I'm looking at buying an old Timberjack cable skidder. I've been using it on a job when it's dry enough for about a month and so far it's run pretty well for me. I'd only run JD and Cat skidders before so it took some getting used to. I can't seem to get a confident answer from anyone as to what year and model it is exactly. I know it's newer than '68 due to the control setup but the model is a little harder to identify.
For starters it has the 18.4x26 tires and the bigger rockwell hubs and planetaries. however wheel base measures narrower than the 230, can't remember exactly what.
it also has a perkins 4cyl motor, which I am not sure is original or not as it looks like the machine might have been plumbed for a detroit originally. It's got a hercules winch and can only be entered from the operators left hand side.
The serial number is partially rubbed off.
It seems too big to be a 208 and too narrow to be a 230, a 225 is my present theory but I've never heard of one with a perkins, but it might not be original. Anyone who knows these machines have any idea?
I can get some pics next time I'm up to the landing.
Thanks
Being it has the Rockwells it was originally plumbed with a Detroit, TJ came with a Perkins, but that machine had the lite hubs, [who knows?]
You might alter the title . I thot I was going to be looking at Duff Norton falling jacks
As it is port side entry it would have to be a 2 series or a 404 .
My guess would be that its a 209. I have a manual that gives me the width and lenght of the 200 series jacks if u measure it I may be able to tell you.
Thanks a lot for the advice guys,
Yeah Lonewolf I will take some measurements tomorrow, should be interesting, never heard of a 209...
So,
I got 80" rim to rim (width)
and 112" axle to axle (length)
My manual shows 79 in width inside width on rims and 110 axle to axle on 209 tj hope that helps.
1968, 209D, factory Perkins 4-236, with heavy Rockwell rears
217D came with the larger Rockwells and a Perkins diesel
Do you have any pics of it . ?
Thanks for the replies, bushmechanic, lumberjack48 and lonewolf. Tramp Bushler, I will get some pics up this coming week, I have been on another job and away from my computer for a bit.
Really appreciate the help!
-D
Here are some pictures I took today.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21462/Door_side.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21462/Tank_side.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21462/Rear.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21462/Front.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21462/Serial.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21462/cockpit.jpg)
I like it 8) 8)
I'll stick with 217D.
Its hard to tell, this is a pic of a 209D
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21649/20070227052008078_c66b773dc2194fe28f9b7faf9274ab692-orig.jpg)
Nice machine!!!! Love the TJ's
it is a good lookin skidder. im not sure of the model though. :-\
I might be wrong but the tires look more like 18.4x34s than 18x26s to me...
Quote from: grassfed on June 08, 2012, 06:57:37 AM
I might be wrong but the tires look more like 18.4x34s than 18x26s to me...
My thoughts to, that Perkins is working for its keep, all 85 hp.
I ran a C4 TFarmer with the Perkins, it was a good steady Edie machine, cheap to run.
Good eye grassfed; they are 18.4-34's indeed, I had the 18.1x26's on a 540b I was using, I meant to correct that when I posted the photos.
She works hard to turn those tires. I am working on the side of a mountain so I have a long slow crawl up into the woods and a pretty wild ride on the way down, pretty much can't count on stopping if my hitch starts to push me on the ledgy spots.
I have been fairly satisfied with the machine. One thing I really don't like is the winch, I am used to the Gearmatics and this Hercules isn't even half of a Gearmatic 9. Today the sleeve/ collar thing that the driveshaft goes into on the winch worked it's way up the shaft (out of the winch) and all of the winch oil dumped out. I found this out as I was trying to pull in a hitch of 5 Hemlocks with no success, I kept getting out and un hooking one after another, unable to figure out what was holding them. Finally I got the idea to look at the winch and the answer was pretty obvious, it was actually smoking...hopefully the damage isn't too bad...It's been a long week and it was starting to rain so I just walked away from it for today.
We should all put a bounty out on Murphy, Enough is enough 8)
Well,
The winch trouble has turned into more trouble than I'd originally thought.
It pretty much jammed up and I had to remove it and take it to the shop to start tearing it down. Fortunately I was hooked up with a guy who knows his old winches and has wrenched on a lot of old skidders and crawlers.
We ripped it apart this afternoon and found the bearings on either side of the worm gear where the driveshaft attaches were finished and allowing the worm gear to jam up against the main brass drive gear and stop the whole winch. The shaft that the bearings ride on was pretty messed-up with grooves nearly a quarter inch deep. Fortunately this mechanic I mentioned happens to have a lathe and the know-how to build this shaft back up and smooth it out. In the process of the tear down I found that all of the bearings had been etched with the year "1969" so that at least might answer some of the original mystery.
My new problem however, is:
Though we could get most of the numbers off of the bearings (mostly Timkens, and one was a PITCHLIGN.)
There is a seal on the driveshaft side of the worm gear that we could not read the number off of. It looked like 21??-USA (the question marks were the scratched out numbers.)
If anyone has a manual that covers the Hercules Winches of that era I would be very interested in any help on what that number could be!
Thanks guys!
Tj part number 8206236
Thank you lonewolf!!!!!!
No problem have manuals that cover most 200 series tj. Be glad to help u any time. If I don't reply be patient next tract of timber I have no phone recption. Staying in camper on site so may be gone a while.
TheDirt
Timberjack produced a model 217 in the late 60's that was powered by a Perkins 4-236. Of course the door in your pics is an add on.
Scott
So did you get it all fixed, and did you end up buying it?
It is all fixed, after the winch incident I ended up having to pull the front axle and going to canada to the have the no-spin diff rebuilt. Then I wound out the keyway on the winch drive shaft, then the brakes went and I had to take the winch back off in order to get that apart and the re-do everything, fortunately I have had some really good help or I'd have been lost, without a manual or any timberjack knowledge some of this has been frustrating. Although, in hindsight I will say they are about as simple a machine as you could ask for to work on, once you understand them.
So, it's running strong now. At this point I am thinking I want something bigger and newer.
I like the Timberjacks, If i could find something Cummins or Deutz powered and a little bigger, like a 240. That would be ideal. tough machines to find though.
That machine was a confirmed 217d in the end, thanks for the help here.
It's for sale too, I think he wants something like $12k
chadwick and baross has a 240 powered with a cummins in mass. its spendy but a nice machine.