My New To Me John Deere Skidder

Coon · December 09, 2011, 05:50:27 PM

Well I went for a drive yesterday and picked it up for an unbeatable price..... FREE. :D

This machine is a 1981 John Deere Trailfire with a 340 fan cooled engine. It is in pretty good shape for it's age and all it needs is the carb redone.

I have a skidding arch that I built specifically for pulling behind a snowmobile that I will be using. I have also at times used just a grab hook on the hitch and a chain with a slip hook on one end.

T Welsh · December 09, 2011, 06:39:52 PM

Coon, Free is always good 8) Tim

lumberjack48 · December 09, 2011, 06:44:41 PM

Make yourself a skid pan, 3/8 plate should be heavy enough. When i was in MT. i worked as a rigging man behind a D8, they all pulled skid pans. The trees didn't dig in and the skid road stayed smooth.

Nice Ole ride 8)

Dave Shepard · December 09, 2011, 07:06:45 PM

I ran into one of those once, on a four wheeler. Landed in a ditch, hat froze to my head.

Coon · December 09, 2011, 07:50:07 PM

I actually have a skid pan of sorts too. ;) It's called an old car hood. It works good for firewood but never really used one to pull out sawlogs. I may narrow up the hood I have, put a better hitch on it and reinforce the two sides a bit so I can tie logs down.

If I get time this winter I would also like to build a komatik style sled similar to what Quebecnewf uses. I have a couple small areas that I want to take out logs from but it is way on the back end of the property and will probably be a mile long trek to get them to the mill.

We need some more SNOW before long though. Seems that when it starts coming down we only get a little skiff and then it quits. >:( How am I supposed to skid wood without snow? >:( :D

thecfarm · December 10, 2011, 06:33:30 AM

The way the snow fall amount is here,and looks in the next week you will have time to fix up the hood. Good luck with your skidder. :D

madmari · December 10, 2011, 08:21:36 AM

I had one of those JD 340's, believe it was a 1980. Free air engine with the jugs up through the cowl. Ran like a dream below 0 degrees; 30 above not so much.
Used to pack the jugs with snow in warm weather. Burned both pistons one day on a lake in heavy slush. Left it there, went and got two pistons and rings and put them in on the lake the next day. Drove it off and ran it another couple years. Simplicity at its finest!
Good luck with your ski-der. Interest on the note is very bearable.

Coon · December 10, 2011, 12:18:59 PM

madmari, you would have had the Spitfire then. Those were fast little sleds. I had one that was in beautiful shape till I flipped it over backwards when I was showing off in front of a whole bunch of people out on da lake. Normally the thing would spin until it would catch some hard pack and you'd be gone..... not that time. When I cracked the throttle wide open it grabbed instantly on the hard pack and stood on end. :D :D

thecfarm, we do have some snow still in the bush and I will start skidding with what we have even if it's not ideal conditions. I can't wait any longer to get wood out....bills to pay. Will be pulling firewood out at first though cuz I have some orders to fill.

Got my little warm up shack about done too. May even stay in it a night or two at a time. Here's what she looks like.... ain't she a beaut? :D Hey it's paid for... Saved this little garden shed from the dump and built a floor for under it and put a woodstove and even insulated it a bit. It's small enough that I can cook myself out of it, if I throw too much wood on the fire.

beenthere · December 10, 2011, 01:20:59 PM

Nice shack there Coon.

Just don't go lifeless without air to breathe. ;)
It is a silent killer.

Coon · December 10, 2011, 04:45:23 PM

Trust me there is plenty of air gaps. :D The shed was twisted up pretty good when we loaded it to bring it to my place. There was alot of the tiny screws missing. Another plus is my door don't seal off too good. ;) And there is also gaps in my rough sawn floor boards. ;D I just gotta learn not to stuff the stove so full of wood. :D I guess that is what happens when you have an abundance of firewood and sawmill scraps. ;D

Also the shed now has 4x4 skids under it so I can easily move it. The shack is just under 8x10. ;) My Redneck Palace you might call it. :D

red oaks lumber · December 11, 2011, 07:30:52 PM

you have the 2 needed items for ice fishing :D so really workin or fishin? ;D

Coon · December 11, 2011, 07:46:51 PM

Well now that you mention it later on I will be usin' it for fishin' ..... logs outta da snow. ;) :D Ya it would definately be a good shack for fishin if I cut some holes in the floor.

Fer now it's just a warm up shack. Would be alot better if Raider Bill would come and paint it all camo colors seeing as he has experience. :D :D