Ponsse machines?

George Jones · August 11, 2016, 12:54:10 PM

Hey you CTL guys, I am wondering about Ponsse machines. I am in the market for my first forwarder, and have always heard that these were great machines, "Cadillacs", but there arent many around here and I have never seen one. Do any of you guys run Ponsse? What are some common probems/issues if any? How are parts availabilty and price? Are they tough to work on? Electrical issues? I have heard that the Mercedes powered units are the best, I believe they switched over in 2000 or 2001- Did the first generation after the redesign have any major bugs to look out for? What kinds of hours do people get before major repairs or engine replacement/overhaul? Are the pre-Mercedes machines worth looking at too? I live in western Mass, we have a Ponsse dealer in Chelmsford Mass, Chadwick-Baross, which is a couple hours away. Anybody ever deal with their services and parts guys? There is also a C-B branch in Bangor, I hear they are very good but Bangor is like 6 hours away. Any info is very appreciated! Thanks!

wannaergo · August 11, 2016, 01:06:09 PM

We had a 2002 ponsse caribou for our first forwarder and it was a sweet machine. Smooth hydraulics, quiet comfy cab, and the thing just sipped fuel. It had 18.5k hours when we got rid of it and didn't burn any oil. We had very few problems with it. The only reason we got rid of it was because we cut primarily hardwood, and it just wasn't built heavy enough. We traded it in on a brand new cat forwarder and the ponsse was by far a nicer, more technologically advanced machine. I'd recommend looking into a ponsse elk.

chevytaHOE5674 · August 11, 2016, 04:19:50 PM

We have a Caribou and an Ergo harvester. Both have well over 20k hours. Forwarder just had a new motor put in last week as the oil pump failed on the first one at 21k-ish hours. Parts availability has never been an issue for us, but price isn't always nice. When the hours get up there like anything else expect to keep dumping parts into it to keep it going. In the last few hundred hours ours has had a steering cylinder, jib boom cylinder, engine, bucket pins and bushings, bucket cylinder, AC compressor, and probably stuff I'm forgetting.

We too have found that the Caribou is just too small for big hardwood so we are supposed to have a new to us Buffalo in the next couple of weeks.

1270d · August 11, 2016, 05:14:09 PM

We have a scorpion King harvester and a buffalo forwarder. I love the scorpion and the buffalo has been a good machine so far. 3500 is hours on the harvester and 2500 is on the forwarder. They are well built machines. parts and service have been good. Parts pricing is cheaper than Deere parts but still pricey like all the euro machines

We had a caribou like the others but a 00 model. It had the Perkins engine. 20000+ hours on it. We were always working on it just because it was worn out. A nice capable machine none the less.

Gary_C · August 12, 2016, 01:05:44 AM

I have a Ponsse Ergo Harvester and like the others have said, it a very well built machine. Most all parts are available in Rhinelander, WI if not in your local dealership and Ponsse is a very good company to work with.

Last I knew, new Ponsse forwarders were eight months back ordered but I think that is getting better. Good used Ponsse forwarders are very scarce for two reasons. People keep them till they drop and forwarders are the hardest working machine in the woods. These days, everyone wants at least one.

Ron Scott · August 12, 2016, 12:43:49 PM

Ditto! to what's been said. Several of them at work in this area.
You will find some at work in the "Timber Harvest Methods & Equipment" thread below.

barbender · August 13, 2016, 12:16:41 AM

I run an 07 Ponsse Buffalo King forwarder, it is a very nice machine. I haven't ran any other brand of CTL logging equipment, so I can't compare it to say, John Deere, Komatsu/Valmet, etc. I can say they are much nicer to run than construction equipment, or conventional logging equipment like skidders and such. They are laid out much nicer and very quiet in the cab. You definitely want a servicing dealer nearby for any modern CTL equipment, they are complex machines. You can take care of a lot yourself, but with some of the electronic issues it is good to have an expert on hand. Some of the older machines (pre-2000) are getting hard to get some of the electronic parts for. The Mercedes is the superior engine by far, there are many out working with 20k plus hours without a hiccup. The Perkins are decent, it seems no one is very happy with the Cat powered ones. Hydraulic cylinders are kind of a regular maintenance item, in my mind. In the last year, I've swapped out a boom extension cylinder, 2 steering cylinders, 2 grapple cylinders, I might be missing some. These all could've been serviced in the field, but we have spares so it's quicker to just swap and let the shop rebuild them.