My Hauler with Claw, McMinnville, OR (2026)

09/06/2026

I put the grapple truck to work for one of my neighbors!
I went over to my neighbors place to help get some logs from trees that had fallen last winter.
First, I used my excavator to make a trail, clear out so brush, and drag the logs closer, to a reachable location where my grapple truck could take over.
There was a large fir tree and a really nice red cedar tree. The cedar tree had broken off years ago and sent up five new leaders, making for an interesting-looking tree.
Once we got the logs to an easier drag point, I brought in the grapple truck and pulled them out one at a time using log-load wraps, cables, and chains.
And look at this cedar!
It is a really nice log, with very little termite activity visible on the top cut and a few small limbs.
The top is 20” x 24” in diameter and 10’ 9” long.
This cedar log is available! If you’re a woodcarver or know a woodcarver, or have an ideas for what this piece could become, give me a call!
971-825-9236
Let’s find this beautiful piece of cedar a good home and see what someone can create with it!

09/04/2026

Another fun day!

09/04/2026

Another referral from Smith Rock Inc.— and another job where precision mattered!!
I was called by a customer who was referred to me by Smith Rock Inc. They wanted three boulders delivered and placed between the city street and sidewalk. Many of you know how the city can be very particular about placement of things next to the curb or sidewalk.
When I arrived, I found a narrow with cars parked on both sides. The trees were right where I needed to work also, although the power and phone lines were high enough to work under safely.
Because of the tree limbs, I could not simply park directly beside where the boulders were going. I had to position my truck at about a 45 - degree angle so I could reach underneath the branches with my boom and grapple.
After watching me manipulate the boom and grapple around the trees and other obstacles, the couple told me: “Watching you was worth every penny!”
That made my day!
They have been in the house about one year, they showed me the driveway to the back yard, they are working on it also. They have a beautiful brick and stone courtyard. They also want to put boulders back there!
I told them about my boulder moving cart, and how it can get boulders back there, of reasonable size.
That’s a situation where the right equipment can make a big difference.
A skid steer would take the chance of damaging the courtyard.
My goal is to goal is to move the heavy material without making the property the next thing to be fixed.
Tight access? Valuable landscape? Obstacles in the way?
That’s where the versatility and precision of my grapple truck really pay off.
971-826-9236 Call the Claw!

09/03/2026

Four boulders, one truck, no problem!
A customer called me wanting 4 boulders picked up at Valleys Landscape, then delivered and place in their yard.
Valley Landscape is one of the few places that allows me to go into their yard and pick up boulders for customers.
These boulders had already been selected by the customer and placed in their customers-saved area. One of the equipment operators asked if he needed to move the loader buckets out of the way.
I told him, “No, I can reach over them, thanks anyway!”
That’s one of the advantages of my grapple truck—I can reach into areas where other equipment may have difficulty.
Here’s another thing that makes this process convenient:
I drive across their scales and get an empty weight. Then I load up the boulders, drive back across over the scales, and get a loaded weight. The difference tells them exactly how much the boulders weigh, and Valley Landscape can then change the customer accordingly.
This also eliminates an extra handling step. There is no need to put each boulder on a pallet, move it onto the scale, weigh it, and then handle it again.
Fewer times of handling a 200-400 pound boulder means fewer opportunities for something to go wrong.
I have done this several times. I will weigh my truck empty, give the customer 15-20 minutes to pick out boulders they want, as I can pick them up so they can see the entire boulder, load them on my truck and weight the truck again so they can pay for exactly what they purchased.
And sometimes I have to improvise!
One customer wanted a boulder that was 20 feet back into the pile. My grapple could only reach 14 feet.
Rather than asking the loaders to move a bunch of boulders, I extended my boom out, got a chain out of my tool box, secured the boulder to my grapple and carefully brought it out.
That operation took 5 minutes…
One of the loaders operators stopped by afterwards and told me it would have taken them 1 hour to get that boulder.
That’s way I like having safety, convenience, versatility, and efficiency—all in one truck!
Do you have a boulder project that looks difficult or unsafe to access?
Give me a call and let’s see what the Claw can do!
971-825-923

08/31/2026

Saturday was a good day to put my grapple truck to work for a good cause!
I went to a church property in Newberg, Oregon where trees had been cut down to clear the land for a new building. Many people had already removed the small branches and firewood, leaving the big logs behind.
I loaded the larger logs onto my grapple truck and hauled them to the VWF Firewood Ministry in Newberg. I did cut the larger diameter logs up also.
My time was donated to this cause.
If you have logs on your property that you don’t want to deal with, there is another option beside having people come onto your property to cut firewood.
It also makes sense for me to haul the logs to the Firewood Ministry because their wood splitters can stay right there. Anyone who owns a wood splitter knows they aren’t exactly the easiest equipment to move any distance!
So, if you have fallen or cut logs that you don’t need, consider turning them into something useful for someone else.
If you or someone you know has a situation like this, give the VFW Firewood Ministry a call—or give me a call and I’ll see what I can do.
971-825-9236
You provide the logs. I will provide the hauling. Together, we can trun unwanted wood into a warm home.
McMinnville Chamber of Commerce Sheridan County Chamber Sara Kelly Flag & Wire Coffee

08/30/2026

Remember the post where I show how I was able to get a 400 pound boulder, in a hallway by an office, in Portland? Well here is a picture of what it turned looking like! Beautiful and strong bike stand and a boulder they can’t pick up! No one has slept there since!

08/29/2026

I was called by Nick from Maverick Sawmills, located just West of Newberg, Oregon. He had a customer who wanted some logs hauled to the sawmill to be cut into boards.
Nick had already been to the customer’s property, taken pictures of the logs and access, and sent them to me. That gave me a pretty good idea of what I would be dealing with. After looking at the pictures, I told him, “It looks like one load for me.”
I got there today, and the customer—-who is older than me—-really enjoyed watching the whole loading process. It took me only 16 minutes to load all the different sizes of logs!
It was basically the reverse of “pick up sticks!”😅. Once everything was loaded, I strapped down and stopped twice along the way to check the straps. Safety first!
The funny part, it took me 8 minutes to unload! Add a few minutes for set up and takedown and still pretty efficient load from start to finish!
That means using my grapple truck potential cut his hauling cost in half compared to the other bid having to make two trips.
If you have logs that you want custom cut into lumber, Maverick Sawmill is one option at this side of the country.
And if you have any logs the need to hauled to a custom sawmill, give me a call, 971-825-9236.
One load. One trip. Less handling. Less cost.
That’s what my grapple truck is built to do!

08/28/2026

Here is the boulder I had to pick up and place in the hallway of the building to prevent people from sleeping there at night.
There was an exposed water/sprinkler line above ground on the opposite side, so I had to pay close attention to where I positioned the grapple and how I moved the boulder. Tight spaces and close obstacles are exactly where having the right equipment makes a difference.
It took me about one minute to pick up this boulder and load it into my truck!
My setup and takedown times are generally under five minutes.
Now how does that compare with bringing a skid steer or excavator to do the same job?
Don’t forget the truck and trailer, the room needed to maneuver the equipment and the time it takes to unload, unchain, chain back up and haul everything away.
With my grapple truck, I can often pull up do the job, load up, and be gone—without bringing a whole fleet of equipment onto the property.
Less setup. Less space. Less handling. More productivity.
Have a job where access is tight or you don’t want a bunch of equipment taking over the site?
Give me a call! 971-825-9236

08/26/2026

Today, I was on a job in Portland, Oregon, when I got a call from a lady who got my business name from Smith Rock Inc.

She was looking at getting some boulders to help deal with homeless sleeping around and damaging her office building. I went to her business to take a look at the situation.

She had recently had a bike rack installed to take up some room on the porch of the office building. That night, someone took a roughly 75-pound rock and used it to destroy the bike rack!

After seeing the situation, we talked about some options. She decided to have me move the smaller rock that was already there and replace it with a 400 pound boulder she had sitting near the sidewalk.

Tomorrow, she is having a new, stronger bike rack installed.

As you can see in the video, it was a pretty tight fit getting that large boulder into the porch.
But that’s where the grapple truck really comes in handy!

I also suggest a couple of other ideas to help keep people out of the area, including a wireless camera and a remote control sprinkler system. I’ve heard of other businesses having success with that approach.

What do you think? Could something like a sprinkler system be effective as a deterrent? Maybe adding a scent such as mint or cinnamon to the water?

I’ve placed boulders for other businesses to help discourage unwanted camping and protect their property after the homeless had started a fire.

If you have a similar problem—-or know someone who does—-give me a call! 971-825-9236

Area Chamber of CommerceSheridan Chamber of CommerceHelloCareRhonda PopeSara KellyFlag & Wire

08/21/2026

Traffic control for a driveway!

My Hauler with Claw

09/06/2026

09/04/2026

09/04/2026

09/03/2026

08/31/2026

08/30/2026

08/29/2026

08/28/2026

08/26/2026

08/21/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request