Best/worst skidder?

[timberlinetree]

Was wondering what the best and/or worst skidder anyone has owned out there... Looking for info on winches, motors, transmissions, etc... Anything you have.... Thanks

[treefarmer87]

the best one is one that has max. uptime and easy parts availability

[snowstorm]

dose anyone even make a cable skidder anymore? tf tj and franklin are gone deere dosent provide a lot of parts for the older stuff

[duckslayingpro]

Deere still makes a 540 and 640 cables skidders.

[PAFaller]

You can get a cat 525 cable machine, there are a few of them kicking around down here, and I think Tigercat is still making the 604 cable skidder. Its the only new machine I know of powered by a Cummins.

[snowstorm]

ok but can you buy one for under 150k?

[timbuck2]

The BEST all around skidder without a shred of doubt, beating all others hands down, so far and away better than all others, able to climb straight up and pull an entire trailerload each and every hitch, with never a breakdown, on 2 gallons of fuel per day, and starts right up at -40 below, and even lines up the next job all on it's own is a TIMBERJACK.! 8)

[kiko]

450C Timberjack hands down.

[smwwoody]

for a cable machine my vote would go to a 240 Timberjack

Woody

[forest.c]

I like the old JD 540a but the best is any that is pulling trees the worst any that are broke and I have to work on.

[mad murdock]

welcome to the forestry forum timberlinetree!  The best skidder is the one you got that works for what you need.  I have run Gafner (Iron Mule, shortwood), Clark 664, Garrett (TreeFarmer), and Franklin 132 (shortwood skidder).  I really liked the detroit power and the powershift in the Clark, the winch was good too.  The TreeFarmer I have now I like because if it breaks, it is like working on a HD pickup, and parts a for the most part off the shelf.  (Except the Gearmatic winchdrum), though it is easy enough to understand and make work.  The older Gearmatics are tough winches, though they are not as user friendly as the newer hydraulic units, they are tough as nails, and pull real good.  The Franklin was a TANK, and a very well built machine, and the Iron Mule was nimble, and great for select cut jobs, about 1/2 the physical size of the Franklin.  I think a lot depends on the type of ground you work, and the kind of timber you are in most the time.  A cable machine is probably the most versitile, and something with a grapple is probably the most productive in longer wood type operations.

[Decked]

I had an old 540A..sweet motor..one luggin', pullin, SOB.
But I had a real love affair with the new 540D..I got it paid for!! sweet machine , after I learned it wouldn't lug like the old A  8)

[timbuck2]

It is amazing how many different kinds of skidders there were at one time.  To name a few;  Timberjack, Tree Farmer, J Deere, Case, IH, Massey-Ferguson, Pettibone, Franklin, Cat, Gaffner and I'm sure there must be others.

[logman81]

Don't forget Taylor and Athey.

[oldseabee]

I was doing some testing of a tree harvester for Clark at Eddy Forest Products at Ramsey Ontario, and ran across a Blue Ox skidder. Straight frame, 4 wheel drive, 6 Cyl. GMC engine, manual transmission, mechanical winch. This was in the early 70's.

[Bobus2003]

I'd say the JD440 is a great little skidder.. Love my JD440a.

It is amazing how many different kinds of skidders there were at one time.  To name a few;  Timberjack, Tree Farmer, J Deere, Case, IH, Massey-Ferguson, Pettibone, Franklin, Cat, Gaffner and I'm sure there must be others.

Too add a few:
Can-Car, Monashee, Morgan (Silva Track), FMC (KMC),

[Okrafarmer]

I really like using a Caterpillar D-4 in the snow.... Ok in most other conditions too, the only thing it won't do is go more than about 6 mph. Very low impact, too. One spring I managed to pull out a wheeler load of popple to sell, when I was unemployed-- it was so warm and wet that the skidders couldn't log. I used the '48 John Deere B and the '49 Cat D-4 to complete the load and bring in some much needed cash. I got premium price because there was almost no wood going to the paper mill at the time. That was spring of '98. We ran both tractors without batteries. The John Deere B we started by hand, and it ran with a magneto. The D-4, we started the pony motor by hand (it had a magneto), and then the pony would turn the diesel over to start it. If I had had a winch on the D-4 and skidder-style chokers I could have given them a run for their money, without making such a mess of the woods. Oh, and on a lot less fuel.

I have never operated a skidder.

But just from the outside looking in, my observation would be that the old Timberjacks sure always looked like they had a real low center of gravity, so if the terrain was steep at all, that would be my best educated choice.

[Okrafarmer]

And, uh, although the OP was a little vague, it sounded to me like he was interested in buying a used skidder, not a new one, so the new machine info may not be as relevant.  ;)

If you are wanting to buy an older machine, I would look at two main things as far as parts availability. One is, did they make a lot of them? Thousands? Tens of thousands? can you find the parts for that model on line? The other is, are the parts for that model mainly proprietary (this may be the case with John Deere, for instance) or are they modular components purchased from standardized component manufacturers (such as clark axles, Cummins engines, and so on)? If your rig is highly componentized with reputable component companies, you may be able to find the parts through multiple channels even if the skidder was made in small quantities.  :P

[a old timberjack]

the best type is a skidder that is paid for !!!!

[lumberjack48]

I don't like a side saddle Timberjack, your to venerable to the elements. You have to be care full going through the woods or you will get beat up. [ other wise there a good skidder]

The C5D is best all around, 3-53 Detroit, stick shift, big rear ends, Gearmatic winch,19, or 119 or Can-Car, 20.  [ 18.4 x 26 Tires ]

I had a new 1979 S8A International, 358 Inter. 6 cylinder, 110 hp, 4 speed Funk power shift, Rockwell rear ends, Gearmatic 119 winch, 28L-26 tires.
What a horse, i ran 40 gals of fuel a day through it.
320 Hours she dropped a valve though a piston. This is when i got rid of it, way to expensive to run.
I traded for a 1976 S8, 3-53 Detroit, 4 speed Funk, Rockwell's, Gearmatic 119, 18.4-26 tires, it would run all day on 12 gals of fuel.
This S8 was a sweet skidder, fun to run, i ran it 16 yrs, this is 10 months out of a year, some yrs, yr. round. I had the motor rebuilt two times, one time in frame [$840. ] the second time we majored it [$3200.] John Paine from Deer River, MN., the best Detroit man around. I'm not sure what he did to it, it was Dyno-tuned at 110 hp at 3200 rpm, N-50 injectors, sounded like a airplane.
I had the Funk rebuilt one time [ $7200. ] this was a new torque-converter to. I had this done at White Bear Lake, MN, we were down 3 days. I put one set of new Forestry Specials on it [ $3200. ] So the S8 cost me ( $907.00 a year in major repairs. The Co. i worked for had at times 40 crews working. They told me that the S8 had the least down time of all the other machines.

John-Deere is John-Deere, good skidder, but spendy to fix

[Meadows Miller]

ok but can you buy one for under 150k?

When I was up at the Sawmill Shootout for Lucas Mill I did a quick scoot around and had a look went to the John Deere Stand and asked what the price was on their smallest cable machine which was still big ;) :D He came back with about $100 to $110000 which is still pretty reasonable I told him it would be a little cheaper if they ditched the Aircon cab all the glass and abit of the other stuff thats was not needed and built a good basic workhorse  ;) :D :D

[Okrafarmer]

 :D :D :D Fair dinkum, mate!  ;D Who needs all those modern conveniences anyhow? I never had them! And that Chamberlain Countryman I drove about in Victoria didn't have them either! not even power steering! But it seemed to get the job done, right???  8)

[bushmechanic]

I'm partial to anything Timberjack but the worst in my experience was the S7 International with the 220 Ford engine in it.We used to call them pigs because the whole time you were using it as soon as you went downhill the front of the machine would dig into the ground-like a pigs nose.The engine was crap,couldn't get it started in the cold,overrev it and it was toast.Then to top it all off it had a Gearmatic number nine winch so when you did get it going and ready for work the winch wouldn't pull or wouldn't hold up.The only good one of those I saw was one that was made into a single bunk forwarder. 

[jocco]

You must have ahad an early hough if it had the #9 Your right on the ford diesel (the detroit was much better) but the s7 and #9 winch were good machines for 1-2 men. :



\

I'm partial to anything Timberjack but the worst in my experience was the S7 International with the 220 Ford engine in it.We used to call them pigs because the whole time you were using it as soon as you went downhill the front of the machine would dig into the ground-like a pigs nose.The engine was crap,couldn't get it started in the cold,overrev it and it was toast.Then to top it all off it had a Gearmatic number nine winch so when you did get it going and ready for work the winch wouldn't pull or wouldn't hold up.The only good one of those I saw was one that was made into a single bunk forwarder.

[acl2]

I started pulling wood with a jd 440c when I was 14, then upgraded to a 540b that we ran for years. They both are great machines I preferred the 540 mainly because the extra length made it much more stable and able to pull more. I pulled some big stuff off of real steep ground, and it loved it didnt pull fast but it always pulled. Then we got a 540g and that machine simply stomps the rest, more operator friendly, 6 cyl power, much more stable, and nothing will stop it from pulling, some thing comes or something breaks, thats always a fine line. Its surprising easy on fuel too, usually less than 15 gallons a day. After running it for a couple years i would never be able to go back to the 540b for long, and forget 440c. 

[acco1840]

Caterpillar 518. I learned to drive on one of these and it was a great performer, Though a bit hard on fuel. Really liked the suspension on the cat, as it isolated at the pivot point and lets the front stay put. I now own an International S7B with the Detroit 353, T98 manual trans, 16.9x30 and Gearmatic 19 winch. Great little skidder for my job, and as I run lots of Australian International trucks, I have a lot of driveline spares!! Only thing I dont like about the 7 is the Isolate on the front axle suspension. Took a lot to get used to after the Cat and as our 600 acre block is a bit steep, I travel with the blade closer to the ground!! But is is a nice little machine that has caused me no problem since I brought it  and it fits on the back of my old IH Acco, so I can cart it myself.

[lumberjack48]

Heres a Hough S11,  4-53 [130 hp] Detroit or a 6 cylinder [130 hp] International motor. You could get a straight stick or Allison power shift, Gearmatic 19, this ole Hough weighed in at 15000 lbs.
This would be a good skidder, same style build as my S8 or S8A.