tree farmer good and bad

logman81 · August 17, 2012, 04:35:48 PM

Looking into possibly looking at a c6 tree farmer it's a older model. Looking to get info on them as far as the good and bad things about them.

Mark K · August 17, 2012, 04:43:11 PM

What engine-tranny setup does it have?

lumberjack48 · August 17, 2012, 05:40:37 PM

C5-D , C6, basically the same issues as your ole Bone.

Find out what motor, and tran, tire size

logman81 · August 17, 2012, 07:25:25 PM

Not sure what trans it has but it has a detroit and 18.4x34 with chains on all four.

lumberjack48 · August 17, 2012, 09:37:56 PM

example, i just looked at a C5D on C'S L, rebuilt big Ford Diesel, rebuilt winch, rebuilt transfer case, tires good, good looking skidder, asking 7,000., they got it listed as a C4D, i don't like that dent in the pipe.

That C6 is most likely was a 453, but might be a 353

donny hochstetler · August 17, 2012, 10:25:21 PM

find you a good running clark, they are tough, easy to operate, very stable, parts are reasonable, you will not have winch trouble, the only thing with the older clarks, are the old dry brakes, might convert the parking brake over to a disk, n your good to go, I had a 666 b with a cummins, now I have a 65 f, I love em, wish they would still make em, I always get a kick out of people, they ask you, what kind of skidder you got, clark they look at you kind of funny, then they start talking about there timberjack, which has a clark winch, clark rearends, n some of em clark transmissions, :D this is just my opinion, i"v runem al,l there really all good machines, main thing is the guy running them, but where I live we need good brakes, n the older stickshift machines with dry brakes, just do not work, a good way to get killed, hope you find a good one, just take your time, there outthere n dont be afraid to travel for the right machine, when you find it you will be partners

bushmechanic · August 18, 2012, 06:45:00 AM

I'm with lumberjack48,18.4/34 is not what should be on it for tires,usually larger ones like 23.1/26 or 24.5/32 .They normally had a 453 Detroit or a 6 cylinder Deutz .Overall there great machines only for having a Gearmatic winch.

logman81 · August 18, 2012, 08:48:12 AM

All good opinions and info guys! The one I'm interested in is listed on vermonts CL it's the c6 listed on july 13 Hartford NY. Havent called on it yet to get the full scoop on it. Waiting to see what happens with mine first.

oldseabee · August 18, 2012, 09:55:36 AM

Regarding the comments about the old clark skidders. I worked for Clark as service rep in Southeast. You are right about the brakes. If you have hilly terain, look for old 667,they had wet disc brake and parking brake on the back of the 28000 transmission, flat land or swamps, might not be an issue. The other advantage of the trans brake is that it is protected from debris. Trash in a dry driveline brake can start a fire, need to keep it cleaned out.

lumberjack48 · August 18, 2012, 01:18:15 PM

I don't like the color, looks more like a C5-D, has the same planetary's as a C5-D. I can't see the exhaust pipe real good, but looks to big for a Deutz, or Perkins. i believe is a 45-3 Detroit.
Skidder looks good, paint can cover up a lot of problems, I'd have to abuse it for about an hour, driving full throttle though all the gears, dosing, winching, some dealers didn't like my road test, when others would say go for it, its a good machine. My father got embarrenest when i was trying out a C5-D with the big Ford diesel for him. I pushed snow for about 1/2 an-hour full throttle, winched some old equipment around, this was at Treefarmer Sales here in Bemidji. I got off poped the hood to check for any blow-by in the motor, leaks and ect. I turned to dad, an said its a good one buy it, i think he ran that skidder 15 yrs, never had a major issue with it.

I know what most on here think about Gearmatic winches, i used-em 28 yrs, besides putting bands in a couple of-em, rebuilding the master control, putting a live swivel on one. Its the only winch i'd want, just being i know how simple they operate. The model 20 Can-Car would start to act up, i'd pull the cover, blow it out, check clearance on shoes, make sure brake band was releasing properly. Put the cover back on, it worked perfectly, i didn't do nothing to it, about every 3 months it did this.

My father and me rented a C6 one winter, we were falling behind with the one skidder. The snow was 4' deep in the swamp and the winter was getting short. It had a 6 cylinder Perkins with a Alison power shift. It was different to run the fuel petal was on the left had side, with a power shift this works out very good, you can hold the brake and step on the throttle at the same time. My S8 IH had the throttle petal on the right hand side with the brake on the left hand side.
The C6 was a good machine, the only thing we weren't used dumping 30 plus gals of fuel a day in a skidder, she was a thirsty one.

If i was going logging i'd offer 5 k for the one in the picture, that would be a good buy.

Mark K · August 18, 2012, 06:40:22 PM

Thats a old one. Has the round pipe risers on it. Im with lumberjack it must be a Detroit. I have a Duetz 6cyl in my C7D and the nose is longer and the exhaust is midway up the hood. Mine has a clark powershift with a torque converter. Has 23.1-26 tires. It'll pull one heck of a hitch. Easy on fuel too. I burn less than 15 gallons in a ten hour day.

treefarmer87 · August 19, 2012, 02:50:00 PM

my c6 is a great machine. it is a perfect machine to me. they usually have a 453 or 453T or a 6 cyl deutz, with a 4 speed NP 542 trans. with either a gearmatic 19 or can car 20 winch, i prefer the can car.

lumberjack48 · August 19, 2012, 07:39:27 PM

tf87 you still have a bad taste in your mouth because of all the trouble with the C5-B you had. Like i've said before it was a C4 with a 353 Detroit, way to light if used hard in big wood. A C5-B isn't half the machine a C5-D is, i've ran-em side by side. The reason i stayed with a C5-D is about 75% of my jobs were selective cut, a C6 is more of a clear cut skidder.
Don't get me wrong the C5-B is a good skidder, there was a reason it was called a pulpwood special.

treefarmer87 · August 19, 2012, 09:07:59 PM

it was a good skidder, i miss it sometimes. honestly my favorite is a c5D. its just the right size. but i will never get rid of my c6. i love the power and how much wood i can move with it. it handles those grade logs effortlessly.

logman81 · August 20, 2012, 02:39:36 PM

Glad you like your c6 it's a nice looking machine. As far as the color on the one in NY it's not the color of the machine that gets the wood out and it may be old but it's a working machine.

Mark K · August 20, 2012, 04:18:00 PM

Theres nothing wrong with old machines as long as they've been taken care of. My Timberjack that burned was a '66. Id still be running it if it didnt burn. Look it over real good before you commit to it.