# Favorite Skidder



## StIhL MaGnUm (Nov 3, 2002)

Whats your favorite skidder to use and what model


later Rob...


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## JimL (Nov 3, 2002)

I have run a 640JD Cable quite a bit, guy i work for has 2 of em. 
No problems other than tires.. 


I got a TJ 205 i think, cable. Its in the back of the barn in pieces


Anyone know where i can get info on the older TJ's? Prior to JD buying them.


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## Ryan Willock (Nov 3, 2002)

does a bobcat 873 count????


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## StIhL MaGnUm (Nov 3, 2002)

JimL,

I'll get back to you on the TJ info I might know where I can get some for ya..


Ryan,

NO Bobcats allowed I should have said REAL skidders


Later Rob...


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## bwalker (Nov 3, 2002)

*JD 1758*

Its not a skidder, but I would love to own one.


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## JimL (Nov 3, 2002)

*Re: JD 1758*



> _Originally posted by bwalker _
> *Its not a skidder, but I would love to own one. *



Ya know i just cant see having one of them around here. Time we get a yard setup and get a road back, we just have the truck drivers pull back in the woods. Sometimes it might be a road miles back along the top of a ridge or just a few hundred yards...

Drag the logs to the landing/yard, cut to length or what ever needs to be done, load them and off they go.


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## bwalker (Nov 3, 2002)

In my area the guys who still use saws are are going to forwarders. Most of the logging activity is pulp logging and veneer. In many of the areas the terain is so nasty road building is anightmare. Add to that the fact that the winters in the UP can dump 300"+ of snow a year makeing road maintenance a nightmare and its easy to see why they are using forwarders. All of the easy terrain gets picked off by the harvester guys.


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## StIhL MaGnUm (Nov 4, 2002)

I used to have a Timberjack forwarder but I found myself skidding more than using it so I ended up selling it last year to buy my 748G.There are'nt very many loggers at least around where I work that have forwarders but there are a few,if I need one I will usually borrow one from a friend if it's not in use on a job..


Later Rob..


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## logcutter429 (Nov 4, 2002)

Ya forwarders are popular here in 2nd thinning plantations, the 548johndeere is pretty popular here, lots of dealers too.


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## StIhL MaGnUm (Nov 4, 2002)

Around here in NH it's mostly JD 648's or 748's I have'nt seen to many 548's and if it's not a Deere it's a 525 Cat grapple you don't really see all that many cable skidders at least not in southern NH.



Later Rob...


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## bwalker (Nov 4, 2002)

What do you guys know about Valmet equipment? Seems to be alot of Valmet in my area.


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## JimL (Nov 4, 2002)

> _Originally posted by bwalker _
> *What do you goes know about Valmet equipment? Seems to be alot of Valmet in my area. *



I have never even heard of it haha!


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## logcutter429 (Nov 4, 2002)

We work alot of forest service timber here, try to have the lightest medium sized skidders and be able to work, big skidders are nice but with a no rut policy we can't use the big ones much.


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## bwalker (Nov 4, 2002)

What do you guys think of Cat skidders?


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## StIhL MaGnUm (Nov 5, 2002)

Ben,

I personally like the Cat 525 grapple skidder I know a couple of my friends here in NH thats all they'll buy is Cat's.They are a very comfortable machine to run I have borrowed my friends when I broke my JD in my opinion they are a very good machine.As far as the Valmet equipment I don't know a whole lot about them but I'm sure someone here does..


Later Rob...


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## logcutter429 (Nov 5, 2002)

The guy i cut for bought a 518 grapple new in 95, its got over 11000 hrs. on it without many brake downs,cat quality but you pay for it, but i guess their all high $ these days, don't know much about valmet do know a guy that had a small cutting machine, had pretty good luck with it.


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## logcutter429 (Nov 5, 2002)

Theirs some nice pictures of valmets, forwaders and cutting machines in this months Loggers World mag.


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## StIhL MaGnUm (Nov 6, 2002)

429,

Your right there are quite a few pics of the Valmet equipment in there I just got this months issue yesterday afternoon.

Later Rob..


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## cybergeek23851 (Nov 8, 2002)

I myself am partial to Franklin-Treefarmer. Made right here in Franklin Va. My half-witted father worked there as a welder when he wasn't home recovering from flash burns to his eyes. My Great Uncle designed the originals. and my half Great-Grandfather
helped start the company. Just don't take my opinion to heart! Use whatever skidders you prefer.


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## lectrocrew (Apr 9, 2010)

I like Cat because they last. I drive a 1996 525 that I drove when it was new. It has the original motor that only recently blew a head gasket. This is the first time any part of the motor has been gone into. Before we bought the 525 I drove a 1993 Cat 518C that our logging company still uses daily (we have 2-525's and the 518C). I've driven a couple of JD 648's that had good power but they were always coming unglued. 



logcutter429 said:


> cat quality but you pay for it



This is true. You get what you pay for "*if you can*". JMO


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## Oldtimer (Apr 9, 2010)

Partial to JD and the powershift. But any skidder with a grapple and a winch and brakes would be fine, I am not picky.


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## lectrocrew (Apr 9, 2010)

JimL said:


> Ya know i just cant see having one of them around here. Time we get a yard setup and get a road back, we just have the truck drivers pull back in the woods. Sometimes it might be a road miles back along the top of a ridge or just a few hundred yards...
> 
> Drag the logs to the landing/yard, cut to length or what ever needs to be done, load them and off they go.



That's how we do it. The dozer stays busy at times and the skidders have to drag trucks around on muddy mornings (like today ), but I would think the fuel cost would be less in the long run as opposed to running/maintaining a fowarder - but I have no experience with fowarders so I'm just guessing?

Also, (other than that on rough terrain skidders can negotiate better than a fowarder), I can't imagine a fowarder keeping up with 3 skidders and 10 trucks, but then we run Macks and some "not so valueable" trucks, not pretty Pete's. I'm thinking the cost of skidders and dragging trucks around in the woods would off-set the cost of operating a fowarder pretty quick (so long as the trucks are woods trucks)?


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## catbuster (Apr 9, 2010)

StIhL MaGnUm said:


> JimL,
> I should have said REAL skidders



Darn. I was going to say a Komatsu D51PX-22

So, since it has to be a skidder,Cat 527,cable. I can do decent dozer work with it too.


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## PARTSWOODCHUCK (Apr 10, 2010)

jiml said:


> i have run a 640jd cable quite a bit, guy i work for has 2 of em.
> No problems other than tires..
> 
> 
> ...



there is a guy here in vt that knows aboslutely everything there is to know about timberjack. If you ask him a question he will tell you what u need and exactly how to do it, right down to torque specs. He rebiulds detroit motors that last longer than u would believe, and stands behind his work.


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## wvlogger (Apr 10, 2010)

cat 527 grapple but still has a winch


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## joe wood (Apr 13, 2010)

*fmc*

my FMC 220 will do more on rough ground than any rubber tired skidder can dream of


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## lectrocrew (Apr 14, 2010)

joe wood said:


> my FMC 220 will do more on rough ground than any rubber tired skidder can dream of


The 220 is awsome but expensive to maintain. Yes it can pull on slopes well without tearing up the ground but I suspect a dual arch Cat 545 wheel skidder with similar power rating (220hp) with an experienced operator, that knows how to use the boom hydraulics to climb, could pull as much wood as the FMC in most "rough ground" situations. JMO


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## joe wood (Apr 14, 2010)

youre living in a fantasy world bring the title and we can have a little contest when youre stuk ill pull my new overratet cat out and sell it to some fool who likes the highest priced parts on the planet . bring the high drive cats too {same story} the fmc is high maintenance but worth it


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## gwiley (Apr 14, 2010)

*Skid steer as an Everyman's skidder*

While I understand the need for "the real thing", I think there is a place for make shift skidders. For the poor man with only a few thousand to spend on equipment a skid steer makes a great woods machine.

I use a Bobcat 743 as a skidder by attaching 4 binder chains to the top of the bucket and pulling backwards. The chains have binder hooks on both ends and work well enough as chokers (esp. if there is a root ball).

When I am on a cutting site the Bobcat is a versatile role playing machine, not only as a skidder, with the forks it loads 12'-16' logs onto the hauler, switch to stump grubber bucket when I need to push a hazard tree or uproot a tree. Can unstick a stuck hauler truck by pushing or pulling it. Dirt bucket lets me clear the path for the truck as needed.

When the bobcat gets stuck I can usually unstick it without help by just using the loader arms and whatever attachment is on it to crawl out of the muck.

For wet areas the over-the-wheel-tracks let the machine almost float on the ground.


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