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Loader fell off forwarder, again.

Started by Frickman, December 05, 2007, 11:12:34 AM

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Frickman

For those of you at home keeping track, this is the third time in a year that the loader has fallen off my forwarder. Once again, it was due to the cheap materials and shoddy workmanship used when it was built. The good thing is once again, noone was hurt. I'll have a time though getting it welded back together. I will never, ever, ever, buy another machine built by this company. This is the second one I've owned, and they were both problems. I'll stick with Mr. Deere's equipment. It runs.
If you're not broke down once in a while, you're not working hard enough

I'm not a hillbilly. I'm an "Appalachian American"

Retired  Conventional hand-felling logging operation with cable skidder and forwarder, Frick 01 handset sawmill

Pretend farmer when I have the time

Coon

I hope you dont have any deadlines to meet.  Sounds like you found their weak spot, again.  Might need to spend some time and rebuild it stronger than original.  But then again as you say get Deere.

Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

stonebroke


Al


Frickman

Sorry, no pictures. I'm not smart enough to post them, and I don't have a digital camera. This time it was the two vertical pieces that serve as a yoke for the main boom that tore off. The last time, two months ago, the whole loader, base and all, fell off. Last fall the main boom itself tore in two. This downtime is killing me. I had just hauled out my second load after three weeks down. That time the transmission bell housing falling off. I have customers waiting for lumber, but no logs. Well, I have logs, but they're a mile back in the woods. Fortunately, it's deer season here so folks aren't in that big of a hurry.

For the record, it's a Tree Farmer. I had a Franklin skidder years ago that gave me fits. I know, they were seperate companies when it was built. The Tree farmer had alot of Franklin parts though even back then, like axles, planetaries, and such.

I am sort of fortunate that I have alot of friends and neighbors who are good welders, mechanics, and whatnot that are always willing to pitch in and help. That saves me from paying alot for labor. The downtime though kills you. I might try to sell it soon though.
If you're not broke down once in a while, you're not working hard enough

I'm not a hillbilly. I'm an "Appalachian American"

Retired  Conventional hand-felling logging operation with cable skidder and forwarder, Frick 01 handset sawmill

Pretend farmer when I have the time

Ron Scott

Sound like it's "worn out". I've seen a couple old Tree Farmers go that route on some of my jobs. More "down time" than production with costly repairs. The owner's finally parked them and put them up for sale. 
~Ron

evergreenforestmgmt

I can relate to your equipment woes.  My stuff is old and worn out too and seems like everyday something is breaking.  It is very discouraging, but I keep on keeping on.  Always breaks when you already need money to pay for repairs too. 
     I have heard nothing but good things about those early Tree Farmer and Franklin machines.  The guys that had the early machines with the loader mounted to the roof of the cab said they had a lot of troubles, so I was wondering if that's what you had too.
     The new line of Franklin machines look very good and people seem to like them.  As far as skidders go, I would say I'm most impressed with the Tigercats.  Never run one, but looks like a very solid built machine.  The hydrostatic transmission seems like it has been working out well too.  Doesn't matter what it is, I know they all cost way too much for me!  :D

Frickman

This machine isn't really worn out, it has a good powertrain and hydraulics on it. No real problems with running it. It's in the last half of it's useful life, for sure, but it's not worn out. My big problem with it has been things that usually never happen, like this loader falling off again and again. Whoever was in charge when it was built didn't do a good job.

My current skidder, a John Deere 440B, is from the same era, late 1970's. It is far ahead from my forwarder in the technology used and quality of construction. The Tree Farmer has a standard truck transmission that is from the World War 2 or just after era. It was old technology when the machine was built, and now it's fifty or sixty years old. I have a friend who runs a transmission shop and he has parts for it still, so I am lucky there. There are alot of other "surplus" parts incorporated in the construction of the forwarder. That's OK. in fact it's kind of nice. I can get parts all over town, not just off a dealer. The problem is that some of them are getting hard to find, they're so old.

I'm running this machine because it's hard to justify a new or newer one when it's only run one hundred or so hours a year. I just use it on one tract of family-owned timber as a prehauler, my skidder does most of the work. The Iron Mules look like a nice little machine to me. I might look into trading this one off on one of those.
If you're not broke down once in a while, you're not working hard enough

I'm not a hillbilly. I'm an "Appalachian American"

Retired  Conventional hand-felling logging operation with cable skidder and forwarder, Frick 01 handset sawmill

Pretend farmer when I have the time

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