out with busted knuckles, jump off my dozer loudly yelling, Woo Hoo, another Shepard has just arrived!

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notmeu
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Post by notmeu » Wed Jun 29, 2016 8:14 am

Congratulations on your Wallenstein purchase, they are defiantly one of the better made brands out there. I have a buddy that has a firewood splitter from them and he loves it, years of trouble free service. I also looked at their firewood processors, and took a lot of pictures, and if it wasn't for their 10,000 asking price I would of bought one, I think if they lowered their pricing a little bit to make it more affordable for the average person they would be a leader in the market for smaller forestry products. So instead I'm in the process of building one, copying a lot of their ideas. I'm sure your forestry trailer will provide you with years of dependable service!
1956 JD420, gearmatic 8a winch, custom 6 way blade and FOPS.

whiteclipse16
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Post by whiteclipse16 » Fri Jul 08, 2016 6:56 am

You might try something like in the link below for loading your round bales. They call it a tightening scissor clamp, but I'm not sure if that's the correct name.
I know the jaw size would have to be much wider than what's in the link. I know I've seen them bigger for picking up square bales I think.
It's one of those things where it's clear as day in my mind, but I don't know what it's called to be able to google the right thing.

http://www.smashsupplies.com.au/shop/La ... Clamp.html
Ben

Great Grandpa's 1960 440ICD 602 blade
Between SN's: 455,633 - 456,801
Currently Rebuilding/Restoring

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CuttingEdge
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Post by CuttingEdge » Sat Jul 09, 2016 8:18 am

No clamp needed. I tried moving my round bales and I can do it with just the log loading grapple. That is nice; no switching out to move logs and then hay bales. It is fast at moving them too. Because it is fast and simple to load and go, I am making some pretty fast round trips.

A disappointment has been the production rate. With tree length I can move 6 cord per day, but with the Wallenstein I have only got out 9 cord in 3 days. I do make more money per cord for 8 foot than tree length, BUT it is half the production. :-( I guess if there is a silver lining it is that its doing all this with NO WEAR on the tractor. Before I was dragging out tree length wood in 5th gear in 4X4, where as now I am in 7th gear and in 2 wheel drive. Before the temperature was running around 200 degrees and now it is at 180, so big difference in working the tractors engine. Why should it though, the load is on wheels?

I will say though, it takes a lot of the work of logging out of it, and with only 12 cord moved, I have hardly figured out the most practical way to move wood. New machine, new methods...only I hate change so I struggle sometimes in doing something different.

I was able to use the skip dump and move some big rocks in making a retaining wall. That worked well, using the grapple to muckle ahold of big boulders then position them nicely into a retaining wall. Of everything I have done so far, big, heavy slippery rocks with a grapple has been the toughest challenge.

It will be neat to see how this thing does placing roof trusses though.
I have no intention of traveling to my grave in a well manicured body; instead I am going to slide into heaven with a big power turn, totally wore out with busted knuckles, jump off my dozer loudly yelling, Woo Hoo, another Shepard has just arrived!

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