i just bought a franklin 185. should be here tommorrow. whats not to like about a franlin? cummins motor= good, clark trans=good, look like well designed, well built machines. franklin has been building machines for a long time. i think the machines look good too. it took me a long time to find a new machine in the $35k to $40k range. i looked at deere, cat, timberjack, clark, you name it i looked at it. they all have about the same options, i prefer the idea of a cummins as you can go to a junkyard and find a running cummins for not alot of dough. deere makes good stuff, hell they all make good stuff. i didnt want a timber jack prior to 95 or so because of the limited slip axles front and rear. i heard bad things about 518's. refuse to buy anything with a detroit in it. (noise) i like the machines that have center oscillation, i think it makes for a much more stable machine. some franklins have it. i was told by some salesmen that in their areas, one make or another was preferred. a chevy vs ford kind of deal
