Timberjack 230 forwarders?

logman81 · April 26, 2014, 11:03:21 AM

I have a guy that might want to sell his forwarder so I would like to know so info on them.
It is a. ' 84 model year, has a 353 DT. Has a serco 4000 and cranab grapple. Also has a long bunk on it. What can you tell me?

BargeMonkey · April 26, 2014, 08:21:03 PM

Looks kinda like that ? Ive had mine 4 years. Handy machine, hold 3-4 cord or 2kbft. The detroit 353 is set up diff than a skidder, little more expensive. That loader is a good loader, she stacks good to about 15ft. Depends how she has been taken care of.

logman81 · April 26, 2014, 08:56:51 PM

Yeah looks kinda like that just orange. He has owned it the last twelve years, hasn't used it much the last couple years. It has new cradle pins and bushings, center pins and bushings, new swing motor, rebuilt trans and reverser and steering pins. It's getting a new panitary and rear wheel seals this week. He the type of guy if something isn't right it gets fixed right away. Says runs good but motor has some hours on it. What's it worth? I don't know much about forwarders .

BargeMonkey · April 26, 2014, 09:02:10 PM

Mine shows orange paint all over... 8)

What size tires ? Hours dont scare me, I bet mine has over 15k hours on it. Swentons in Lake George rebuilt my engine shortly after I bought it. They are set up different than the skidders. If its been maintained, and in decent shape its worth 25k. It will haul a pile of firewood, but they are tippy. If I was to do it again, I would drop a 4BT into mine, actually takes less room. The motor come out of that in 3 hours flat. Been there done that.

logman81 · April 26, 2014, 10:06:37 PM

Tires I'm not sure of, thanks for the info.

BargeMonkey · April 26, 2014, 10:38:21 PM

Quote from: logman81 on April 26, 2014, 10:06:37 PM
Tires I'm not sure of, thanks for the info.

23.1 minimum and even then she will pick 1 side when running the loader. 28L would be better. Ive got info on parts and filters if you buy it let me know.

logman81 · April 27, 2014, 08:21:19 AM

Thanks bargemonkey I'll let you know. Probably going to have to sell my 230d if he decides to sell it. Never ran a forwarder before probably a learning curve with one I'm sure.

cloud9 · April 27, 2014, 10:03:08 AM

I have a 94 with short bunk and a cummins, they are tough machines but check the mast out for cracks never seen one that wasn't welded on had mine totally rebuilt, the swing motors are mounted upside down so it allows water in so it is important to change oil esp in the fall or when it gets cold you can be out there with a torch trying to thaw it out, my biggest concern would be mobility, mine doesn't get around great and with that long wheel base I would think you would need alot of room to navigate, I guess if you're mainly in clear cuts it wouldn't be much of an issue

barbender · April 27, 2014, 10:45:46 AM

How do these machines oscillate, with a pin in the front axle cradle or between the frame halves. I'm just wondering how they get their stability for loading. The Ponsse I run oscillates in the center section, and has a lock that engages whenever you use the loader. It works kind of like a disc brake and prevents the frames from oscillating.

logman81 · April 27, 2014, 11:29:38 AM

Barbender I think they have a walking beam front axle.

BargeMonkey · April 27, 2014, 01:08:54 PM

Forwarder is nice, but its not as mobile as a skidder. Mine takes quite a bit of room to turn around. Yeah the swing motors find water on mine, I change them once a year. When you start unloading the heavy stuff you will learn how to slide the wood off the bunks, when almost empty she will get tippy. They arent a bad machine, you can pre bunch in the woods and haul out with that from one skid road. We tend to use ours on the long skids or private roads, doesnt make much mud compared to a log truck.

logman81 · April 27, 2014, 07:22:12 PM

Could put chains on and load the tires to help with stability!

BargeMonkey · April 27, 2014, 07:54:20 PM

I have a set of trygg ice chain for the front, not really a traction thing, its a steering in the icy snow thing. That poor 353 has all it can do get out of its way sometimes, loading the tires may reduce what extra HP youve got, and make you even heavier. Ive never buried mine, and ive hauled to the axles in mud. Had the chains on it 1x in 4 years, they are excellent machines for traction, because your never going somewhere fast. 8)

logman81 · April 27, 2014, 08:27:44 PM

Ya your probably right, wasn't sure if it would be under powered or not. I've never ran a forwarder so I know nothing about how to run one. I do a lot of TSI work and some of my own lots that I get with nice saw logs. I do all my cutting by hand. Any tips or tricks you care to share on running it. You say the serco 4000 loaders are good, what makes them good?

BargeMonkey · April 27, 2014, 09:57:37 PM

The picker is only 17ft of reach, you cant reach off the back but can basically work from about the blade back to the rear tire. The loader is tough, if your hoses are ran right and protected you wont have much trouble. My bucket is tired, quite a bit of slop and we just keep it greased well. Forwarder is handy if your moving alot of firewood, or sorting on the header. I used mine to pile before I had a landing loader, I bet ive stacked 1500 cords of firewood with it. I recently converted mine to joystick, was worth the money. Its not an offroad machine like a skidder, but if your not in mountainous terrain they are nice. She will make ruts, we run it on the long skids, bunch in the woods and forward the wood on the 1/2-1 mile skids. Leaves a clean header. They are a bit hard to work on, the old jacks wherent mechanic friendly, at least mines not. The 353 really doesnt use much fuel, but the tanks not that large on those.

BargeMonkey · April 27, 2014, 10:06:53 PM

As long as you dont get carried away, that loader will grab and pick anything you want. Empty and fully loaded are when you are in trouble for flopping it, half loaded its a tank. Once you get the hang of it they are smooth. I used mine for 4 months cleaning up storm debris and stumps after hurricane irene. Check the lift cylinder, guys tend to smash them on the bunks. The transmission in those are high geared, 5spd. When we hit 5th in mine coming back we joke about being cleared for take off... if it has 18.4 tires on it I would be careful, 23.1 is even a small tire on them. They are a pain to move, I have 32 pieces of equipment, from large track screen plants to excavation equipment, Timbco, and that forwarder fits the worst on my lowboy, looks like a monkey f$#% ing a football.

BargeMonkey · April 27, 2014, 10:16:44 PM

Thats a decent load of shorter saw logs on the back, header was there but we where going 3/4 mile down a private road and stacking on the main road.

BargeMonkey · April 27, 2014, 10:19:38 PM

Glass and heater in the cab is nice. Ive had some massive hemlock on the bunks, anything over 19ft is hard to handle, you have to stack directly to the right of the cab to reach out far enough. Stacking 8-16ft stuff is easy. Making a pile 15ft tall isnt to hard with that loader.

Maine logger88 · April 27, 2014, 10:40:22 PM

Nice looking machine! What year?

BargeMonkey · April 27, 2014, 10:46:02 PM

I think its an 86-87. Bought it from a guy over in vermont, he got it from a guy in Canada. Motor had a tick when I bought it, got about 400 hours out of it, then it ate a cam gear and dropped a valve. Re did the engine and put a clutch in it.Put a new pump in it, and have rebuild a few cylinders. Recently converted it to joystick, heat and glass. I figure ive got 35k in it, she sits alot sometimes but is handy when you need it. Another one of those big brown bags full of money purchases. 8) Working a tugboat job to support my logging habit.

Maine logger88 · April 27, 2014, 10:59:42 PM

I have thought about buying a forwarder after I pay some other stuff off like you said they come in handy at times. Its either that or a yard loader pull thru and a slasher

BargeMonkey · April 27, 2014, 11:04:31 PM

If you have 2 skidders and arent doing alot of TSI work or smaller jobs buy a landing loader, it is so nice to have a slasher. Im looking into a stripper delimber right now for all the small hemlock I cut.

logman81 · April 28, 2014, 07:07:59 AM

Thanks bargemonkey I appreciate your input very much.

chester_tree _farmah · April 28, 2014, 02:04:11 PM

It makes an awesome avatar either way.

logman81 · April 28, 2014, 05:48:43 PM

Yes it does! Did some driving around town today and saw a logger cutting on a white pine lot didn't see the guy or what type of machine he was using. But judging by how nice the logs were piled and sorted out and no drag marks from the logs I'd say he's using a forwarder. Seems more and more loggers are using them now. I'm going to take another ride by and see if I can get a pic of the machine, maybe introduce myself to.