# franklin 130 specs



## mesupra (Nov 4, 2015)

Anyone have a spec sheet on a late 70s franklin 130 skidder. I would like to know the weight and anything else you guys might know.


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## treeslayer2003 (Nov 4, 2015)

i had a 132xl once. i would estimate the weight at around 7-8 tons. 3-53, manual trans and transfer case that love to jump out of gear. really strong gear drive winch. mine had 18.4x26 rubber, get stuck in a heart beat.


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## mesupra (Nov 4, 2015)

Would you not recommend a 130 with the same size tires? The pics look good guy says it's in nice shape and needs no work. Good tires bit no chains for 8500$


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## bitzer (Nov 4, 2015)

Yer guna want chains.


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## mesupra (Nov 4, 2015)

I know I'll need at least fronts which adds another $1000


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## treeslayer2003 (Nov 4, 2015)

personally i wouldn't buy any brand gear banger.......but thats just me. plenty of guys love them. its a simple machine, components are close to truck parts. 
on the tires, it didn't work well here, but i am 50' above sea level. if your terrain is more hilly rocky, it will be fine.


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## northmanlogging (Nov 5, 2015)

Mostly bald 18.4x26's on my deere, thats 12k never been completely stuck. Been in some really sketchy holes, and hills, only needed the winch once, but that cause I was stupid and tried to climb a wet clay hill with a slight slope towards a cliff...


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## mesupra (Nov 5, 2015)

As far as the transmission goes in just looking for something to relieve my tractor of woods work nothing for production cutting. The tires are pretty nice maybe 40-50%. What do you think about a decent 130 for around $8000. I would like to get into a simple older machine that I won't loose a great deal of money on if I decide to sell it in 2-4 years


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## northmanlogging (Nov 5, 2015)

I've heard good things about the Franklins, not many of em around here, look the motor, trans, and axles over real good, and check for any cracks in the frame work, cracks can be welded, but wonky drive trains can be a head ache and expensive to fix.

8k isn't a bad price. I'd still try to haggle a bit though.


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## mesupra (Nov 5, 2015)

I'm really tempted but after transport and one set of chains I would be 9500 deep and that's getting close to a magic number of 10 Grand which seems that there are dozens of machines at that price


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## treeslayer2003 (Nov 5, 2015)

i would say if the tires are wore down good, 5 would be fair if it runs good. they are pretty old now and not popular with bigger outfits. really good tires.........6-7


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## mesupra (Nov 5, 2015)

I'm thinking 7 would be fair if it's as good as he says but even then I'm $7750 into it just to get it home and another $500-$1000 for a set of chains. Pushing nearly $9000 makes it not such a great deal


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## northmanlogging (Nov 5, 2015)

chains are nice I hear... but you may not need them? depends on what kind of ground you'll be on, if you've been using a tractor, you'll probably be ok without chains.

$775 to move it seems really high to me? unless your moving it a considerable distance.


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## bitzer (Nov 6, 2015)

Chains are the cats ass no matter what ground yer on. They make all the difference to me. I keep em on all year. 600 bucks put used chains on all tires. They had 1" lugs left. Bear paws. Got them from an equipment dealer. They help stomp the brush anyway. Before I got em I thought who needs em. I needed them after an ice storm and I couldn't crawl up to the landing. I wish I had em sooner. Franklins are solid machines and easy to work on.


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## ChoppyChoppy (Nov 6, 2015)

I never understood NOT running chains. Especially with the cost of tires vs chains and the much better traction. Not to mention chains will add years to the tire life.

I dunno about L48 prices, but up here 4 tires for the 648 I run (they are 31s I believe) is about $14,000. A set of chains about 3000.


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## mesupra (Nov 6, 2015)

I need atleast 1 set of chains maybe all 4. A good portion of the land is a large bog. To cross. It's the main reason for moving up from my tractor to a skidder. New chains are 1300 a set here used can be had for around 500 a set. As far as transportation it's a 7.5-8 hour round trip without loading a unloading.


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## bitzer (Nov 6, 2015)

I guess you have to figure out how long its going to take to make your money back. Good luck with the bog. Narrow tires don't float well.


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## mesupra (Nov 6, 2015)

They are the 18.4x26 I'm thinking it might be a ok combo for that size machine


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## northmanlogging (Nov 6, 2015)

...they don't float, do a pretty good job of sinking though.

If you can try to brush in a set trail, that way your driving on the sticks and tops rather then churning up and making more mud


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## mesupra (Nov 6, 2015)

Yea two winters ago I built a brush road from maple tops. I was able to get pretty far out into the bog with my kubota without issue. I also have a couple skidder bridges to cross the stream. Do you think a 130 is less than 14000 lbs I got a friend with a 1 ton and trailer that is comfortable hauling up to 14k


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## treeslayer2003 (Nov 6, 2015)

id say thats a load for that rig......and a bit far for it. mine had that tire size, got stuck alot. 23.1x26 would be much better for what you describe.


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## northmanlogging (Nov 6, 2015)

No idea what a franklin weighs, But even if yer buddy is ok with pulling 14k is it legal? remember to add the weight of the trailer, and truck, with passengers, than check your local dot regs, here its 26k with legal axle weights, I'm thinking a 1 ton truck would be hard pressed to stay legal like that.


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## bitzer (Nov 7, 2015)

Granted my 132 is a forwarder, but it weighs 24k. A skidder is going to be less, but franklin didn't skimp on the iron on those things. Make some calls to find the weight to be sure. Unless the bog is froze up tight its going to be tough going. We push in with a dozer here when its going to be real cold to freeze down swamps. You want to stay on that trail tho.


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## Johnmn (Nov 7, 2015)

I hauled my john deere 440a skidder with a one ton truck with a goose neck trailer it puller that thing like a dream. As far as chains go I don't run them. Around here the old school loggers never run chains they say it's to hard on the tires but most of the new younger loggers run them on the front. I guess I have never felt the need. Oh by the way when I hauled my 440a it was a 2 1/2 - 3 hr trip one way


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## bnmc98 (Nov 7, 2015)

Johnmn said:


> I hauled my john deere 440a skidder with a one ton truck with a goose neck trailer it puller that thing like a dream. As far as chains go I don't run them. Around here the old school loggers never run chains they say it's to hard on the tires but most of the new younger loggers run them on the front. I guess I have never felt the need. Oh by the way when I hauled my 440a it was a 2 1/2 - 3 hr trip one way



On a light machine I would not want to run just tires. Even on flat ground, wait til you hook a limb locked drag or larger drag and watch your tires spin, or your machine get sucked backward by the winch. 
You might be able to get it done if you pick your paths better or make more trips. But in my book that's a money waster.

I consider my machine pretty light duty for what I do. 9 tons. and with a light back end and just chains on the front, I was getting nowhere fast. I chained the rears and filled them and its a whole new world. I can go places I never dreamed of with it now. And I was having trouble before snow. 
I bet I would have had to park it this winter if I didn't get her up to snuff.


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## bitzer (Nov 7, 2015)

bnmc98 said:


> On a light machine I would not want to run just tires. Even on flat ground, wait til you hook a limb locked drag or larger drag and watch your tires spin, or your machine get sucked backward by the winch.
> You might be able to get it done if you pick your paths better or make more trips. But in my book that's a money waster.
> 
> I consider my machine pretty light duty for what I do. 9 tons. and with a light back end and just chains on the front, I was getting nowhere fast. I chained the rears and filled them and its a whole new world. I can go places I never dreamed of with it now. And I was having trouble before snow.
> I bet I would have had to park it this winter if I didn't get her up to snuff.


Yep


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## bitzer (Nov 7, 2015)

A 440a weighs like 10k.


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## mesupra (Nov 7, 2015)

The land we have I think front rings will do the trick. Still a little worried about a bumper pull trailer with a one ton as far as the total weight goes but my friend is a pretty precise guy I think he can do 14k and still be legal with his truck and trailer. Any recommendations on what to check out on the skidder


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## bnmc98 (Nov 7, 2015)

bitzer said:


> A 440a weighs like 10k.



Is that weighed on the truck fully outfitted?
The specs I read with larger tires and powershift say 7 ton. dunno - I might be wrong


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## bnmc98 (Nov 7, 2015)

mesupra said:


> Any recommendations on what to check out on the skidder



Major expensive components. Get her up to temp and run it if you can. Articulate under load to check planetaries, drop dozer and lift front off ground, put it in gear and see if all 4 turn. shift all gears forward and reverse. check engine temps, and oil cold and hot. Fuel in oil? Oil in coolant? after up to temp that will tell you if pumps are weak, hyd/trans....
Little stuff is not such a big deal, ujoints drivelines that kind of stuff... If they let you work it, do it. And don't baby it, work it like you would on the job. They are built for that environment.

Check tires for major defects like major cracking / dry rot. Tires are expensive if you cant find used.

Winch or grapple? (sorry, don't remember if you said) make sure they will hold and release. Those are expensive too... well just about anything is, lol.

Check stress points for cracking, unless you know how to weld or want to learn, that could be a bit to hire out.

Of course you may never know until you hook 10k of wood and start up a hill. But you might catch something.

It is bound to have some problems, just realize that, just make sure you can get parts to fix it when they show up.


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## mesupra (Nov 7, 2015)

Awesome response it's nice to hear the recommendation. Thanks


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## northmanlogging (Nov 7, 2015)

bitzer said:


> A 440a weighs like 10k.



closer to 12k, without fluid in tires.

+1 to bnmc, 

Cracks in frame aren't a deal killer for me, since I can weld, will weld, have welded and probably need to do some more welding...

But make sure the motor runs good, and the tranny works good.


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## mesupra (Nov 7, 2015)

As far as I can tell it's a t 18 transmission and a np transfer. Same thing my old pick up runs not real sure on what to look fir on a 353 but I got a decent ear for sounds a little welding don't scare me I've got the welder and some experience


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## bnmc98 (Nov 7, 2015)

It's a detroit, so its made to scream. Don't know if you are familiar with them. Sounds like you will scatter them but its how they run. Governor should keep it in spec. my 4-53 shines at 2600-3000 all day long.


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## mesupra (Nov 7, 2015)

Been around then never run one


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## bnmc98 (Nov 8, 2015)

Like comparing a formula 1 with a muscle car. Keep her in the power band. Seems like everything is WOT. Ear plugs AND muffs help


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