Olivetroad Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Okay - I admit it. I bought this:I don't want BMT to place sanctions on me - I only bought it because it was so cheap I can blow the chassis up and come out, and there were no Macks at the auction to be had.I thought about taking off the flatbed and mounting a log bed on it and a grapple on the end of the stick to load logs with. But the boom looks and moves like it has a lot more weight to it than my old Barko does. The 40 foot side reach is nice.The truck has fair specs for a Vulva - 3306 Cat (small @ 300 horse), 8LL roadranger, 24 foot bed, 18,000 pound front axle and 40,000 rears plus the air tag. I have a prentice grapple that will pin right onto the swivel. I also have another air tag I can add in front of the rear axles if needed.Will these drywall booms hold up to loading logs and what are the downsides of doing such a thing (other than being seen driving it) ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 If you keep it greased up it should last pretty good. Drywall is heavy but not as heavy as sizeable logs I'd think. I never much liked a 3306 engine as they were very expensive to repair and 300hp is about the limit to go with one and it render a decent service life. This is just my experience which is limited.Rob Quote Plodding along with no job nor practical application for my existence, but still trying to fix what's broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umodelnut Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! The volvo bug!!!! Noooooo!!!! Well at least it's not the P word bug. They are both very serious though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatcity Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 They great for storm clean up type work because of the reach and lift capabilities.BUT, with the out and down outriggers, they take up a lot of space. Most disaster response companies don't use them since they take up all the road.If you are using it on your property wher taking 20 foot isn't a problem and off loading is the same, go for it.I looked at one before I picked up the MACK/Rotobec. Controls are all screwed up compared to the Prentice Quote Success is only a stones throw away.................................................................for a Palestinian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olivetroad Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 They great for storm clean up type work because of the reach and lift capabilities.BUT, with the out and down outriggers, they take up a lot of space. Most disaster response companies don't use them since they take up all the road.If you are using it on your property wher taking 20 foot isn't a problem and off loading is the same, go for it.I looked at one before I picked up the MACK/Rotobec. Controls are all screwed up compared to the PrenticeThe bass-ackwards foot controls are crazy - I am used to right means right and left means left, not right extends in and out and left rotates right and left - Joysticks are all kattywhompus as well - can't let anyone watch for a few days...........It sure ain't a Rotobec, but it beats the heck out of the leaky, shaky, creaky, Hood 7000 I looked at earlier in the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 The bass-ackwards foot controls are crazy - I am used to right means right and left means left, not right extends in and out and left rotates right and left - Joysticks are all kattywhompus as well - can't let anyone watch for a few days...........It sure ain't a Rotobec, but it beats the heck out of the leaky, shaky, creaky, Hood 7000 I looked at earlier in the day.Can you switch hoses around and make it do what you want? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olivetroad Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 Can you switch hoses around and make it do what you want?I think I can. I can deal with the joysticks, just like going from Cat to John Deere, but the foot pedals are just wrong and need to be changed or my head needs a transplant to get it wrapped around it right. Instead of a right pedal that you can only push down to go right, and a left pedal that you only can push down to go left, The pedals both are like hydrostat pedals where you have toe and heel controlled functions - four deals instead of two. But I bet the extension is the thing that gets used the least, so if I change it to where left heel is extend and right heel is retract, that would let me stomp down on right pedal to go right and stomp down on left pedal to go left. My brain can handle making my feet do the "stomping" when it is zero degrees sittin on that little frozen plastic seat, but not much more. Uncle Forrest said for me to get off of it - he can run it the way it is. I wondered about the 80 sumpin year old man climbing up and down the ladder and so he reminded me of the time in the 1930's when he got to go to the St. Louis zoo for the first time. He got so wound up and tired of waiting for my grandparents to quit eating the picnic lunch they packed, that he took matters in his own hands, removed his shoes, and using all his coon hunting skills, climbed 50 feet up in the nearest tree so he could see over into the Zoo grounds. A park ranger came by and yelled up at him "come down here - you Young Tarzan". At family gatherings 70 years later some still call him that. He said he still can climb like Tarzan, especially when there is a perfectly good welded up steel ladder to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justincase Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I Have a prentice Telestik drywall loader and put a rotobec grapple on it. Been in service for 5 years and hauls wood daily (Mack 93 RB690). Only down side is slow and heavy. Empty weight is 36000 and others are 32000. Very strong compared to other loaders and a lot tighter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olivetroad Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 I Have a prentice Telestik drywall loader and put a rotobec grapple on it. Been in service for 5 years and hauls wood daily (Mack 93 RB690). Only down side is slow and heavy. Empty weight is 36000 and others are 32000. Very strong compared to other loaders and a lot tighter.That is about what I thought - heavier, but I think I am going to try it. I like how nice and tight it is - I bet that will be nice while trying to finess the grapple sorting out of a pile.I may have to spring for a different grapple - I have ones off a hood and a barko and I thought one of them would work, but they both have the rotation down inside the top of the grapple, under a shield, run off a chain - they are not continuous. I just need a grapple with no rotation that I can pin on under the existing rotator and then run the fork tilt lines to the grapple cylinders. What model grapple did you buy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justincase Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Not sure of model grapple but it is a wide rotobec pulp bucket continuous rotation. I did have to put a lock valve inline because forks had one on it so you might want to check that otherwise grapple will open on its own. I loaded a tractor trailer load of veneer and I don't load many trailers. Driver said it was smoothest loader he has seen and I told him it was because it was so slow. At least no one gets hurts thrashing. I wish I could post pics I have plenty with the truck loaded but I have trouble with pics here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olivetroad Posted March 4, 2012 Author Share Posted March 4, 2012 Send me some pics to: olivetroad@gmail.comCan you show me a pic of the inline holding valve you installed as well? I have a bunch of those off boom trucks, but I would not think you would need one in this instance unless your control valve is leaking internally or the cylinders on the grapple are doing the same? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justincase Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 all cylinders have lock valves on my loader because I was told it has a motor spool. I also tried taking lock valves off main boom to speed up operation and boom just falls on its own. I believe I could change spool valves at joysticks but was told I would risk valves leaking because they are machined to each valve bank. Not sure if it's true but didn't need to spend extra money either. I will get some pics for you tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1958 F.W.D. Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Will these drywall booms hold up to loading logs and what are the downsides of doing such a thing (other than being seen driving it) ?Driving a Volvo is like having sex with an ugly girl- it can be good, you just dont want to be seen doing it.....Or is that about KW's?? I can't remember......???? Quote TWO STROKES ARE FOR GARDEN TOOLS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavyGunner Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Driving a Volvo is like having sex with an ugly girl- it can be good, you just dont want to be seen doing it.....Or is that about KW's?? I can't remember......????I thought it was "screwin' a fat girl is like riding a moped. Its fun till your freinds catch you on it!". Quote The problems we face today exist because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by the people who vote for a living.The government can only "give" someone what they first take from another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olivetroad Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 I thought it was "screwin' a fat girl is like riding a moped. Its fun till your freinds catch you on it!". My first motorbike was a honda moped - I do not know anything about the other Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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