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Rhino 354l Chinese skidder rebuild project

Started by Justify008, February 25, 2015, 04:09:43 PM

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Justify008

Edit: rather then starting a new thread I'm making this one into the rebuild thread for my rhino 354l skidder to give me a place to post on her progress and ask questions.

Firstly let me introduce myself my names Justin. Born and raised and currently live in upstate new york. Finally became a member been poking around here for awhile. I'm a diesel mechanic full time and I have my own firewood business. The opportunity has arisen to pick up this small off branded skidder for cheap. Its a rhino 354l I've tried googling it and only found one mention of it as being an off brand imported from china. Anybody know anything about them I'm going to look at it tomorrow with a friend of mine who's been a logger his whole life. I'd like to buy a real skidder but can't justify 10k+ for something that won't be used that often. So any info would be appreciated. I'll try and get some pics on here if I can figure out how

Thanks Justin

beenthere

Good directions and help for posting on the "Home" page, scroll to near the bottom for the info. Look forward to seeing the Rhino.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

pineywoods

Is this a rubber tired skidder or a small dozer? If it's a dozer, I maight can be some help. A small chinese dozer was imported for a while and sold under the name rhino. I have a version called a power trac, and I have manuals and a source of parts...
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

Justify008

Quote from: pineywoods on February 25, 2015, 06:11:14 PM
Is this a rubber tired skidder or a small dozer? If it's a dozer, I maight can be some help. A small chinese dozer was imported for a while and sold under the name rhino. I have a version called a power trac, and I have manuals and a source of parts...


It's a small rubber tired cable skidder lets see if these pics work fingers crossed.



  



 

ForestFox

If the price is too attractive, it may mean it is impossible to get parts for! Be careful because time is money too! I have never heard of these, ever. It is good you are a mechanic, maybe you may need to be a good fabricator also. Yankee ingenuity is worth a lot with anything used. Make sure you can try it out, especially the winch!

Best of luck. I have trouble getting parts for my Timberjack and these are all over the place!
TJ225,MF481 wLoader, JD792, MF1080, Husky 2100's,285XP,576XP,261,

Justify008

Quote from: ForestFox on February 25, 2015, 06:53:10 PM
If the price is too attractive, it may mean it is impossible to get parts for! Be careful because time is money too! I have never heard of these, ever. It is good you are a mechanic, maybe you may need to be a good fabricator also. Yankee ingenuity is worth a lot with anything used. Make sure you can try it out, especially the winch!

Best of luck. I have trouble getting parts for my Timberjack and these are all over the place!

Unfortunately I'm all to familiar with the to good to be true when buying used equipment.  I'll give you the background story and what it needs. I work with the guy that owns it he said he's owned it for a long time used it on small wood lots and it worked great. He finally decided to upgrade and sold this to some guy who ended up breaking the driveshaft / maybe transfer case. Well the guy stopped paying for it after he broke it so he went and picked it up. But he has a new one so he doesn't feel like messing with it he said its all ready to go back together it just needs a driveshaft since he never got that back. So it is currently unoperable but for the price he was asking I could probably scrap it and make money that's my plan B haha

treeslayer2003

seems like i saw a yellow one like it some where on here......
scrap price? why not then? cute lil thing, ought to work fire wood fine.

ForestFox

Gonna need some sneakers, or chains at the very least to pull anything. Hey better odds than buying a lottery ticket. You'll figure it out!
TJ225,MF481 wLoader, JD792, MF1080, Husky 2100's,285XP,576XP,261,

Lumberjohn

I have to really question chinese quality on most any item they make. Hey, if its cheap enough, try it?

Justify008

Ya I'm probably going to buy it was just trying to find some info on it see if I could find parts for it or if I'll have to make everything for it. I'm going up tomorrow morning to look at it I'll get more pics and see what else it needs. If I do get it going I'll probably spend more for 2 sets of chains then I did for the whole machine.

Firewoodjoe

The best friend I have is a machinist😉. He can make most anything. If he can measure something. I wouldn't be worried about parts.

pineywoods

Hey, if a drive shaft is all that's wrong, any machine shop worth of the name could fix that in a heartbeat. Chances are very good that it's based on one or more chinese tractors. Touch base with www.Farmboystractors.com. Located in Kingsport, Tn. If parts are available they will know about it and may even have them. Also, see if you can find Guilin Forestry Machinery works. There's a good chance that's who made it. If it's anything like my dozer, it's a simple rugged machine, but the quality control stinks...
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

lopet

If you think  you're not losing any money with plan B, then yes, I would take the chance,  but sometimes trucking is just sucking your first $$$ out of your wallet.
Make sure you know how to fall properly when you fall and as to not hurt anyone around you.
Also remember, it's not the fall what hurts, its the sudden stop. !!

barbender

FWIW, I like the looks of the little thing ;) What size tires are on it?
Too many irons in the fire

loggah

I'm pretty sure Nash Equipment up in Colebrook N.H. used to sell them,maybe they still do. Don
Interests: Lombard Log Haulers,Tucker Sno-Cats, Circular Sawmills, Shingle Mills, Maple Syrup Making, Early Construction Equipment, Logging Memorabilia, and Antique Firearms

logman81

Awesome little skidder,  I was very tempted to buy a new one several years ago. Their is a dealer that used to import them not far from me. Not sure if they ever sold one but looked like the perfect firewood skidder. I'm very interested in seeing more pics and hearing more about it.
Precision Firewood & Logging

Justify008

Well I guess I'm going to own it now. I gave him a deposit I'll go back in a few weeks when he digs it out of the snow and digs the rest of the parts out of the barn. So it looks like it needs the transfer case put back together and the 2 rear drive shafts one for the winches one for the rear diff.


Quote from: barbender on February 25, 2015, 09:07:51 PM
FWIW, I like the looks of the little thing ;) What size tires are on it?
Quote from: ForestFox on February 25, 2015, 07:21:09 PM
Gonna need some sneakers, or chains at the very least to pull anything.

Looks like the tires are still in decent shape a little dry rotted but no massive chunks missing. Definitely going to need a set of good chains to pull anything and there either 15-24 or 16-24 size

Quote from: loggah on February 27, 2015, 08:56:24 AM
I'm pretty sure Nash Equipment up in Colebrook N.H. used to sell them,maybe they still do. Don

Good guess this was on the side of it I'll probably give them a call.



loggah

Whats the old tractor in the background?  To bad someone dont start to manufacture that size skidder in the U.S. ,i think the demand for small machines is there. Don
Interests: Lombard Log Haulers,Tucker Sno-Cats, Circular Sawmills, Shingle Mills, Maple Syrup Making, Early Construction Equipment, Logging Memorabilia, and Antique Firearms

Justify008

Here's some other pics I took this is facing forward has 3 glass windows in front.


Sticker on the dash shows the control pattern and the shift pattern and the dash panel.


Picture from the left hand side facing forward it has a 5 speed transmission with the reverser on the transfer case so its 5 forward and 5 reverse.
 

Picture of the arch I forgot to mention its a 2 cable/2 winch machine. I have to put the winches back on supposedly they've both been sent out and rebuilt so hopefully that's true.


This is the tag on the 3 cylinder liquid cooled diesel.


And I think this is the vin tag can anybody read this and tell me what it says haha.


Sorry about some of the pics I tried rotating them and its not working so everyone tilt your heads left

Justify008

Quote from: loggah on February 27, 2015, 11:31:16 AM
Whats the old tractor in the background?  To bad someone dont start to manufacture that size skidder in the U.S. ,i think the demand for small machines is there. Don

Its from England or somewhere in Europe I think he said that one in the pic has a blown head gasket he has another one that runs and drives and he uses. And it would be nice if someone made a small skidder but they'd probably want 100k for it brand new way out of my budget haha

logman81

That is a awesome find you got there! Really enjoyed the pictures good job saving this rare machine. I would really like to to see this thing up and running pulling wood! I'd be all over it if it was ever for sale.
Precision Firewood & Logging

Lumberjohn

Does the operator have to stand in it to tun it? I dont see a seat....

logman81

Think the seat is out to work on the transfer case.
Precision Firewood & Logging

lopet

Quote from: Justify008 on February 27, 2015, 11:48:15 AM
Here's some other pics I took this is facing forward has 3 glass windows in front.


Sticker on the dash shows the control pattern and the shift pattern and the dash panel.


Picture from the left hand side facing forward it has a 5 speed transmission with the reverser on the transfer case so its 5 forward and 5 reverse.
 

Picture of the arch I forgot to mention its a 2 cable/2 winch machine. I have to put the winches back on supposedly they've both been sent out and rebuilt so hopefully that's true.


This is the tag on the 3 cylinder liquid cooled diesel.


And I think this is the vin tag can anybody read this and tell me what it says haha.


Sorry about some of the pics I tried rotating them and its not working so everyone tilt your heads left


Well, you got your self a project. :) Good luck with it and let as know, how things come along.
Make sure you know how to fall properly when you fall and as to not hurt anyone around you.
Also remember, it's not the fall what hurts, its the sudden stop. !!

Oliver05262

  Might be a collectors item (Big Grin). My guess on the VIN tag would make it serial Number 01 ???
  Seriously, good luck with the machine. It looks to be the right size for what you want. Now let's hope you can get 'er up and running.
Oliver Durand
"You can't do wrong by doing good"
It's OK to cry.
I never did say goodby to my invisible friend.
"I woke up still not dead again today" Willy
Don't use force-get a bigger hammer.

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