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| GMC digger/bucket truck |
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Every logger should have an old line truck just in case. You wouldn't want this puppy around a live wire because it has a steel boom but the digger is pretty ducky for setting fence posts, and the boom is always in demand. One of the challenges of logging equipment maintenance is that the pieces are pretty heavy.
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Loggers are very adept at using the log loader for a crane to lift all sorts of things, but when you have to change a hydraulic cylinder on top of the loader you gotta a problem, and this well used digger derrick is just the cat's meow. It also beats a step ladder for cleaning the gutter on your house. It doesn't get used a whole lot, but when you need it you need it.
The truck is a 1960's vintage GMC with a V6 gas motor. The Wheels are the odd ball things that GMC and Chevrolet used in that era which used 5 lug nuts on the front and 10 on the back on the same wheel. The boom unit has stabilizers that come down to steady the truck. The digger is hydraulic driven and is great for digging post holes. A winch is mounted midships in the truck with a line running up the boom for lifting things. A man bucket is also provided. This machine represents a great setp forward from the days when pole holes where dug by hand and poles erected by had with pike poles. This truck might have even been nice when it was new, but uggg. It is no wonder that International has dominated the mid range truck market for so long. The cab is just gross compared to the IH vehicles of the same era.
As for the photos on the right and left, The photos on the right were collected some years ago, I believe on film and then scanned. The photos on the left were taken in 2011 and used the latest digital technology. I've been going to scrap this truck but haven't quite gotten there yet.
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For all good trucks there comes a day for RIP. A couple of years ago we got a 'manlift' so we didn't need the bucket truck portion of this machine, but we still had not addressed the digger part. The last time we needed a digger we actually got this truck to run and used. it, however that has been a couple of years ago and the prospects for this truck are not bright.
We wanted to plant a large number of fairly large hardwood trees around or forested area. We considered trying to get the truck to run again and thought better of it. What we wanted was an auger that would travel out among the stumps and through the forest and drill 'tree holes' for the planting of fairly large hardwood trees. Since this digger was already a hydrualic drive, all we had to do was to take the grapple off the grapple skidder and hang the auger on. We used the grapple open/close circuit for the power for the digger motor and we were off and away.
The GMC digger truck may rest in peace but the digger lives on, mounted for the moment as an attachment to a Morgan Log skidder.