At what point is it worth more?

Firewoodjoe · August 17, 2020, 08:35:38 PM

I could run a harvester everyday. My forwarder would do 150 or so out of piles and in hardwood most guys are going 30-50 cord a day in those Fabteks. Which I believe Corley had a 133 Fabtek. Also I just can't see a 1998 Deere 490 with Fabtek head having much for computers. Idk maybe.

Corley5 · August 17, 2020, 10:27:02 PM

It was a 1999 133. The Iqan was obsolete. Cat would retrofit a new computer for 14,000.00. It had a Joral after market measuring system. The track drives were Berco. Parts for them were scarce but a place in the western U.P. had starting servicing them. Depending on which swing motor and gear the machine had parts may not have been available.
The four roller heads are good. My only complaint was they are hose monsters. They wear in the same spots. I had them all shortened so I only had to replace the shorter lengths. Get a hose machine. You'll be $$$ ahead. I already had one and still have it. Just re-hosed my firewood machine with it 8) 8)
The older four rollers used some sort of photo sensor technology in the encoders. A JD excavator machine on a neighboring job had a head that was equipped like that. It was down on a regular basis too. I wonder about how obsolete that technology is ???
A lot of new chainsaws can be bought for the costs of an old harvester. I bought mine with a five year and out plan. I was planning on being done logging anyway. The used harvester experience ruined logging for me. I'll be the cart guy at Walmart before I ever log on a production basis again.
Do you want to be a logger or a harvester mechanic ??? :D ;D

;)

BargeMonkey · August 17, 2020, 10:34:29 PM

Anything you buy that's not completely clapped out is going to help, laying it on the ground is the big help.
I feel like a poverty logger when I hear guys talk about being 10-30k a month in the hole for woods iron, the average guy would starve to death here. My nice clean 440D I post pictures of, was a bank repo from yrs ago when we where picking stuff up for the bank, that's got to be a horrible spot to be in and why I've avoided it.
Nothing wrong with a 490 / 120, just dont run it thru the stumps so bad. The cost to go CTL is huge, I can't justify it, full tree dollar for dollar puts more wood out with less headaches.

snowstorm · August 18, 2020, 07:51:04 AM

i would not tell anyone to buy a converted excavator . been there done that 35 yrs ago. the undercarriage is way to light. mine had d4d chains nothing but trouble. wide pads put more strain on the chain. it was built to dig with so the hydraulic flow and cooling were sized for that. not much travel power they didnt need it to dig with. i always said using a pulp hook makes you old before your time. the same could be said of a chainsaw and cable skidder. if you want to still be in the woods when your in your mid 60's you are going to have to upgrade sometime. is now the time? markets for wood are junk here . there may be a lot that dont survive so there could be some cheap iron coming along. find a 646 valmet. mine has been close to bomb proof. hystat would be nicer than the power shift. but its fine. the crane isnt quite as fast as a new one with piston pumps. but its fairly quick and will be a big improvement over a mule or 230 tj

Cub · August 18, 2020, 07:59:22 AM

Crews around here hand cut the stuff to big for the harvester. They cut the logs out up to the first defect or crotch or whatever then leave it there and the harvester comes back to process the top. I think a 490 would be the way to go. Find them cheap and relatively simple except for the electronic parts. Hand cut the stuff that's to big and run all small stuff through the harvester. That's what my 5 year plan is. But this year with not so good prices here and quotas and such it might be a 6-7 year plan now. There's a guy that lives by me runs a fabtek 133 and a valmet single bunk 644. It works well for him. The question is how long can your body pound ground with a saw in your hand? Things can and will happen. Always 1 accident away from being really hurt or dead. The wife and kids won't like that. I love hand cutting. But as soon as I can make a harvester work for me I will have 1 just because of the safety stand point. Just my thoughts.

Corley5 · August 18, 2020, 08:26:33 AM

A guy I know got hooked up with a mill cutting their stumpage two maybe three years ago now. He got into new JD equipment. Tracked buncher, harvester, and a 6 wheel forwarder. The harvester follows the buncher. It doesn't fall any timber. The mill helped him get setup. He's doing very well. But he's no longer independent.
Killing trees from the safety of a cab is pretty nice. As long the AC works ;) :D ;D

Firewoodjoe · August 18, 2020, 08:33:10 AM

Ok. All points well taken. But to carry on the good conversation I'll keep going with a comparison. Let's say for easy math I could finance a cheap buncher and a cheap harvester for the same cost and Burn same gallons of fuel. Now with all these problems a harvester has, how much different is that than a buncher? Still has a cutter to maintain, still has engine and hydraulics/hydrostatics, tracks aren't cheap but neither is bogies or rubber these days, still has some electric. I know the hydro ax 670s have electric run through the center and the valves are on the front half. (Electric over hydraulic) Saw bearings and that pump is thousands. So are harvester does still have a few more issues BUT it does virtually the hole job. Would the overall savings (physically and costly) be that much different for the job being done. And I agree dirt machines are not built well on bottom for stumps but that could be some what avoided.

Corley5 · August 18, 2020, 08:47:14 AM

One thing to consider in Michigan if you're cutting DNR hardwood thinning jobs is that tree length skidding isn't permitted.
Most old logging equipment is being sold because it's someone's headache. There's a reason it's cheap. I've been the seller and the buyer ;) ;D

Firewoodjoe · August 18, 2020, 09:44:05 AM

For the most part that's only northern sales where u are. And as far as being independent. There's a big difference between being in debt to a mill and cutting mill wood. I'm what you could call a independent sub contractor lol i can work for any mill and have had some stop and ask me. They like my quality of work. There's also advantages. Don't have to buy timber, sell timber, truck timber and in my current case truck equipment. Don't deal with land owners or swinging markets. Muddy roads or weight restrictions. I just put wood in the pile and they pay me. Yes you can make more money on your own jobs if all goes as it should. And you should for the extra work. You can also loose lots more. I know guys not working or not making any money because the markets are slow. I'm making the same I always have. Good relationship that I HOPE 🤞 Benefits in time of need. And has a small amount. And in the end your selling your independent logs to the same mills you could be cutting for. That's why u do it. I like it. I've cut my own wood and for the phone calls and late nights it didn't justify enough.