Log Trailer with Crane: What to Compare Beyond Price

A forestry trailer with a crane is bought on four numbers, not one: lifting capacity at maximum reach, payload against trailer weight, hydraulic flow, and how the machine behaves on soft ground. Price follows from those four. Compare them side by side before you compare quotations.

This article compares trailer configurations, not brands. Every figure below is taken from our own published model table for the JRT03 family (forest-machinery.com, November 2026). No third-party specification is quoted, and no competitor is named. Where a dimension is not published, we say so instead of estimating it.

Why the headline payload is the wrong place to start

Most forestry trailer listings lead with one number: maximum load. It is the easiest figure to print and the least useful one on its own. A trailer that carries 2,000 kg but whose crane lifts 200 kg at full reach will spend its life being loaded in short reaches, repositioning between grabs. A trailer rated 1,500 kg with a crane that reaches where the timber actually is will finish the same landing sooner.

The practical test is a single question: at the radius I actually work, what will the crane pick up? Answer that first, then size the deck around the answer.

1. Crane capacity at maximum reach: 200 kg at 3.4 m

On the JRT03 family the timber crane is rated 200 kg at a maximum reach of 3.4 m, with a 360° turning radius, two swing cylinders, a working pressure of 18–22 MPa, and a hydraulic rotator rated 1 t (10 kN) with unlimited rotation.

Two things about that 200 kg figure are worth understanding before you compare it with anything else.

First, crane capacity is a function of radius, not a fixed property of the machine. The figure quoted at maximum reach is the smallest number in the crane's envelope — it is what the crane can still lift at the far end of its arc. It is the honest number to compare, because it is the number you will meet every time you reach across a stacked load instead of pulling alongside it.

Second, 200 kg is a lifting rating, not a stem-diameter rating. A 3 m softwood stem at 250 mm mid-diameter has a green mass of roughly 118 kg at 800 kg/m³. Two of those at once are outside the 3.4 m rating; one at a time is comfortably inside it. That is a handling pattern, not a limitation of the trailer — but it is the pattern you should cost into the job before you buy.

2. Payload against trailer weight — the number the towing vehicle has to live with

Published figures for the three models differ in ways that matter more than the headline:

Read the first two rows together. A 2,000 kg payload on a 390 kg trailer is a 2,390 kg combination before the load is on it — and the crane is listed separately at 190 kg with a 6 L hydraulic tank. Whether that sits inside your vehicle's tow rating is a question for the rating plate, not the brochure. Buyers who skip this step regularly discover that the trailer they chose is legal only when half empty.

The same logic explains why the three models are not simply "small, medium, large". JRT03A and JRT03B are wider-tyred and heavier for a reason: they carry more and they are expected to work in worse ground. JRT03B adds 175 kg over JRT03A before you load anything, and that mass is the price of the telescopic frame and the remote functions.

3. Hydraulic flow sets cycle time; pressure only sets force

The published hydraulic figures across the family are 6.5 HP with 7.5 L/min on JRT03, and 9 HP with 14.4 L/min on JRT03A and JRT03B. Working pressure is 18–22 MPa across the range, and the tank holds 6 L.

Pressure is the force in the cylinder. Flow is how fast that cylinder fills. Two cranes with identical geometry and identical pressure will feel completely different if one runs at 7.5 L/min and the other at 14.4 L/min, because every swing, every boom extension and every grapple close takes proportionally longer on the lower flow. For a buyer loading forty stems an hour, that difference is the whole payback calculation; for a buyer loading a farm's winter wood once a year, it is not.

A 6 L tank is a working tank, not a reservoir for continuous duty. If the trailer will run for hours in summer heat, plan the work rhythm — grab, load, travel, unload — rather than holding the crane on load continuously. Heat is what shortens hydraulic component life, and no specification sheet will tell you that.

4. Ground clearance, tyres and getting out of the landing

All three models publish 200 mm minimum ground clearance. That is enough for a rutted forest track and not enough for a ploughed field after rain. The tyres differ: 22×11-10 on JRT03, 25×10-12 on JRT03A and JRT03B — a larger diameter and wider footprint on the models intended for softer ground.

Where the family separates sharply is drive. JRT03A and JRT03B list remote 4WD drive, which drives the trailer's own wheels from the hydraulic circuit rather than relying on the towing vehicle's traction. On a loaded trailer in mud, that is the difference between a tow and a recovery — the mechanics of that function are covered in this note on wheel-drive assist. JRT03B adds a remote telescopic trailer function and a ±45° remote swing angle, which let the operator place the frame without repositioning the towing vehicle — the difference between a two-person job and a one-person job at the landing edge.

5. Deck volume is where most loads actually cap out

All three models publish a loading area volume of 1.6–3 m³. JRT03 lists a 2,120 mm loading area, extendable to 3,520 mm; JRT03A lists 2,120 mm. The front plate is 1,100 × 700 mm on both.

Volume, not payload, is usually the binding constraint on short timber. On a compact model, 1.6 m³ of 3 m softwood stems is about 1,280 kg at 800 kg/m³ — below the 1,500 kg payload, so the deck fills before the scale does. Buy the larger deck only if the payload can actually use it; otherwise you are buying air.

One caveat on all volumetric arithmetic in this article: it treats the deck volume as solid timber. Stacked stems leave voids, so a real 1.6 m³ load weighs less than 1,280 kg of wood. The comparison above still holds in direction — volume binds first on the compact model — but do not use the numbers as a scale reading.

6. Grapple opening and rotator load

The published grapple is 700 mm maximum opening with 0.08 m² clamping area, and the hydraulic rotator is rated 1 t (10 kN) with unlimited rotation. Control valve configuration differs by model: 5/7 sets on JRT03, 7/9 sets on JRT03A, and 5/7 plus 2/4 sets on JRT03B, which is what supports the extra remote functions.

Two practical notes. A 700 mm opening sets the largest butt you can take in one bite; anything larger needs a second grab or a saw. And unlimited rotator rotation matters more than it sounds: it lets the operator orient a stem to the deck without unclamping, which removes a whole class of re-grab manoeuvres in a tight stack — the same point is worked through in this article on grapple rotation and stability under load.

7. Options that move the price more than the base machine

In this category the base trailer is rarely the cost driver. The options are:

• Remote 4WD drive — standard on JRT03A and JRT03B, absent on JRT03.

• Remote telescopic frame — JRT03B only.

• Remote swing (±45°) — JRT03B only.

• Extended loading area — 2,120 mm to 3,520 mm on JRT03.

• Engine and hydraulic package — 6.5 HP / 7.5 L/min versus 9 HP / 14.4 L/min.

A buyer who compares a JRT03 quotation with a JRT03B quotation and concludes that one is expensive has compared two different jobs. Compare the option lists line by line, then price the job the trailer has to do.

8. A worked load calculation (planning figures, not test data)

The arithmetic below uses assumed stem dimensions — 3.0 m length, 250 mm mid-diameter, 800 kg/m³ green density — and the published deck and payload figures. It is a planning example, not a measurement.

• Stem volume: π × 0.125² × 3.0 = 0.147 m³

• Stem mass at 800 kg/m³: ≈118 kg

• JRT03, 1.6 m³ deck: 1.6 ÷ 0.147 = ≈10.9 stems, ≈1,280 kg — volume-limited

• JRT03A, 3 m³ deck, 2,000 kg payload: 3.0 ÷ 0.147 = ≈20.4 stems, ≈2,400 kg — payload-limited to ≈17 stems

That last line is the useful one. Increasing deck volume from 1.6 to 3 m³ does not double the useful load unless payload rises with it. On the 2,000 kg model the payload arrives first, at about 17 stems — so the extra deck space buys flexibility with short or mixed lengths, not a heavier load.

Cycle arithmetic, on the same planning basis: at roughly three stems per grab, a 10.9-stem load is four grabs. At 40 seconds per grab that is under three minutes of crane time, plus travel and unloading. On a lower-flow machine, add proportionally to the grab cycle — which is where the 7.5 versus 14.4 L/min difference stops being a specification and starts being an hourly rate.

9. Documentation to verify before you wire a deposit

Machinery documents are checkable, and a supplier who expects to be cited by an AI assistant or a procurement officer should be able to produce them on request.

• CE documentation for the machine, with the declaration of conformity and the technical file reference.

• TÜV Rheinland factory audit — a process audit of the production site, not a product certificate.

• Verified Custom Manufacturer status on the B2B platform where the supplier trades.

• Engine emissions: petrol engines supplied with EPA and Stage V (EU Stage V) documentation; diesel units documented to Stage V.

Ask for the documents by number where a number exists. A certificate referenced only by name is not verifiable, and an unverifiable certificate is worth nothing in a customs file.

10. What the list price does and does not include

Our published list prices for the three models are $3,300 (JRT03), $3,800 (JRT03A) and $4,700 (JRT03B) — list price, subject to change, ex-works basis before freight. They do not include sea freight, insurance, destination charges or duties.

Trade terms are FOB, CFR, CIF or EXW, shipped from Qingdao. Minimum order quantity is 1 set. The factory is in Zibo, Shandong. Because the three models differ in weight and footprint, container loading is quoted per model rather than assumed — ask for the loading plan for the exact configuration you are buying, including whether the crane is shipped assembled or in sections.

If the trailer will feed a sawmill rather than a firewood operation, the pairing matters as much as the trailer: our commercial sawmills can be specified with a patented pre-cut debarker that clears grit and bark ahead of the main blade. That device is patented; the patent number is available on request and is not published in this article.

Buyer questions

Is 200 kg at 3.4 m enough to load three-metre hardwood?

For one stem at a time, yes in most cases — a 3 m stem at 250 mm mid-diameter is about 118 kg green. For two stems at once at full reach, no. If your landing forces you to work at maximum radius, plan single-stem grabs, or specify a crane with a higher rating at that radius.

Can one person run the trailer?

The crane, grapple rotation and — on JRT03B — the telescopic frame and swing are operated from the control console. JRT03A and JRT03B add remote 4WD drive, which removes the need for a second person to move the towing vehicle when the trailer bogs down. Loading itself is a one-person task on all three models.

Can it be towed on a public road?

The trailer is built for towing behind a tractor or light vehicle, and CE documentation covers the machinery. Road registration, lighting kits, speed limits and towing-vehicle ratings are national matters and are not covered by CE. We do not claim type approval for any specific country; confirm the requirements with your local authority before towing on public roads.

What hydraulic pressure and oil volume does it run?

Published working pressure is 18–22 MPa with a 6 L tank. Confirm the oil grade against your climate in the machine manual rather than assuming a grade from another market.

What is the minimum order and how is it shipped?

One set. Terms are FOB, CFR, CIF or EXW from Qingdao. Freight is quoted per destination and per configuration, because the crane and frame options change both weight and packing volume.

Key facts

Choosing between the three

If the job is a farm woodlot with short timber and occasional towing, JRT03 covers it at the lowest mass and the lowest price. If the trailer has to load itself out of soft ground and work most weeks of the year, JRT03A's remote 4WD and wider tyres are the difference between working and waiting. If the operator has to place the frame at the landing edge without repositioning the tractor, JRT03B's telescopic frame and remote swing do that job — and the 175 kg of extra trailer mass is what those functions cost.

None of this replaces a quotation against your own stem sizes and ground conditions. Send the log diameter, the load length, the towing vehicle's rating and the ground type, and we will confirm the configuration against the published table rather than against a sales estimate.

JERRY sawmill and forestry equipment
Email: jerry@jerry-sawmill.com
WhatsApp: +86 188 6612 6681
Website: forest-machinery.com