I was on a job site the other day and talking to a couple of wrenches. We got talking about processors we have worked on in the past and started wondering what happened to all them and where they are now. One fellow said that apparently there was a Waratah being made in Finland now and those parts aren't compatible with those being made in New Zealand. We knew Keto was gone but where do you get parts now. Timberjack got bought out by Deere so is there still a Timberjack skidder or did they get boiled into the Deere skidders? Where does Quadco fit in all this? Is Pierce still making dangle heads and strokers? What ever happened with Denarco? Wasn't there something about Komatsu buying out Valmet, I haven't heard a word since? At any rate any and all information would be interesting and helpful. Thanks!
Hi, Here's what I got: Keto is still around, they are still made in Finland. Timbco got bought by Valmet, a year or two later Valmet got bought by Komatsu, so Komatsuforest is now what Valmet used to be. The founder of Timbco then bought some of his rights/patents back from Komatsu, to form a company called Forestpro. Not sure why he didn't go back and name it Timbco, guess he wasn't allowed to...
Then is ForestPro being sold in the US?
Sorry, got this one wrong. It's named TimberPro, out of Shawano, WI. I guess it's sold in the US as well. TimberPro is what cat is calling their forestry lineup those days, or at least they try to.
As far as the waratah's go the 600 series is still made in New Zealand but there is a 400 series that are made for smaller rubber tired harvesters made in Finland because that's where most small harvesters are made and the larger market share is there. Deere bought out Timberjack in 2000 and continued the line till 06, by that time Deere had incorporated the best "jack" features into their machines and faded the jacks out. Quadco is their own company and continues to make felling attachments and multchers for any machine, Quadco is also the North American Keto importer. Keto is a Scandinavian company but had no entry into American markets, thus the agreement/partnership. Denharco bought out Denis strokers around 94 and Pierce Pacific bought Denharco out in the early '00s but continues to manufacturer the Denharo booms so as to separate the winch drive(Denharco) and the chain drive(Pierce) boom delimber. Pat Crawford sold the design rights of Timbco track Fellers to Valmet in 2000, finished building his inventoried machines in 2003 and Valmet took over manufacturing in 2004. As part of the deal he couldn't make a TRACK buncher for 7 years but used that money to invest in a updated design and testing during that period as well as designing and building his harvesters and forwarders under the new Timberpro name. 2008 saw the new Timberpro track buncher enter the market, we just got one here in the hills and its amazing. Last year the newly acquired Valmet by Komatsu was disbanded and all fall under the KomatsuForest name. No more 3rd party parts issues anymore. And those pretty grey Timbcos turned to red and now yellow, but with very little change from when Pat build the first A models in 94. Caterpillar bought out the American Fabtek line of harvesters and forwarders around 2002 and then the Prentice line in 2006 or 7 and is currently building both Cat's and Prentice's while all Fabteks are now Prentice. I think Cat's forestry division will turn to all Prentice in the future minus the excavator turn Log Loaders.
Right, and as far as I know timberpro (pat crawford) is the only company that has really changed anything besides paint. Cats just puttin that spendy yellow and black paint on fabteks and slappin junk perkins in um, komatsu just changed the stickers to say komatsu the track machines (timbco) haven't changed at all, they jus went from white to red to ugly ass yellow. Deere made there stuff a little more high tech and expensive I guess. And thanks about the timberpro, my old man and uncle work in R&D at timberpro. My dad told me pat still walks the shop everyday checkin everything out makin sure its up to his standards, I believe he's almost 90
My dad owns the largest TimberPro Forwarder, and he reckons it's amazing. And also... isnt Komatsu owned by CAT?
WHAAAAAATTTT?!!!???????!! Not a chance pal, not a chance, biggest rivals? Yes. JV-thingy-half-owned-business-deal? No.
I was told that, and was pretty shocked. But i do know that Komatsu owns Dresser/Dressta.
Actually, they haven't for quite a while. In fact, Dressta is now owned by LiuGong from China.
Timber jack skidders are jd just rebadged
Clark Ranger Skidders are now owned and made by Allied Systems, they also carry parts for the older Clark Skidders.
And have parts workshop and operators manuals for download on their website
You are right furpo, I should have mentioned that. I downloaded all of the manuals for reference. I also have parts microfiche for a lot of the older Clark loaders, dozers, and scrapers plus Euclid trucks.
It appears i know nothing -_-
Before cat bought prentice prentice bought hydro-ax from blount. blount kept their oregon chain div. Prentice did build the hydro-ax similar to the blount built version but not for long then cat bought prentice and ruined the hydro-ax I ran the 721e site prep mower it was the best design cats version had similarities but im not real impressed. Franklin/treefarmer one of the last remaining family/privatily held companies went out of business some time in the last year or so