8x8 Test Drive - Soooo Awesome!!

Tim is test-driving a mini forwarder and taking advantage of the time to haul out our firewood. It comes with a high price tag and Tim talks about a possible market for this ALSTOR 821
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CLICK 'SHOW MORE' FOR RESOURCES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We generally only try to reply to comments the first 24 hours after the video aired due to the amount of comments we receive. Feel free to get in touch with us via facebook or email.
Support us and become a Patron:
/ swehomestead
Link to our Facebook Page: / swedishhomestead
My parents' blog: www.derhofamsee.wordpress.com
Do you like what you see? You can make a donation to our channel here:
/ 117708921611213
_
You can support us for FREE by shopping on Amazon via this link: amzn.to/2iT3N3Q
_
Tools I use daily
Leatherman Surge: amzn.to/2jm6dbJ
Stanley Box Knife: amzn.to/2iOi3bG (I use a different brand that is not available on amazon)
Head Lamp Petzl Pixa 3: amzn.to/2iPEjjR (during winter time)
_
Clothes I use:
Merino wool / no smell long underwear: amzn.to/2iMl4Lr
Merino wool / no smell long sleeve shirt: amzn.to/2iOt904
www.pfanner-aus...
_
Other Tools We Use / Are Planning To Get
Carpentry:
Hultafors Handsaw: amzn.to/2mj4mT0
Hultafors Hammer: amzn.to/2nfOrsA
Stanley Level: amzn.to/2nlEgzD
Stanley Measuring Tape: amzn.to/2n0YzFi
Axes:
Gränsfors Bruk Small Forest Axe: amzn.to/2iSuXrm
Gränsfors Scandinavian Forest Axe: amzn.to/2hZUvU1
Gränsfors Carpenters Axe: amzn.to/2iOjFlK
Fiskars Splitting Axe: amzn.to/2j1ieA4
Battery Driven:
Hitachi 18V Drill: amzn.to/2iOrcku
Knifes & Pruning:
Mora Knife: amzn.to/2iSziuK
Felco Hand Pruner: amzn.to/2i3aQp9
Silky Handsaw: amzn.to/2iSC5Eo
Swiss Army Knife: amzn.to/2imOCfs
Garden Tools:
Dutch High Quality Garden Tools: www.sneeboer.co...
Fiskars Light Weight Rake: amzn.to/2iOxO2g
Wolf-Garten Hand Trowel: amzn.to/2iOALQb
Soil Blocker: amzn.to/2mff2nU
_
Poultry Equipment
Bell Waterer: amzn.to/2iSwDBa (we use a different brand)
Electric Poultry Netting: amzn.to/2iSwP3m
Solar Energizer: amzn.to/2iSDXww
Poultry Leg Bands: amzn.to/2iMvFGn
Water Nipples: amzn.to/2iFC7Mm
Ceramic Infrared Heater: amzn.to/2jDjfle

[@gateway8833]

I think every subscriber should send 5 dollers and buy this for them. Think of the entertainment value!

[@danielwilson6314]

that's the coolest machine ever. I love it when machines make work fun.And that looked like a great time to me.

[@thomasr.miller5553]

FANTASTIC ! Make a plan , lets build one .. you need two 4x4 trucks from a salvage yard a frame and other salvage parts ..Bet you could do it for less than $ 8,000 US ...This is a good idea ..maybe I should build one for myself ..

[@markhovel9837]

You guys have great videos. So genuine and humble. Tim is a great forest worker- very efficient and responsible. it is nice to see small machines like this made and sold in Sweden. Here in the US everything in forestry has gotten big, big, big. and management on small family owned woodlots has suffered because of it.

[@raincoast2396]

What a great little machine. Head and shoulders above what the North American market provides, since they are concentrated on the big commercial forestry industry. Small wood lot holdings are slowly becoming more prominent in the market.

[@JohnWhite-si4xc]

Very nice machine that is something I could use here in the us on some of my lots were people like the smaller equipment it is becoming a real big thing here in the us now And I love watching your forestry videos get a lot out of them for myself thank you

[@apuuvah]

Been wanting one for a long time.... Greetings from Finland.

[@rodmackinnon8497]

What a neat machine.

[@NaturesCadenceFarm]

That is awesome. I would love to get my hubby one of those! I don't think I have ever seen one that size in the U.S. Now I must go research it! 👍

[@patrickbaitman8336]

Perfect to rent for a weekend once you have all your trees down. Pretty expensive to justify buying.

[@Dirk_2000]

good in forests with dense stock and rather small trees ... Scandinavia

[@dannysulyma6273]

All the comments about the Alstor being too expensive must be from people who have never bought machinery bigger than a lawnmower. To one who has it sounds like a fair price for a capable machine. Yet so many people spend that much or more on a RV that is parked, unused for 95% of the time and then that much again for a full sized, 4-door, 4x4, diesel powered truck to tow it around for that other 5% of the time.

[@verteup]

danny sulyma tell me what truck people are pulling RVs with that costs $80k? they do exist but not at all required.

[@SteifWood]

Again verteup, u show ur a hillbilly who doesn't know a thing about reality outside ur neck of the woods. $80k? That's what I pay for a mid level Volvo here. Why dont u go back and pull ur RV with ur 4x4 monster skidder. I'm out.

[@regsparkes6507]

Approximately 83,488.00 CAD,...that's not that bad a price for such a good machine ! I am impressed , so far. (This currency conversion is as of March.24.2017.) Can you imagine trying to get those birch logs loaded by hand !!

[@historicbeef]

Reg Sparkes i had a quote for one of these machine here, in Canada, an Alstor 833 with cab and a farma 4.2 loader, it came at 120,781.24$ here in Canada. It is an awesome machine, but it has only 20 hp and it can not go on the street, ( if you have to cross one it is on your own ) and for 70,000$ I got a Kioti dk5010 with a woody trailer ( woody quick loader on it, remote control and standalone power pack on the trailer ( so you can use the trailer with your pickup truck)) and the tractor have the a/c ) for 50,000$ box less. And the tractor is street legal. This small forwarder is nice, but it can only do forwarding,

[@holisticadvocate7882]

Could that double as a chicken plucker? Or a cow milker? Just kidding, trying to come up with a reason for getting such a neat toy. Maybe get the manufacturer to let you guys use one for a season on evaluation? Sure would go well with your fathers sawmill.

[@julier1080]

If I had that to play with for a day I wouldn't even stop for lunch!

[@jonkeating321]

Lots of birch!

[@simeonandalex]

Yes. Really nice firewood up here.

[@jonkeating321]

Swedish Homestead Our forest here in Nova Scotia looks very similar, and judging from your videos I've watched our weather is just as... lovely? Let's go with lovely.

[@aaronsmith3456]

yeah im in New Brunswick, its amazing how similar swedish forests are to ours. it doesnt seem like the mixture of hardwoods we have but looks very close love the machine... that loader looks strong for the size

[@0j0nn]

that's crazy expensive. but it looks so nice.

[@simeonandalex]

It is. The thing is that little forwarders or front end loaders are pretty much as expensive as big ones. They have the same technique in them. The big ones just have a little more steel.

[@joycejudd5109]

Simeon, about $62000 US. Make me think of your father purchasing his lumber mill and finding a way to make it work with him, not just FOR him. I suspect Tim already has ideas of how this tool would translate into income. I was impressed at how it handled that incline towards the end of the video, and how it went through the deep water/mud easily. It looks like a good tool for the homestead and the farm.

[@Flexaret]

That's awesome indeed, I looked at the similar Kinetic 8x8 Mini Forwarder but simply it's too expensive for me. They are a niche machine but for timber extraction where the forest isn't being clear felled they're perfect, there often isn't room for larger machines and timber trailers for a quad such as the Kranman, Kelfri or Vaha Jussi don't have as good load capacity or lifting capability. Kranmann make a very nice one with a 1.7t load capacity and a hydraulic grab running off an auxiliary Honda engine which also provides drive to the trailer but I think you'd need a powerful quad to pull it, they do seem quite capable though and are an option for anyone who needs an mechanised way of extracting timber but can't afford a mini forwarder. Tim was enjoying it, I would too, thanks for sharing :-)

[@chuckvan1568]

It's called a forwarder in the US. My cousin is a partime logger and has a big one.

[@CharlesT87]

What about his forwarder?

[@caljarvis]

love the 821 could it pay ? if you have a lot of small wood and you do the math we did a small test a cord goes for 150 200 dollars but if you put it in a bag and sell it from a store front it becomes 1500$ jobs mill slabs now the farm works your brothers on the wright track we love our tools

[@falfas55bgas]

That is $62,500 US. That is as much as a large tracked skid loader. You'll have to sell a lot of eggs to afford that!

[@Theorimlig]

It's pretty damn cool, but surely for the money a smallish forestry tractor with trailer would be better? So much more versatile, and you could probably get it brand new for a similar price (or better yet, a used one for less than half the cost).

[@simeonandalex]

We used to have a Valmet 805 tractor with a hydraulic logging trailer. This machine is much faster, stronger and efficient but still hard to justify the cost unless you would use it commercially. The tractor would definitely be more universal like you said though.

[@ThePlantBasedHomestead]

Uh oh, big boy toys. lol

[@martinj221]

Have you looked at Kranman? They are nicer and both are manufactured in Sweden in western Sweden. Not so far from me. Have had the opportunity to check both of them.

[@dgsports69]

I wish we could get these machines also in the states. Everything here is jumbo size and no small guy can buy them.

[@thecynic807]

Needs a cage. And the exhaust is in a place that it can get torn off by limbs.

[@simeonandalex]

They come with a cage if you want them. I thought the same thing about the exhaust at first but I couldn't picture them having it there still if it would have gotten torn off a lot in the past.

[@TheOldNorwegian]

Could I borrow it for a week? I could have some fun on our 19 acres of trees we call home. Another very nice video. Thanx! The Old Norwegian >

[@juniorfarias2207]

Tem representante no Brasil ?

[@raoulm77]

Häftigt! Lite för dyr då med tanke på att man får en begagnad Valmet skotare för samma pris.

[@ek9772]

Assuming it can last about 10-years, then 10-log clearing jobs per year paying $1,000 per job would pay for the Astor 8x8. This seems doable to me.

[@TheEscape2012]

Did you rent the Alstor? What does it cost for a day? Can you transport it with a car trailor or do you need a truck?

[@waltercook3197]

I would love to have this machine the time it can save me cutting firewood i have 100 acres of fine forest for personal use and family only

[@craigmooring2091]

What a perfect machine for homestead logging. It looks like it could have some other applications on the farm, too. Much more efficient than skidding the logs out one at a time with a winch.

[@verteup]

Craig Mooring this machine is a one trick pony. a tractor can skid wood just fine for a homeowner. And you can do 100 different things with a tractor.

[@gonavygreg5203]

What kind of dealer loans an expensive piece of machinery?

[@5herwood]

Your English is excellent. Did you pick it up in the Swedish public schools or have you learned abroad? (Being American, there is no pressure here to learn languages. I taught myself a little German but I am awful at it. I admire and envy your fluency.)

[@raymondhodge3979]

What an awesome little machine, that would make a great addition to the homestead. I could see that being a great help when milling lumber for yourself and traveling to customers. Looks like it would cause minimal damage.

[@raymondhodge3979]

I didn't realize how expensive it was when I commented, a good used one maybe.

[@simeonandalex]

It is very expensive. I think for commercial use it is justifiable.

[@sunflowersnbluebirds7362]

That's one sweet piece of equipment!

[@TheEscape2012]

Dont you have the € Euro in sweden? By the Way 550.000 SEK = 57.000€

[@daviddaddy]

This would be perfect for Tooth pick Factories!!! Lol no but Serioursly probably be great for a family that needs firewood for the winter or when ever its cold! I can Definitely see many different applications for that machine besides just logging. Thanks for Sharing guys! Also i saw one similar called a 'Kranman' also made in Sweden. Unless thats what you were using in this video lol anyways guys thanks for sharing!!!

[@larrykluckoutdoors8227]

What does your brother do for a living..

[@stevestephen7673]

I used to cut about 50 cords of firewood each year. I would process it in the woods and haul it out with a pickup truck or tractor. Unless there was a real need for log length wood it doesn't seem the cost of the machine wood make sense for me.

[@simeonandalex]

We always cut our fire wood in log length and haul it out. When the ground is solidly frozen a big forwarder usually hauls it out in about 2 hours for us which costs us maybe $200. It would take us a lot of time to haul out the split wood from the forest especially since it takes up much more space when it is cut and split. But this machine is too expensive for just firewood hauling like this.

[@stevestephen7673]

It does take time to process in the woods. I used to do two cords a day, standing to cut split and stacked. The money was good but it was hard work.

[@julier1080]

Steve- sounds way too familiar! lol I used to sell about 100 cords a year, all done with an old 4x4 power wagon( to skid) and dump truck and chainsaws. It all comes down to handling. Logs are way less handling than cut/split stove wood. My goal was always to process in the woods and load directly into the dump truck and then deliver to the customer. That is the least handling. But if I couldn't arrange that, I'd opt for hauling logs out and process later. Once you get into a payment you are working for the bank. I liked my simple operation. At the end of the day I think I had the same amount of cash in my pocket as the guys with all the fancy equipment. But they had less back pain! : )

[@Ticdaniel]

also look at the "Vimek" you guys who like these small forwarders.

[@darkone1685]

You should be able to get a full size piece of equipment for 550,000? !!! This is toy size ?!!? I'd want a bigger machine for that kind of money !!

[@davidbrennan5]

Those are twigs , Buy used skidder 2 good saws and cut some real trees.

[@tom7601]

That would be a nice addition to the "family." :>)

[@SheepyHollowCanada]

Muffler is asking to get knocked off.

[@kevinbaker6168]

Here in the U.S. that would do great in the pulp wood business. Most of the people in that industry use either larger machines, or just clean up the limb and tree top trimmings, so they do most of the work by hand or with a crane mounted on their truck. Fairly pricey, but if you are working the majority of the time harvesting firewood and pulp wood it would pay for itself in a few years.

[@murdoch451]

Your English is very good, Boys and toys, get one.

[@mazdarx7887]

For firewood, personal use?? Cheaper to buy your firewood. Look at the Argo 8x8 and get a trailer or a 4X4 Honda ATV with trailer

[@AndreRMeyer]

nice logs, time to set some aside to inoculate with mushroom [mycellium] plugs, say around the end of April thru May. Here in the tri-border region of France, Germany & Switzerland, the end of March through April is a good time to start, just make sure the logs aren't subject to a major frost for starters.

[@1d1hamby]

a nice machine to rent once and a while.

[@1d1hamby]

that is a really nice forwarder, you would have to be able to keep that machine busy for the next ten years to make it profitable. it's like buying 60 big saws and using them all now and for the next ten years.

[@greymanzink6118]

Nice handy piece of equipment. Pricey and the VAT will kill the value, what about an attachment for your compact tractor? Or, do the make a separate attachment? If the don't maybe you and you dad and brother can make one and market it.

[@simeonandalex]

We had a hydraulic trailer for our old valmet 805 tractor but sold it now. This machine is more effective but only reasonable for commercial use.

[@rogerl8488]

How much? An can I get this to the USA?

[@tedgramlich691]

I have a Kubota 34hp tractor with a winch and haul out long length. Would love to have a loader.

[@ukulelefatman]

It would be nice to have a more in depth look at the machine to understand it's operation. Some explanation of the controls, it's capacity, turning radius etc. Cool to watch though.

[@simeonandalex]

Yes. We wanted to do that but the machine is gone again and we didn't have the time to... I am sure there are lots of videos out on youtube on that though...

[@jasonmcouat5846]

That machine is 72 000$ canadian. I think its a little expensive. A good idea would be to start using that machine to haul out logs and then sell firewood.

[@dannysulyma6273]

It all depends on the value of what you are hauling and where you are hauling it. I can see a use for a mini forwarder here on BC's wet coast instead of very pricy helicopters for the salvage logging of dead and down cedar and OG fir, as is the common practice now. After paying for a few hours of flying wood out the idea of financing 70 or 80 grand for this type of tool starts sounding reasonable. It doesn't look like it has enough operator protection to pass regulations here but that is easily changed.

[@Afraithe]

That does look like a nice little machine, but hard to justify that cost unless you do professional work with it, not just a couple of weeks a year for your own firewood, renting might be a more affordable solution.

[@simeonandalex]

Yes. You are right.

[@michael-dm2bv]

because if it wasn't UR forest u would rather just go in like a german brute instead of a swedish tree hugger?

[@techedfireman4981]

Wish we had an offer of something like this here in the States. $63,000ish US Dollar...little too much for the DIY/Homesteader but does save lots of back aching work.

[@simeonandalex]

Yes. Definitely too much for us too.

[@jawhitaker]

And they probably won't meet the US emissions. I looked into some very similar Italian machines, and they have decided not to try to export to the US because of the emission standards. :(

[@geraldswain3259]

Simeone ,Super bit of kit ,but I think you would want it working 8 hrs a day 8 days a week to warrant that amount of money, and make it Pay!!!.

[@simeonandalex]

Yes. Super expensive. I agree.

[@darkone1685]

I hope those crowns don't equal US dollars or Euros because that's way to expensive for its size !?

[@JohnMcNerney]

1 SK (Swedish Crona) is worth about US$0.12, so the machine is about US$66,000

[@kikiu2619]

gode videoer. hvor optager I? hilsen fra Danmark

[@fischknole5]

realy impressive mashine I think a winch at the frond end wood bee a helpfull adon for pulling logs and it´s self out of a muddy space

[@Robert-ij9ih]

Dom som jobbar med sånt har väl en tusing+moms/h minst? 160.000kr/mån+moms. Vad kostar en normalstor skotare/ maskin i inköp?

[@simeonandalex]

Det har de nog. Vet inte vad en stor kostar men de små är inte alls mycket billigare än de stora. Det är ju samma teknik i de små, bara mera stål i de stora.

[@Ramdodge582]

a quarter mill USD!? i could build one for a hell of a lot less. full hydraulic drive 2 speed planetary wheel hubs, grapple extension boom and a cab probably still under 75k usd including profit but i work in the field and access to the parts for cheap. still though that price is crazy

[@Theorimlig]

Not a quarter of a million USD! About $62 000 + 25% VAT.

[@JohnMcNerney]

You don't have to pay VAT if it's going out of the country, do you?

[@1armedguy4]

Would tracks be a option so as to cause less damage to your property and minimize the chance of getting stuck !!

[@jeffreyadams8435]

Nice , for the INDEPENDENT

[@SumErgoMonstro]

"8x8"? It has 8 wheels. Does it really have an 8-speed transmission, or is that just a name?

[@danolson6335]

SumErgoMonstro 8x8 means eight wheels and eight-wheel drive.

[@alvindueck8227]

what a handy little gizzard.

[@Boarpan]

Jag testade Bison och var imponerad utav den tar sig inte fram som alstorn men är betydligt billigare.

[@northmen2018]

Looks perfect👍🏼💪🏼

[@micosair]

What a nifty little "toy".Can be very useful tough.

[@SeahawkCustomsPc-qk2zn]

That's one amazing Tool no doubt it will help you out very much on you're land. Great video my friend...

[@ciaobella8963]

Very cool machine and your brother works it well likes he's been on it many times before.

[@deansorensen338]

Wondering if your brother has looked at the Lennartsfors IronHorse? Less expensive than the 8x8 and you don't have to feed the Iron Horse (except for fuel).

[@simeonandalex]

Those are nice machines too but I don't think they are really comparable. But definitely a machine that is more interesting for the average homesteader. The 8x8 is too expensive for non-commercial use.

[@deansorensen338]

I agree that they are not comparable. They are more affordable to the smaller homesteader, as you mentioned. Also, they require less developed logging trails. More comparable to horse or mule logging which is less destructive to the surrounding area.

[@kirstenwhitworth8079]

Did Tim crack a smile when he was taking off his helmet at 1:23? That looks like a fun and useful mini forwarder.

[@davidschwartz2398]

Very cool machine! Just from a health standpoint it would be worth it. That would have saved my back & joints from all of the manual leveraging techniques & lifting heavy log blocks.

[@simeonandalex]

True.

[@jensrunesson6608]

Ett annat alternativ är vagn till fyrhjulingen eller traktorn www.gosta-gustafsson.se/

[@simeonandalex]

Vi har haft skogskärra bakom en valmet 805 och just nu har vi en kranman trailer bakom fyrhjulingen. Dessa är bättre alternativ till en vanlig bonde eller till hobby verksamhet. Den här maskinen är i en helt annan kategori och priset kan nog bara försvaras om man använder maskinen kommersiellt.

[@ec6052]

2,000th like!

[@jpoutsch1]

Hi Simeon, great video. Could you tell me how much your brother's machine would be in U.S. dollars? One more reason to come and stay in one off your dad's campers for a trip. Thank you. John

[@simeonandalex]

The machine is already back at its owner. We just did a test drive with it. Too expensive for us to buy. 550.000SEK would be about $65.000. Very expensive for non-commercial use.

[@greathodgy22]

Very nice !

[@acanadianineurope814]

Nice toy !

[@SteifWood]

I want ....

[@TheGrizzlyBeer]

Really cool little machine. I had the opportunity to talk to the Alstor-Guys at the KWF in Bavaria last year and they are really nice folks with an awesome little machine. I am a little jealous now that you have one, even if it is just rented :D

[@simeonandalex]

It is already gone... :(

[@kurgan322]

That's one fantastic looking machine!

[@johnmarquardt1991]

Very cool ... but expensive. I bet your brother is very good at video games. :)

[@simeonandalex]

It is expensive. He learned to drive these in school but he has never played video games. ;)

[@johnmarquardt1991]

Thanks Simeon.

[@qcn_cummins4146]

Imagine if it had a full fire wood prossesser

[@martinwest9172]

Satan vad frän

[@johnsommerfeld6889]

Wow, great machine! That would be handy to have.

[@thomasbranard6382]

Interesting

[@johnhirsch5923]

TIm and Simeon - can I come over and drive it toooooo, please!

[@cjoor]

You had me worried at 4:00... Nice music, btw!

[@RolandElliottFirstG]

It has no roof, a few $ for a roof would be nice.

[@emilmuhrman]

Roland Elliott It's available with a cab.

[@Eastmead]

Difficult decisions ahead! Would love to have a go on it.

[@phxtonash]

$62,500

[@steurerwilli2182]

👏👏👏👍🍀

[@jamiejames1928]

Out of interest, what's that cost in Euros

[@snoozinglion8596]

Pretty neat! Thanks for sharing ;)