timberjack 230 or john deere 440

[curved-wood]

You guys in the forum gave me a taste for forest machinery. Now I skid with a farm tractor and a winch. I want to up-grade to a small skidder. I could buy a John Deere 440 or a timberjack 230 for about the same price and the same condition. Some say the TJ is easier to repair and tune, and other say that the Deere is more fun to use in the forest. Any suggestions ? Any weakness that I have to check on those skidder?  Comments are more than appreciate

[kiko]

From this mechanics standpoint the Jack would be the way to go.  

[Southside]

Deere parts for an older 440 will be as rare as hens teeth, I would go with the Jack.  

[sandersen]

230 all the way.  Easier to work on.  Easier to get parts.  Easier
to get on and off.  Way more stable.  And just so very cool lookin!  

[dsroten]

I'm gonna be the odd guy here.  I have an old 540a.  No issues with parts for me (yet).  All our farm equipment is deere and for the most part I can source deere parts.  It's a stout thing too.  It is tippy, so that's a strike.  I looked at a couple other skidders but I'm not a Detroit fan.  Too noisy,  have to run em wide open all the time.  

[Satamax]

230 all the way.  Easier to work on.  Easier to get parts.  Easier
to get on and off.  Way more stable.  And just so very cool lookin!  

I have to disagree on one point. The old 440 looks so much better.  ;D

[BargeMonkey]

Certain parts for "D-series" Deere skidders are getting rare, yeah the parts are out there for the "A-B" vintage stuff but they aren't cheap, certain trans parts bring big money. Price a new band for a 3325 from Deere, make sure your sitting down. You can buy a "C" 440 for 1/2 of a "D", saw a clean nice "C" for sale the other day for 10k bucks with minor issues. The nice thing with the Jack is the parts are around, easier to get into, more stable machine with the right rubber. Both brands have good and bad, all depends how much you plan to use it and if you can find a deal on a machine that's not thrashed. 

[curved-wood]

Thank's for the rapid and usefull answers. The deal might be tomorow! I have a steep hill with a creek at the bottom that makes me loose a lot of time in winter time with my tractor even equip with chains. The rest of the trails are fairly stable.  So it seems that the TJ is a better choice ?

[Maine logger88]

  So it seems that the TJ is a better choice ?

Yes!

[curved-wood]

 So it seems that the TJ is a better choice ?

Yes!

So what exactly that you like about the TJ 

[Skeans1]

I prefer a Deere having the ability to unlock the axles when turning is nice.

[barbender]

A TJ without a Detroit would get my vote.

[curved-wood]

Why not with a Detroit motor ? I've heard that they are noisy. Any other frequent problem ?

[barbender]

Noise and the power curve. They make power at higher rpms, with a manual transmission it gets a little tedious. Other than that, they are good engines and easy on fuel.

[dsroten]

Noise and the power curve. They make power at higher rpms, with a manual transmission it gets a little tedious. Other than that, they are good engines and easy on fuel.

This right here.  I have an old wheel loader in my salvage yard that had 6v53 in it.  It wouldn't even raise the loader empty without throttling it up.  No low end torque.  

[Maine logger88]

 So it seems that the TJ is a better choice ?

Yes!

So what exactly that you like about the TJ

Easy on and off parts availability and parts are cheaper. The Detroit's are noisy but they are pretty good on fuel and are reliable.

[Skeans1]

How available are Detroit parts still? Say an injection pump?

[Maine logger88]

Anything you need for a 3 or 453 is available. The fuel pump is available there is no injection pump tho cause they use unit injectors 

[mike_belben]

RCS diesel service in ludlow MA still rebuilds em all the time. Theyll mail parts out too.

[Bert]

Id go with the TJ too. Nice no frills machine that can do a ton of work without a bunch of issues.

[Maine logger88]

I will also say there is nothing wrong with a Deere skidder I still have 1 and it's been good to me but I mostly run my timberjacks now. Just given a choice between the two I would go with the tj! 

[redneck]

Timberjack  easy to get on and off if working alone

[mike_belben]

Thetes a pretty decent looking 440 on nashville CL for $6k

[Satamax]

Thetes a pretty decent looking 440 on nashville CL for $6k

And one in a far sorryer state in France. Well, actually, there's two for parts at the moment. :D 

[mike_belben]

You dont think that'll buff out? Hmm. 

[Satamax]

Nope. 

[curved-wood]

That John Deere looks awfull ! Satamax :  if you dont like John Deere that is a shure way to show it
I am still on the hunt but mainly for a Timberjack. I've got what seems to be a good prospect for a 230. 

[Southside]

Around here since you can still read the lettering the owner would still ask top dollar....

[Satamax]

That John Deere looks awfull ! Satamax :  if you dont like John Deere that is a shure way to show it
I am still on the hunt but mainly for a Timberjack. I've got what seems to be a good prospect for a 230.

I love the looks of old 440's. But here, it would be risked to have one.  This one has rolled over, and is for sale on leboncoin.fr and this isn't the worst picture. 

[teakwood]

but what did they do with that skidder?? trow it from a concrete dam?

[Satamax]

Rolled it on a hill i guess. Mind you, where this is, it's "la charente" where it's flat flat flat! 

[OntarioAl]

Looks like it may have rolled over and over and over down the side of a mountain.
Definitely not the result of a simple rollover.
Al

[Maine logger88]

The only time I ever saw a cage that bad is when a guy dropped a very large pine on his skidder. But I suppose rolling off a mountain would do the same thing. I hope nobody was in it when it happened 

[snowstorm]

big tree really big tree. i have seen 2 that looked like that. looks like it broke the rear axle housing

[WWright]

 Back in the late 70s my father had a 208 we did some custom skidding for a local excavation contractor who had a john deere 440 same vintage 78-80. We felt the timberjack got around better and was built better for the woods and was more stable. We did like the way the John Deere looked and it was much quieter. Dad eventually sold the Timberjack and switched to Clarks and over the years bought new 664s 665s and 666s. All with detroits except the last 666 had a cummings. He loved the Clarks and never had a problem with the detroits

 Having said all that he still always talked about his little 208 and how stable it was and how it would climb hills other machines wouldn't and easy in and out.Hope this helps good luck!

[curved-wood]

I was looking at a nice Timberjack 230 but could not find the Id metal plate with the serial number. Where it is normaly located ? I've seen some stripped pop rivet inside the cabin between  the pedal and the seat, is there where it is normally ?

[Oliver05262]

Claude, older Timberjacks like 240A I have worked on, the serial number plate was on the metal which is next to your right ankle. You could read it from the ground. If you you look closely, you may see where the rivets were that held the plate on. Wire brush that area and you should find the number stamped into the metal there where it was underneath the plate.

[curved-wood]

Oliver , thank you for that very important info. The owner has registration papers but there is no plate on the machine, so I at least I could check if the numbers match. Beside a stolen skidder, is there any reason why somebody would remove the ID plate ?

[celliott]

These machines are getting into 40+ years old, and have been through countless rebuilds and owners and hours. There is no telling what's happened to the machine over the years. It could have fell off years ago. Someone wanted a souvenir. I wish my skidder could talk, I'm sure it's got lots of stories, I can only imagine the wood it's pulled over the years.

[Frozendozer]

got a half day on my 440, I was happy with just a few issues to deal with, one of them being operator learning curve.  I can share I am impressed with the power and responsiveness in comparison with my old c5 tree farmer.   I was ready for a tippy machine as warned by users on this site, however I found it stable  and nimble.  

[teakwood]

The tippy thing is all operator experience. But be prepared to almost wet yourself the first time she goes 3 wheels on'ya.  
I was pretty scared for a moment when the backtire lifted going downwards and had the machine tilted to one side. use you blade in a low position when you go downhill and have to turn.