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Tigercat equipment

Started by starmac, January 07, 2018, 11:04:33 PM

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starmac

The logger I work for is looking at tiger cat for new equipment and wants to stay with one manufacturer for the whole spread.
What is your opinions of tigercat?
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

Skeans1

There's a ton of them out here from steep ground tethering buncher, harvesters, even a tethered 635, and a few 880's loading plus processors.

starmac

Operaters like them, does the company stand behind them, how well are they supported as far as parts and such?

The only piece of tigercat equipment I know of at all around here is a hydramulch unit, and the owner is plenty satisfied with it.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

BargeMonkey

 Brand new 610E working across from my house, they seem to like it. Another guy here just got out of his Cat 574 and into a new Tigercat 8-wheeler. I want to try an older C or D series 620/630, I hear a Cat/Deere isnt even close.

Skeans1

From what I've heard from the owners and operators they've been very satisfied.
Just for an idea here's a local guys system and his 635
https://youtu.be/2tuDhUytZ1M
Then another local guys 855 tethered
https://youtu.be/pDVt0xPDaME

BargeMonkey

Quote from: Skeans1 on January 07, 2018, 11:53:44 PM
From what I've heard from the owners and operators they've been very satisfied.
Just for an idea here's a local guys system and his 635
https://youtu.be/2tuDhUytZ1M
Then another local guys 855 tethered
https://youtu.be/pDVt0xPDaME
That is some wicked ground 👍 tied to a 330D all day for YOUR safety 😂

Skeans1

It's interesting to watch that's for sure what gets me is they were required to get to the stuff to keep working with no pay bump. Heck they're talking we have to do it for the thinning in the near future as well I'll see how many cheek marks are left in the new machine when it's required.

WDH

Very popular around here in the deep South.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Riwaka

I think the issue is: what does Tigercat think of supplying equipment to Alaska where they appear to have no dealers? Parts on a plane flight vs techs trained on the machine working on your machine.
Might first approach the Cat dealer to see how well they support their forest machines.

starmac

Son in law runs the cat shop here in town, so already checked on that, but the guy with the money is very interested in the tigercat equipment and apparently they have everything needed ready to ship.  I don't think any of the Alaska techs for cat has actually been trained on forestry equipment, at least not in the interior and to the extent of them in logging country in the lower 48.

Probably not a whole lot of difference where this equipment will be located, it will be a bush plane flight for any tech. lol
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

Riwaka

If the logger went Cat, the logger would probably have to wait for all the greedy gold miners' equipment to be fixed first.
With that in mind one could set up their own moderate level of onsite service and maintenance capability to ensure the TigerCat's are at least serviced well at a basic standard by having the replacement filters, lubes, a few critical replacement hydraulic  hoses etc on site.

starmac

We will be set up with a shop on site and have the capabilities to make our own hoses, no other way a guy could manage it.
Where we log here it is a 6 to 7 hour turn around to the woods, so just a hydraulic hose basically causes the biggest part of two days production usually, I can't imagine, flying one out on a commercial flight then transferring to a bush flight to get just a hose, filter or any number of small parts.

I have talked to cat about warranty service up here, actually they have a pretty good guaranteed response time and a maximum flight cost to get onsite for warranty work.
I am not sure what tigercat offers or guarantees, but am sure it is being discussed as much as this stuff costs these days.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

mike_belben

Man thats a commitment.  I could go have custom cylinders made while i go grocery shopping next door.
Praise The Lord

starmac

Mike, google icy bay Alaska, if all goes well and this deal goes through, that is where we are headed. Holding my fingers crossed for the next few weeks.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

Skeans1

What size of machine is he looking at?

ScottAR

I understand originally Tigercats were designed to be serviced as much as possible on site with common available parts as they didn't have much of a dealer network.  I'm not sure if that's changed.  The bigger guys in the south seem to like them.  If you youtube much look up Cotontop3.  They have a spread running in MS.  Their 635 skidder is bananas. 
Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

starmac

I can't tell you what size they are, I do know the skidders are 6 wheeled ones.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

Skeans1

Oh that 635 I take it then well not many choices in companies building a bogie drive skidder other then tigercat. Ask him if they have considered a clambunk forwarder that might fit the needs just as well or better.
Crowley equipment out of Eugene, OR had this listed for a long time if something like this would work might contact them.
https://d2uhsaoc6ysewq.cloudfront.net/297/Forwarders-TimberPro-TF-840-9095204.jpg
http://timberpro.com/images/2016-slides/840C.png

mike_belben

Under what circumstance would that clam harvester be ideal?  Small guy starting out who can only afford the one machine?
Praise The Lord

chevytaHOE5674

The clambunk skidder with loader is ideal when your not skidding behind a buncher and need to build your own giant drag of wood. If behind a buncher that can put enough wood in a pile for you then a regular grapple skidder is faster.

Skeans1

Clam bunk setups have their place especially in broke up ground or if you're wanting to a machine that can do multi options, I know a few guys that have these with heads on them for cutting if they need otherwise they yard with them.

starmac

Pretty nice looking rig, but wouldn't work in his operation.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

mf40diesel

These used to be a couple Tigercat Skidder's working in Western Maine. They look real well built, ad I know that they were pretty happy with them. With that said though,  they didn't seem to be able to push out Cat and Deere, which are much more popular here.

One of my buddies has a real nice tigercat crane, which I know he is very happy with.  Its a beast, and works super well. 

I have seen one of the big ones, the TigerCat 635C (I think that's it) bogie wheel one,  what a monster!  That bad boy can move some wood in a hitch!
John Deere 5055e, mfwd. Farmi JL306 Winch. Timberjack 225 Skidder. Splitfire splitter & Stihl saws.

Dom

10 years ago when I worked for forestry machine reseller, we would install Logmax heads on tigercat track harvesters. They were the favorite harvester by far as they were made easier to work on and repair. It was possible to walk around the engine.
The story I heard from Tigercat is the company was founded by a few employees from TimberJack when TimberJack got bought by John Deere.

Tigercat was the machine of choice in the area for many loggers. One of few reasons they had a hard time penetrating the market against Cat and JD is they didn't have on site financing. Cat and JD are able to provide financing through their dealers, meanwhile to purchase a Tigercat external financing was required. It just made the sales process harder.

Brandon1986

Even though we have Cat dealers up here I would stay away from Cat forestry stuff.. I have kin who are Techs at Cat shops in the lower 48 that have told us to stay away from Cat Forestry iron... If that's what the Cat mechanics are saying... better listen..

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