Muck truck and variations...

[steve rollnick]

Dear friends,

I am thinking of buying a muck truck - to move household (non-commercial) quantities of split logs to a wood store, sometimes a few hundred yards over woodland paths, sometimes quite sloping and muddy. Between our woodstoves at home and a stove and fires in our woodland..... that's quite a lot of wood to move about, and I dont have or intend to buy a 4-wheel drive...

My question is this: do muck trucks manage sloping and sometimes muddy paths and tracks? Or is there some alternative that I have not thought of?

Many thanks, Steve

[woodbodger]

I don,t know about a muck truck but I use a four wheel drive Honda quad which I use with a proper quad trailer (big fat tires) and I swear it would go up the North face of the Eigar if I had a run at it. Certainly I drag wood out of places I thought I would never be able to go. One of the big advantages is the low centre of gravity, if I put a few heavy tools in the bikes back box it is less secure traveling across the face of a hill and I wonder whether this might be so with a muck truck. For my money it is a quad every time. If you are ever in Welsh Wales you are welcome to have a play with the quad to try one on for size.

[steve rollnick]

Dear Woodbodger,

that's very interesting. Thank you.

I'd be interested in the experiences of others here? Maybe a quad is the way to go?

Woodbodger, I'd like to take you up on your very kind offer to try yours out. You say you are in "Welsh Wales". Sounds Welsh enough to me! But it sounds like you might mean West Wales? That's where our wood is - near Llandovery? Can you email me on [email protected] so we can make contact?

Cheers,

Steve

[John H]

I used to have an old powered wheelbarrow, it was very heavy and I never really got on very well using it. The modern 4 wheel verions look much better but I think I would rather have something to ride on rather than walk behind and have to steer with a load through mud.

I am in our woods over Easter and the following week if either of you are in Llandovery and fancy a walk round to see what I am up to.

[steve rollnick]

John, youre getting close to the heart of my concern about a muck truck: its wet and muddy, the slope is quite steep, its full of wood..... .

It might depend on whether its a 4-wheel drive, the size of the engine and the kind of tyres. That's where I was hoping we might have a SWOG member with direct experience.

A muck truck is certainly cheaper than a quad, new or 2nd hand.

I might well be in our wood over Easter, and I too am near Llandovery. Just drop me a line on [email protected]

Steve

[The Barrowers]

We use a 450 Suzuki King Quad to pull a trailer and move tools around (and us)

We use it the choke and haul timber 8' lengths of sweet chestnut

Only wish it had a PTO

We still have wheel barrows placed around the wood to do some physical work as our wood is the only gym we visit

If you are in East Sussex sometime, come and have a try, when we are there.

[steve rollnick]

Thank you 'the barrowers'......

Still no one-with direct experience of a muck truck? Come on Greyman, come out of the shade....!

Steve

[James M]

I've just got my 2nd hand Westwood T1200 power mower - lots of spare pulleys and Power Take Offs dotted around it. A heavy machine, it has 12hp, but the gearing seems to give it lots of torque, which is what you need for pulling, not so much lots of horsepower.

[greyman]

Sorry Steve - no experience of Muck Trucks here 'm afraid. Any way being a softy southerner we don't need beefy type kit as our woods are not 'hilly' or on the side of 'mountains' - eh James ;~))

I'm looking at going a similar route to James and have been to see a Simplicity 4211. It's out of the dark ages (80's) and according to an interesting site I found the other night ( http://www.simpletractors.com/default.htm ) is very similar to the Allis Chalmers range. From what I've heard there are quite a few SWOGers who have gone the ride on mower/tractor without a cutting bed route.

My only worry is that as it doesn't have cleated tyres and I'm going to have to find some wheels to fit the axles that I can then put cleats on. We might not do steep hills or mountainside forestry in my area but nice slippery clay can be order of the day.

Hope everyone survives the forecast deluge and blusters. Have a good one

Greyman

[Darren]

You can get cleated tyres for a ride on mower