Most of my logging I do with my tractor but sometimes I need more pulling power. I am looking for the simplest and smallest and easiest to get on and off skidder. Prefer older. any suggestions? My only experience was with a JD 440. A standard tranny is ok with me since I won't spend 8 hrs a day on it.
Garrett model 10 then a 15, they are about the same size physically but the 15 has a bigger winch.
Think they weigh in around 7-8k. Most had gas engines, the later ones had a diesel, or someone swapped in a diesel.
Can car c4 is more or less the same as a garrett 15.
Also a little heavier would be the International s7-s8's (I know where you can find 2 for 5500 right now, both need work)
And the Timber Jacks in the 200 series are nice machines too.
A Deere tips the scale at 11-12k
There is also some skidder found in Europe that is about the size of a geo metro...
There was also a log ox or some such small tracked machine, honestly not impressed by them but they are small enough to ride in the back of a truck, and the tracks make up for a little bit of the weight loss. If all your pulling is firewood around the homested they are probably great, I just wouldn't want to try commercially logging with one. That and the conveyor belt track system belongs on a snow cat...
Nothing left to say really. Except if ease of entry is a major concern u want a Timber Jack. Only down side is visibility on the right side of the machine.
So from another post on a garret 20 the brochure posted says it weighs 11500? The machine looks pretty much to be a c4 except for some of the trimmings?
Look for a timberjack 205-225 nice small machines, easy to get in and out off and simple to work on . You get used to the little lack of visibility on the right side.
About 15 years ago a skidder came up for sale that was the smallest skidder I have ever seen! It came from S. Arkansas and was said to have been used in pine plantations. It was a little biddy thing...prolly about the same scale as a Willy's jeep, maybe a little bigger but not much. I almost pulled the trigger on it but due to it's very small scale, it was lacking the ground clearance I needed for up in my area. I have no idea the make or model, I am assuming there are more of them out there...surely it wasn't home made.
I'very heard a guy up here used to have a Mountain Logger that had a 2-53 Detroit in it. A small machine there, I'very also seen a few old Jacks, I don'the know what model but they look like about an 8000 pound machine.
Pettibone also made a very small skidder the master 5 think it was powered by a 4 cylinder Wisconsin.
John Deere made a few 340 series machines. Gafner also made a skidder for a short while.
Quote from: Jhenderson on April 19, 2014, 05:20:43 PM
John Deere made a few 340 series machines. Gafner also made a skidder for a short while.
There was a clean looking 340D in CL in NH a little while ago. Not much difference between a 340-440, alot of 340's didnt come with a blade.
small old twigfarmer franklin would be ideal
funny you mention gafner skidders i have two original sales brochures for them. :D
thanks everyone for the info. Now I can start looking.
be careful, first its a skidder then its dump truck, and a trailer, now a backhoe, this summer it'll be a dozer...
Don't forget a few more saws... but baby the 088 is the biggest they make, I'm not a real logger until I have a way oversize saw...
Next you'll be wanting a business license and wondering why your not making any money ;D
logman81....Are you saying Gafner Skidder..as in a cable skidder? I know they made a forwarder,,which some people here call a short wood skidder..or just a skidder.But its a forwarder...by todays terminology.
I own one of the Gafner Iron Mules...but if they made a skidder.. I would give a lot to see those brochures!!
Either we are confusing our terms of a "skidder" vs "forwarder".. Or you just turned my world upside down!!!
Quote from: thenorthman on April 19, 2014, 11:07:20 PM
be careful, first its a skidder then its dump truck, and a trailer, now a backhoe, this summer it'll be a dozer...
Don't forget a few more saws... but baby the 088 is the biggest they make, I'm not a real logger until I have a way oversize saw...
Next you'll be wanting a business license and wondering why your not making any money ;D
LOL Already have the dump truck and trailer. Funny a guy just called me yesterday about a deal on a 580 K backhoe. I guess we must all be alike. After 35 yrs of being in business I have changed my strategy. Keep it small and keep it all. I just do what I can get done by myself. I turned down an 80 acre logging job the other day.
Yes beemers, we have a few iron mule forwarders around here. These brochures are in fact for gafner cable skidders , two different models where made. A super rare machine I've never seen one in person let alone any pictures on the net of them.
Quote from: ozarkgem on April 20, 2014, 05:57:25 AM
LOL Already have the dump truck and trailer. Funny a guy just called me yesterday about a deal on a 580 K backhoe. I guess we must all be alike. After 35 yrs of being in business I have changed my strategy. Keep it small and keep it all. I just do what I can get done by myself. I turned down an 80 acre logging job the other day.
I pick up a case 580 friday...
everything else is looking for somewhere to park... The Dozer is my uncles, just need to rescue it from the middle of nowhere, and fix the pinion bearings...
logman..Id love to see those brochures..can you post them?
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(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/23822/image%7E62.jpg) here you go beemers enjoy! These brochures are very rare !
Sure seems like there would be a market for them, but todays prices would probably be crazy.
Now that I think about it..I have heard of the Gafner mini skidder,but I assumed (wrongly) that it was the trailer mounted unit they made with the boom and grapple to be towed behind a tractor or dozer.Thank you.
Awesome brochure. How come no one has one for the early c4s. :-(
Anyway there is a small skidder being produced. I believe it was first built by Nova Sylvia in Quebec.
http://www.awassos.com/awassos_MD50_MD60.html
There are videos on you tube. It is pretty small though.
That is a slick little machine, a Mercedes diesel to boot! With all the compact tractors that a are on the market in the $20-30K range, you would think Deere, Kubota, etc. could use their components to build a "compact" skidder for small woodlots. I have a Pettibone 501, it's comparable to a 540 or C5 in size (it weighs 17K). It's even a bit large for for taking care of a woodlot. A small machine like that that could use 3 point implements might be handy too. That size machine would always be more for property management and TSI work, if you could pull implements to do food plots and what it might increase it's utility. It's never going to be a production logging machine.
I have an issue of Sawmill and Woodlot that has a couple of Holder tractor in it with Farmi type winches. They would be a great step in between a tractor and skidder. They had three point hitch and FELs.
Did a little research online.Alot of what I found was previous psots from this site.Found a newspaper article on Gafner teaming up with Mercedes Benz to build a small skidder using Unimog (owned by Mercedes) Axles engine and transmission.What I got was that it was only built for one year..1968.I had no idea.
BTW,thats my Gafner last winter in my Avatar.
beemer one of the brochures is the one you are talking about, a very unique machine indeed. The model MB 411 spes are.
Ground clearance 23''
width 74''
height 92''
total weight 6,660lbs
Powered by a Mercedes-Benz 4 cyl diesel OM 636 107 CU. IN. 38HP at 2,750 RPM
Transmision Mercedes Benz all- syncromesh 4 forward and 4 reverse
Axles 4- Wheel drive with high-built planitary-type axles at front and rear: Front axle drive can be switched on and off during operation. Differential lock in both axles
gearmatic model 9 winch
these are just some of the specs, seems to be a very advanced little machine for its time period hope you enjoy! ;D
That Gafner MB411 sounds a lot similar to the size of the Garrett model 10, except the inch is larger. The model 10 I think had an 8A. Last guy could always do like Gafner did, pick a favorite tractor and modify it into a skidder. You cold save some $$ and buy a 2wd tractor, since you would probably be making the rear tires of the tractor, the front tires of a skidder.
I actually just found a guy that has the model 4000ms right in Brooklyn ct! Bought it locally a few years ago and uses it to pull firewood on occasion. Can't believe theirs one this close to me.
Quote from: Dave Shepard on April 20, 2014, 01:51:10 PM
I have an issue of Sawmill and Woodlot that has a couple of Holder tractor in it with Farmi type winches. They would be a great step in between a tractor and skidder. They had three point hitch and FELs.
Seeing the EU and UK use the Articulated Orchard tractors with a 3 point skidwinch or forwarder trailer for thinning and small site work also.
Also a few of the orchard tractors have reversible operators stations.
But I would guess the 60+ hp Articulated orchard tractor with a cab to be $50K or more.
After talking with the guy that has the mini skidder he is think about getting something a little bigger and selling the mini. I told him I'd be interested in it if he does. I'd like to have it to do small jobs and TSI work. I could haul it with my one ton pickup and trailer, no trucking cost!
If you get it..please post start to finish in photos...maybe Im a little more into it than most....but I do have IRON MULE belt buckle!!
Absolutely Beemer I'm going to do my best to get it. He's going to think about it for a bit. He's looking for a 440 size machine. Only does firewood so the machine isn't worked hard. I like these small skidders their so handy. If I get it I'll restore it and used it on small jobs pulling firewood and small logs and use the tj on larger lots when needed.
I think you could almost haul it in the back of a one ton pickup ;D
No it's a little bigger then that, weighs a little over 10,000 lbs and is 5ft wide and 15ft long. But I could move it with my pick and trailer pretty easy.
I'm just ribbin' ya ;)
Ya I know it's all good !
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Here's a few pictures he sent to me of the gafner skidder nice little skidder!
That's cool! Is that a #9 winch? What's it have for a motor?
Very cool. Thanks for sharing!
It's suppose to have a 12,000lb line pull tug master winch I'm not sure if that's what it has. Doesn't look to be a gearmatic. It has a 3 cyl Perkins diesel. Your welcome these rare machine need to be preserved and saved I think.
That must be a similar motor to what a 135 Massey has
The small 'mules were built on the Massey tractor. Gafner just took the front end off and put the back axles on. We had a 4501 forwarder which had the 3 cyl Perkins. Very easy on fuel. Great machines.
Barbender the Mountain logger your talking about is the Mdl. T Mountain Logger, a real cute little skidder, a little bigger than the Garrett 10 but built a lot huskier.
The Garrett 10 and 15 are not about the same size the 10 is about 2/3 the size of the 15, the early 15's used the same mdl 8 Gearmatic, later mdl 9 really not that much diffrence.
Antoher thing i'll through in I just Picked up a complete 172 Ford Industrial with Trans, hasent been ran for a while so when I see what shape it's in will probably be for sale.
Yes I think the gafner skidders also used some of the Massey parts.
The first mules were built on a massey ferguson tractor.The later mules were on a Ford.Mines a ford.Its a 4501 originally a ford 3 cyl. but later repowered with a 4 cylinder.later when they bought out Pettibone they gained the means to build it all in house.Then they got bought by Valmet around 1989.
Id love to get that little skidder,it looks awesome.
Hay beemers that's some good info! I'm going to do everything in my power to get that skidder it's the perfect little firewood skidder!
There are some very old Iron Mule brochures on Ebay right now...the Forwarders..They are pretty neat also.My photos show the later Ford based machine....and they have they last incarnation of the mule for sale after they bought out Pettibone and made their own machine with neither ford Nor Massey. Its a nice one for $37,500
Its the big one a 5510. I just typed in..Iron Mule.