My fifth cable machine, first ever JD. I had 3-TJ240's over the years (A, D, and E) and my first machine was a Franklin 100XLNH which a buddy still runs.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/32128/82-JD540B.jpg)
Looks like a real beauty! :)
Congratulations.
Very nice, looks in great shape.
Have fun, 8)
John
Looks good. Going to be used full time in the woods?
Sharp 8)
Hope it goes good for you.
Nice looking machine, now lets hope its as good as it looks. Hope theres no major break downs for a long time.
NH Forester, Did you buy that in Maine? If so, I think it's my old skidder-boy, sure looks like it!!! I know the guy I sold it to was selling it. Used to be a grapple-not to many straight cable machines with glass.
The more I look, I'm sure of it....I put those big shackles between the rings on front. I did alot of work to that ole' girl-treated me really well. I have some pictures of it on a barge-we hauled it off shore a few years ago a cleaned up a bunch of blowdown on an island off the coast. I pulled a forwarder trailer with it-think they cut the ears off the log bumper though. I'll see if I can find the pics.
The left side of the blade was bent and broken when I bought it-we straigtened it out and put a piece of square stock as the brace, re-built the trans, winch, new winch control valve, pins/bushings, paint/decals....traded it for the TJ450A I have now-same guys.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/25304/IMG_1616.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/25304/IMG_1615.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/25304/IMG_1613.JPG)
Quote from: jd540b on March 25, 2013, 04:26:28 PM
NH Forester, Did you buy that in Maine? If so, I think it's my old skidder-boy, sure looks like it!!! I know the guy I sold it to was selling it. Used to be a grapple-not to many straight cable machines with glass.
After seeing the pics and hearing the story, yep, that's the one. He gave me all of the paperwork on the dealer service you had done. When I ran the numbers at Nortrax before I bought it they sent me the build sheet and it says it shipped as a cable skidder with serial numbers for all of the components.
The only documentation he didn't have was on the engine. He claimed it was a JD rebuilt crate engine but had no evidence. Did you have the engine done?
No, the only thing I did to the motor was the oil cooler, two or three injectors, and injector lines. The guy I bought it from did some work on the motor.
He was also the one that swapped the back half from grapple to cable.
She was somewhat of a basket case when I bought it. But I did quite a lot to it and when we traded it was a very reliable hard working skidder. I loved it-sometimes wish I never traded!
I just put the heavy JD suspension base and factory seat back in as well as a new belt. Hydraulic pump was recently rebuilt.
nic machine, it should serve you well
Nice looking machine, love them 540's. Good luck with it, now get to work. :D
Nice looking rig.
Awh now I want to log an Island... after a golf course, or maybe a golf course on an island!
That sure is a pretty skidder....
thats awsome that you found your old skidder and it looks great :) nh forester good luck with it 8)
Quote from: jd540b on March 25, 2013, 04:42:16 PM
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/25304/IMG_1616.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/25304/IMG_1615.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/25304/IMG_1613.JPG)
what island were you heading to?
I was going to ask as well. Was it Vinalhaven or Islesboro? Or am I way off?
I saw in the receipts that you were in Appleton when the trans went. I have good friends in Appleton.
dosent look like ilseboro or vinal haven to me. havnt seen that barage around here either. it has pretty big spuds for a small barage. appleton i can see it from here.
Quote from: snowstorm on March 27, 2013, 07:31:05 AM
dosent look like ilseboro or vinal haven to me. havnt seen that barage around here either. it has pretty big spuds for a small barage. appleton i can see it from here.
I was thinking that the pics looked like the mainland side. Just a WAG though.
Quote from: NH Forester on March 27, 2013, 06:34:01 AM
I was going to ask as well. Was it Vinalhaven or Islesboro? Or am I way off?
I saw in the receipts that you were in Appleton when the trans went. I have good friends in Appleton.
did the deere dealer in union fix the trans? if bill rebuilt the trans its good. he is as good as they come. he has been working on them since the early 70's
Quote from: NH Forester on March 27, 2013, 07:53:32 AM
Quote from: snowstorm on March 27, 2013, 07:31:05 AM
dosent look like ilseboro or vinal haven to me. havnt seen that barage around here either. it has pretty big spuds for a small barage. appleton i can see it from here.
I was thinking that the pics looked like the mainland side. Just a WAG though.
ilseboro ferry comes into linclonville vinal haven and north haven come in to rockland
Quote from: snowstorm on March 27, 2013, 07:55:26 AM
Quote from: NH Forester on March 27, 2013, 06:34:01 AM
I was going to ask as well. Was it Vinalhaven or Islesboro? Or am I way off?
I saw in the receipts that you were in Appleton when the trans went. I have good friends in Appleton.
did the deere dealer in union fix the trans? if bill rebuilt the trans its good. he is as good as they come. he has been working on them since the early 70's
It was at Hammond Tractor, Union, ME. in '08 but the invoice only has a salesman number, no note of who did the work. If he's the Powershift guru there he's probably the guy. It looks like it was a comprehensive rebuild from the invoice and parts list.
That's good info to have on the mechanic, thanks. Gives me a little extra confidence in the Powershift. I had 4 standard shift machines because I was always very gunshy of the JD Powershift on a used rig. I had heard a few stories about guys going under because they had a dead Powershift that was going to cost $10K to fix. I figured a used rig with a new rebuild on the trans was a safer bet. Especially considering the overall condition of the skidder and long list of recent major repairs all done by a reputable dealer.
That was Squrrell Island off of Boothbay Harbor. We were out there 3 falls ago for a few months-wicked fun job. Got to go for a boat ride every day. :) And yes that was Bill that did all the work on that machine-he is the guru. He did the center pins, steering pins, complete transmission rebuild (charge pump, clutch packs, etc. etc....). I went thru the whole winch from the control valve, right to the brake band&all new clutch plates, hoses, fittings.
I was cutting up in appleton at the time. I have two good friends the live up there. Just cut another lot there last summer on the Peabody Rd.
Quote from: thenorthman on March 25, 2013, 11:24:28 PM
Awh now I want to log an Island... after a golf course, or maybe a golf course on an island!
That sure is a pretty skidder....
X2!!