hey guys First off I want to say im new to the forum and thanks for having me. I am currently looking at two swing yarders and need some opinions. I do realize I am not comparing apples to apples but these are the machines I am interested in and the better of whats available. I am looking at a Washington 118 swing yarder and a madill 122 swing yarder. What are the pros and cons of either and if you were in the market and looking at either of these which of the two would you pick and why? I understand the Washington has a hydraulic interlock vs the madill with a mechanical? and the hydraulic is better? also about the madill having water cooled brakes vs the Washington not having any? I will be using the machine in primarily bunched wood and on average .3/m sized wood. I look forward to your responses. Thanks Joe
Hi Joe I've never run a 118, however, I have run a 188 which as I understand is an updated version of the 118. Are you going to be grappling? The only advantage the Washington would have is the extra rope capacity and it is only an advantage if you need it. In all other respects the Madill is a superior machine as long as it is in good working order. Both these machines are old now and that should be taken into consideration. The Madill interlock works well and with the twin outhaul interlock clutches and twin inhaul clutches you can uncouple the two mains to pick up slack / open and close the grapple on the fly. Roger
Thanks for the info roger. What about the Washington 78 or 88? What is the difference between The two? I found one for way less then anything else so Also looking at that. Yes I plan on grappling as much as I can. Thanks Joe
I have only ever run the 188 and a pacific 1188 so can't give a direct comparison for you. The 88 and 78 are smaller yarders again so you need to look at your needs. Bigger the yarder, bigger bunches, more rope, less cycles for the same tons. The Washingtons all have tank tracks which are just a pain. Sometimes when you spend a bit more you get a cheaper machine. Roger
Hi Joe, I've worked a fair bit with both the Washington 78A and Madill 122. Washington is an old machine and you will need to have a parts supply and a good mechanic, that being said it can be a good little swing yarder and we were logging 0.3m3/tree timber in the Merritt area for years with success (still are actually). I've also worked with a 122 in Lumby area, good machine, also starting to get old and parts are getting less available. A beast to move legally on the hwy. Probably overkill for the piece size you are looking at unless you need the tower height. The Washington 118 is also a good machine, but as Roger mentioned, getting old and parts for the tank are getting harder to find. But a capable machine as well. I've heard its tough to find a decent machine in BC at the moment, some good ones in the US but the exchange is a killer! Good Luck.