Review of Farma T9 Log Grapple & Trailer

[@oskarandersson3414]

Hi, a tip when loading with the crane is that you should always drag the logs as close to the trailer as possible before you trying to lift. Like 5:00 it went a lot easier than all the other logs.

[@Fraggr92]

Exactly. You lose lifting capacity the further out from the trailer that you try to lift. Always try to drag logs closer to the trailer to get full lifting capacity when trying to lift something heavy.

[@MrMxdup]

Yes, I have confirmed what you stated. I have been pulling the logs much closer to the trailer and find that works much better. Thanks for the tip.

[@oskarandersson3414]

@@MrMxdup Fun to be able to help. For fun, you can try lifting a big wrench with your arm as far out as you can. And then try to lift the wrench with your arm close to your body. It works the same way :)

[@kendellmurray2998]

Live in NB, Canada and purchased 6 ton about 4-5 years ago with extension boom. Have yarded hardwood, and stud wood with it and have a 2910 ford 2 wheel drive tractor hauling it. Never an issue although I had reservations when I first got it. The secret is to have it loaded correctly with not overweight on tractor but enough for traction. I planned to use it for a few years then sell it however its a keeper as load my bandsaw mill etc. Rugged and with the exception of a few hoses caused by me catching them I have not had an issue.....

[@MrMxdup]

My best advise to anyone interested in one of these is make sure you have a 60 hp tractor or bigger. My small JD is just not big enough to pull it when loaded.

[@oskarandersson3414]

I pull it with a 47hp tractor. No problem at all.

[@Fraggr92]

It's not so much about the horsepower as it is about size and weight. These things are not really designed to be pulled behind compact tractors. They're designed to be pulled behind full-size tractors, which tend to be a lot heavier than compacts. I think that's the biggest trap to look out for, since compacts and sub-compacts tend to be more popular in the US than they are in Europe where these things are designed. For reference, we have a similar one of these trailers and it's being pulled by a full-size 45hp tractor and so far it's working fine. Though of course HP does matter too. Though luckily the trailers also come in several sizes. If you have a smaller tractor (40-60hp) then you'll probably get the best experience with a 7-8 ton trailer. If you have a mid-sized tractor (60-80hp) then you'll probably have the best experience with a 9-10 ton trailer (like the one in the video), and if you have an even larger tractor then there are upwards to 14-16 ton trailers available from some manufacturers. Second thing to look out for is Hydraulics. Make sure that you have the hydtraulic capacity to operate the trailer properly. Both that you have enough hydraulic pressure to use the crane's full lifting capacity, and that you have enough hydraulic flow to make the crane move at a reasonable pace. Check the specs for the trailer. These trailers are usually designed to be run off of the tractor's internal hydraulic system, but external hydraulic systems can be added as well. The most common external hydraulic system is to just have an external pump and oil reserve that gets powered off of the tractor's PTO shaft. Having the trailer be powered off of an external gas engine works as well, but it isn't nearly as common in Europe. All i can say about that is make sure that you're not crippling the performance of the trailer by having an undersized engine and pump. -Also lastly, be aware that brands like Farma don't really have a good reputation in their home countries. Farma specifically are a kind of budget brand from Scandinavian countries. Their business model is basically to build and sell relatively cheap machinery for hobby use. They work, and will probably last a decent amount of time with the proper maintainence, but they are somewhat prone to breakdowns and their resale value tend to be a lot lower than many "proper" brands. If you want a "good" brand for these trailers that have good resale value and are built to last, then do some research first. Kesla, Patu, Mowi and Moheda are some example of European manufacturers that tend to build good quality stuff with good resale value (at least in European markets). Though of course their prices also reflect that fact.- Edit: Disregard that last part about Farma being a budget brand, i messed up and got the brands mixed up. The brand i was thinking of doesn't even operate in the US. Farma actually has a pretty good reputation, pretty much on par with all the other brands i listed. My apologies. Hope that helps, and greetings from across the ocean.

[@MrMxdup]

@@Fraggr92 Thank you for the detailed response. I is helpful to have advice from someone in the "know" from and area where these are used more often. I plan to explore the option of increase hydraulic flow. Good to hear from you.

[@oskarandersson3414]

​@@Fraggr92 New farma models are good quality. The older models had some flaws. But now they have really sorted those issues out. Before i had a farma from year 2003 it was good but a bit to small .That little wagon got beat on so many years but still didnt want to break!. Bought a new one this year and its a total different wagon, So many improvements and new soloutions. Mostly people who talk shit about farma is sadly people who have never owned one.

[@Fraggr92]

@@oskarandersson3414 Well shit, you got me there. Looks like i made a mistake and mixed up Farma with Kellfri. My apologies. You're completely right, Farma has a pretty decent reputation these days. Never used one myself but people usually say good things about them on Scandinavian logging forums. Again, my bad. Kellfri is the one you should look out for. Though i'm not sure Kellfri even operates in the US, so that information might not be of much use there.

[@johnenglish146]

How do you like the winch system on the boom have you used that very much? I was thinking of adding one to my set up and just wanted to get a users opinion.

[@MrMxdup]

It works adequately. No super powerful, but if you have a log just out of reach it's nice to be able to use it to move it closer. The only thing I don't like is that if is hard to keep the cable spooled smoothy on the drum. Since I have a tractor winch I use it more often. It is just a lot more powerful. All said, i probably wouldn't add the option if I had it to do again, but then again if you have no other winch option it may be worth it.

[@johnenglish146]

@@MrMxdup Thank you for your comment. You confirmed what I was thinking but it never hurts to ask either.

[@inthewoods5640]

That thing would Never pick up a 32 inch oak log ! It Struggled with a log haft the size!

[@jamesmckay9966]

Terrible music. No need for it.

[@MrMxdup]

I will keep that in mind in the future.

[@ricklarade3593]

@@MrMxdup keep it up man, not everyone like justin bieber...lol