Timberjack 225 ?

[Puffergas]

They took it in on trade from a farmer. Asking 10K for it. Said it's a working skidder.



10K seems kind of high. Am I wrong?? Oil under the 353 on the ground. 😉 I have not test drove it.



What ya think?

[Spartan]

Does the winch even work?  What will you use it for?  Around here 10K will get you a bigger newer line skidder.
Tires are a plus unless I cant see the dry rot.  I would track down that leak if you can to see what it will take to fix.

Test drive it hard and get everything up to temp.  Hopefully any weak links will show up.

[Gearbox]

make sure the tires are forestry not ag tires .

[timberlinetree]

I would by it in a heart beat!

[62oliver]

From the pics it doesn't look like it is beat up too bad, the blade looks like new! To me rusty is good, not trying to cover up with a crappy paint job. I'd give it a good look, ASKING 10k, you'd get it for a lot less around here, good luck!!

[Mooseknuckle]

Looks like my TJ, a 1965 model with the hydraulics at the side and hydraulic resevoir in the cab. I have the 1965 230H with 353 Detroit. Look through my album and you will se plenty of parts including the brass gear inside the winch. I had to replace both the brass gear and worm gear. That alone will run you over a grand for the parts. Just take the top cap nut off the winch on the drive side and shine a flashlight in, see what the brass gear looks like compared to the pictures of a new one in my album. I had to replace the seals as well in the worm gear housing as they were holding no oil. If the tires are forestry 10 to 12 ply, the winch works, runs good and tranny is decent i would say 6k- 8k but once again depends on demand in that specific area. I put a little over 2000.00 into my 230 and i still have to check the tranny now as it wont stay in 1st gear.  Not including my time i'll still be under 10K

[Mooseknuckle]

I can't tell if thats a herculese winch or not. I think Neilo mentioned they went to Herculese in and around that era but i camt tell from the pics posted. Theres a 1974 225 on kijiji for 9500 in decent shape and working daily....check that site for price comparison. Lots of skidders on there......give u some leverage when negotiating if your interesed in buying it.

[Puffergas]

Yes, it's a Herculese winch.

I would use it for my own wood lot.

To be honest I wanted an older gas skidder. They have so much class.. 😕 but I have 353 parts from my past life.

[Puffergas]

Judging from the photos the tires look agish.

Here's the winch.

[Neilo]

That is a pretty early machine. I guess 64 but would be interested in what id plate says.

Lots of parts will be different to later machines.

Looks like someone backed into a tree hard.

[Bert]

Somebody got rough with it. Never seen one with a bent log arch. If everything is in working order 10k seems abt right for pa. Just from the photos, i'd think abt 8k. Cable looks shot, and tires have seen better days. A detroits gonna leak so wouldnt worry too much abt that

[danbuendgen]

I have never seen a TJ arch bent like that before.... I bet it's been beat on hard over the years. I would find there bottom dollar. I bet you anything they got it for next to nothing! Make sure the winch and brakes work well. Hook the winch cable up to that excavator or something heavy, and pull. If the winch and brakes work well, it should lift the front end of that skidder in the air. Look for cracks and leaks. The leaking Detroit would not bother me one bit. If a Detroit isn't leaking, there is no oil left in it! Those tires seem ok if they are Forestry rated. But with no tire chains....Bummer. Good ice picks will run you 4-5 grand for all four.
My Buddy is thinking about selling a 70' 230 TJ. Newer motor, rebuilt winch, good brakes, decent tires, new tire chains, good paint, tight pins, for 10k firm. Just something to think about. I would offer 5k and go from there. For 10k I think you could do better.

[coxy]

also check the front cradle put the blade all the way down so the front wheels are off the ground and see how much play is in there by moving the wheels front to back my need 2 people to do this

[Puffergas]

Kind of changed the angle of the dangle. I guess just leave the cable out a few extra feet.



Any idea which levers work the winch? And is there a way to use them?



Maybe I could winch/skid this thing around. Looks like it belonged on a rail road track..



That's what I stopped to take a picture of and then spotted the 225 out back. Have a picture of the cable version also.

[Ed_K]

 380 k on the green one?

[Maine logger88]

They make a cable L series!?

[Puffergas]

Maybe this is the L version... I still think it looks like a train.

[Neilo]

The right lever of the three together is the winch. Must be running to operate.

PTO lever behind cab engaged, transfer case in neutral, centre. In gear on main trans. Lever back for free spool forward to winch. It rotates direction of transmission, forward gear winches in, reverse gear runs cable out.

Looks like has a np435 trans 4+ reverse, not reverser box.

Neilo

[Maine logger88]

Maybe this is the L version... I still think it looks like a train.

Huh that's cool I didn't know they even made a cable anymore! They aren't very good looking we can thank emissions for that

[Decked]

i've noticed that Deere sitting at the dealer in Waterford the last few weeks ( 5 star ..used to be Troyer's ) ... price ???

I bought a new 540D from Grotzinger in '86..78K...funny thing was, Autoworkers union was on strike at the time..so now new skidders ( Deere) being produced ..anyway...Troyer had a 640D for 6K more ...very tempting !! but Hammermill wouldn't hear of it  :(

[barbender]

The one thing I didn'the like about the old TJ I ran for a bit was that the engine had to be running to release the winch. That one would be a $4-6000 dollar machine here, but they seem to go for more out east. There were armies of cable skidder here, and then Boom! everything switched to mechanical harvesting quickly. So most old cable machines are on firewood duty around here. That's all mine does.  We don't have the combination of hills and big hardwoods you guys do out there.That, and some of our mills, UPM in particular, are moving to a shorter and shorter Aspen rotation- 30-35 years. I'd hate trying to make a living handfalling and cable skidding that stuff at 6-8"dbh.

[Mooseknuckle]

Heres my 230H 1965 Timberjack with a 1969 Detroit 353



  

  

 [img]https://forestryforum.com/gallery/alb

[danbuendgen]

So most old cable machines are on firewood duty around here. That's all mine does. 

Why don't they get cut with the harvester and forwarded out? I can see the need for a cable skidder in larger wood, but just for firewood?? Why not cut it and handle it mechanically? I don't get it.

Also, my 240 has the Gearmatic winch with the "brake master cylinder" type control, that takes brake fluid, and it can free spool with machine on or off. If it is powered by hydraulic oil, the machine needs to be running to free spool the winch.

[barbender]

Danbuendgen, what I mean is most old cable skidder have been retired from active logging, and like my machine, they sit on someone's property and they might skid in the year's firewood with it.  I work on a CTL crew running forwarder, and yes, we cut everything mechanically. The only time we don't is if there are a few really large pine or something, that I will hand fell. If it is a job with a lot of large timber, it goes to one of our crews running equipment set up for it. Usually the conventional crew.

[barbender]

Mooseknuckle,  that's a sharp Jack ;)