Just got a used forcat 2000, with the kohler 25 gas motor. . was hoping some one here had one also... after looking it over i'm trying to figure out how to change the oil.. I can see the filter and pretty sure I can get to that but how do I get to th drain plug?? And how do you get anything in there to catch the oil??
I know we have a couple threads about them but not sure that anyone here owns one.
Is the dipstick tube big enough to put a small hose down and suck out the oil ?
Look underneath for a hole in the belly pan that lines up with the oil drain ?
I'd love to see a picture and know what and how you are doing with it. I think they're cute ;D
And welcome to the Forum 8)
I used one of these on a maple grove thinning. Nice machine, but it was underpowered for skidding. It worked super as a portable winch to get the trees to where the forwarder would grab them. The hydraulic winch is trouble free and powerful. Watch for small stumps on a turn; they'll peel the tracks off.
The oil change is simplified by using a vacuum, used on marine engines. No mess and easy.
I use a hand-pump vacuum to suck the oil out of the dipstick hole on my Coot. Otherwise, I'd either have a big mess in the bottom of the machine, or I'd have to remove the engine to change the oil. I suck out as much as I can, then pull the drain plug and let the last bit drain out into the bottom of the machine. (I usually put rag or some paper towels down to catch this. No room to put a can or something under it.)
If you search amazon for "Oil Extractor", you'll find a bunch of choices. Mine is just a small, round, plastic tank, with a hand pump to pull a vacuum. Warm up the engine, stick the small hose down the dipstick tube, pump a few times and walk away. The vacuum in the tank will continue to pull out the oil.
Thanks for the info, i'll try to get some pics up this weekend but going to the logrite open house so maybe early next week.. yea, it is under powered but it winches like crazy. . Been doing firewood for now .. not sure what cable they used but I've broken it 4 time already and not really pull all that hard. . New cable on the way
I heard their diesel version was better on the power. Not sure if it was higher HP, or just the better torque of a diesel.
Yea, I've heard the same thing.. I checked in to one before I found this one .. the price on the new one was around 47000.. just a little more than I wanted to spend on on right now.. I guess the same company builds small wheeled skidders also.. I'd like to see one of those..
They are cool little machines. A guy from up in Derby VT used to rep for them (before the original company that made them got bought out). He did a demonstration of one on my property for a workshop I was hosting. I was drooling over it, but no way I could justify it (personal use, plus helping some friends with their firewood).
If your gas engine kicks the bucket (or you find a good buyer for the gas engine), I wonder how tough a diesel retrofit would be?
Wow im 99% sure I tryd to buy the same one on CL but it sold really quick, it was a really low price.
I bought a forcat 2000 from the guy in Vermont and a Medvic trailer from the factory. Together they are a great team. I use them in my Loblolly pine stands thinning. About a year ago fellow came by that knew I have the forcat 2000 asked, if I could skid some Atlantic White Cedar out of a swamp. Did a great job pulling some logs up to 24" DBH. I posted some photos awhile back of the forecat 2000 thinning pine.
Has anyone used one in the winter?? Someone at some point corked up the track on this one .. I'm sure it work good for winter but really ruf to use in the woods now.. I was really thinking of cutting them off if I don't really need them..
Quote from: VTLogger on April 29, 2016, 05:45:08 PM
Has anyone used one in the winter??
The demonstration at the workshop I hosted was in the winter. Snow was not quite a foot deep on the ground. It handled it fine, though we only skidded out a couple of trees.
Good to hear.. on the fence about cutting these things off .. but like I said it rides ruff on anything hard packed.. you can't go all the fast with ith it .. I seen video'S of it going across a field and it was moving right along.. no way I could do that with mine.. but I do have work this fall/winter on a good hill side. ?? Maybe worth dealing with this summer and see what it will do in the snow
No suspension in the seat?
Yea.. but not enough .. I also think it hurts the turning .. just seemS to take a lot of power to turn it sharp.. used it today to pull firewood .. I really like it!! But I'm having a heck of a time finding a cable for it though
What is special about the cable? I would think it should be a 3/8 inch 6 x 19 IWRC cable. Labonville has it in stock.
B & N sales in Enosburg Falls has the 3/8" cable for that winch. Slides, chokers, keyholes and the owner is great to deal with. Knows his stuff and works with Labonville inventory.
I haven't logged with mine in snow. But a few years ago the snow was deep for several weeks (rare event in Delaware) tractor wouldn't go in the deep snow so I used the forcat to tote corn around the tree farm for the deer. It is over two miles around the farm and caring 2,000 lbs of corn on top was a breeze. Would take a few feet to get on top of the snow but once the machine was on top it would go without any problems.
Nothing special about the cable ..only it's 5/16 .. and yes that's all I can get to fit in the drum ... and Alex from Labonaville brought some to Essex for me .. so we're all set there ... now I'm dealing with a very bad stator.. one on order