Early Treefarmer C5B

[swampdigger]

Hi guys.

Thinking about picking up an early Treefarmer C5B. I think it's real old.. says Garrett and Can Car on the side. From what I read it sounds like it has more in common with a C4.

crazy4saw's thread has been awesome. It's the same machine he has.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=85031.0

It's been rode hard. Seller letting it go for basically scrap. The transmission let go and he tried to swap in a Ford T98. Got the input shaft swapped over, bellhousing hanging on by two bolts. He figures he missed something in the rebuild as it binds up when he retightens the case. Lost interest after that and it's been sitting 5 or 10 years.

The price is right, but just how much work this thing needs... this is pretty foolish, haha.

Reading crazy4saws thread.. he managed to get most parts. The 353 is plentiful, the transmission seems common.

What about parts for:
-the axles...  new planetaries and diffs?
-transfercase?
-the winch


Thanks guys. I should probably leave this thing for someone else.. but I am curious.

[Woodschopper]

Gopher it!

That being said; crazysaw's skidder was an extreme case of a messed up skidder. What's the details on your potential new skidder?

[swampdigger]

Haha, it may be even worse. Lots of welds, lots of stuff missing.

I chickened out already. Found a couple of timberjacks for around $5k that actually run. This "priced to sell" Treefarmer  is probably false economy.

Still wouldn't mind knowing how parts are for these things.

[mike_belben]

5k running is quite a deal if the tires are useable.  I havent seen a running skidder under $15k  USD in probably a year. And what 15k buys here now is awful lately. 

[Woodschopper]

Don't know where you're located but I found some killer deals on marketplace here in Michigan and Indiana for under 10k. Are you looking to put it into production work or just pull firewood with it and other things?