My 540b with a broken front axle
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34559/IMG_20130911_181553_012.jpg)
oh no. :(
welcome to the wheel problem club. whats that gonna cost to fix? over $1500?
Another pic
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34559/IMG_20130911_181706_515.jpg)
Yeh probly around 3000 I have 1000 in seals bearings break pads and a stub shaft looking at another 1800 for the center housing outer housing and a set of planetarys
The little 225 did a good job pulling it out
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34559/IMG_20130912_142028_407.jpg)
I know it's a long way but there's a John deere junk yard In Northern pa. They have 540s
there is a fella just outside Bangor Maine in Levant, that has tons of john deer used parts. He has some adds on craigs list Maine.
here is his number
(phone number removed by admin.)
Yeh depending on what I can find around here pa may not be to far anything to get going again I have a line on a set I will have to c if that works out. I forgot all about Kevin I bought a winch control valve off him like four years ago thanks for the reminder I'll try him if this other deal falls through
That's tough luck. Is that common? We had a logger here in '93 with a 540. The front axle had to be rebuilt, but the housing didn't break.
I don't believe it is very common there are quite a few people who have the same machine and the the mechanics and parts guys have never heard of it happening of course some people can break an anvil haha but then again I try not to pound on the old girl too hard and was just pulling ahead to winch a twich up to me when it broke just a freak thing I guess.
That's tough luck, ML88. That pic would make a heck of an avatar pic though. ;) ;D Hope you get it back in the woods asap.
sorry for yer bad luck but at least ya got another to use. i'v seen the outer axle break off but never seen one break there.
looks like the big axle? I wish mine had a blade like yers.
Yeh I suppose it would make a good avatar haha bout the only good thing that and a good story I suppose. Treeslayer yeh definitely good to have the second machine a bunch of loggers around said I was foolish to buy it but when both of them are working it allows me to work two jobs at once keeping landowners happy which is why I bought the 225 and it sure saved my tail in this case. What do you have for a machine
I busted one on my 540A..but never on the 540D... :-\
Quote from: Maine logger88 on November 18, 2013, 10:22:13 PM
Yeh I suppose it would make a good avatar haha bout the only good thing that and a good story I suppose. Treeslayer yeh definitely good to have the second machine a bunch of loggers around said I was foolish to buy it but when both of them are working it allows me to work two jobs at once keeping landowners happy which is why I bought the 225 and it sure saved my tail in this case. What do you have for a machine
540B grapple with the heavy axles, 666 clark, 664 clark, IH s8b. lol yep, it pays to be able to put machines on a job.
Yeh I believe mine are the big ax not positive on that tho sounds like you have a nice bunch of machine I've run all said skidders except the IH never ran one of those heard they are a good one my grandfather had a s7 that I can remember going with mom too watch dad run when I was like 5 which is probably a big reason I'm a logger today I just remember thinking how cool logging looked and how awesome my dad was,we were just talking about that little skidder I guess my grandfather got sick of putting hough planataries in it and got the small Rockwell rears out of a franklin and fabed them up they still broke a few tho
Shaefers in wolf creek IL has a pile of 540B's for parts, you could probably get an axle for 1500. Golden rule or wengers may also have an axle. I saw a choker hook catch onto a rear tire chain once, on a 540D which was flat out across a field, had similar results.
Having that second machine sure saved the day for you. Gives me the shivers just thinking how I would ever get mine out of the woods [ C-7 Treefarmer Grapple ] Ive never see any brake like that any idea what would cause it ? I would say things can't get much worse but then again we know better :D.
I just talked to the guy that has the parts I need there supposed to be ready next week but I've heard that before I found some that I could get anytime but for twice the money so seems how I have the other machine I can wait for the cheaper ones if it doesn't work out then I will try some of the places you guys have told me about I appreciate the info on different places. Yeh you would need a big machine to get a c7 out for sure I have no ideas how it could have happened some say its from standing it up and slamming it back down but I've had it for 5 years and have never just let it slam I always push the clutch and hold the break at the same time and you can let it down easy and even this hasn't happened much it takes a lot to stand it up
I said things can't get any worse before never do that again and as my father has always said Murphys law is twice as bad in the woods. But even still I couldn't picture myself doing anything else!
Wolfe lake or Schafer Enterprises will have what ever you need.
Quote from: BargeMonkey on November 19, 2013, 06:48:30 AM
Shaefers in wolf creek IL has a pile of 540B's for parts, you could probably get an axle for 1500. Golden rule or wengers may also have an axle. I saw a choker hook catch onto a rear tire chain once, on a 540D which was flat out across a field, had similar results.
I wonder what it would cost too get parts shipped to me
How far up in Maine are u.i have friends that have cabins in Bingham. 8 hours from here. probably 10 to golden rule. Edd Kurtz is 7 maybe. I was at golden rule last year there were guys there picking up a snubber for a 648 from Maine.long ride worth the price maybe? I have noticed that the prices for new parts seem to be higher in maine. Don't know why. Availability maybe. Shipping? Aftermarket parts inc. make a lot of the forestry parts we buy. there in North Carolina.
I live in Morrill by Belfast kinda halfway between Augusta and Bangor yeh I've noticed that Maine stuff usually costs more and is more beat than in other regions I think the next machine I buy will be out of state
The 540B that I have had the axle break at the end of the housing, It happened on the landing as the operator was piling logs. He had pushed up and had the front end up on the pile. When he backed up it came down hard and broke.
The skidder had burned from debris & oil buildup when it was only a few years old [was repaired]
These things happened before I got it, It's a good skidder, works well. Might be for sale in July or August of '14
Yeh I have heard of a few breaking at the end before this one may be for sale this summer too I kinda want a 240A got so I like the timberjacks pretty well
I feel your pain man..... we snapped our rear one a month ago and two days ago we threw the front bearing out
Looks like the bolts in the bottom either loosened up or broke off, before the housing split.
I feel your pain. If you have issues finding parts try PB&H in New Hampshire, They have a lot of used J.D. Parts.
Also try Nortrax as they have an extensive used parts resource.
Duhnis
Yeh could be that they loosened up that would make the most sense I guess I had a guy do the bearings in the front about four years ago before I started doing my own repairs and the bolts have not been touched since I suppose they could have loosened over time
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34559/IMG_20140117_140528_462.jpg) finally got the old girl going today I pulled a couple twitches and everything worked as should
Really great to see her back in action. 8) 8)
How much was the final cost, if you don't mind me being nosy. ;D
Not good sledding weather there from the looks of it.
Quote from: clww on January 17, 2014, 08:24:02 PM
Really great to see her back in action. 8) 8)
How much was the final cost, if you don't mind me being nosy. ;D
yeh its good to yard some wood with it again! It was around 3700 by the time all was said and done
Quote from: Southside logger on January 17, 2014, 09:12:40 PM
Not good sledding weather there from the looks of it.
no not very good at all it was awesome a few weeks ago but cold weather is coming again so it should get better and I hope so I need to get on a couple wet pieces of ground
Quote from: Maine logger88 on January 17, 2014, 09:25:30 PM
Quote from: clww on January 17, 2014, 08:24:02 PM
Really great to see her back in action. 8) 8)
How much was the final cost, if you don't mind me being nosy. ;D
yeh its good to yard some wood with it again! It was around 3700 by the time all was said and done
I see after following the thread how it only cost you twice what you it thought it would cost you in the beginning. Almost standard for logging. I have a simple principle that seems to work well when estimating break downs after 38 years now. Take the part you need, ask yourself what it should cost and then X that 4 normally comes out pretty close. Good to see you up and running again. I did almost the same thing to a Clark 663 3 years ago. I spent 3 grand on a 664 with a blown motor and what was supposed to be a bad torque converter as a parts machine just to get my front axle. Three years later there is no more than a skeleton left over and it was probably the best money ever spent.
Yeah I definitely spent more than I had hoped its all the little things that add up like the piston rings on the diff lock cost 130 and a bad pinion that had to be replaced cost another 250 aswell as a bunch of other stuff but I should know by now things are always worse than they appear. What is a 663 Clark it must be similar to a 664? And a parts machine would be nice
More like not proof reading what I wrote.. I meant 664
I use Shaefer Enterprises in Il. For all my used equipment parts.. fair priced and good shipping rates.. sewlparts.com