Homemade skidders: Anybody (other than Dad) built one from a 1948 vintage truck?

mike_belben · December 05, 2018, 05:27:46 PM

I love it. 5 lug makes me think they were old GMC 2ton juice axles. What tranny tcase and gears does it have and are they low enough?

Mine is gonna have a loader too. collecting phase is almost ripe.

GRANITEstateMP · December 05, 2018, 09:18:59 PM

Mike,

Did the tractor that come off of get a little toasty???

mike_belben · December 06, 2018, 01:02:18 AM

A lot toasty. guy i knew put holes in his perkins block and couldnt find a core. The burnt machine turned up at auction i think and thats all he needed from it. I bought the loader and hoe before he scrapped the remains. It was an 89 massey 450HX with 1600 hrs.

grabber green · December 06, 2018, 06:35:09 AM

Mike, my homemade machine has a t18 4sp then a transfer case from a mid sized international truck and the axles came from two identical dodge 2 ton trucks I found in a junk yard for $100 ,they are 6.20 ratio. With the transfer case in low range it crawls pretty slow and pulls nice.

Crusarius · December 06, 2018, 07:12:38 AM

Not the prettiest machine out there but it sure looks functional.

dwchaisson · December 07, 2018, 10:19:02 AM

Iwawoodwork · December 07, 2018, 02:43:20 PM

DW that is a fine looking skidder, need more info on it, what engine, trans, rear ends , and any photos of the actual building of it, well done,

47sawdust · December 07, 2018, 06:02:12 PM

Iwawoodwork,
Check out DW's gallery for more pictures.

dwchaisson · December 12, 2018, 08:25:44 AM

it was a class project, Im the welding Instructor at our high school and we built it, engine is 3.9 dodge fuel injected, auto tranny transfercase is out of a older nissan 4wd, its the divorced style. rearends are out of a 22 massey(mustang). worked well until I got greedy and broke it at the center joint, havent had much time to get it back into the shop and fix it again, check out my gallery there is a few pictures of the build
her is a video of it https://youtu.be/Tal8vSU1RM8

Satamax · December 12, 2018, 04:22:58 PM

Guys, here in France, after ww2 life was harsh for some time. Then it got better, and Americans left, leaving tons if gmc deuce and a half trucks.

And the french brand Agrip built many small four wheel steer forestry tractors, using deuce's front axles. Engines were Alsthom diesel. Gearboxes, i can't remember.

grabber green · December 12, 2018, 05:16:48 PM

Please howbout some pics and more specs?

mike_belben · December 13, 2018, 01:20:45 PM

Just think how many more skidders they could have made by using the rears instead.

Satamax · December 14, 2018, 04:30:47 PM

Quote from: grabber green on December 12, 2018, 05:16:48 PM
Please howbout some pics and more specs?

Here's a vid of an ARD 40, rolling after three minutes.
agrip ARD 40 - YouTube
Mike, they didn't start to build articulated ones till the seventies. Late seventies.

Satamax · December 14, 2018, 04:40:08 PM

An old ard 20, don't know what the axles are.

agrip - YouTube

tacks Y · December 14, 2018, 06:56:33 PM

Grabber, What are you running for tires? I started with 24" semi tires and chains, they did not last. Sticks in the side walls, went to backhoe tires much better.

grabber green · December 14, 2018, 07:38:17 PM

Satamax, Thanks for the video's!

grabber green · December 14, 2018, 07:49:29 PM

Tacks I'm running 10.00/20 truck tires.There not ideal but they were free.I try watch were I go ,sometimes I put chains on for better traction. I use my real skidder (Clark 667c) when I'm in the rough stuff. Theres no substitute for actual forestry tires.

tacks Y · December 15, 2018, 12:43:19 PM

Mine were radial, bias would be better.

Brian w · December 16, 2018, 05:51:04 PM

That is awesome and looks like he built it to last. Not like the things now days and even the people now no one wants to fix anything let alone build what they need. I have a couple younger guys working for me and all they want to do is just throw stuff away and buy something new.