Knucklebooms?

[logger79]

Hey folks. I have been using wheel loaders to handle all my logs at the landing and know zero about knucklebooms or the saws that are used with them. I am I am at the point finally that I have lots of timber to cut and am thinking one would speed up my production quite a bit. Can yall give me some pointers on what models are best and what to look for in them. Would like to stay less that 25-30,000 if you can get a pretty good machine for that.

Thanks

[Nemologger]

I just got a Timberjack 330, I like it but Im pretty slow on it. Actually I can cut them up by hand and push them in a pile with the skidder in half the time. BUT, Im not as tired when I use it either,lol. Also I have cut up over 30,000 feet with it and only sharpened the chain one time, Try that with a chainsaw.

[loggersemo]

What size timber you handling?

[logger79]

Most of the timber I cut is 18" DBH and less. The good tracts of big timber are very few and far between.

[loggersemo]

Barko 160 , Prentice 180 or 210 , TJ 330 would be nice loaders . I had Barko 160c  and it handle timber that size and was easy on fuel .

[North River Energy]

Where are you located?

I go back and forth between a four-lever Prentice 180 and a Kobelco w/joysticks.  Sticks are nice, but actually prefer the 'feel' of the 180.

Pay close attention to the condition of the swing gear components.  Some of those parts can be shockingly expensive.



Edit: 180b, not 180.  Or at least that's what it says on the boom...

[tj240]

dont know your location but a hood prentice or barko you should find in your $ range. loaders are what i do and a hood 24000 with a bar saw will do you well as will any other but the first thing to check is the swing bearing area real spendy to fix. i like circle saws no filing or grinding. teeth are relativley cheap but you need hyd volume to run. a 180 prentice with joysticks will do you fine only two levers no t four. good luck and log on

[logger79]

Thanks guys. I am an hour south east of Nashville, Tn.

[BargeMonkey]

 I was in your boat last summer and finally broke down and bought a loader. Now I wont go without it. The guy who runs it can cut and stack about 40 trees an hour average, in decent sized wood. Some people prefer circle saws, I wont buy one. Yeah the chain is a bit slower but not much. Chain is cheap, 70 a loop. You will cut a volume of wood on 1 chain. I have a 160 Barko and she sips fuel, picks even the biggest stuff I pull out.