What should I get?? [Archive] - LawnSite.com™ - Lawn Care & Landscaping Business Forum

Azrael

10-22-2007, 09:32 AM

I am starting a business selling and installing outdoor wood, corn & pellet stoves. One of the glaring problems I have been having so far is how to unload and set these things at my shop and at the jobsite.

I had initially thought a flatbed truck with a knuckleboom crane, but don't know if I would always be able to get the truck close enough to the spot the stove needs to go.

Considered a loader/backhoe but don't know if it might be a problem if I have tight spaces and also would prefer to leave as few marks as possible on the lawn.

My preferred choices would be a skid or mini ex as these would allow me to also trench for the water & electric lines necessary to run the stove.

So, which should I get and what models would be best?

Here are my requirements:
1. I would like to be able to put the stove on the trailer and then load the machine and haul them both at the same time.

2. If possible I would like to stick to a 3/4 ton diesel but could upgrade to a 1 ton if necessary to tow everything.

3. The stoves have a lift eye on top, but as near as I can tell they don't have skids, so I don't know about getting underneath them with forks.

4. Here's the biggest requirement, these weigh from 1350 lbs to 4880 lbs for the biggest model.

So, the floor is now open for advice and recommendations.

YellowDogSVC

10-22-2007, 01:41 PM

Seems like you have an upper weight limit that is beyond most compact equipment.
I know that operating a flatbed truck has been handy. A new one ton can haul quite a load. Hmmm, for loading and unload I'm not sure. It would be hard to handle them with a loader with the ring without a jib but a jib would decrease your operating capacity.

If you could use forklift, an off road model might be the ticket.
For the smaller units, loading them with a skidsteer would be fine but you would need a trencher or small backhoe to dig your lines without making a mess assuming of course, that you could use a set of forks to move them. I don't think it would be safe trying to move them using the eye ring and skidloader even if you have help and like I said, a jib would reduce lifting capacity.

I would look into the offroad fork and a mini-skid (walkbehind) to trench. You could get all of those on a gooseneck with your 3/4 ton if the fork lift wasn't too big.

Azrael

10-22-2007, 03:15 PM

Looking at forklifts they all seem to be pretty long, I am also now looking at telehandlers but they seem long as well. Example: A Bobcat V518 is 14.5' long but is about the lightest telehandler at only 10,846 lbs. Combine this with the 4880 lb unit gives me a total of 15,726 lbs., isn't this over most heavy duty trailer max weights as well as towing capacity for a 3/4 ton? I ask because I have always had trouble wrapping my head around GVWR and towing capacities.

Maybe my best bet is to get a second, smaller trailer and come back after setting the unit with the telehandler and bring a Dingo and necessary attachments to do all the hookups. I had just hoped to be able to do everything in one trip, less time, and less miles.

GRRR!

YellowDogSVC

10-22-2007, 03:38 PM

You're right. you would need a commercial license for any of the setups you proposed. You might even need to upgrade to a 1 ton to be totally legal. Just because the trailer will handle it, if you exceed the GCWR of the truck, you could be looking at fines from your DOT if the trooper makes an issue out of it though around here alot of guys pull a backhoe with a 3/4 ton single wheel truck and 20k gooseneck. They are overloaded for sure.

The off road forklifts (think about the ones Home depot uses on lumber truck) are much shorter than a telehandler and work off 3 wheel design.

If you have 80-90% lighter setups, you could get a smaller machine and hire someone for the bigger setups. Sounds like an expensive set up just to get started but sounds doable with right equipment.

CBlandscaping

10-22-2007, 04:53 PM

take a look at the JCB loadalls they are pretty close to the size of a skid steer but can lift much more, also, it has aux hyd and a universal skid steer plate mount so you can run attachments like a trencher, my last boss had a 520-40 and it was a great machine