For the past four years I have been using an ATV on the job. I cannot impagine not having the little work horse because we use it for so many tasks. Dragging brush and logs, pulling a small trailer for logs, pulling the stump grinder, pulling climbers into trees, rigging, etc.

If others use ATVs I would be curious how you drag brush. Do you just choke a brush pile and tie it to the back rack, trailer everything, or other method?

What about other uses?

Tom

Reply to post by Tom Dunlap, on January 17, 1999 at 20:36:01:


Tom,

How much more efficient is the use of the ATV on the job? How many vehicles do you have on a job site? How do you fit it through a 3ft gate to get into backyards? I'm very curious. It sounds like a great idea.

Craig Jabs
Alberta Arborists

Reply to post by Craig Jabs, on January 17, 1999 at 20:36:01:


Craig,

If pressed, I might sell my chiopper and go back to stacking brush on a trailer before I would sell the ATV. It is THAT much of a workhorse.

I can't quantify how much more effecient the jobs are but here is another illustration. A very good friend of mine, and my pruning mentor bought one last summer. Gary is so tight with his money, the only time he lets go of it is to get a tighter grip! Now, when I heard that Gary bought one, I knew that ATVs are the way to go.

Even though I work mostly in the city and first tier suburbs, there are very few jobs that we cannot get the ATV to. Taking down chain link fences is a snap after you know fewe tricks and have a fence stretcher. I have set up pulleys in trees to act as overhead redirects to drag brush to fence openings. Think of the way a rope tow at the ski area works. Someone does have to unclip the pulley but it sure beats dragging brush and logs.

I just put the primer on the racks that I built for my new quad. I built them out of one inch square tubing and then I built a brushguard into the front to keep the fenders from getting busted. We can haul gear on the front and logs on the back if we need to.

Having a snow plow is great! We plow back the snow below where we are working so that we can clean up and the ground crew doesn't get worn out.

By using the quad, my body does not take the beating that it used to. I can come home in the evening and still have energy. I know that my climbing career is extended too.

A few weeks ago I grabbed onto a linden limb with about a 5" (13cm) dia. butt and 25' (8 meters) long and headed for the chipper. I was going 30 MPH! Yahoo! And I got PAID to do this...

Tom

Reply to post by Tom Dunlap, on January 18, 1999 at 12:54:04:

Tom, can you address the issue of turf and soil damage? Is this something to be concerned about? How do you avoid it? Do you tell you customers ahead of time, or ask their permission?

Reply to post by Tom Dunlap, on January 17, 1999 at 20:36:01:

Please give some specs on what I should look for in the machine, to purchase one. Thank-you.

Reply to post by Russ Carlson, on January 18, 1999 at 19:31:25:

My new quad only weighs about 600 pounds. You could drive over my foot, or me over yours, and you would hardly notice. If the ground is so wet that walking would leave tracks it is too wet for the quad. I HATE doing landscaping so we don't go where we don't do damage. I cannot imagine that we are compacting soil. When possible, we drive well away from trees, just in case.

There may be some minor turf scuffing. If so, I will top dress with soil and reseed. Or, I let the clients know that there may be some minor damage. We do the repairs if it involves shovels and rakes. If we do a takedown, I exercise great care. I let the clients know we are careful and that if they want us to do all of the repairs we can add that to the contract. Rarely do we have to do anything more than minor repair work. When I sell the work I get a feel for what they expect. If the yard is golf course quality, then the price goes up becasue that is what it will look like when I get a check, and not before.

I use the quad as a selling point with clients. I explain a lot about how we do the work. From staying up on current ideas (Internet, and conferences), to Certification. Most clients are impressed that I use what most people think of as a toy, for work. Tim Allen has made millions by tapping into this theme. By using the quad I show my clients that I am creative and effecient in getting the job done on the ground and also in the trees.

During the winter it is even more impressive.

Tom

Reply to post by Peter Torres, on January 17, 1999 at 20:36:01:

At least 400cc
Water cooled
Four wheel drive
Get the factory service manual, don't rely on the Service Manual.

From here on the choices get complicated.

I will share my personal preferences:

Shaft drive to rear, not chain!

Independant rear suspension is nice but not really needed. Solid rear axle is fine on level ground.

I like a geared transmission not a torque converter/belt drive, like a snowmobile.

Hi/Low range

Automatic shifter is nice but also costs more and is just more gizmos to break.

Good skid plates and CV joint protection. Hitting sticks, rocks and stumps is hard on the undercarriage.

Find a dealer that understands that the machine is a WORK vehicle not a toy. Do they stock parts or do they have to order everything?

If you are going to buy a snowplow don't even think of Cycle Country, get a Moose. The diffferance between a Ford Ranger and a F350, and the Moose is cheaper. Go figure...

I had a Honda that did HARD treework for 12 years and is now finally giving up. I like the Hondas. They are a little more expensive but a good machine. Has anyone not had good luck with any Honda machine? I bought a Suzuki because I got a really good price, saved about $1,100 by buying a trade in with 125 miles on it.

Polaris makes one with a diesel. I read a review and they said it grunts! While at the NAA Day of Service at Arlington a company had one and they said that it worked great for hauling. More $$$ though.

If you plan on putting anything on the racks, get aftermarket replacements. The factory ones are pretty lame.

Tomorrows job is one of the rae ones that we can't use the quad. Glad that I am in the trees not on the ground.

Tom

Reply to post by Tom Dunlap, on January 18, 1999 at 22:58:11:

Tom,

Do you use a specific type of tire or do you deflate your tires to avoid turf damage?

Craig Jabs
Alberta Arborists

Reply to post by Craig Jabs, on January 19, 1999 at 02:38:30:

I've got an old '85 Honda 250SX 3 wheeler,I bought it new as a toy but it can be a life saver on some jobs.The machine is shaft drive, has reverse and electric start.I have a small dump wagon I tow behind it for hauling wood(about 4' lengths).I bought the wagon at the local True-Value store for about a hundred bucks,its a little light duty but we've used it for several years.Its a trip dump so the weight has to be towards the rear.I would like to add a small electric winch to it.It is also geat for moving the wood splitter around.My dad uses it for his yard work quite a bit too.I beleive the tires only require 3-4 lbs of air pressure.It does do some turf damage but its nothing like driving my tandem axle loader across the lawn(26,500 lbs. empty).I think a 4 wheel drive 4 wheeler would be a lot better.HMMn,"Honey honest its for work"he,he.

Reply to post by Craig Jabs, on January 19, 1999 at 02:38:30:

The tires are a V-bar model and are supposed to be at very low pressure, .35 kg/cm or 5.1 psi. Just be very careful if the yard is wet or driving around a tight corner repeatedly. Their are many tire tread patterns to choose when the originals wear out.

Tom

Reply to post by Keith J Norton, on January 19, 1999 at 09:13:50:

You don't have one of those tip over three wheelers do you? Man alive, you live recklessly. And people think that climbing trees is dangerous.

LOL!!!

If you need to convince a partner, domestic or business, to buy a quad, safety sure seems like a good selling point to start from.

Tom

Reply to post by Tom, on January 19, 1999 at 22:54:37:

Hi Tom,

Ive been following the discussion and have a 4wd but don't get
a picture of how you use it. Would you mind photographing or better videoing what you do so
this blockhead can get the picture.

Many thanks

Mark

Reply to post by Mark, on January 19, 1999 at 23:29:25:


Today we took down a large spruce. The butt chunk was about16" DBH and I left it 15 feet long to fit on my two axle trailer. We used my van to drag it through the snow and to the curb. Then we set up a 3:1 pulley sytem, anchored to the front of the trailer and pulled the log onto the trailer with the quad. On the front I built a Big Boy Bumper out of two inch steel tubing. In the middle I fabricated a bollard that looks a lot like a Porta Wrap. WE tie off the rope ot the bollard and back up. I have a fellow who buys the trunks form me and he has a MONSTER lathe to turn the logs for log home construction.

We use the quad like a grapple skidder for dragging brush. I have a large plastic tub that we use for twigs and cleanup or for hauling gear to the tree.

Sorry I don't own a video camera.

Tom

Tom

Reply to post by Tom, on January 21, 1999 at 03:37:00:

Tom, this turned into a very interesting thread. It has given me some ideas for a few things..... but not quite enough that I want to go back to commercial work

Reply to post by Tom, on January 19, 1999 at 00:01:39:

Tom
A couple of years ago i worked with a company
with a 4wd quad, they had a winch on the front
and would coke a load of brush backing up with
a load was tricky at first. But the great part
was if the load was to heavy the rear wheels
would come up, the front tires would grab and
haul like crazy. If this was good for the machine
or not I don't know.

Reply to post by Keith J Norton, on January 19, 1999 at 09:13:50:

are you selling?? if so please e-mail me in return. thank you