Cat or Deere skidder

[Duramax3500]

Hi all, so I'm going to buy a skidder, I have a 50,000 budget,it has to have a winch and grapple,I prefer Deere, but the closet dealer is an hour away and the cat dealer is 15 min,I'm thinking service calls,I'm a one man show and want a machine that will last along time,I'm very maintenance minded and grease daily and keep up daily on checking fluids and such? Any input would b great!

[coxy]

they are both good when they run and both bad when they brake that's all I can give you  ;D

[thecfarm]

The closest dealer is not always the best dealer.

[kiko]

Everybody that knows me knows a prefer a Cat to anything else.   Size for size the cat will out pull the Deere hands down. However the Deere will handle wet ground much better.  With a G3 or H Deere you will be able to increase your knowledge base on trouble codes and electrical gremlins.  Of the ones I see,  Cat transmissions usually fail/wear out between 10 and 15k hours.  HEUI fuel systems give issues on the c7 engines in the c model.   H model Deere axels give issues.  In my experience,   A 50k skidder will soon be at least a 75k skidder but still only be worth 50k reguardess of brand.  So I think I just wrote a paragraph to say what cozy said in one sentence.

[Spartan]

Drive them both and get what you like.  Then learn to work on it yourself.  Once you get a quote for a service call, you will want to work on it yourself anyways.   Parts for both should be easy to get.

[barbender]

A good service tech is usually worth the price, get the machine back producing. The more expensive the machine, the less consequential the price for service becomes.

[barbender]

A lot of local CTL loggers are jumping ship from green machines to black/yellow ones, the main reason is service. The area Deere dealer has loggers with year old $600K harvesters that sat for a few weeks waiting for work to be done, you can't have that on machines that spendy. I'm not knocking Deere either, just the dealer.

[Spartan]

A good service tech is usually worth the price, get the machine back producing. The more expensive the machine, the less consequential the price for service becomes.

I understand the principle, however out here, "one man show" and "expensive machine"  usually don't exist in the same business (for logging anyways).  So usually guys that are one man shows work on stuff themselves.
Might be a West thing, or maybe a Montana thing. 

[woodmaker]

Spartan is correct,but it's not just a western thing,and not just a logging thing either; it holds true for excavating also

[barbender]

I hear you guys, my point is- if you have a choice between an expensive machine with available service, and an expensive machine without service available, go with the one that is supported. I've seen guys with their $250k processor sitting for 2 weeks, trying to figure it out all on their own because the nearest service center is 1000 miles away. Not fun. I understand that sometimes doing it all yourself is sometimes the only option, then you make the most of it and roll up your sleeves. But if you can have support, leave that option open.

[mike_belben]

CTL sounds like a terrible business.

[killamplanes]

Well I've been kicking around a grapple skidder for awhile now to. I lean towards deere. My biggest fear is a lemon rather it be 50k or 150k. I don't have the best luck with equipment.  Not much cat around here. I know farm side the support hasn't been impressive. But on construction side there is a real strong following.

[quilbilly]

Why limit yourself to car or Deere skidders? Lots of other brands and in my experience other brands have been easier to work on

[Brandon1986]

Well, the last JD skidder I ran was a 440C in the early 90's and I've never run a CAT.... heard they were junk, but never experienced it myself... I will say Caterpillar is renown for their parts availability and prompt service.. That much I have experienced, up here in AK the Jd dealer I've had bad experiences with to the tune of yelling matches with the counter guy for wasting my time and money on an hour drive into Anchorage with a Ford 460 flatbed (lots of gas) for a part they said was there... wasn't there... Caterpillar up here on the other hand has lived up to their excellent reputation, if even I don't care that much for most of their iron.....

[swvalogger]

i own 5 deeres !!2- 440s,  1-540b , 1- 648g and 1- 748gIII .All are running great.  wouldn't own a cat they slip to much, burn twice the fuel,at half the work,turn them down hill , they don't hold back,unless you rev up,winches give trouble,the list goes on , been logging for better of 30 years, you pay for the name and the parts. I have demoed 518 and 525b's didn't like either.

[coxy]

i own 5 deeres !!2- 440s,  1-540b , 1- 648g and 1- 748gIII .All are running great.  wouldn't own a cat they slip to much, burn twice the fuel,at half the work,turn them down hill , they don't hold back,unless you rev up,winches give trouble,the list goes on , been logging for better of 30 years, you pay for the name and the parts. I have demoed 518 and 525b's didn't like either.

the only winch on a cat that I ever seen give trouble is the gearmatic  we have a 518 with the cat winch its got over 30k hours on it no trouble there is a logging co that has 4 518 with the Lufkin winches all with over 40k and never been in side of them and never had any trouble with the trannys  change the oil in them in the spring and again in the fall  yes ill agree with you on the down hill thing you poke and hope  ;D  and fuel usage I think they are about the same as a 540g we fueled the same time maybe one took a few more gal but they where close and pulled about the same as far as what we where doing  as far as parts they are cheaper than deer at least around here and 99% of the time the parts where here the next day it all depends on your dealer  dealer support is the key with out them you may as well try getting parts for a model A :D and the old 440s where a great skidder but would tip over on a fly turd  ;D

[Ky Logger]

Get a 240 timberjack if your working by yourself and keep yourself 25000 for the rainy days !

[Stoneyacrefarm]

That's exactly what I did.
And it hasn't stopped raining since.  :D :D :D

[coxy]

That's exactly what I did.
And it hasn't stopped raining since.  :D :D :D

see you should have got a cat  :D 8)

[Stoneyacrefarm]

I always heard cats were afraid of rain?? :D :D

[coxy]

 :D ;D