Last Friday I concluded a long search for a new-to-me loader for use around the sawmill.
First a little history.
When I bought my mill five years ago I had an old 1979 Ford CL340 skid steer that I had been using for earthwork around my woodlot. I had picked it up some years earlier for $2500 with a bucket and forks and was continually surprised by its capability.
Ironically the same summer I was putting together my HM130 and preparing to move it to the woods my old machine developed a problem that left it unusable. I was in the midst of a fresh case of sawdust fever and quite concerned that my old skid steer may be down for the count. I started shopping for a cost-effective replacement, considered a lot of used skid steers when against all odds I found another CL340 for sale several hours away, also for $2500 and also with a bucket and forks.
The second CL340 did a respectable job pinch-hitting for the first while I hauled that to a shop for evaluation. That fall I would have the first one back in working order for $600. I was glad to have it back. My first machine had the operators ROPS intact and had been repowered with a larger 65hp Wisconsin engine. This made it a much better choice for working around the woods and mill. Also I had gotten in the practice of hauling the skid steer home for winter and snow removal duties. With two functional machines the "new" CL340 would come home with me where it has lived ever since and the original has held down duties around the mill as intended.
In the years since the old skid steer has performed well only occasionally needing a bubble gum or bailing wire repair by me. It continues to earn its fuel but the more I mill the more I run into inherent limitations due to its design and size. As I mill nicer logs it is not uncommon to max out the lift and be inching around on tip-toes. The ground speed is also very slow meaning I need to trailer it for use even short distances from the mill. I've worked it pretty hard and know it won't last forever (part of the reason I bought another CL340, if one dies first it becomes the parts donor). My long term thought was to save and eventually find a decent used skid steer for around 10K. In the meantime I've read all the equipment/loader threads here in great detail. Taking in the various approaches from forum members has been priceless and enlightening. Maybe another (newer) skid steer isn't the only or best answer...
I found myself drooling a little everytime someone shares photos of a telehandler. They look like almost the ultimate tool. As with so many things in life big issue is the price. Online searching turned up some nice late model Genie 5519s that really turned my head. Even if I scraped up the money I couldn't justify investing 30K to support my small scale and occasional operation. There were some much older and cheaper telehandlers out there but the condition and complexity of them kept me from getting serious about that option.
Comparing what I had to what I needed helped refine my search. My priorities were:
Bigger lifting capacity, double or better than the CL340
Side entry machine with the lift in any position
On the "nice to have" list were:
Something I could transport myself with my current truck and trailer
Four wheel drive
Cab
Newer than my current machines (or at least younger than I am)
I read a lot of strong arguments for rough terrain forklifts on these pages and broadened my search to include those. Last summer I was starting to casually look and attending a few live auctions that were still happening. My interest peaked in a "backwards" tractor reminiscent of the old tractor based rough terrain forklifts some use at sawmills. It was a backwards 1938 Allis Chalmers WC loader that I picked up for $1300, not the ultimate solution but it runs good and was pretty useful. For starters with "road gear" I'm able to run around the property and grab a log a ways down the trail and run it right back to the mill. However the capacity of the of the loader isn't any greater than what the skid steer will lift, and judging by the previous repairs to the arms I didn't want to push it. It is super handy around the property though for tasks like scooping up the sawdust and relocating it, moving trailers etc.
Last fall my needs ratcheted up when I added another 10 acres with plenty of trees of a size that are perfect for the mill would max out the skid steer or the backwards loader. There is also an unfinished cabin on the property that I plan to move before finishing it. More reasons to keep shopping.
When going larger for my next machine many of the candidates exceeded the width and/or length of my trailer. Even those that fit ran into the hurdle that I take my pulling truck and skid steer trailer off the road in the winter, even if I were to hire a transporter to move a new machine from the seller to my mill, I don't plow and maintain access to my mill in the winter time. I had my eye on a nicely refurbished 1960's vintage Pettibone Super 4 forklift for most of the winter. I was waiting for the snow to melt, the price to drop, and to find a hauler and when I followed up on it come spring it had just sold. So the search continued, an International 300 rough terrain forklift that sold before I could enquire, a Case 530 rough terrain forklift a couple hours away that sold before I could look at it, then a Harlo forklift (based on an International 240) that sold at auction for $2600, I didn't bid on the Harlo because by the time it sold I had my eye on a Waldon 5500 that would sell a week later, I was bidding on the Waldon but somebody else wanted it more than me once it hit 10K I let it go. The online auction prices have been particularly strong this year so I started searching for live auctions again.
I found a live farm auction half an hour away with a nice medium-sized loader tractor, old enough that the price could be close to my sweet-spot, an Allis Chalmers 6060 MFWD with cab. It checked a lot of my boxes although slightly on the large size for my operation. The day of the auction I looked over the tractor and started to doubt my chances, despite being close to 40 years old the cab was spotless inside. This was a very nice tractor. It would sell for 14.2K considerably more than I could justify even though it was worth every penny. I had devoted a day in the blazing heat to the auction and hated to go home empty handed. A couple places ahead of the 6060 in the lineup was an old Allis Chalmers B, I picked it up for 1000 of course not as my new loader. Basically it ran and I've always thought they were neat, on the practical side it's perfect to do a lot of the small jobs I currently do with my old Yamaha 4 wheeler, slow speed stuff pulling a drag and such that's pretty hard on an old air-cooled 200 cc machine.
As fun as that was it didn't solve my need. A nearby online auction saw a Bobcat 2400 payloader go for $8100. At an auction 2 hours away dominated by farm equipment was a rough terrain forklift that caught my eye. Could this be the one? An Owatonna 770 articulated loader rough terrain forklift. I started a new round of research, not a lot of comparables for this machine. I did find some similar sale results and part of a manual digitized online. The manual was very helpful providing dimensions, an idea of the weight and lift capacity for the forklift. Again, this machine checked a lot of boxes and may be old enough to keep the price reasonable. Another detail that intrigued me was that engine had been replaced with a John Deere diesel 200 hours ago. I made plans to be at the auction.
The day of the auction the online component of the auction was still a rather sedate with online bidding only at $900. Given the order of how things were lined up it took about 5 hours to come around to the forklift. I was encouraged but cautious, the machine itself showed 2300 hours, had not been babied with some nicks and a couple cracked windows, blown out seat, not a beauty queen but started right up, ran well and everything worked. The prices were pretty fair all day but there wasn't anything like the forklift so I remained cautiously optimistic. When the time came I got in on the bidding early and we went up to 7K even where all the competition dropped out, I had my loader. Once I had the key out of the forklift (I swear half the crowd tried out the machine in the 5 hours leading up to its sale) I paid and started to load the 770 on the trailer. I had hours of driving ahead of me. It fit on my trailer but filled it up completely. To simplify matters I put the forks in the back of the truck before putting the machine on the trailer. The forklift approaches 9000lbs according to the manual and this is the biggest load I've hauled, larger that I care to haul again. Thankfully the first stretch was on some quiet county roads where I could get a good feel for things, then a couple hours of rural highways, finally long stretches of deserted forest roads. I reached the woodlot right at dark.
The next morning I put the forks back on and started to really look over the new purchase.
I put the forklift to work right away, not on logs but with a pallet to move some blocks out of my truck to be stored at the mill for future use.
To say the least I'm pretty excited about this new addition, it's more than I've paid for any other piece of milling equipment (including the mill itself) but expect a lot benefit in both added capacity and safer operation. In researching the engine update, the 4024TF270B, I see that used versions are selling for north of 4K. It's hard to go wrong if that sort of value has been added to the machine. Original power plant would have been a Ford 172 industrial gas engine.
Thanks for letting me share my excitement. If anyone has experience with an Owatonna 770 or even the John Deere 2.4L please share any pointers you may have. I have a lot to learn but am looking forward to such a big leap forward in log handling capability.
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