Post us some skidder pics fellows. I'll start with a small grapple machine.......
Or a skidder crushing cars????
Or a crispy critter, oh I mean skidder, lol.
Here's an FMC 220CA with a Esco grapple in North Idaho. Been sittin' on the highway for sale for the last 10 years. lol
Hidin' in the brush...
Heres a Clark for plowing snow!
And a newer machine, with the duals for softer ground.........
Some like it hot!
A friend of mine has a Morgan- and LOVES it!
Now THAT is a cool pic! Are those flames on that FMC? I love it!:drinkup
It get's a bit hotter!
Those FMC firewagon pics are awesome! Post all you've got. That night shot is incredible!
This guy had 5 of these machines on a fire in Montana. Yah baby, those are flames on the hood and sides of the skidder. lol
I mean how lazy can you get with a water cannon? lol You drive down the road and shoot water. So easy even a chick can do it.
Those are the coolest looking FMC's I've ever seen. Is he from your area? I havent seen these rigs before, ever. There was an outfit in Estacada Oregon who used to convert them to fire tanks, but not as neat as these with the lights, etc.
Skidgines are pretty popular around here for fighting fires. Not sure what make this machine is, but thought you might need a break from the FMC's lol
Yep, the guy is from the Yaak River in Montana. He has 5 machines all on call during the summer with the Forest Circus on the westcoast. He's got 'em in California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. I'll post a pic of their transportation.
Those things are really neat. I gotta hit the sack- got a 5:30 breakfast :drinkupmeeting.....
He actually has a real nice truck and lowboy that he long hauls with. I'll see if I can dig up some pics. Otherwise here's some cheap transportation!
I told you FMC's were so easy a chick could drive one. Well here she is. I think her name is Angela. First one she's drivin' down the road. Second one is a much closer shot just for the heck of it. lol
Here's some close ups lol
That must be an old machine,looks like she is dripping a little.LOL.Thanks for the great pictures.Ron G
WOW This thread is getting better all the time!
Cool pictures for sure, If I pulled up to a farmers place around here with that first picture with the big grapple skidder they would eather fall over with a heart attack or run for a shot gun to run me off. When it drys up here I will have to take some pictures of my equipment and e-mail them to one of you guys to post. Not the newest machines but there all paid for
Couple
More
having trouble posting more then one pic at a time.
Drifter, If you have any more pictures of that Tigercat 630D from other angles I would like to see them. Presently I'm working on drawings to build a 1/16 scale model set up for swamp logging and need a couple more pics. Thanks, Fred
Sorry thats the only picture I have. The tigercats were up against John Deere's in a demo and they contractor ended up buying the 848H's. If I remember I will stop in Wajax's yard in Edmonton next time I am there, might be awhile though.
Drifter, Thanks, in the mean time I'll keep up the quest. Fred
CanCar C7D with fixed grapple Sold new into New Mexico in 1976. It burned the first week (arson)and was rebuilt and then sold by Northwest Roads Equipment Co. Portland Or. 1978. It was seen alive and well last fall, probably on it's fourth or fifth 4-53 detroit by now.
Garrett 30A with Esco 215 swinger This 1969 machine was a Weyco R&D machine. Had a hitch added for a trailer and weighed about 25000 lbs. Very slow hydralics, because someone had placed a filter/screen (since removed)between oil tank and the pump causing cavitation and a starved pump. The first picture shows the wider 28.1x26 tires on the rear of the machine which we filled with fluid. It's power source is a english built 180 hp 504 cummins. Garretts had machinery drivelines and ujoints which allowed for sharper/tighter hinge steering. The drawback was a weak drive train, you could break a driveline on "demand" with tree length wood. With the 23.1x26 tires, the machine was only 9 feet wide. You could select thin big wood in tight places if you could stay upright. Used it for a dozen years first pic 1989, other pictures 1982. It also had a gearmatic 19 who's line came out of a fairlead mounted in the main boom. You can see it above the hitch in the first and last picture. Took the winch off because we never used it, being a mdl. 19 therefore it rarely would work. Much better vision without it. The Gearmatic 190 was a kick-ass winch, we had three of them. One on a Cat 528 and two on CanCar C7s.
Most people I know put the fluid in the front tires. Why would you put fluid in the rears? Thanks for the picts.
The wider tires and greater weight on the back end made for a lower center of gravity, therefore I kept all four wheels on the ground a greater percentage of the time.
been waiting for this one, I grew up with clark 668b & 668c line skidders, but what with families being what they are i don't have any photos,if any one has some to post here it would be greatly appreciated. cheers trev
Welcome to the forum. Have not seen a 668 line machine in years. There is a 668 with a Esco 215 swinger nearby though. It like the Garrett 30A from above was a Weyco machine from the early 70's. I will track it down and post some pictures. What I would like to see are some pictures of a Clark 880 old growth/Redwood log skidder. It contained the drivetrain of a Michigan 475 front end loader, powered by an 8V-71 jimmy. I have heard of at least 3 machines, one in N. California and the others in Maine. In the Maine they added additional cooling for the torque converter and PS transmission so they could scarify hardwood timberland for replanting. The additional cooling radiator was mounted above the winch on the back unit.
new to us 525b dual arch
here you go tree farmer ---- a one off " Garrett Timber Cruiser" built before the skidders I think, all I know for sure time wise,is that is my dad on the machine,and he quit Garrett by 1962,to go into business for himself. isx525
Sweet! Like most early skidders it lacked ground clearance and needed way bigger tires for flotation. The wheel steer axle joints would have been a serious weakness. If you take this axle wheel steer concept and make it hydrostatic drive then combine it with hinge steering, you would have the premise of a 1997 Morgan SX-70 log skidder. The Morgan senses wheel steering angles and modulates wheel speeds to reduce soil disturbance while turning.
Garrett Timber Cruiser today I havent had much time to look at the HEF lately as I have been doing alot of traveling as I always do in the winter. I just sat down today in Juneau and looked at the new posts and WOW there's the 'Timber Cruiser'. I rescued this thing from a scrapper 2 years ago when a contractor brought a barge load of building materials and a concrete batch plant into a small Native Village on an island about 75 air miles West of Petersburg Alaska. It had been abandoned in the Village along with a couple of Euclid trucks and an LS-98TL which I also got but havent moved. They shipped out a bunch of cannery equipment and car bodies as a backhaul to Seattle for the barge and this thing was going to get cut up and go on that barge. If you guys want this thing to resore we can land it in Seattle for about $7,000.00 pretty easily. I'll have to have a project barge pick it up and move it to Ketchikan where it can catch a mainline barge to Seattle. The whole thing is easy, just expensive. Let me know- you can have her. Here are some pics I just took in late September 2010. It needs alot of work, neither engine is running.
Here's a shot of the midship business.
CL, Your Detroit engine kinda looks like a belt drive air compressor. Bob
I have no idea whats going on there- and looking at the brochures it sure isnt factory.......
Don Garrett (Dwight's nephew) told me a few years back that at one point the timber cruiser was being used in conjunction with a rock drill, but I don't remember whether or not he said it was in Alaska. that engine for the winch was added --- Dwight didn't do that. I thought it pretty neat that the arch adjusted hydraulically-- like the FMC's arch. sadly, Don passed away about a year ago, Dwight has been gone awhile. I do have a couple more pictures I will scan and post. They were all taken right across hwy 410 from the Garrett Enumclaw office (also long gone !) isx
that would explain the use with a rock drill isx
more timber cruiser enjoy, isx
ISX you can post as many pics of Enumclaw as you can for me! I have not been there for a long time.Remember when someone used to sell Komatsus next to the bowling alley?Almost right across 410 from Garett?
I don't remember komatsus', but I do remember Garrett had an " Ecologizer" mill set up across the street, and was cutting lumber with it !
here is a pettibone skidder that I ran. brother bought it from weyco,there weren't many built, 8 if memory serves me. built in Independene Oregon
Clark 880 Skidders A friend of mine has 2 Clark 880's in NW Washington. He has alot of yarders (75 or so, mostly Berger and Washington). He doesnt log with them (the skidders) but specializes in longspan old-growth sales and uses the Clark 880's to assist with moving/snubbing the yarders in steep country -where he usually can be found. He has Washington 217's, etc and uses the 2 880's and 2 Allis-Chalmers HD-41's for moving yarders. Here are a couple pics of one of them I took 3 weeks ago. Dont ask who or where- I can't say. He is a close friend and likes anonymity. Lets just say he has more yarders working today (and in more countries) than anyone else on the planet. He bought the last new Berger ever built at Eugene Log Show in 1990 and has never used it- just keeps it (warm and dry) for sentimental value....
McCauley Brothers had a 880 down in the Eugene Springfield area, had a 8v71 the pictures don't really do them justice they are really big in person.
Morgan Skidder
05 648 GIII
thanks for the welcome i've seen 1 880 in new zealand (lakeland plant hire yard) in the mid 80's, I believe it had come from the islands where it had pulling old crop rain forest hardwood during the 70's-80's and i know at least 1 made it to australia as a demonstrator for a logging show in the eary 80's,i did have photos of it and am trying to recover them at the moment. cheers Trev.
bark old treefarmer with paintcan rebiuld 453 runs great ,really loud
heres a couple of clark ranger machines the 666c was the first c model sold into new zealand the old treefarmer was traded on the 668b,the treefarmer was getting pretty run down but it was one of those "just keep it going untill the new one gets here" times 666c was trade on the 666f after 13 years faithful service [/IMG] [/IMG] [/IMG] [/IMG] [/IMG] [/IMG] [/IMG]
dang can't post photots yet oh well
deleted now ive got the hang of photos...
heres a couple of clark ranger machines the 666c was the first c model sold into new zealand the old treefarmer was traded on the 668b,the treefarmer was getting pretty run down but it was one of those "just keep it going untill the new one gets here" times 666c was trade on the 666f after 13 years faithful service... Lets see if this works....
Here is a 360 timberjack I had rented in 1990 with a non-turbo Perkins diesel, quite possibly the noisiest machine I have ever run.
Here is my 220 FMC.
Heres some I dug out of a box this morning and scaned. The 540 is a machine a buddy of mine and I bought with HUGE plans of becoming big time gypo loggers. Went well for about a year, then the market fell out and we didn't have much work. We sold out and went to work for wages. I took a job running a forwarder. The loader operator caught me walking to the landing to get a saw to cut off the high stump under the right rear thats about to flip me over. After that I went to running the 527 for a while, then got outta the woods, and back into the dirt.
Here is a Pettibone and a timberjack both with esco swinging grapples and pictures unloading trailer and loading logs with the swing grapple.
Tj 404 Dad and I's swinger parked at our old mill(out of it now).Got it from Cascade Trader in 2004.
I've driven one of those 666C's, nice machines, I'll post pictures of it later this year (It's 6 hours away from me) ***
518 Cat Line/Grapple combo,taken last month
My new toy.. My friend Tim's C6D Duetz. Mona, my dearly loved C5D Duetz.
obviously in NZ,can you tell me where and who the guys in the crew shot are?? some familiar looking faces right there.
NZ Logger It looks very like Lou Weinberg from Hamner Springs The guy with the beard could be Chris Gavin & Dave Esler by the F truck.This would have to be mid to late seventies
can only rememeber a couple of names of these guys. The two guys to the left of the f100 are father and son Alan and Graham Cudby( ?), guy to the right of and leaning on the f100 is Terry Myhill. This was Bob myhills old crop crew working for the forest service in Kiangaroa in about 1982-83 all hard and good honest men, I wish i had been older and known them better
On post #65 I was just wondering what is the powersaw safety rating on those shorts the guy is wearing in pic's 6 and 7 ??? :beatsme
Timberjack 360 Many proffesional loggers used line skidders in Norway in the late 60's, 70's and 80's, before the processors and forwarders took over the show. Here are 2 360's owned by a farmer in this district.
Timberjack 360 con't ...360 con't
Skidarder Found this fun little machine last night while playing with Google Maps Street View in Sayward, BC
Cat 525C and some Jacks
here is a few pics of 668c and 668b. I have more but they didnt want to upload properly.
Did that 360 timberjack have any power?
Thats a 460C with the John Deere engine and yes it does.Just not as stout as the CAT.
Skidarder part 2 Found a neat little John Deere skidder with yarder and drums mounted on it across from the Forks, WA airport
PeeWee-yarder Great Jeremy! That yarder is the one that was presented on Pat Soderberg's PLC 1978 as the Peewee yarder. Winch was made by Lantec in Langley and this is the prototype for the winches used on the Finnings/Lantec/Cat-yarders and even on a Norwegian yarder built on a Moxy dumper undercarriage. I will post pictures of this later. I'll put a copy of "What's new in Logging - Thinning with the Peewee Yarder" from PLC 1978 in the dropbox, if you should be interested.
The Moxy yarder Built in Norway on a Moxy dumper chassis and with the Lantec winch. Seems to be a somewhat bigger winch than on the Peewee. Machine is still in operation in 2011. These pic's are in the wrong thread, but I thought it fit so well together with Jeremy's pictures so I put them here. Pictures taken by a friend, Norwegian yarder specialist Nils Olav Kyllo.
Not my stuff, just neat
a little trivia-- the man operating the "peewee" in the photo is Barney Brady he gypo logged in the Greenwater,Wa area for many years, he is still alive and living near Buckley,Wa
I have alot of pictures from that job Barney Brady logged with the Pee Wee II machine. It was on the Pack Forest (Eatonville) right near Alder Dam and was a herringbone corridor thinning show. Myron Metcalf also did a big magazine spread on it for Finley Hayes in June of 1978. I'll dig that out, it was a very in-depth detail of the construction/design of the machine by the UW Applied Physics Lab. USFS grand money paid for the materials. Anyway enough rambling, here are a few more pics. I also was surprised when Jeremy posted his pics. Wonder when it went to Forks, and who owns it today??
It was on 101 across from the Airport and just south of the Forks Timber Museum. Not sure who owns it but there was a "Green Bean" yarder next to it as well. If you look on Google Maps and turn on street view you can see about three shovels, a skidder, and a cat, but no yarders.
JD 648H in Norway We don't use to much skidders nowadays in Norway, this one is probably imported used and meant to be used only for scarifiing.
Didn't know Kenworth made skidders
Same machine
I knew they made stackers under the Dart name, but I never heard of a KW skidder.
If you look at the VanNatta logging site they have a story on them
595 Franklin line skidder, scarification shallow soil style 668C repowered with 6068T sarifying.
The photo taken from google maps, that is another old Kenworth skidder that was park along the side of the highway, right at the interchange of the highway and the road into Sayward - it was parked there in 2008 I believe, was wondering where it went, when I went past about 16 months ago...
Why drag crawler tracks around ? Knock down slash ?
Yes but the main purpose is to part the decaying duff layer on the forest floor to get to the mineral soil layer. The cut blocks are ariel seeded and this allows the seed to get started in soil. Seeds in the duff layer die because that layers dries out too easily. This gets the jackpine started back in sites that were pine was previously harvested. Sites with deeper soils are treated with hydraulic disc trenchers but drags are prefered in the sites where soils are shallow or there is a lot of rock. Which is a large part of the Canadian Sheid
SPMiller Been there, done that Skidsteer.ca
Here is an old Franklin dad bought from Weyerhaeuser back in the 70's.
A few pics of our 748 line skidder Was bought into NZ with 6000 series winch no grapple ,had a fairlead built here and 740 decal on it. Old skidder on truck was snapped at local gas station.
Case Made a Skidder Also Photo from a sales site a year ago.I know a guy that ran a Case Skidder in the late 80's through early 90's,and said they were a good machine.They are extremely rare.I've never seen one in person.
Cat 518 A long parked 518,taken this summer. http://www.youtube.com/user/skadill
:bashthis a video of a cat 525 a i dont think cat made very good skidders until there and c series there a series were just problem theirs no rotator on the grapple so u have to geta digger to turn it sometime and the grapple cylinder can slip and turn one of the grapple arm up and YOU HAVE TO PUSH IT BACK WITH A DIGGER HERE IS THE VIDEO of it breaking the grapple ill put some pic up later [video=youtube;dY6p1z3Cilc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY6p1z3Cilc[/video] it shows the problems with the cat a series skidders but dont get me wrong i love cat
Maxey does that fmc still sit there for sale?
They might want to clean out the air filter as well buy the look of the black smoke
Here's what we've got those days:
ProGroomer, what type of trees are those they look a lot like our western hemlock?
It's euro spruce and fir.
Thank you so much. Nice looking equipment, and sure looks like a beautiful country.
525C pulling Radiata pine downunder
Found this beast at Dixon's yard in Elko BC, a couple of years ago.
Timberjack 480T- above A short lived machine,due to the expense of the steel undercarriage.reference pics-not mine.
That thing is awesome!
Yes, I can imagine. The biggest problem they had was stopping it breaking in half. Apparently they have glued it together several times.
re;480T skidder I talked to one of the Dixon's crew. He said the first year they had the 480 they spent a lot gussetting and beefing up the hitch area as it did tend to break in half. but once they had it fixed up nothing could touch it in steep ground. it could back up where a 527 couldn't and they worked it in what should have been yarder ground!
here are my two skidders one is a 525 cat and the other is a D6C both with esco grapples and winches
treefarmer skidder this is and old treefarmer with a 453 loud , runs great still
Can anyone help Me with a question about My 665 Clark grapple Skidder ? The rubber bumpers on the front axle are worn out and all but gone. Will this affect My front drive shaft by over extending it ? I just replaced the drive shaft due to it being worn out and am concerned about this issue.
Enjoying retirement. Repaired and ready.
CAT 545C Near Yarram, Victoria
There are loads and loads of these up here, they're everywhere.
Kenworth skidders A little bit about Kenworth skidders. http://www.flickr.com/photos/41172888@N07/5120033014/
That picture of the Kenworth skidder is in Invercargill New Zealand at the Richardson Truck Museum. It has to be one of the best Truck museum's in the world. They don't advertize and you have to phone for an appointment to get in. It is well worth a days visit if you ever get to New Zealand!
back in the day Timberjack 205
Westfall Performer Fresh Photo.If you know where this is,just leave it quiet please.walk around video at; http://www.youtube.com/user/skadill?blend=1&ob=video-mustangbase#p/u/5/tDuWKahqInA
^^^ Would love to see some shots of those Eucs or Terexes in the background behind the skidder.
Timberjack 460 Top one taken last spring,bottom two a month ago(same machine) month ago. http://youtube.com/user/skadill
977l
Some farm tractors that are so popular here in North Idaho. Taken last week before the snow came.
Couple of 527's I found over in the Toutle River country last summer.
I think the bottom one may be C&C's.
Hey JTL: Are you from up around Headquarters? My folks lived there for a while back in the early Fifties, when business was booming. My dad worked with Red McCollister, if that name rings a bell.
Nevermind the one I saw of theirs was a 517. Looked through my pics when I got home.
No Vigilant, I'm from up around the Sandpoint area. The early 50's would have been 20 years before my time!
Cat 535 doing its thing. Gotta love snowed under wood.
Here' a little caterpillar taken last week.
Link to a video that I did up for a comparison of the Tigercat 635D and a typical four wheeled skidder. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdMZZBaCdUM&feature=g-upl&context=G2220a32AUAAAAAAAAAA Machines are working in BC interior this past winter.
triple g?
TJ 450 Grapple Taken a few weeks ago. http://youtube.com/user/skadill
John Deere 640 Grapple Last RBauction,sold for $3500.Video look at; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2YTydCZ2ds&list=UUXUrfE0iAXFp8qfKNBQhrLA&index=1&feature=plcp
Caterpillar D4H Skidder An unusual recent find.Video look at; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvguguY6xLE
Cat D5H Track Skidder Fresh photo,still surprised by the stuff that was turned off and walked away from.Video look at: http://youtu.be/mOsv3wp4L2E
alot of contractors over here use farm tractors with blades and winches for skidders, old county tractors being popular! but big contractors use proper skidders
nice
Wheres this machine located?
lg junior; " Here is a 360 timberjack I had rented in 1990 with a non-turbo Perkins diesel, quite possibly the noisiest machine I have ever run." - bottom of page 4 Well I'll second you on that statement about the noisiest machine ever run. I ran one of these once with a snow blade doing roads and I had to stop and twist ear plugs in and then put the earmuffs back on! It was still loud. I couldn't imagine running one for an 8 - 10 hour shift! No wonder I have hearing aids!
Both look to have seen better days.
Taken last fall, southern BC, was brand new
Action shot
S&R Logging and Cuttings Inc's skidder
could it possibly be a wagner skidder, i know they made some as well as log stackers
Tigercat 635D skidder
John Deere 648G Grapple Skidder Taken this week.Video of it working at ; http://youtu.be/GdK1haByfjo
Fair pull for this old girl on a slope of 27 degree's and especially after all the rain we've had!
New tigercat broken
Oops sorry bout my earlier post it was actually 20 degree's. Sorry.
Contract Logger...here are a few skidder pics....dead or alive http://adventuresinmikeslife.blogspot.ca/2012/04/logging-skidders.html
hoglogg Which model is in your picture #55? Looks like an early C7 / C7A perhaps. Scott
think its a c7 it has a tag on the dash area , i,ll have to look, the only new parts that i put in other than filters fluid and paint, redid the brake caliper on the driveshaft
Here's a few pics of an abandoned oldie. I'm gonna guess that it was a skidder, as opposed to a portable yarder. The fairlead set-up and lack of tire guarding makes me wonder though. It has a gorgeous radiator with a big Euclid emblem, but I think that maybe this thing was built from "found" parts. Perhaps you guys know otherwise. I do not know what the powerplant was..but I do know that I would love to see this old girl chugging up a trail. Looks like it would flip over backwards or sideways real quick
Cracking pair of Countys there Mike......in their typical environment..........worth a bit as collectors machines now
Famous Wasn't I just reading about you in Log Trucker magazine this week?
hoglogg, Thanks for your reply. If you check the tag is there a letter after the 7 ie A,B, or C. Also, what kind of transmission - 5 spd manual or powershift? And I noticed a steering wheel. Does it work like in a car? or is it connectted to a regular sideways mounted hydraulic valve and just turn a 1/2 to 1/3 revolution left or right? I'm attempting to pull together a history of Can-Car Tree Farmer skidders and yours is one of the elusive models. Lots of old C4's and 5's but early 7's are few and far between. Thanks for any info you can provide. Scott
What are we looking at there...is that a grapple or a saw...on the machine on the left?... is the steering a partial front steer and then skidsteer set-up?
hey skadill i think its spelled imfamous !! i,ll never catch up to your fine work....keep doing what your doing ,,
sbeange the skidder has the hydo valve steering and an allison 2 spd auto , i wouldnt want to run it full time as its a real pig to operate,
Ahhh yes, saw that machine in person a few years ago! Here's some pictures I took of it!
Is that one of those machines that was re-stickered as a Kenworth skidder in the 60's? My uncle Harold Pearson had 2 at Saltery Bay, way back when. Somewhere there is a photo of one of the Kenworths pulling a huge fir log and the other pushing it down to the beach. Non-articulating...about 15 degrees of front tire steering and the rest was skid-steer. Jim Whitaker has one in his yard in Squamish ( with the other brand name that I can't remember ) Anybody know the full story on these machines?
Sure is! The fellow who owns this one has had it since I believe 1973 if I remember right, he used it to move camps and all kinds of other odd jobs, has a 5th wheel he can rig to the boom to move trailers around. The driveline is essentially the back end of a D6 9U, same steering clutches, with chain drives to the front wheels. The fronts do turn a few degrees... I saw Jim's machine in their yard this winter, it's in a lot worse shape than this thing. His is a Westfall Performer. It has a cable blade on the front of it... I'll see if I can find a picture of it...
A few more pictures...
Oh man, you got the goods there, spitzair. I had pics of Jim's machine, but a hard drive melt down took care of those. When I took my photos it was buried in blackberry bushes. What is the story on that Terex colored skidder?
I have the faintest of memories of riding down the hill with my dad while he wrangled a turn down the hill in one of Harold's Kenworth skidders. The logs went right on to the beach at low tide at Saltery Bay. Here are the only photos I have left of the shoot at Jim Whitaker's place. The only reason they exist is because I printed them off.
I know absolutely nothing about the green skidder other than they used it on a railway job just past my place way back in the late 80s... Next time I'm at home I have to go by there anyhow, I'll see if I can take some more pictures and get a bit more history on it. The steel spar is still there, a lovely collection of 82-30 and 82-40 dozers and a few other neat and wonderful items!
Give me a ring when you go, I live in Vancouver. Mike Pearson 604 212 2004. I've got an ex-Squamish/ex-Whistler buddy/logger...Brian Fitzpatrick...he'd likely tag along too. Do you happen to know if there is any interesting old gear in Port Renfrew...I'll be there in a few days
Hi Scott: Operated a new C-7 Tree Farmer ( Can-Car ) here in BC at Pitt Lake in '69. I'm amazed at the way I can now throw around decades like they were empty beer bottles. We were logging a 'mountain goat show' and used the skidder to pull big logs from a Madill 90 footer down the scenic but scary scar along the mountain side we called a skid road, down to the lake. We would make up a bag boom, fire up the little tow boat, the Edna B, if it wasn't sunk, which it did every now and then. Lucky it was fresh water. Then a slow tow out to the Fraser River where a bigger boat would tie on and we would head back. Always stopping at the Wild Duck Inn for much needed beer and peelers. One trip the skipper forgot about a can of beans in the oven until there was a nasty explosion which blew the door off the oven. Man, those beans were stinging hot! Big clean up. The Madill was a combo of Madill pipe and a big Skagit 2 drum that had muscle jams instead of air jams! Power was a big Turbo'd Cummins 6 inline. Wish I had taken more pics but we were always too damn busy trying to get enough wood in the water. I do have a couple pics but they don't do the memories justice. The yarder was mounted on a big US Army tracked carrier. Twin cab thing, wide and long. Same suspension idea as the M113 armoured personell carrier or the FMC tracked skidder. Torsion bars and 2 foot diameter road wheels etc. Originally the carrier had a Pratt & Whitney radial aircraft engine the slid out on rails for service. Much service no doubt. That got replaced with a Cummins and seemed to work well. The skid road was so steep and the logs so big that we ordered the C-7 with a 4 speed manual New Process tranny, hoping to get much better 'hold back' than the automatic C-7's that we originally had. The automatics had an Allison tranny. I think it was only 2 gears. Not low enough and too high. Had to keep the pedal to the metal to keep the torque converted fully charged or all hold back disappeared. Crazy! We had to put new disc brake pads in the automatic C-7's twice a day. They had double discs but not good enough. If the brakes failed before I got the turn to the beach, I would carefully feather in the winch frictions for braking but used it sparingly but by god that would skid the tires if I really pulled on the winch lever. Which I did when panic would set in. Panic was a constant on that show! We were prepared to put a Jacobs brake on the engine of the manual tranny unit but it had good hold back and we hardly used the brakes coming down the hill. Oddly enough I have no memory of the engine. Either a 6V-53 Jimmy or a 555 Cummins. Perkins were popular units as well. The steering was a half wheel or so linked to a regular push pull valve. Half turn either way. Real simple. Simple is good. The winch was a pathetically outdated and problematic Gear Matic model 19. But it was very easy to release the turn slowly a few inches if the logs were binding against the arch area and preventing a smooth turn on the many switch backs on the skid road. It was a long ways down. For your research: look up Garrett/Tree Farmer. I believe Garrett was the creator of what would later be known as the Tree Farmer. Bit of a falling out with other players I believe. The history of Can Car is interesting and varied but with you living at Thunder Bay are probably aware of this anyway. Hope this helps. Brian
Awesome story Brian...what did you do ...tattoo the details on the back of your hand? Well told.
Mike: That show was so much fun nobody could forget. We flew every Monday at 6 am with Harbor Air from Vancouver to Pitt Lake. The airplane, C-185, would beach about 50 feet from the cook house. When the lake level rose in the spring due to snow melt, we tied it up to the porch and walked straight in for breakfast. Grew our own pot , called it Pitt Lake Gold. Dried it out in the cook house oven, much to the distress of the cook who was a bit of a no fun guy. The pot juice running across the floor would get him going. Fortunately for him we had lots of whisky. Eventually he admitted we were an ok bunch of guys. Flew home to North Van every Friday for some serious partying. Back then beer was cheap and sex was safe. Made life long friends, we still chat. How could I forget? Brian
True enough, Brian...how could you forget stuff like that. Are we fairly certain that the statute of limitations has run out on the Pitt Lake Gold story?...but then again . a good lawyer would argue that it was the Royal use of "we". I've never had a lawyer that was worth a pinch of ****, but I'm pretty sure that Perry Mason would take your case.
Not to worry, sir. I'm confident that he did not inhale. ROFL.
Hi Vigilant: I could have added a lot more but was trying to keep it brief. I 'spose I already failed at that. I should mention we logged out that draw the old timers couldn't get to. Our technology was better. Nobody was hurt or killed. As much luck as skill. Water skied on the lake after work many times. Fished for sturgeon and caught two monsters, about 300 pounds and released them of course. Used barbless hooks. Hunted mountain goats up behind where we were logging. Got one big old billy. Very tasty. Taught the old cook, an Englishman who was in the Royal Navy during WW2 how to make GOOD apple pie to offset his steady menu of boiled or burnt meat, mushy potatoes and mushy green beans. One of the best logging or perhaps life experiences a guy could ever hope to have. Pot issues aren't as critical in Canada as where you live, esp. back then. We have a catch and release policy. A number of your states are ahead of us with sensible legislation re: possession and growing for personal use. Your medical pot dispensaries are an enlightened idea, but Obama is too gutless to put the Feds on side. Putting people in jail for using a drug other than tobacco or alcohol really defies all that democracy and the US and Canadian Constitution stands for. The status quo, IE: 'the (failed) war on drugs' has sadly now become part of our culture. Al Capone dreaded the end of prohibition. "I'll be out of business.' he ruefully commented one time to a newspaper reporter. Organized drug crime is now part of government. Too bad Mr. Capone missed this golden era. Did you know he operated the first soup kitchen in Chicago during the depression? Yes I believe Perry Mason would take my case. Bill Clinton, yes that Bill, the best Pres. you guys ever had, once admitted to smoking pot in university, but said he didn't exhale! LOL As long as I could resist blurting out a full court room confession, I'm sure I'd get off. Brian
Brian, you could take your Pitt Lake stories and turn them into a script that would look like the old TV series M*A*S*H*....a little bit of logging, some hair raising rides down the switchbacks, pot cultivation instead of the gin still, water skiing ( behind a crew-boat, I would imagine...very Apocalypse Now ), card playing......professional gamblers cruising the various camps..losing your paycheck on a bad hand. Did you have any go-go girls brought in?...we're gonna need go-go girls.
Hi Derelict: No 'go go' girls. We were usually so dissipated from the weekend activities that sex wasn't on our minds at work. Well not until about Wednesday anyway. I'm glossing over the reality that this was a very challenging and dangerous job. Many old loggers said it couldn't be done safely or profitably. Long solid rock trail to be blasted into the mountain. Steep, broken ground, big wood and the lake tow to the Fraser. All major hurdles. We had lunch with death every day. I think death decided to give us a break. Like the time the Canary, (the guy blowing up rocky bumps on the skid trail) didn't warn us he would be working that day. I was passing over a jagged rock which blew up under the skidder. Wow! I was in limbo mentally for 30 seconds. Lucky it was on the only flat stretch of trail as the skidder rolled to a stop. My ears weren't ringing as much as they just quit working. Got a slight nose bleed. He had just lit the fuse when a black bear chased him down the road, away from me. I didn't see any of this. Apart from a serious sand blasting and a few slight dents on the belly covers, not even a flat tire! It was only half a stick of 40%. No big deal. There were no crummies. Only a skidder could get up and down that steep, shot rock road on a regular basis. We made a couple of benches that simply hung on the skidder blades. The crew jumped on and away we went. Serious injury we didn't want to think about but it was possible to lay someone on the narrow bench but would have to tie him down securely. Death is not so problematic.
Good one, I forgot all about going to work, heading up the hill riding on the skidder push-blade. Way better than having to hoof it up. Chainsaws and spare parts carried in by the winch and log guards. Obviously your lucky day when you ran over the dynamite. Is lucky the right word? You were ahead of your time, decades before soldiers were running over IED's in Iraq and such places...you were getting your licks in with your own armoured vehicle. Are you sure that the Canary was on your side?
Oh yeah! You got it. Dragging the fuel wagon all the way up to the yarder and hand pumping 3 to 5 hundred gallons was fun too. Looking back, with the benefit of time-filters, it was all fun. LOL
Yeah he was one our side. He was sure apologetic. I told him I would have run from the bear as well, so no worries. Poop happens. He told me he ran down hill as he heard bears aren't as fast running down hill. Lucky the bear was feeling lazy is all that saved him.
I was picking on you about the reefer, Brian. And we can agree to disagree about Clinton. I do envy you for the times you had, and I appreciate the memories you share with us. I was still just a bit too young to get a logger's paycheck when my dad was transferred from Vail to North Carolina with Weyco in '72. I spent a couple years in the North Carolina woods, but it just wasn't the same. I loved those 240,000 acres at Vail with all my heart, and the woods of eastern North Carolina did not even make a half-assed placebo.
Hi Vigilant: If that's your idea of 'picking' you will never be anything but a gentleman. I'm still working on that but only now and then. As far as Clinton goes, I just assumed most Americans liked him. I think he would still be pres. if it wasn't for the 2 term limit. I worked for Weyco when I was 21. My first logging job. I had just done 4 years in a steel mill and needed some fresh air. We were logging a mile or so off Lake Superior out of Sault Ste. Marie Ontario. Too much fun! Good grief, they were patient with me! I would get fired once a month for about a year but was always called back. Finally I settled down, sort of. Good company to work for. Well that was my take on them. I can understand your regrets at leaving the Rockies for flat N.C. but I've found it is the people who make it all worth while no matter where I am. So move back to Vail. No biggie. Have another adventure. Lash your stereo speakers to the roof of the car, forget the other stuff and head out. The other stuff is mere detail. Just do it. Never let them grind you down.
Vail, WA, not Vail, Colorado. They have pretty much gutted it as far as the shops/offices. Laid off pretty much all the loggers except for road maintenance, from what I hear. I believe they contract all the logging out to Gyppos now, which is good for the little guy, but it's still not the same. It would never be like it was. I couldn't go back. And with politics in Washington State as they are now, I have no desire. The people wouldn't be the same either. I have about 10 years in with the State on North Carolina now, and I'm planning on riding it out until retirement.
Hi Vigilant: Yeah I can tell your from Washington State. You gave yourself away with the term "gyppo.' A Canadian term. Washington State is definitely one of the most progressive states in the Union. Now that you mention it, I have to tell you that you came within a blink of being Canadian. Washington State as we know it today was at one time part of the Hudson's Bay Company and therefore part of what was to become Canada. That's why there is a Vancouver Washington! Oh, don't get me going. Well, I guess I don't need to mention how incredibly stupid the English are. Got doubts? Well check this out! Besides throwing away a large part of Asia, known as India and other areas, they completely screwed up the 13 colonies. N. Carolina being but one. Then due to their arrogance and mind boggling stupidity decided to tax the English pioneers in the colonies to the point of rebellion. So, jumping ahead a few thousand lives, after the war of independence, about 1777. Some 50 years later, still not getting it, the English decide to further torture their ex-comrades who now call themselves Americans by attacking American ships on the high seas, ( if I have to explain this term I truly give up on your education system ) on the pretext of looking for AWOL English sailors. ( who could blame anyone for going AWOL from the British Navy? ) So the fledgeling Americans decided to declare war on Canada. Thomas Jefferson, ( I refuse to explain who this slave lover was ) who mused "....it would only be a matter of marching" , was one of the signatories to the American Constitution which set in stone that America was not exclusively a Christian country. Hello Pallin and other morons. Ever wonder why the White House is white? We burned it twice during this unfortunate period. It was painted white to cover up the fire damage. Trust me, I could go on. But I will leave you with this: America did not win the War of 1812. Neither did we. Vietnam was not the first war America lost. But Canada did lose Upper Michigan and Washington State, a lot of New York and Maine and about 200 miles south of the present border due to the incredible stupidity and short sightedness of England. I'm not even going to mention the Treaty of Paris which saw America, at Tom Jefferson's urging, buy the last of the French connection in N. America, known as the Louisiana Purchase, which incredibly was every thing West of the Mississippi! Yeah, EVERYTHING! Louisiana Cajun? Means Canadian. Whoa Kemo Sabe! When I tell you that Captain Cook, at Chief Kamehameha (SIC) urging wanted to be part of what was then the British empire, but the goddam stupid Brits said no, I hope you wont be thinking I'm pissed. Of course I am! Anytime you are in the area and would like to say hello is fine by me. Be prepared to get wrecked. So your thinking what's my point? My point is there should be no Canada. We are nothing but spoilers and should not be. When one goes into a government building in Canada, one sees the Queen of England's picture! Yeah, she is the leader of Canada. I want to barf on my shoes. So when I wax long about American politics, trust me, I'm wishin' things would have worked out as they should have! Brian
I'll bet you have at least one of those Canadian $20 bills with the Queen's bra strap showing, eh? No time to comment in detail now, but rest assured, I will share some thoughts. Let it suffice to say that back in the day, I suspect you and I would have gotten along quite well.
Hi Vigilant: Glad to know you have taken my unsolicited instructions as only a gentleman would. Thank you for your patience with me. No doubt I've had many $20 notes with Queenie's bra strap showing. I never had them long enough to notice. Also it has been said that if one looked carefully, the devil's face could be seen in her hair-do. Somebody must have gotten some bad rye bread. Yes I'm sure we could share a laff or two. I'll get digging into my photos one day ( when I'm feeling strong enough. Too many memories. )and send you a few of the Pitt Lake show. I have only a few and of those, perhaps only 1 is illustrative of the size of some of the logs. It will be of the C-7 at the beach on the flat. Once I got off the steep trail, the machine could not pull the log as it was too heavy for the sandy beach and dug in. I just pushed it into the lake right there and the dozer boat took it away to the bag boom. It was a flawless Western Red Cedar, bucked for grade at less than 40' long and about 10 feet at the butt. That log today would be worth about 30 to 40 thousand dollars. It would not be cut into lumber. Been good talking to you. Stay safe. Brian
My parents took us kids to Vancouver Island back in about 1970. Had a great time. Stayed at a place called Lord Jim's Lodge part of the time. Went to the Chinese Village Restaurant, which we heard was a favorite of Sebastian Cabot. Mom & Dad got each of us kids a brand spanking new $20 with the Queen's bra strap showing. I still have mine in the gun safe. IIRC, the last part of the way up to Sayward back then was a gravel road. I bothered the heck out of my father, trying to get him to take us up there to see some REAL logging. Unfortunately, my efforts at nagging were unsuccessful.
Hi Vigilant: Hang onto that $20 bill as it may be worth at least that much one day. LOL Lord Jim's is, I believe still there. I don't get to the island much anymore. My gal hates ferries and lineups. Come to think of it, so do I! I'm building an experimental kit plane, a Zenair 750 which will eventually be on floats. I'm planning to see a lot more of 'the island' again if I ever get this thing finished. Slow progress. I keep making changes. Yes back then there was great opportunity to see 'real' logging just by driving from Sayward to Port Hardy. The highway was the logging road! Cars and buses would drive thru the landing where the yarder was rigged up. I remember having to wait while a turn of logs came flying up to the landing and dropped 100 feet ahead on the road! The chaser jumping around and lots of whistles. The heel boom cable loader with a grapple big enough to grab a 6' diameter log, usually back then a 7220 American shovel rigged up with elevated cab, heel boom and snorkel would throw the logs onto an off-highway truck or just deck 'em. The activities would pause long enough to allow us thru. The trucks were custom built Hayes or Pacific. I think they were built in Vancouver. They were so overbuilt, designed for 100 ton loads that some are still hauling after 40 years. Of course the makers went broke. Today and for 35 years or so their is a new, paved road from Sayward to Hardy Took all the fun out of the drive. Sayward is not far from Kelsey Bay where MacMillan Bloedel had their camp, shops and log dump. Weyco bought M&B about 20 years ago.
Cat 525 with swing grapple feeding Tigercat H855C in Southeast BC.
Hi sleddr: I always liked the Cat 518 wheel skidder. Any thing CAT usually ran well. My only issue was the braking system. I thought it was a bit too complicated. Air compressor for air over hydraulic disc brakes. The brakes were mounted out board where mud and logs could give them a bad time. Maybe the newer units have a simpler, inboard system. All in all a dependable, sturdy log getter in my opinion.
Vancouver Island field logging skidder....Anybody know what make it is...and when it would have been built? Looks to be powered by a Ford diesel. video is here... http://youtu.be/trv5Swmjxuc
Looks like an old Tree Farmer. (C3?) Note it has "stays" painted on the front. I'll bet this is one the owner didn't want the scrap dealer to take.
Brand new 848H (230 hrs) with training wheels and a 748 GIII. Another shot of the 848. This thing will go anywhere. Aside from the duals it has 2 foot extensions welded on the grapple. Almost half a truckload to a drag.
Hi Derelict: I figure that old skidder is a Garrett/Tree Farmer. Probably a C-5 or maybe a C-6. The arch assembly looks like Garrett. The winch is probably Carco. I never had anything to do with that type of winch. Probably a good thing for me! As I recall, the operator stashed an axe beside the winch which was used to tap the friction discs on the side of the winch so it would free spool easily. Real hi- tech! Notice the flimsy canopy. Not a certified ROPS that's for sure. After a few fatalities due to roll overs, the heavy duty ROPS was mandatory. I remember when the ROPS first came on the scene. Great idea. The engine is a Ford and it might even be a gasoline engine! If so, this is one of the earliest Tree Farmers. Probably not newer than 1965 or 70. Some of the first Timber Jacks used a ford 6 cylinder. Tree Farmer may have offered this as well but I never saw one. I worked next to a Timber Jack with a Ford gas engine when when logging for Weyerhauser in 1964 out of Sault Ontario on the north shore of Gitchygoomy. Lucky for me I was operating a Clark 665. The guys would tamper with the engine governor on the Ford engine to get more speed. I can still see that Timber Jack snorting along the skid trail with a drag, the engine screaming like a Formula 1 engine. The operator was a guy named Tom so we soon called him Timber Tom. He missed a turn on the skid trail one day, with a drag and ended up in a lake. When I say that thing could haul, I'm not kidding! It was scary. Tom would bend the brake pedal trying to avert disaster. The logs were floating and the water was nearly over the hood. It was a hot day so Tom used the cab as a diving platform and did a bit of swimming. I was able to snare one of his logs and winched him out. An hour later he was making dust again. One last word about Tom: the no-see-ums, a tiny fly with an atomic bite, would attack his beer belly when he was sleeping on his back with the covers thrown off in the hot bunkhouse. His belly would be as red as a stop sign in the morning. Another memory I wish I could forget. I bet all that old skidder would need is a battery and a tune up. Just throw a set of chains on those California snow grips and it'll be pulling wood again.
Old rusty skidder on nothern Vancouver Island
Hi Hayesno1: That old skidder is a Timber Jack. I only am familiar with the 404 model and I don't think this is that model. But I could be wrong. Notice there is no access from the right side. Left only. I think this unit is an old timer as the on side access units were built way back in the 60's or mid 70's I believe. If anyone else has better info I would like to hear. I expect this unit had a 4-53 Jimmy for power and the 2 speed Allison tranny and Eaton axles. Very sturdy drive train. It may have the dreaded Carco winch. The Hercules winch was common on newer models. I think. Anyway, it was a much better winch for a skidder as it was geared higher and free spooled more readily.
Hi guys, we run a logging company down here in New Zealand and have 3 skidders, a Timberjack 460c, a 668 Ranger and a CAT D5H TSK2 which causing us no end of trouble, the winch (CAT54) has been into the local CAT dealer twice to be repaired and is still not operating correctly, I bought a service manual but it doesn't cover the winch. Anyone able to shed any light on where we could get one? (preferably on cd) Thanks in advance.
Hi Woodworks: I have no experience with Cat skidder winches. But I have no end of respect for the Clark winch. You have a Clark 668. I have owned a total of 9 Clark skidders and 2 Fmc skidders. The FMC had the Clark winch. Only had a problem with 2 of these winches and it was easily and permanently fixed. I'm expecting your experience with the Clark winch has been good. Just don't slip 'em. The friction discs will over heat and bad things happen. What I'm getting at is: why don't you put a Clark winch on the Cat skidder. A friend put a Clark winch on his John Deere skidder, can't remember the model but it was a big unit and an easy swap. The Clark has a 'live' input drive shaft requirement and I figure the Cat may be the same. Just a matter of alignment, the u-joints can take a bit of angle. Four big bolts hold the Clark in place. It uses charge pump pressure from the tranny, about 250 psi to engage the clutch pack on the drive line and to operate the free spool piston. No holding brake. The winch 'in' friction discs double as the holding brake due to a directional spragg on the pinion gear. Too simple to believe. Have you ever had a problem with oil getting from the crown gear and pinion onto the friction discs in the drum on the Clark winch? I have a cure that worked for me.
Thanks for your advice Fitzpatrick, I'm really just after either a stand alone service manual or a supplement to the service manual we have for the skidder. Been out and bought the pressure testing equipment but once we have found the issue it would be nice to have the correct information or how to fix it. Yes the Clark winch is a great piece of kit which has never let us down!
some more old iron
Hi Greatwestcam: I suppose you'll have that JD grapple skidder ready to go by morning, eh? LOL
Fitzpatrick, maybe you could answer a question about a Clark winch? It sounds like you have had a lot of experience with them. Ours is on a Clark skidder and when you start it in the mornings the winch will wind in 4 to 6 feet, then stop. This happens no matter what position the control lever is set at. We have changed the control lever but that hasn't changed the problem. Other than that it works great wouldn't trade it for anything. Not a huge problem just have to remember to leave the drumline slack at night.
Hi Ig junior: Re: Clark winch. I would check the charge pump pressure. The pressure when engine is idling is important. ........The pressure at idle should not change much whether the oil is hot or cold......... Check the values in your manual. You should know these numbers at any rate. The charge pumps do wear out. If pressures are good then you will need to pull the clutch pack at the pinion. I believe this can be done without pulling the winch. There is a small disc brake at the clutch pack that is supposed to stop the pinion from slowly turning when control is in the free spool position. The pinion clutch pack is wet with tranny oil and the fast spinning live winch shaft will create a bit of friction between the released drive discs, causing the winch to wind in when you want to pull out line as in free spool setting. The winch drum discs are dry. Perhaps the disc brake is worn and not gripping fast enough to stop pinion from turning or maybe the Charge Pump is a bit Worn and lazy at start up but gets with the program after a few minutes. Remember there is a live drive shaft which always turns no matter what is required of the winch. So even tho you have the control set in the 'hold' position at start up, or release position, the shaft will be turning and if the disc brake on the clutch pack is worn or slow to activate due to low charge pressure at idle, the winch drum will wind in. Now, after saying all that, there could be an issue with the control valve. You have indicated this has been changed out. If at start up, the winch is winding in with great force, there is a problem with the control valve. I found those valves to be tricky. I had this problem on a new FMC one time. The valve was sending the wrong signal and the pinion clutch pack was fully energized and burned out the pinion disc brake and the clutch pack . This would happen intermittantly and once the bull hook got jammed in the winch housing. I have seen a split housing due to this! I had to tear the pinion clutch pack down and replace the clutch pack and pinion disc unit as they were cooked from slipping. The paint on the pinion housing had turned color from the heat! You might want to see if yours has done so. The valves my units had were a 2 piece spool. The outer spool was connected solid to the control lever while the inner spool was free to shuttle back and forth being pushed by charge pump oil pressure. I found that by simply disassembling the control valve and then re-assembling, the problem was solved! I could not see any scratches or whatever with the spools. Go figure! So I think the charge pump pressure at idle needs to be determined, especially at start up. Then look at the disc brake on the clutch pack. The pad and disc need to look good. There should be a filter on the charge pump. Might want to change it. Don't worry about the gold flakes in the filter. That's normal tranny clutch pack wear. So if at start up the winch is winding in with no real power, easy to stop it, then the disc brake at the pinion is not energizing as quick as it should. Funny it only does this at startup. But anyway that's my take on it. I hope this steers you in the right direction. There actually is nothing more that could be the problem. I should add that I quit using the ATF fluid and switched to 10-30 engine oil. The ATF gives consistent viscosity over a wide range of temperature, especially at the low end it stays about 10 weight. This prevents clutch packs from burning out on cold days at startup when regular oil is thick. The temperature in Oregon is much like here. Not really cold but cold enough some days to warrant the ATF at startup. The MIL Specs. for the Clark tranny has a temp. range chart and what weight of engine oil to use for different temps. The MIL specs state single viscosity oil but I went for the multi weight to cover the odd cold day and I never had a problem. I use it in my Ford F350 C-6 tranny. No problem. The 10-30 is good for your location unless you're high on a mountain in the winter, say minus 20 in your temperature scale. I never had another torque converter bearing failure with the 10-30 as I believe at the higher ambient temps we get in summer this oil offered more lubrication under hot and heavy load conditions. Hope this helps.
lg junor: just to add to what Fitzpatrick has said; I dont know what model you have but the 668C pinion clutch can not be accessed with the winch in the machine. Sounds like a pain but it is quick to pull out. Before doing this though check the pressures to the pinion clutch and brake. If good pull the winch. Check the pinion brake before the clutch. This is on the front left side of the winch as it sits in the machine (beside the pinion clutch). My bet is the brake diaphram is cracked. This is a common problem with these units and happens when they get old. You can get replacement diaphrams.
Woodworks; where abouts are you? Has your operator been using the free spool on the which when loaded?
fitzpatrick; thanks for information. I have very little knowledge of skidders. I have driven an old one way back in Y2000. No steering wheel - it was like driving a tank. I'll have to find pictures of that old skidder.
Hi furpo We are in central hawkes bay, no the operator has not been using the free spool when winch is loaded, we had the winch fully stripped and anything needing work redone at goughs but it did not last long, when you winch in the drum takes up the slack starts to load up then slips and wont reel in. We are not prepared to take any more of our gear to shops to get worked on by learners anymore and pay a huge price for a repair that does not last. We now have our own service truck and carry out our own repairs. We found the supplement for our workshop manual that covers the CAT 54, 55 & 56 winch, for others who require the same info call Goughs and the serial no. is SENR3554 and it costs NZ$40.00. If you dont have this number goughs wont be able to find the supplement. Furpo if you know anything about our issue we would be most grateful for a point in the right direction. Cheers Dave
Hi Woodworks: Now that you are going to be doing most of your repairs you will find that things get fixed faster and better. Oh yeah...and for a lot less money! In desperation I taught myself to weld and learn how to read a repair manual. I never again had to give the mechanic hell. I understood only too well he (me) was an idiot anyway. Eventually I had built up such a great shop truck that I would get hired out to fix other peoples stuff. I enjoyed that. Good luck with the winch. Let us know what you found.
Fitzpatrick and Furpo: Thank you for your information and guidance. That will save me a lot of searching and unneeded aggravation. There is no substitute for experience and I can't thank you enough for your help.
Here another skidder - a Kenworth skidder i found this summer. I was told they were no good and they are pretty seldom.
Nice, I gotta find someone in my family who might have photos of my uncles two Kenworth skidders from the 60's. Has anyone seen one of these things running or restored lately?
Skadill has a collection of photos of the same rig...I went looking for videos of running KW skidders and found it. http://youtu.be/sGxLYdIAeIg
2 older Timberjack forwarders converted to clambunks - originally from Quesnel.
Don't know about those being conversions as Timberjack used to sell those complete. Herman Bros. used them in the Port Angeles area for years.
Not the best picture, but local contractor just purchased a brand new Tigercat 635D. Machine is skidding more than a Cat 545 and Cat 525 combined. The ol Tigercat 855 processor is having to work now!!
whats hidden in the bushes?
Im going out on a limb here... A Caterpillar 330DFM? Shovel logger?
Eco Log's timberjack 450
Hey Boardbysled: Looks like you are doing some thinning? The only Timberjack I ever operated was your model the 450. I was really impressed with it's performance and ergonomics. Esp. liked the ease of getting in or out as it is a bit closer to the ground than the Clark 667 or esp. the FMC. We did a small contract on the west coast of Vancouver Island a few years ago and had a 450. It was a real performer. All four tires were loaded and we had Trygg chains on all four. With the back tires loaded and chained up all around like your machine, it could back up a steep slope like it was going forward. The seat belt was needed to keep from falling out over the hood it could back up so steeply! Used the blade as a stabilizer. Sound familiar? LOL Looks like you just changed that left front tire with the spare. I had to change a 24.5 x 32? in the bush one time as we were up coast doing a gyppo show. Camp was a tent by a salmon stream. We hooked the 'squeeze and shout' to the skidder battery. We were stylin'! That's as gyppo as it gets. The tire exploded as I was pulling a turn to the beach. Blew my hard hat off. What next I thought. Anyway, had to get a Beaver float plane to take me to town, arranged a spare tire but couldn't get a rim. Canada eh? Oh Boy! So I aired up the tube in the spare, rolled it into the ocean at Heriot Bay BC and hired a hippie and his 'free-love' boat to drag the tire about 15 miles. It took a long time for that 3 cylinder East Hope engine to get us to Maurelle island. By the time I left the boat I was wearing Pukka beads, groovin' and had a new perspective on life. This started out as a tire story. Pardon the much edited flash back. So there I was with nothing but several long tire irons, a large sledge hammer, a foot operated, heavy duty air pump and a tire guage. The bead was certainly off the rim on the blown tire but that was the only easy part. It took my chum and I about 6 hours to get the blown tire off the rim and the new one on. Do I need to mention it was a lot of effort? Pumping the new tire to about 20 pounds or so of air pressure was really not a lot of fun. It took about 4 hours and the hose got so hot it blew off the pump several times. But we got it done and were soon enough back logging. After that I always had a rimmed up spare at the ready. Hope ur havin' fun.
I love hearing old logging stories like that! Luckly I didn't have to work on this machine, I'm more on the administrative side. This machines primarily used for getting corners that its not worth to set the tower up for and moving the yarder. It's a pretty small thinning operation in a 30 year old stand, but with pulp prices the way they are right now, it'll probably be the only commercial thinning we do this year.
well actually Brian, we imposed taxes to help pay for YOUR defence against the marauding French, much like we repaid you for your assistance in WW2, we also told you not to touch the Indian territories
I tried to drive a Timberjack once, but couldn't. Somebody stole the steering wheel. :crying:
[QUOTEIt took my chum and I about 6 hours to get the blown tire off the rim and the new one on. Do I need to mention it was a lot of effort? Pumping the new tire to about 20 pounds or so of air pressure was really not a lot of fun. It took about 4 hours and the hose got so hot it blew off the pump several times. But we got it done and were soon enough back logging. After that I always had a rimmed up spare at the ready. Hope ur havin' fun.[/QUOTE] Please believe me when I say that I mean no offense, but I sure would give almost anything to see even a small clip of this six hour adventure. I can feel my sides hurting right now from laughing so hard :lmao just at the language I can imagine was being used:cussing, let alone the obvious lack of anything resembling proper technique. Hells bells, four hours working that foot pump would have been one exhausting work-out in and of itself! My hats off to you for persevering, fitzpatrick.:thumbsup
Richard: I know you know better. The facts speak for themselves. But I accept your comment and respect it. However, I doubt very much that the kind of arrogant stupidity and short sightedness that brought about England's loss of the 13 colonies and the creation or should I say the evolution of America, would have happened if you were at the helm back then. Yes it is true what you say about the 'Indian Territories'. The aboriginals were deceived. But they gave their best shot at protecting the newly acquired English lands in the hope that the French, who treated them poorly, would not be victorious. In spite of the overwhelming sanctimony of the English, the English were quite willing for whatever reasons ( we all have some ideas on this ) to treat the aboriginals in a more equitable fashion than the French. Maybe the English were beginning to understand that treating people fairly in this far flung land mass made more sense than beating them up. Or it may have simply been profit from furs and the mapping of a new and vast land which flowed from that. The beaver, a large rodent created Canada thanks to the Hudson's Bay Company. Distances and the time to communicate and physically travel those great distances must have begun to shape the thinking behind English attitudes as connected to what we would call diplomacy. It was those very distances and the difficulties to defend the disputed areas that saw Washington State and portions of other states ceded to the newly minted Americans which was the result of the unfortunate war of 1812. I believe it was the Kaiser of Germany who had the final word on the Canada US boundary. Politics again. Go with a winner. I have wrestled with the arrogance of the English, wondering how could they have been so stupid, knowing full well they are not. Well, stupidity is a human thing and not something the English have exclusive rights to. We humans are all guilty of it. I think it goes with being human. Too much brain but not enough wisdom. Brains we are born with. Wisdom comes from using the brain. Using the brain opens the door to many mistakes but that will lead to experience and sometimes wisdom. Hopefully! I realize you guys paid us and the Americans ( rightfully so the Yanks forgave a large portion of the loans ) back for our expenses at having you initially protect us from bad things for our assistance during the second period of unpleasantness. If I may be allowed to digress: I wonder if the profits accrued by U.S. and other industry was factored into the pay back. I suppose not in a Capitalistic world. Fair enough. Just like you were paid back by Germany for the 1st world war as under the draconian and punitive terms of the Versaille Treaty which ended that war. Ironically it was these terms which, arguably brought about the 2nd world war with Germany. The legal rise, however brutal of that madman, Hitler to Chancellor, certainly put Germany and the world in great peril once again. I think it not necessary to mention the fact that England declared war on Germany in 1914 and 1939. Something about a trade imbalance? Well, whatever, Germany is on top again so I'm probably off the mark by a long ways. I need to stop this response here, Richard my friend, simply because fighting the 1st and 2nd world wars over again from our cozy vantage point will change anything materially but may succeed in alienating friends and allies. Meaning: you and me! A bad outcome and not necessary. There are a lot of ironies in the relationship with Germany, England and the rest of the world as evidenced in history. In closing let me say I'm relieved the Germans are once again on our side. Those guys are tough! PS He's an old man now and all the best wishes wont save him, but best of luck to Prince Phillip. PS again: Seems to me I read somewhere the English as they were pushing off for England about 1778, warned their ex-pat cousins and brothers, the Americans, to stay away from slavery.
Please believe me when I say that I mean no offense, but I sure would give almost anything to see even a small clip of this six hour adventure. I can feel my sides hurting right now from laughing so hard :lmao just at the language I can imagine was being used:cussing, let alone the obvious lack of anything resembling proper technique. Hells bells, four hours working that foot pump would have been one exhausting work-out in and of itself! My hats off to you for persevering, fitzpatrick.:thumbsup[/QUOTE]
Please believe me when I say that I mean no offense, but I sure would give almost anything to see even a small clip of this six hour adventure. I can feel my sides hurting right now from laughing so hard :lmao just at the language I can imagine was being used:cussing, let alone the obvious lack of anything resembling proper technique. Hells bells, four hours working that foot pump would have been one exhausting work-out in and of itself! My hats off to you for persevering, fitzpatrick.:thumbsup[/QUOTE] Hi Tireman: Oh honestly, I wish I could have been a bug on a stump instead of doing what we had to do that day. I bought the foot operated air pump as I thought, wrongly it turned out, that foot pumping would be easier than arm. At least with arm one's balance is easier to maintain. For a while I would sit on the pump edal and just sit up and down when my lega were too sore. Nonetheless, it was never easy. The task was so daunting, fortunately we had some shade trees, that I don't remember cussing a lot. Too out of breath. Every time the hose would blow off from the hot compreesed air, we would have to cut off the mushy part and re-connect. The hose was nearly too short by the time we got the tire aired up. For several days It seemed I was walking with weight lifters legs. They didn't feel like mine. We had to keep going 'till it looked right. Oh Boy! I'm sure you with your tire experience would have had a much easier time of it. Ahh to be young again.
Hi Vigilant: I think ur puttin' me on. The early Jacks had no steering wheel. Just a lever at ur right hand. Ahead for left, back for right. Not a bad system but the wheel does give one something to brace one's self with. A lot of bracing is needed when operating a wheel skidder. The Clark skidders had a short lever beside the seat, down low at the right of the seat in a comfy position. There is a panic bar for bracing with left hand but right and left feet acted as braces as well so it was actually quite comfortable to operate even tho it did not have a steering wheel.
Hi Richard: I responded but forgot to reply with quote. I'll never get on to this computer stuff.
Yes, I was fibbin' a bit. I haven't worked in the woods for years. The only Timberjacks I operated were the old 225, 235, 245, etc. models, with screaming Detroits. I actually liked 'em better than the Franklins. Those were the only makes/models I recall operating. I mostly ran a saw. Acuually, it was just a test to see if you could see the screen through the smoke from the bong.
Yeah, I figured it was a test. LOL
you must have a pretty blinkered view if you think that Britain is the villian of the peace over WW1/2 with all the arrogance who has "occupied" other countries throughout, just cast your mind back over what has gone on in the last 70 years - or is that alright in your book, Hollywood even made films about them....tell you what, NOW lets leave it there, shall we.
Richardjw: Excellent points. My real frustration is knowing what a huge price so many brave young English and Irishmen paid while fighting wars for England and what the average Englishman expected of his country and the 13 colonies back in the day. The greatest prize the English ever had was North America. The colonies were a running start to what would have become the greatest country the world would ever know. I am sure that if the average bloke on the streets of London back in the 1700's really knew what was going on with the government and it's policies relative to 'the new land' there would have been rioting. The fallout caused by a bit of bad government undid a lot of the great achievements of Drake, Cook, Vancouver and hard working statesmen who had the courage and tenacity to dream of building a fair and just empire. Maddening for me to learn of all the blood, sweat and tears put into this evaporate like a puff of smoke. Wishing you and all Brits well.
Brian: Based on what I have read in your posts, there is no doubt in my mind that you are the real deal: An old-school logger who paid his dues in the woods. What surprises me is, that when I read other posts, like the one above, you sound more like a PHD History grad. So I'm curious: Did you spend some time in college as well? Inquiring minds want to know.
Hi Vigilant: You flatter me! I failed grade 1. I swear the only reason I got out of grade 3 was because the teacher told me my dad was catching up. That spurred me to buckle down! I failed grade 9 and finally dropped out in grade 10. I can read and write so all was not lost. Thanks for the consideration. Made my day.
Several pages back in the KW 848 thread, I shared a few childhood expreiences I had in school, including my two expriences with the "Board of Education". Pretty funny stuff.
Thanks. I'll take a look. B
Posts 125-127, on Page 9. Might also want to check out the beautiful old chain drive KW 888 on Page 15.
Hi Vigilant: Yeah just saw the 888. Knew a guy used to drive one. Still several rusting away in the Charlottes. Too bad they're not in a museum. Been really enjoying all this truck stuff. Didn't get to do enough log hauling. Oh well, next time. I have to push away from the computer for now. I have to keep working on my plane and it's already 10:30am. Got a new engine coming in a week or so. Great posts. Almost as good as being there. Earth First! Log the other planets later. LOL
DerelictTexture Looks like a Can Car Tree Farmer C3B,4B or 5B but, with a Ford engine likely a C4B. Manufactured in what is now Thunder Bay, Ontario during the early part of 1964 - 68 under licence from Garrett. The round tube arch was replaced with a flat iron fabricated structure on later versions. Looks like a Braden mechanical winch which was common to C5B's but they had DD 3-53 diesels. Scott
Hi SBeange: Thanks for this. My memory is getting a bit fuzzy. Sounds like you got it figured. Glad to know you identified the winch as a Braden. I kept thinking Carco but was never completely certain. This is the winch that had exposed clutch discs that the operator would tap with an axe to loosen them for easy free spool. Those were the days! LOL
A skidder an cat from N. Idaho, both cable machines and both being actively used.
Hi SBeange: It seems to me you must have first hand knowledge of the Can-Car factory and the Tree Farmer skidder made at Thunder Bay. Care to share? Brian
Hi Boardbysled: That Idaho country sure looks like ideal logging country for skidders and other ground hoggers. I may take a road trip this winter into Idaho to chat with the 'natives' along the Columbia about how their Sturgeon enhancement program is doing. Those guys are doing great work with the sturgeon. We do catch and release of sturgeon on the Fraser. A 1300 pounder was caught a month or so ago. Nice to see there yet some big old brutes. He was sent back of course. A skidder with straw line would be just right for haulin' in that old boy. Must have been shift work on the rod. Some of the best skidding times for me was selective logging with a D-6 Cat with a pony arch. Chug, chug, chug. Not so fast as to knock the crap out of me and the Cat could go pretty near anywhere it had to. It wasn't 'till I got my first FMC choker machine that I could cruise over hill and dale, slash and logs without worrying about getting hung up or unable to climb a hill just like on the D-6. The FMC was smooth with the torsion bar suspension but the Cat was good, albeit a fair bit slower. The D-6 couldn't pull as much as the FMC but, hey, the boss was happy as long as we did as much as we could with what we had. Good philosophy in a general sense as well. I see the Cat skidder has two winches. The tall arch with extra fairlead rollers was my clue. We here in Canuck Land would call that extra winch a 'pimp winch' as it is used to pick up the strays along the skid trail. Who comes up with this stuff? LOL! I would guess that if you got that skidder totally wooded up it would be strictly downhill skidding with the landing and a wheel loader close by. Is that pimp winch belt driven or hydraulic? If it is a gear driven unit I would be surprised. Gear drive is the best if one can get it. Belts slip and fly off and hydraulic is not very powerful without sacrificing speed. Send me more of this. I need to keep poking my memory. Use it or lose it. Brian
Thanks Fitzpatrick. I don't think ill be visiting this side again to gather any details, but am taking a trip to another side tomorrow morning, with both a skidder and a yoader. I can tell you what, these Idaho logging sides are the dustiest I have ever seen. 4-6" of light fluffy dust almost the consistency of flour in places in the logging roads! Wouldn't be fun if there was any amount of rain. They definitely do it differently here in Idaho, small jammer logging, some use tongs instead of chokers. Biggest yarder you see around is a converted link belt ls98 or a long parked Skagit 444. I know I have always heard a "pimp" referred to as the young guy that helps the hook tender on a tower side. Logging terminology is definitely a funny thing, its even funnier watching people with no experience around logging trying to learn the lingo, terminology, and methods.
Are you anywhere near Headquarters, ID by chance?
Negative. In the Moscow area.
Hmmmmm. What do I see? Older Cat D-7? Thick dust. Re-gen forest. Mostly Fir. Gently rolling hills. Easy logging. Could be Idaho.
All of the above is correct. Sometimes my picture taking abilities and skills are lacking.
Truth be known, it was my trusty pal Tonto who figured out the signs. I could offer nothing different.
Cat 527 with a swing boom grapple feeding a JD 848H.
that is a good size turn behind that cat on that hilll i would assume that the 848 could pull three of those bunches on the flatter ground in the open!! nice pics thanks for sharing.....theironoracle
Yeah, that 848 can pull whatever he can get in the grapple, uphill, downhill or sideways.
Lone skidder in the upcoming ritchie sale. Hard to say where it will a new life..
What kind of set up does it have on the back? A live arch or some kind of farmer three point hitch?
Is the grapple closed around a pin or other hard point to keep it tucked away from swinging around? Maybe BDFT has it figured correctly as a three point hitch set up? I don't have much experience with grapple skidders. Brian
Hi BDFT: I know that one has to do what one has to do so I'm guessing the 848 wheel skidder has a fairly long skid to the landing. Since rubber on wheel is faster than steel on steel I'm guessing the Cat 527 is bunching for the speedy 848. The Cat is smaller and narrower than the 848 so maybe it sneaks into tricky areas that would be a bit difficult for the 848? Doesn't look like selective logging but one pic doesn't cover the whole show.
Has a choker from the winch hooked to the grapples. There are a lot more pic's on the Ritchie Bro's website. In pretty nice shape for a 30 year old machine!
After a life of slam, bang, this old mule deserves a good home. Maybe a stump rancher, casual logging, lotsa beer.
The 527 just works with the 848 on steep ground or narrow gullies or it might skid a steep slope and spot turns at the bottom for the grapple to pull to the road. The 848's grapple is so heavy that it swing forwards as it backs up steep slopes until you can't place it over the bundle. In these pictures the 527 is backing down a very steep slope just before the line (Thank you, stoner lay-out crews.) and the 848 skids it 250 meters or so to the road. Not selective logging but the bunchers and skidder try to leave as much regen standing as possible.
Hi BDFT: Thanks for that. Yeah layout people can be a bit off. Had a grapple yarder setting laid out one time that was 250 feet beyond line capacity on a steep sidehill. Company had to build a new road to accommodate the error. I was falling right-of-way so we had to do another kilometer about150 metres above the existing haul road we had just built, culverts and all. Crazy, but we did get a fair bit of extra wood out of the screw up. Speaking of regen, I remember having to return from time to time to fall a bit of regen still standing in the setting. Any sapling over 6 feet had to come down! Hemlock trees under 14 inches diameter were to be felled but not bucked or yarded, just left to rot. Tree Farm Licences were handed out to big logging companies so they could borrow money to build pulp mills which would make paper out of the hemlock and pulp. Stupid Forest Service! The concern was the regen would negatively impact the natural and or planted tree growth due to shading. Let's not even mention over-cutting. I could give other examples of the studied stupidity of the forest service but I'm trying to have a nice day.
Yeah, we could discuss the stupidity of the big companies and the forestry all day. I've been around long enough to remember when all trees taller than 10 feet had to be cut down and the entire block was burned. Now we leave everything we can, pile the waste and burn just the piles.
Cat I seen (D4?) been sitting for a few years, turn still hooked up like the operator just up an left!
I guess the operator or the owner had had enough. I wonder if the bank knows where the unit is? LMAO!!!
Got to be an interesting story as to why he walked away...and never came back. Broke down on the spot/no money Got arrested/in jail Dad won't give him the keys back Repo man is looking for it Sobered up and couldn't remember where he was logging Sobered up and remembered he was logging at the Girl Scout camp at 3am Sobered up and remembered driving it through the showroom window the night before Sobered up and remembered that there was no money in logging for the small guy My first thought was that he was embarrassed about the small turn that he dragged out...and ran away to hide himself
Derelict: Judging by how high the stumps are, he may have just got tired of bulldozing his way to every turn.
Oh yeah, Fitz....that'd be the first thing a faller/FMC guy would take notice of
Just around the corner, there is a truck mounted prentice loader (that I posted earlier) in about the same status. There is even a bucked and decked truckload sitting there, waiting to be hauled.
Yeah it's a mystery. Look around you may see his shirt hung up on a tree branch. Otherwise, let's hope he won the Lotto!
Skidders A couple pics from earlier this year
Hi Skadill: Typical old Clark skidder. Dented, patched and most of the paint rubbed off but still mostly original and ready to get back at it. I am going thru old logging pics and came across a pic of a Clark 664? or 5 from 1962. Weyerhauser, west of the Sault on Lake Superior. It was one of the first Clark skidders produced. Timber Jack, Deere and Tree Farmer were offering their renditions at that time as well. These units were given to Weyco for evaluation. The articulation was the big feature, still is. Only the guys with the most seniority were allowed to operate the Clark. Lesser beings were allowed to only sit in the Clark. One could risk making engine noises if the boss wasn't around. Naturally I wasn't even one of those. It was right from day one, the best thought out and strongest skidder built. IMHO. In later years, I eventually owned a total of 6 and had no problems. All I had to do was put fuel and oil in the right places and put the pedal to the metal. When the tire treads were worn off, chain up all around. Even better production this way! While the rest of us could only drool with lust, the Clark guys pulled wood with the greatest of ease. No slapping the winch friction discs with an axe to get free spool. Simply push the little lever and the winch did as expected. Every time. Easy entry from either side, no burning the clutch, no grinding gears, no steering wheel in the way, quite, very sturdy cab, tapered hull to slither over stumps and control layout designed for human beings. Hydraulic hoses protected within the hull, no leaks of any sort. Bullet proof, internal brakes etc. I'm breathing hard. Got to stop this! My point is the Clark from 1963 looks identical to a Clark being built somewhere at this moment. Slight improvements, nothing major. Were your pics taken around Hope? The orange colored Madill could be one of Alexanders'? The cut-bank at the highway looks like that Hope/Coastal lava granite mix.
One more
Heh, Heh! LOL Yup, a young fella could get rich with that old blister. Set of chains, mainline and chokers and an account at the fuel bulk plant and stand back! A good supply of wood or a reliable employer is needed as well. I like the attention paid to the exhaust system. Looks good. Needs a couple of solid side covers to keep the mud and jill pokes out and the log kicker cables put back on the blade and probably not a lot more. Got a question: Why is it that a 53 series Jimmy will wear out to the point where ether is needed to start it in the summer but this worn out engine will never quit? After 20 minutes of smoke signals it settles down like it was new. If it will only wear down to a certain degree, as in worn out, why does it wear down at all? Am I missing something here?
Fitzpatrick, did you ever work with Tom White during your days around the Soo?
Hi winterax: No I don't know a Tom White. What did he do and where? Did you ever meet any of the Surette tribe? Worked with a few of them at Weldwood. Great people. Think of them often. I worked a season with Weldwood, out of Searchmont, falling, and a few times for Pick Timber on the ACR as a truck driver. Pick would fire me about twice a year but were so desperate for help I was always called back. Eventually, either I became more employable or they adjusted their expectations. Not sure which. Just came across a photo of a truck I drove for Pick back in '65 or so. US Army 6x6 with a Prentice loader behind the cab. They threw away the gas engine and put in a 6 cyl. Cat. Lots of power. Real tough roads, just used two gears in low range, 3rd and 4th. Good unit.
He ran a small company that logged in the Agawa Canyon ( late 50's early 60's ? ), everything was brought in and out on the Algoma Railway. Had him as an instructer at Soo College in the late seventies, probably the best teacher I ever had. He was the only one that could keep the lecture hall full on a Friday afternoon even with the $0.25 cent draft at the Purple Lantern
The only times I was actually stopped at Agawa Canyon was when our car, the car reserved for loggers, which was the last car on the train, was cut off and sided because we were too drunk and rowdy. The next day our car was hooked up again and we continued on our, by then, not so merry way. What did Mr. White teach at the college? From logging to professor? Interesting guy. Did Gerry McGuire teach at the college? He's a school chum of mine. The purple Lantern. Oh boy. I dare not say more. Try to explain to people today that $2.00 was enough for a good time at the pub back then. That was a half hours work then for 8 beer. Bigger glasses as well! Good memories.
fitzpatrick This ones rusty enough ,yours?
Here's a FMC 210 from 2 years ago i got to see fire up after sitting 4 years.Video: http://youtu.be/8EiAE2nz8hY
Generally the poor starting is to do with the blower wearing out and not being able to provide enough boost on turn over to get the fuel to fire. I have to agree with you that the Clark was/is a well thought out skidder. Only ever had a couple of problems with the old mans 668. It did a couple of blower drive shafts, the brakes never gave trouble after being converted to air, the winch pinion brake piston wore out, usual drive shaft universal failures and the trans was getting sad. Not bad for 20 years.
Hi Skadill: Yeah that old FMC looks like it was low on tranny oil or had charge pump issues. I base this on the way it was kinda jerky and slow even if it was in 1st gear. Also the engine was hunting a bit as the load varied. I left one sit for 4 years one time but it was in good shape when I parked it. I gave it a tiny sniff of ether as I figured that if it didn't flash up on the first rev or two of the crank the battery, which was a new CAT battery when I parked it would not have enough poop. I had a Hi-tork starter on the engine and it did start but only just. Big grin. I might add the engine was fairly low time and was a quality rebuild. New type gaskets, pistons and liners. Never leaked oil, barely smoked on start up. I never met any two Jimmys that were the same.
Hi 075: No that's not my FMC. LOL! The gimped road wheels were my first clue. I did a couple of pondage contracts on the Revelstoke Dam and the mica in the soil there just evaporated the road wheels. The only worn part was the narrow width of the wheel where it contacted the track. I remember buying them by the pallet load! Had brush rakes on the FMCs after we logged off the contract area. I couldn't afford the cost of the road wheels, surprise, surprise, so I had a machine shop roll some 1" thick T-1 by 2.25" wide bands and welded these to the road wheels. No more road wheel problems. EVER! I see that machine has the earlier blade ram end. They would strip the cap threads if the blade was put down all the way and contacted an immovable object. A daily occurrence it seemed. Later units had a really crude, cheaply made 4 bolt cap but it didn't fail. It also has the older type track which was lighter than the later cast pads. I figure this machine to be a mid to late 70's unit. If running gear was affordable, that old soldier would pulling wood again. The inside running gear was strong and not too pricey to repair. The cast pads were thicker and less easily bent but the bushings were still the problem. I schemed up a pad design that would greatly increase bushing life with no real cost to pad manufacture but couldn't get the dealer interested. I'm sure he had bigger fish to fry. The design change was simply an extra grouser at the back of the pad which would come up against the front grouser on the adjacent pad when the pads were being negatively flexed beyond the design limits of the rubber bushings. All was fine, sort of, with the bushings as long as the pads weren't being flexed severely in the opposite direction of flex that would be experienced as the track went around the sprockets and idlers. Like when the track is being tortured when passing over a small high stump which pushes the pad hinge too far the other way when between the road wheels. Presto! The bushing rubber begins to tear loose from the steel core the bushing rubber is vulcanized to. Well, that's my theory and I'm sticking to it. I did a power line contract at Port Hardy in '77. I'm just now digging thru old pics. I'll get a few on this forum one day. Is the Sea Gate Pub still standing? If drunks attracted lightning that place would have burned decades ago. A fight broke out, not unusual for that place, but nobody was getting hurt so the bartender was letting them tire themselves out. Well anyway, the cops showed up somehow. Eventually the combatants were cuffed and loaded into the cop car. Oh well, we thought there goes the entertainment. But no, there was more to come. Suddenly the doors burst open and in come the cops. Mad as hornets. The usual thing. One cop was bellowing about somebody letting the air out of a tire on the cop car and wanted that person to come forward. LOL! Well that went over big. Lots of laffs. So anyway, I went outside to see a cop actually doing some work as in changing a tire. But not to be. The tow truck showed up and pulled the cop car complete with cops and the boozy brawlers sitting inside to the cop shop. I figured that was illegal but I didn't bother pursuing the matter. Today there would have been a gun fight, several dead. Where have all the men gone? It's no wonder women are buying strap-ons.
He taught a forest harvesting course. How to identify all the parts on a skidder, cat, log trucks, loaders etc. (so you didn't look a total idiot on your first job ), block and road layout, scheduling concerns, logging safety,supervision, camp life that sort of stuff. Very good guy. Had a true life storey to back things up. Gerry Mcquire sure rings a bell, but not quite loud enough lol.
Hi winterax: Thanks for the up date. Sounds like Mr. White was an all around guy.
Fitzpatrick; 668C so internal brakes not disks. Yes correct, brake pot on the actuation lever. No need to ever blead brakes, change fluid, replace master or slave cylinder, etc. Interesting what you say about the universals. Most modern stuff is mantanace free now. The 668 had done a lot of work by the end of its life with little UJ trouble until the end. Just worn out. The trans was 3 speed forward and reverse. Will dig some photos out. Ive posted a few pictures of the Madill 120 I operate in the madill thread. Im on the transporter tommorow morning so will get a few more. We are just comming out of our long winter so smiles all round. First puff of dust yesterday.
Hi furpo: Thanks for the up date on your 668 brakes. I like your solution to not having to remove the brake unit from the back of the tranny just to replace a few o-rings mostly due to brake fluid being used in the master cyl and not ATF. I heard of an FMC rigged up with air pots on the steering. Just a small lever like in a Clark skidder at right side of seat and of course a system for creating air pressure. Have a good season. "First puff of dust" I've heard of that stuff. Send a pic.
Skidding a Log First Year for Dad and I with our new to us Cat D7F.We added an arch soon after.This was a younger skadill 21 years ago.27' fir log
Hi Skadill: Nice log. Peeler length. I hope there was no ring shake. An arch would definitely make skidding easier. Not to mention keeping the jaggers off the chokers or mainline. Did you fab up your own arch or did you get a genuine Cat type?
I welded an arch off a 540B model JD onto it,will find a pic and post it.
Looks like a Can-Car Tree Farmer early "B" series manufactured around 1964-65.
Tigercat 625C working near Trail, BC
i recognize the blue kw in the background. the old skidder looks to be in good shape. is any of this stuff for sale now or is the new owner just leaving it sit?
elco bc just a short distance away from me. i know the dixon boys as we bought our timber quotas in alberta off them. this machine used to belong to my dads bushiness partner
Wow...that's a first for me. Never seen that set-up before. Was it any better or worse than FMC style or all rubber? Mike P
our old 560 the old 50th year editon 560 tj
the things went fairly well and were better riding than the fmcs but the u/c was costly. this was sold to them back in 1990 somthin so i was just a young lad when it was around
caterpillar941b, that thing is really cool, i would love to see this thing work! i have pictures of this thing that i found googling around, looking for "track skidders", i have to wonder if this would catch on now with the price and availability of cat 527's the way they are.. the production per turn i would think would be 2x's that of the 527 for what a guy could presume would be about the same cost per hour, i think it would fit in the niche of clearcut to steep for wheels, to flat for yarder, to long for shoveling say 400 ft+ average skid? what do others think?............................theironoracle
if they coulod make the track system last as good as the 527s i think they would be reall good machines for steep terrain as well as muddy ground. i have some pics of a 527 i will throw up to
caterpillar 527 check out my youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/caterpillar941b i have vids of most of the machines i post as wellas new vids going up every couple weeks
Brian, I was exposed for many years to timber harvesting during my time with our Provincial Gov’t and my father-in-law worked at the Can-Car factory during the period Tree Farmer’s were made here. During my field work on logging operations I developed a keen interest in all things mechanical but especially skidders. And while Timberjack was the most common Tree Farmer’s were of particular interest. Having pulled together a history of International Harvester Trucks 1950-75 and Cockshutt Tractors I then started on Can-Car Tree Farmer Skidders. I was very surprised at the pictures and other info on the webb for TF skidders. My biggest problem is stopping as something new is always cropping up. And just when I think I may have things worked out a curve ball comes zooming in from left field. Scott
Hi SBEANGE: I figured you had some inside info somehow about the Tree Farmer skidders. Is there there any activity at the Can-Car factory these days? When I was 16 I learned to fly out of SS Marie in a Fleet Canuck 80 on floats. I heard a rumor the Canucks were built at the Can-Car factory back in the late 1940's. Is there any truth to this? I am slowly transferring old photos to disc and have a few of the Tree Farmer C-7 model we used to swing logs to the beach on a show just out of Vancouver. I'll send you a pic or two when I can. I think Derelict Texture has a few C-7 pics of retired C-7 skidders here on the coast. Check out his photos in this Forum. Brian
Here's somebody's grapple skidder creation we found this summer...
Geez! Considering all the time, $ and hassle it took to create that screwed up grapple idea, wouldn't it have been easier to just use chokers! Well, I can't say every idea I ever had was a good one. I'm sure whoever made this may have been quite proud of it. One can only hope. Check out the brush/land clearing forks someone welded to the blade. Kind of an all purpose machine.
Brian, Can-Car no longer exists. The factory was taken over by Bombardier and now they manufacture rapid transit cars - subways and trains - for customers all over Canada and the US. Fleet Canada 80 aircraft were not built at Can-Car although Hawker Hurricanes and Douglas dive bombers were during the war. Appreciate any pictures you can provide. Thanks, Scott
Hi SBEANGE: Pleased to hear the factory is busy and providing local jobs. We have the right to work but work is not a right. The devil is in the details. I will send pics when I get them but may have to get my chum Derelict Texture to insert them. I've tried but my pics are too big for the system. I have had good help on this matter but I have bad luck with electric stuff of all types. On occaission I have put out the lights just by walking into a room. I have to watch football and hockey alone. Most of my pics are Clark and FMC skidders. When I had my first skidder in 1960 or so, a C-5 at SS Marie I didn't get many pics but have a few. Brian
Here is a video ( no sound ) of several different models of the LeToureau diesel/electric log skidders. Pretty cool machines for their day. Their used to be one or two of them at Vic Walters property in Porpoise Bay, parked there for years. I think that at least one of them was taken to someones collection of old logging gear. [video=vimeo;35343215]http://vimeo.com/35343215[/video]
lots of countys used here in herefordshire over the years in forestry operations that ive seen mate! heres some more pics!
S8 International with 666c lurking in the background
tj our 560
great machines, looks like the woods do around here with just a skiff of snow..................theironoracle
where are you at? probably from the same storm if your in western canada!
635d saw this coming off the float the other day, someones getting a nice back to work present for the start of the new year trev
Nice looking old 528 Cat with a few "extras" on it! I think the owner had a little too much of a spring break-up a while ago :cool2
I'll bet he had a sore neck as well!
N. Idaho D6C
^^^ Is that what I think it is hack jobbed onto the canopy?
It's just a slip tank tied down to the top. Not sure why.
i think the slip tank is smart. go days before you need a fuel truck near you. or possibly the tank in the dozer got rusted or something so they use it as a main tank. who knows?
This ole Gal still for sale?? been looking for a set of tracks for one !!!! not much luck though.
Mountain Logger ML 200 Video at: http://youtu.be/WjWvDFt5CcU
They were using it to get fuel to the yarder as the road was too muddy for a pickup.The crew was using 4-wheelers to get to the job.
Is this machine still for sale???
That 528 was used to maintain haul roads.The back blade was used as a drag and the front 6-way blade mostly was used to plow snow.The guy that owns that knew more about keeping his roads in shape than anyone I've seen.Many times he was the only contractor around able to haul during wet spells.
Timber Toter Made in Kelowna ,BC from the mid 60's to sometime in the 70's.Video at http://youtu.be/BIUL7kBVbNw
just when i thought iv seen every skidder ever built a new one is showed to me. thank you for those pictures.
Timberjack 404
550 Timberjack parked in the bush for decades
timberjack 240d with eaton tag with timberjack.
tree farmer C-5s clark 664 deere 648G timberjacks
ZBW's Cat 518 and Cat D7, used mostly for support of the big tower.
View attachment 105314 [/QUOTE] OK, What am I missing? Would not a shackle be simpler and easier?
OK, What am I missing? Would not a shackle be simpler and easier?[/QUOTE] Quicker to move this way?
Pretty rocky right there, so I think its just a little extra insurance on that stump
Tail Cat looks like an ancient D7.
Nice pictures on this thread! I really love the tires of skidders, they're really big!
Some pictures of my friend's Clark Skidder he and a couple of his brothers use to cut a lot of pulp wood for the Pine Falls Paper Mill in Manitoba, but with its demise and the guys getting older they just cut for firewood purposes. This section of bush is pretty much floating muskeg and can only be accessed during the winter. These pictures were taken a couple years ago and there was a lot of rain prior to the winter which made it very difficult to establish a decent ice road and even after Mort had packed down a trail with his snowmobile and then scraped the snow off with his Oliver OC-3 he still found a soft spot and sunk one tire till only the top two feet were sticking out. He also made his own snow plow for the skidder out of some scrap he had lying around.
Here's some more pics
And some more of course.
748 h worked with this one last summer.
1965 Garrett Tree Farmer C4 Neat little skidder I just recently saw.Video of it running at http://youtu.be/_a4F5T3XbiY
University of Idaho's Cat 518 cable skidder.
John Deere skidder
848 h Working with this one at the moment. some shots from the year
more
Moving the old girl
the guy wearing shorts scares me!!!!lol :Banghead the guy sport in the black shorts scares me
He's just another hardcore bush ape. That picture could just as easily been taken in northern BC. I think i recognize some of those guys.
lol I'll let him know
This little C4 has been modified a bit. Originally it would have had a Gearmatic Model 9 mounted to the front half of the machine in the hole at the back of the canopy right behind the seat. It was quite common to put the tall tires on them as they hung up easily in the snow when it got deep. Unfortunately they never had enough power to turn them and you spent a lot of time in low gear.
I don't see a spark arrester on the exhaust.
Could have done with one of these today. http://youtu.be/Febwm-b4ybo John Deere 850 with pto winch You would get fit if you were hooking up the logs and climbing up & down to drive this Cat D8L with log winch (18 850 hours) http://images.trademe.co.nz/photoserver/59/226351259_full.jpg
Hey all I'm so happy Iv found this forum. Yes I am 26 years young so just a young buck but I got to say Iv learned so much about the timber industry reading and studying all your posts and conversations. I thought I had I good base of knowledge from logging most my life and listened to and bumped elbows with the old salty redwood loggers at our bar in my home town of LaHonda Ca but I was mistaken got that good old green horn feeling back hahaha. Thank you so much y'all.
I found this beautiful machine on line (I hope it's ok to post.) my question is how come I haven't seen vary many Morgan Silva Com 360 or Syncro Track grapple skidders on the job? Is there a design flaw
Is there any way to put a swing grapple or any type of grapple for that matter on the back of a CAT track clam bucket loader?
It is difficult enough putting a winch on a medium size rear engined steel track loader. http://www.alliedsystems.com/PDF/winchlines31.1.pdf http://www.alliedsystems.com/winch/options.html (A logging arch on the winch to lift the butts and electronic chokers would at least the one end of the turn 'stay in the cab') (I assume you are not referring to a compact track loader that can have a log grapple on the front) http://www.iowafarmequipment.com/fae-skid-steer-log-grapple.html
I've seen a 955L with a esco grapple on the back. Too bad i'll never find that video again.
thanks for the info guys and links
1976 Massey Ferguson Skidder I guess like John Deere,they were going cover it from farm to forest.Borrowed net pic.I've never seen one or heard of anyone that has seen an actual one.Case built one too(post #101 on page 7).
Deere 748 G II
Don't you guys break a lot of wood skidding over the pile like that?
no its fine it helps take a lot of the branches off for the limber we practice running over trees for that reason. any that are broken are not wasted and still cut to length to be hauled to the mill.
It is nice to see my skidder posted. The Morgans were and are fairly hi-tech. The wheel steer in addition to the hinge steer with individual hydrostatic wheel drive makes them nimble for 43000 pounds. The Treetow swing boom is way stronger than any esco 215 ever dreamed of being. I have posted on my utube channel FarmerOfTrees a video of the original Morgan Silvacom fixedboom winch machine working on Forest Service ground up by Mt. Hood. Fish habitat improvement not logging was performed on March 13. It was a whopper of a stick we moved into the Salmon River. Here is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6Jdjf9pwLw
Good looking
Don't get why the loggers just live there machinery be hind . And stupid teens **** with it to no reason behind it .
Future of deere skidders.
spmiller, did deere do away with the steering wheel? I used to run a 96 648g and I always had my right hand on the steering wheel and the left switched between the shifter, grapple control and the handle on the door. it would seem that with 2 joysticks that you'd be forced to wear the safety harness to keep from bouncing around like a pinball.
Nice looking machine. Does the seat and controls spin 180 degrees to back up like Tigercat has done. Then you don't have to turn the machine around to go back for the next jag. Caterpillar went to joystick steering in its huge 994D front end loader in late 1998. Not sure if they are still building them that way but they were well received. Is the JD transmission shifter in the steering joystick?
Good looking what happens when a mouse chews through a couple wires and it shorts out the circuit board?
You don't go logging that day is my guess...
180 seat, no steering wheel, handle if you need to hangon. Everything is on the joysticks and much more comfortable and convenient. John Deere has been making a big effort to making machines with improved ergonomics for greater operator comforts. Alot of companies are working longer shifts to meet mill/industry demands, so Deere has done what contractors have asked for. Comfortable, reliable, preformer, with low operating costs.
After you've run a machine with joystick steering, skidder, grader, loader, whatever, you'll never want to see another steering wheel again.
Unless it's an old Garrett with the steering lever. Those things were miserable......LOL
I grew up on a old Garret. I think they came new with the 30 inch long steering handle pins slopped out. I have another one I recovered a few years ago in my machine shed that I hope to have finished enough to be running this summer. I will get some pictures up in the next few days. The exhaust running up inside the left canopy sweep sure crackled also.
looking at the scratches in the paint, it seems like its been out doing some work or some field trials. would like to know what kind of feed back the operator gave. any ideas on a possible release date for the model?
What ever happen to the winch, mainline and a double hand full of chokers? ;-)
this is an interesting idea! The Quadtractor www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs9lfGWUe50 I don't know why it doesn't work. Google Quadtractor. Doug
Your pic isn't working for me. What is it a case ih quad track with a grapple and blade? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk
it is not a Case quad track.It looks like something that a logger who was also a Shriner built lol. Google Quadtractor
i work for the company soft track attack fire team in yaak montana, i'll post some pics of our equipment for those of you inquiring about the fmc's. as for girls running them... i dare anyone to tell her she cant
beaver creek fire in hailey idaho 2013
these two machines were bought and plumbed and got called to a fire before they could be painted
Here's my miniature contribution... I have been working on this for over two years but the build has been sitting since last year at this time. 3 days ago I got a bean up my *$$ and decided to finish the hydraulics. About 30 hours in the shop and I have a working Tigercat 630D grapple skidder in 1/10 scale. There are still some adjustments to be made and many details to add but it's a good step forward... http://youtu.be/QpvGxaJk3G0 http://youtu.be/7ZONUWIWIeU Reg
I guess you may be able to get some harder tire foams, that what we had to do with our Wraiths when we went from Crawling to speed. Fronts kept rolling under in the turns. Great build there Reg
Thanks Hank. For sure. These tires don't even have foam in them yet so a little bit of softer foam will probably do the trick. I haven't glued the tires to the rims yet so I'm glad to find out now that they are too soft.
Well done!
Wow....that looks great....
yes wow works looks great
Since it's been so quiet around here I will post these videos that I shot the other day. Technically it is a skidder, it's just very small... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmlL_ofnaS0&list=UUrzqEOj31tJ-DusnO8Onw7A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtdbKS9uCO0&list=UUrzqEOj31tJ-DusnO8Onw7A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeqqmhM3ELw&list=UUrzqEOj31tJ-DusnO8Onw7A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdA96reUWM0&list=UUrzqEOj31tJ-DusnO8Onw7A
With winter coming I can see snow plowing in the wind.
Reg,still here but no posts. My friend has a small collection of CZ pictures. I was set to go pick them up but he took a fall and ended up in hospital with broken ribs. Once he heals I hope to have Camptramp do more posting for me. Good morning to all.
Enjoyed the videos Reg, sure neat seeing them at work.
Tigercat 610 with swing grapple. Would it be better to have a excavator base with a grapple bunching. The faller does not really move away from the falling tree very much, the co-worker is also pretty close. https://youtu.be/bVdVUMVr5qw Tigercat with double winch- https://youtu.be/a6VUpXQE1T0
Spring time here so the logging equipment is coming to town for oil changes and repairs. This Tigercat 635D is 2 years old and goes in some pretty tough ground.
My dad and grandfather logged in the Missouri Ozarks in the late 70's-early 80's. Small tracts, selective harvesting hardwoods. Our skidder was a 1941? International 2-ton with a Tulsa winch and gin poles. (Also our loader). 6-cylinder gas that only hit on 5 cyl. on a good day. A big turn was 2 18' logs. Turning radius was 40 acres, smoking exhaust was insect repellant, reach thru the tiny rear window to operate winch lever, and the gin poles would catch on limbs when backing up and slam down on the headache rack (HEADACHE). Next skidder was a 1946? Int. with a welded boom. Same operating specs. Upgraded to a Minneapolis Moline ag tractor with forks welded to the bucket (roll the big logs up skid poles to load them on the Int. Loadstar 2-ton truck). Old, heavy Poulan saws. Two men. Supported two families every winter. Hauled hay on the log truck all summer. Worked their butts off. Dad has a few pics somewhere. Poor folks got poor ways, but I thought we had quite an operation.
Just remembered. I saw a little Bell? skidder while I was combining soybeans last fall. Three wheels, rear wheel was small "crazy" wheel. Cable and Chokers. Two drive wheels chained up. Only one I have ever seen, looked scarier than crap to drive. Looked like it had spent more time on it's top than on it's wheels. Anybody ever heard of one of these? True Skidders are a fairly recent innovation here. Starting to see a few small cable skidders around these days. A BIG oak tree will scale 35" at the little end of a 9' cut but that's about all the small equiment around here will handle. We have some good, clear hardwoods, but it all has to be snaked out between small trees without too much collateral damage. Lots of small family logging outfits just getting by.
Bells are designed and built in South Africa by Bell Equipment Here: http://www.bellequipment.com/en/products/loggers
I believe it wan in the early '80s when I first heard of Bell skidders. In fact, a contractor who worked for my father had one back then.
At one point my family was logging with another crew that used a small cat dozer to skid logs. The boss put a brand new saw up on the dozer track, got sidetracked with something else, fired up the cat and proceeded to run the saw off the end of tracks and then under them. Apparently, even one of the old, heavy McCullough saws is no match for a tracked machine. That same crew burned up their skidder/winch truck engine by backing as far down a hillside as they could, getting against a tree or stump, and winching logs out of the holler below them. The No. 1 Main bearing wasn't getting any oil. Also heard stories of them using a big bar to pop the log truck springs back after putting on a little too much wood and pushing the springs down over-center. I wonder what a 2-ton truck has to gross to do that to the springs! On the subject of the Bell skidder, I have driven some ag equipment with crazy wheels on the rear and it can be interesting. Would probably turn on a dime. The 3-wheel arraingment would seem to be a little unstable, especially while skidding a turn out. The timber in this area supplied a large portion of the railroad ties used to lay tracks from the Mississipi river to the Rocky Mountains. 9' cuts, hardwood, minimum of 10" dia. on little end, anything over the minimum was just extra wood that had to be cut off with an axe. In the 20's and 30's the men hewing ties by hand got 10 cents a tie, the top hands could hew about 10 ties a day (IF i remember correctly, saw a documentary years ago about it). The ties were hewed, put in a river (usually), floated down in rafts or booms, and then hand carried up a springboard into boxcars. I don't believe I would have wanted to pick a fight with the men that loaded the ties.
My grandpa sold Pettibone Cary-Lifts and skidders back in the 60's. This is a Master 5 that he sold new in 66. I just brought it home and it will be restored to like new.
FMC clambunk forwarder in Prince George circa 1976 or so.
How did they hold the wood on the bunk. It does not appear to have squeezing hydraulics like other clambunks I have seen. Does it pull a pole trailer with another bunk perhaps?
The clam is directly above the rear idler. Its not very clear in the picture. The clam and the headache rack are mounted on a fifth wheel type swivel. All the hydraulics for the clam are underneath. You loaded the clam with the grapple, squeezed it shut and down the mountain you went. I seem to remember these things had a reputation for rolling over at the drop of a hat. The drag pushed the back of the machine sideways and over you went.
Ad old ad from 1966
This project might interest any who had to install chains on skidders or forwarders. A dealer for chains had the problem of people getting them and not knowing how to install then so that they would stay on. One of the trainers from Scandinavia showed some of the dealer mechanics here and we put the project together. The install of the new chains took about three hours as I recall. It seems the camera person kept asking questions and getting in the way or the project would likely taken a hour or so less. https://youtu.be/nMXZLtiaXFY
Now i see the grapple. What i thought was one side of the grapple was the pivoting headache rack. Now it makes sense.
1966 old ad
Jd ad from 1966
the little skidder that could Awesome firefight or
Does anyone know if this member,probationary,has started work on this machine?