John deere 648 skidder

[barbender]

I heard that's the same company that bought all the ag John Deere dealerships around the northeast. United ag and turf is what that division is called. From my experience they don't want much of anything to do with the little guy.

No one will notice any difference then, Nortrax was the same way. Nortrax up here sold out to McCoy Construction and Forestry. They got Nortrax dealerships in MN, WI, and maybe MI too?

[Walnut Beast]

Turner logging just got this the other day

 

[ehp]

yes I seen that on their video, it pulls very good 

[quilbilly]

I wonder how the CVT tranny's are holding up. The first ones on the L series should be getting close to 10k hrs. I like the idea of paying a bit more for fuel on the tigercat and no tranny. Now you have three different, traditional with torque converter on the weiler, CVT on Deere, and all hydraulic on tigercat. 

[BargeMonkey]

An L series is a NICE machine. About 4k dollars you can get rid of the crap and flash the computer. The hydraulic winch is nice, they look good to work on. Another guy I know bought a left over 648L2 from 5star for 289k which in the grand scheme isn't stupid money, a used 1 ton is 40k now 🤦‍♂️ 

[ehp]

Barge , I'm trying to come for a visit and you can show me how to log , I'm hoping in a month I will be able to drive across the border but we will see 

[Old Greenhorn]

Assuming you can pull this off, let me know when you come and I'll make the drive up to say hello. I'd like to learn how to log too! ;D Don't forget to have one of those world famous shakes at the Conesville country store. The Blueberry Cheesecake it really good.

[barbender]

Ponsse machines are hydrostatic drive, but they still have a gearbox transmission. I know because I've had to have them replaced 😁 I would imagine TC's setup is similar. 

[ehp]

I like the idea of a dual arch better than single arch and my reason is for pushing trees as I end up doing alot of that on clear cuts and against hydro wires 

[Hogdaddy]

Yeah, if I had it to do over again I would get a dual arch....

[ehp]

Problem is going to be getting Barge away from all his ladies , he has been watching that bull elk to much and figures he needs at least 8 to 10 ladies to keep him happy  ;D

[Old Greenhorn]

Nah, I have seen that Bull. Barge knows where his bread is buttered. ;D I can say thought that some days I wish I could drive up there and sit the fence line and watch those critters. all day. But it strikes me as self indulgent and frivolous. I have too much work that needs getting done. I will tell you this, they are BIG and would be a little spooky to watch up close for a long period without a 7mm magnum laid across you legs. On the other hand, they are also very shy (that is to say, they seem to hate humans). ;D
 I would however, Love to go up and watch the velvet harvest. This has to be a challenging thing in any respect.

[ehp]

I have been around elk a fair abit , that big group they put in Bancroft got out cause someone cut a hole in the fence and a bunch ended up over at where I use to live , the big bulls would walk right by you with zero care in the world but I never took my eyes off them , the biggest bull went just over the hill to a horse riding place and anybody that touched the female horses got a big horn shoved up you know what,They came in and cut his horns off but that still did not work so they ended up morning him a 100 miles away, No hunting season then but there is now up there but real hard to get a tag

[BargeMonkey]

Ed I'm going to get ahold of this guy tomorrow and find out where the pictures are 🤷‍♂️ I'm 99% sure he said this has a pusher already welded on. 

[Mountaynman]

Ed and Eric it does have a pusher on it just went thru this thread been workin around them guys for a week had to build them a dugway to get to some timber that hadnt been accessed in quite awhile been runnin everyday while we were there. On to the next spot now but could drive you right to it if you guys come up only bout 1/2 hr from the house.

[ehp]

I could of used a grapple today and never of had to get out to pull big oak that blew over unless I would of hard to cut the tree up so machine could pull it , had a couple today that at where the top started a 9 ft choker would not go around the top end of the tree , Had to buck those into a couple pieces as I had to pull tops and all off the field

[teakwood]

any news on your search? we are eager to hear more about your adventure

[ehp]

Have seen lots of total junk so far but still looking .  To buy a hood skidder up north is hard to find . Once you hit aways north it's pure rock and guys drive them brutal hard . If I cannot find a machine up here I will head to the USA once the border is open for me to do so

[ehp]

Ok , this is where I'm at . I got a old piece of junk for a skidder but I go to work, check the oil and push the button and go to work , I'm lucky if I have 2 break downs pretty much a year at most where I need parts and have down time , if I see something I think is not correct I just order that part and swap it out before it ever breaks  so saying that I have been looking around and first off I cannot see a 648H or L working here or a 610 tigercat , just way to many trees left standing and no room to fit between them , My skidder was 108 inches wide but I swapped the tires around to narrow way and now it 102 inches wide and that still lots . So I'm still looking . I donot want to spend $100,000 on a skidder then I still got to spend a ton more cause everything needs to be replaced to get machine to the level I like 

[mike_belben]

it almost sounds like the right situation for a euro tractor-ish skiddermabob.  seems they're the only ones that make small skidders now. 

[moodnacreek]

Problem is going to be getting Barge away from all his ladies , he has been watching that bull elk to much and figures he needs at least 8 to 10 ladies to keep him happy  ;D

If that was his wife in the family photo, he would be nuts to fool around.

[ehp]

a 602 set the narrow way would work but $423,750 does not work and the 6 to 8 moth wait to get one 

[quilbilly]

Have you tried one of the awassos skidders. Canadian I think and small. I believe they're under 100k brand new. 

[mike_belben]

thats the name that wasn't coming to me. don't they have dual drum winches with the rear hydraulic blade shelf thingy?

[ehp]

yes I have seen them but not in the last say 3 to 5 years so donot know what they have changed , they are made in Quebec and are small but I wonder if they could pull the size trees I cut everyday , my skidder has a hard enough time to pull them