Author Topic: Buying a skidder (Read 10988 times)

buck5611 · « **on:** January 09, 2005, 08:13:31 am »

I'm in the process of buying a JD 440B 1974 cable skidder.This machine has been sitting outside for 7 years due to a busted motor. A friend of mine who is a good mechanic and have lot of experience with skidder as well as other heavy equipement bought it to restore and sell it .He will put a good used motor and also check everything in it so that there will be no comeback for him. The tire are 80% worn but in my case still usable for many years with good chains. The price will be between 10000-15000 Can.depending on what it will have to put in it .
Any comment on JD skidder (reliability,operating cost,repair cost,etc...)?
Any comment on buying JD vs. Timberjack or Tree Farmer?
Any comment on this particular machine( anything to be aware of, price asked for it)?
Thanks. Carol

Frickman · « **Reply #1 on:** January 09, 2005, 12:05:12 pm »

Congratulations on your new-to-you machine! I am currently running a John Deere 440, and there are both pros and cons. It is a very rugged, solid, skidder, and able to negotiate through tight spaces in rocks or a select cut. The working parts are very well shielded against contact from rocks, limbs, and other things. This shielding though makes repairs much more difficult. You basically have to take half the tractor apart to get to certain things, like the transmission. There is nothing too complicated to work on, just alot of parts to remove to get where you're going.

Parts availabilty is getting to be a problem also. John Deere still stocks many replacement parts, but some are hard to get. I recently had a local machine shop redo a shifting fork for me as it was no longer available new.

I don't have much experience with Timberjacks, but alot of friends do. They say they are a good, rugged machine and very easy to work on. An average mechanic with simple tools can do most anything he needs to on it, or at least remove a part or assembly and take it to a pro shop to get repaired. The older ones with the stick steering would drive me nuts, as I'm used to having a steering wheel. That's just me personally though. I guess the stick steering works good once you get used to it.

I have some experience with Franklin and Tree Farmers though. Currently I own a Tree Farmer C5-D forwarder and love it. It is a simple, straight-forward machine, very rugged and easy to operate. The brake system leaves something to be desired in the mountains I work in. It is kind of inadequate, but if you take your time going downhill you're OK. The once nice thing about it is it is very, very easy to work on. I can have the transmission out in less than thirty minutes, and the engine in an hour. My John Deere would take a day or more just to pull the tranny. Most parts are available at the local parts store too. If not I can go to the Franklin dealer an hour down the road.

Welcome to the forum! I hope you like it here.

sawmillsi · « **Reply #2 on:** January 09, 2005, 01:44:55 pm »

G'day Carol,

I Australia, the JD 440B has a really great reputation. It is a real hard working and honest machine.

I wish I had one!!!!

Everyone that owns one won't sell it - bummer.

Simon

buck5611 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 09, 2005, 02:12:17 pm »

What do you tink of the asked price? Carol

devo · « **Reply #4 on:** January 09, 2005, 02:41:26 pm »

I don't have much experience with JD machines, but I have a friend how has an older 440. Like Frickman said they are starting to get a bit tougher to find new parts for, although he say he says he has had good luck with some dead iron dealers.

As for the price, and this is just my opinion...$10000 with a good engine is probably a good deal. $15000 I might get a little scared. You said the machine has a dead engine, 20% tires, and has been parked for 7 years, that maybe suggests that the former owner pushed that machine for as long as they could and when it finally died they gave up. There could be other hidden problems that won't show up until you get it running again. If it were me I would take a close look at the entire power train - transmision, power divider, axles, and planetarys. Also look at the winch and center pins. You said your friend is a good mechanic with skidder experience so you probably already know all this.

As for the other brands my personal favorite is the older TimberJacks. I really like that I can get off the shelf parts for them from any good auto parts place.

1953greg · « **Reply #5 on:** January 09, 2005, 03:17:17 pm »

reverse is the weakest link in the 440. do not push with reverse. 1953greg

buck5611 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 09, 2005, 04:04:53 pm »

According to the previous owner, the motor was running well and the next morning,it does not tunr at all.Jammed. He discover soon that the motor was freezed and the block was ruined.Not good enough antifreeze..Carol

devo · « **Reply #7 on:** January 09, 2005, 04:49:55 pm »

I would still check over the skidder very carefully, there still may be a maitenance issue with it. That being said, it could till be an excelent purchase for you - we all make mistakes ( I'm not admitting to it, but I may have frozen an engine once too ).

There other thing that needs to be considered is how you plan to use this machine.

isawlogs · « **Reply #8 on:** January 09, 2005, 04:57:47 pm »

Buck
I have a JD 540 cable ... If I where to buy another machine , not that I will, I would be concidering the timberjack 230 or 240 .... the reason for this is the parts availabilaty and cost ....the parts for the timber is much lower than the deer prts and can be , very often , got at part store..... where as JD you got to go to JD.... my 2 cents...

Scott · « **Reply #9 on:** January 09, 2005, 05:54:32 pm »

My uncle used to have a 440. Apparently all the parts had to come from the deere dealer so they were more expensive then some other brands (timberjack treefarmer etc). Also the tires were narrow and rutted pretty bad. It was a really good little machine though.

isawlogs · « **Reply #10 on:** January 09, 2005, 06:14:46 pm »

the tires should not be an issue you can get floatation tires for the 440 ....

Scott · « **Reply #11 on:** January 10, 2005, 02:08:19 pm »

The 440 is a really nice little rig, I'd really like to see how it works out with wider tires on it. My uncle used his on pretty spongey ground and the tires were probably 16 inches wide (?). It made some pretty nasty ruts. You can still see them almost 8 years later.

buck5611 · « **Reply #12 on:** January 10, 2005, 03:45:15 pm »

My father in law had someone cut wood for him with a small skidder when the soil was damp in the automn, we still see the trace after 30 years. Carol

Scott · « **Reply #13 on:** January 10, 2005, 05:09:21 pm »

A wide tire with a flat profile should reduce rutting quite a bit. Are there many of those Bombardier muskeys or J5s around your place? Dad was thinking about one of those rigs for our woodlot.

buck5611 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 10, 2005, 08:18:07 pm »

I saw a J5 for sale in Pte à la Garde during september.This is about 15 min. from Campbellton on the Quebec side. As I will probably pass there this or next week,I can check it for you and get the contact number for you. Carol

Oldtimer · « **Reply #15 on:** January 11, 2005, 08:04:27 am »

I ran a 440B once. quiet, fast, smooth. I'd want a bit more protection than the cab offered,but thats just a nit-pick. I would be wary of the winch. The JD winches don't hold up like my Can-Car or a gearamatic. Ground clearance is a bit low. Just run her easy like, don't force feed it, and you'll love it.

On a side note, a sure cure for a frozen engine in winter is a Duetz. No water, no freeze. And it it blows warm air on you all winter too. Drawback is it blows HOT air on you in summer.

One more thing the JD has that the TJs and TFs don't have is the lock in lock out diffs. Those make the machine. Without them, I'd prefer the TFarmer.

Good luck with it.

beenthere · « **Reply #16 on:** January 11, 2005, 11:31:15 am »

Just heard that the air-cooled Deutz is history, and they are going to sell just water-cooled. Something about EPA and noise pollution, and needing to have a quieter engine. Don't have a source for that information, but thought I would pass it on.

isawlogs · « **Reply #17 on:** January 11, 2005, 03:46:56 pm »

Oldtimer wrote

Quote

One more thing the JD has that the TJs and TFs don't have is the lock in lock out diffs. Those make the machine.

Small addition : only the front diff on JD have it ..... Makes for ease of stiring the machine in tight corners..

Jwinter · « **Reply #18 on:** January 11, 2005, 06:05:55 pm »

What do you guys think of the Caterpillar 518. I have a chance to buy one (new engine, newer trans.)

timberjack240 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 11, 2005, 06:24:55 pm »

My dad and my pap had a 540 G and A 440C they were reliable and the 440 was a good little machine that was very reliable. the C is styled a little different than the B bu they are good machines. As for the other brand s myself i would rather run the old 240 Jack that my other pap owns. John deere s are more expensive to fix and the way they are put together it is either a long down time or a high labor bill. the old timberjacks are easy to fix and cheapas well. the price sound like it is pretty good. I get it for as cheapa s possible no matter what you have to do to it. the last time i priced tires for the 240 they wer handy 1000 and if the tire are good thats a plus.

Bill_G. · « **Reply #20 on:** January 16, 2005, 08:21:48 am »

I think the biggest thing is to size the skidder to your needs, how far will you have to skid, type of ground hills Etc. and size and type of wood you will be skidding. Soft wood on a short skid with good ground a 440 will work great, red oak uphill for 1 mile might want something alot tougher.

Oldtimer · « **Reply #21 on:** January 16, 2005, 10:18:52 am »

Quote

What do you guys think of the Caterpillar 518. I have a chance to buy one (new engine, newer trans.)

Good skidder, strong, tough. Second only to a JD for over-all worthieness IMO.

David_c · « **Reply #22 on:** January 18, 2005, 07:22:05 pm »

Quote

What do you guys think of the Caterpillar 518. I have a chance to buy one (new engine, newer trans.)

i run a 518c great machine lots of power. the other skidder on the job is a 86 518. it pulls some nice hitches. if the price is right go for it.

Jwinter · « **Reply #23 on:** January 19, 2005, 03:50:54 pm »

Are the 518's difficult to work on compared to other machines. Also are there any better years than others,are the transmissions strong?

Thanks

tiny3 · « **Reply #24 on:** January 25, 2005, 12:23:09 am »

hi guys
going to do a 18000 hour service on our 748g tomorrow morning,so you no what i am going to say

buck5611 · « **Reply #25 on:** February 26, 2005, 09:28:06 am »

This week, a guy call me to offer is skidder for sale. It is a 1988 Tree Farmer C6 in very good operating conditions. Tire are worn by 70% and come with four ring chains.. Here in this part of Quebec,commercial logging is becomming done mostly by by big feller machine and carried to the road by a grapple skidder. we see less and less use of chain saw logging .here machine like a C6 are about to be aboundant for sale with little demand for it as private lot owners like better work on their own land with smaller machine. This make the price goes down. the guy asked $15000. for is machine.The price is very low in my opinion but the problem is that when I will finish with it in six or seven years there will be more for sale and the price will get down an less people will want this big machine. i wonder if this situation occur in just this part of the country or U.S. thanks. Carol

OLD_ JD · « **Reply #26 on:** February 27, 2005, 10:10:38 pm »

iam a logger like u carol in quebec and i understand ure view..but at that price even in 10 year this machinne will still wort about the same...there no way it cant go 4 less then that...if u have the work for it,and if it's not to big for u...i think is good by, my point of u under all regard thanks JD

OLD_ JD · « **Reply #27 on:** February 27, 2005, 11:41:53 pm »

i do run a jd 440..(that y my nick is old_JD

).all depent of ure purpuse of it!!i use it in selective cutting where it perfect coze it easy to run,very small, need small space and not to much groud impact..the b series to me is about the best series JD made regarding the price and year machinery,if ure planing to cut in big stuff..i will consider the 540 more appro.. due to the 6 cyl engine and the front weight,repaire is more exp then timber or tree farmer but the machinne is quit good...part are still available on dealer's but can be tuff to find some time..

babylogger · « **Reply #28 on:** April 03, 2005, 12:54:33 am »

i learned on a 518 cat i loved it, then i drove a case, i didnt think the cat was so safe after that! but it was truly a great machine and trust me im 5'2 and i put that machine everywhere! i never rolled it and i suppose knowing now what i didnt know then..well doesnt matter my feet could reach the peddles with no pillow!

i really loved driving it, its built for a woman

!!! ok wheres the snickers

only joking. seriously if its a good price go for it! darn you brought up some memories!

timberjack240 · « **Reply #29 on:** April 03, 2005, 03:17:21 pm »

frickman
i no you posted this a while ago about the stick steer timberjacks and how ya dont liek um. trust me theyre no that hard to run 2 or 3 days after i started i didnt even have to think about which way casue it comes natural. ppl ask me which way up is and down is and i cant remember casue its so natural i dont have to think about it

. my pap says steerin wheels are for wusses if ya want to prove sumtin you need to run a tj. with a stick steer

he was kiddin but its still kinda funny

Kevin · « **Reply #30 on:** April 03, 2005, 06:45:53 pm »

Anyone from Quebec have any info , good or bad on the Berfor 2000 other than the price?
(air cooled and tracks)

OLD_ JD · « **Reply #31 on:** April 03, 2005, 11:24:53 pm »

sorry kevin i dont...but to me this bedfor look more like a toy them anyting else

http://www.radinter.com/radtech/anglais/berfor/1berfor.html

timberjack240 · « **Reply #32 on:** April 04, 2005, 02:07:08 pm »

no offense to anyone but i couldnt run sumtin like like:
1st theres no face protection from limbs
2nd id flip it cause it doesnt look like its really all that wide
and 3rd sumtin that small i have tore to peices in a week

MOST IMPORTANT ITS NOT A TIMBERJACK

Scott · « **Reply #33 on:** April 04, 2005, 03:24:17 pm »

The Berfor skidder is ment for small scale operations where minimal site disturbance is needed. It can't pull as much as a skidder but it can run on narrow and soft trails with ease. You definatly have to take it easy on the rig. If it wasn't for the price I'd be interested in one of these machines but 30 grand is a bit much for a machine that can only be used for hauling wood as far as i'm concerned. There used to be a company around that made a larger version of that skidder but think they went under.

isawlogs · « **Reply #34 on:** April 05, 2005, 12:33:00 am »

Kevin

A good friend of mine has one of those , He uses it on his dads farm , it will pull as much as a good team of horses , with out the hay

... I'm not sure what they come with now but his has a 24 HP Onan in it ... I personaly think that this is a good engin ... I have one in my mill and it has close to 5000hrs on it ...
He also has the trailer forwarder for it .
The only draw back on this is that you got to be careful on how short a turn you make when you got a load on ....
It goes well in the snow and is very good in wet areas , very low impact on grounds .... the winching power is quite suprising for the size of the machine , of course one cannot think of using this machine where a larger skidder is needed for weight of loads to be pulled , but if this is the type and size of a machine you need and have one that is priced wright ... I would go for it .... they are easy to work on and as far as I know not to easy to break ...( personaly know someone that tried this machine

) again it will depend a lot on whoe is driving and how its driven ....

Marcel

Kevin · « **Reply #35 on:** April 05, 2005, 07:24:08 am »

I had a chance to see one at a logging show here a few years ago and I was pretty impressed with it but the 30k clams to buy one wasn't too impressive.

slowzuki · « **Reply #36 on:** April 05, 2005, 12:48:13 pm »

It could be a wise investment if you specialized in that field. One of them with a remote control winch would sure haul a lot a cedar out of boggy land without tearing it up.

Sawyerfortyish · « **Reply #37 on:** April 05, 2005, 01:01:48 pm »

I use a 1974 TJ 230 with stick steering and wouldn't trade it for any other make. Replaced the clutch once took 20 min to get the trans out and in less than an hour had it moving. Just put in new center pins. Well my brother and a friend did when I wasn't looking on a sat morning. Never owned a john deere don't like em. The only thing I did like from JD was the 450 dozer and I'm peeed

that jd bought Timberjack

tnlogger · « **Reply #38 on:** April 05, 2005, 01:07:37 pm »

that is one thing about the old TJs,Franklins, Ashleys,
if you need parts go to the local junk yard old truck trannys work fine cause thats whats in them.

timberjack240 · « **Reply #39 on:** April 05, 2005, 02:03:49 pm »

sawyer
we put a clutch in the 240 this summer. it took longer to get everything rogeter than it did to put it back together. only bad thing is there aint alot of room to work in there. its to bad that you cant get new ORANGE timberjacks anymore. no theyre green

and with yur pins that yur brother put in. be glad they did it and not you because we did that this summer to the 240 and i hated it. rollin in the mud weldin and cuttin and jackin it around. bad stuff

me and pap are gonna do the 225 this summer. it needs pins BAD

duramax · « **Reply #40 on:** April 10, 2005, 02:49:11 pm »

Has anyone here ever had a Timberjack 350? We had one for 11 years ,one of the best machines we've ever had besides our new 460 and 560.

Sawyerfortyish · « **Reply #41 on:** April 10, 2005, 06:42:47 pm »

Never new they made a 350. I have seen them listed for sale but thought it was a misprint for a 360 or 380.

duramax · « **Reply #42 on:** April 10, 2005, 07:49:38 pm »

They only made them for a short time. The oldest one I've ever seen was a '78 model and the newest an '86. My dads neighbour still has his '82, a Deutz 6 cyl engine and a Clark automatic 3 speed transmission. We had a Detroit Diesel 3 cyl turbo in ours, we eventually put a Perkins 6 cyl turbo in it. Besides the engine , we never had much trouble with that skidder . That machine skid ALOT of wood!!! Had it 11 years and sold it for $2000 less than we payed for it.

Scott · « **Reply #43 on:** April 11, 2005, 05:07:14 pm »

We had a a 350 and a 380 work on one of my family's woodlots a few winters back. Both had GM or Detroit engines except the 350 rana 353 and the 380 ran a 453 (i think). The 350 was a nice size but the engine was so loud you could hear it 2 miles away (litertally), also it ran a narrower tire that did more damage. The 380 was a really nice machine, not much bigger, more power, wider tires and much, much quieter.

duramax · « **Reply #44 on:** April 11, 2005, 08:29:06 pm »

Those Detroit's were so popular in the 70's and 80's. They were in almost everything from city buses to gen sets. Now they're pretty much just in heavy trucks. I've heard they're much more reliable than they used to be. My Dad had 3-53's in his C5 Tree Farmer , 230 TJ ,and 350 TJ. We also had a C6D Tree farmer with a Deutz . Now our TJ 460C and 560C have the 5.9L Cummins in them. Our Timbco T455D feller buncher has the 8.3L Cummins and my Husky loader has a 6 cyl JD engine. I really like the JD,there isn't a tougher engine IMO.

Scott · « **Reply #45 on:** April 12, 2005, 03:31:36 pm »

Theres a new house going up next door and they've brought in a Komatsu excavator with a hammer on it (house is to sit on granite bedrock). I was talking to the guy who runs it yesterday and he said that all the big brands are pretty much equal for quality, it's just that Cat has pretty much priced themselves out of the market.

duramax · « **Reply #46 on:** April 12, 2005, 05:56:51 pm »

yeah, and alot of the more recent equipment isn't as good as their older stuff,IMO . I knew a guy who had alot of trouble with his 525 grapple. He bought it at the same time as a 648 and ran them side by side, the JD was much tougher.

David_c · « **Reply #47 on:** April 12, 2005, 06:22:46 pm »

Scott dont know how you figure that. John Deere 748 dual arch with winch 230,000 cat 525B dual arch with winch 190,000. was at the dealers the other day those where prices I was quoted.

duramax · « **Reply #48 on:** April 12, 2005, 06:44:18 pm »

I think the 748 is in a higher class than the 525 , the 648 seems closer in comparison. The 748 would be somewhat like a 535 I'm guessing.

David_c · « **Reply #49 on:** April 12, 2005, 09:54:53 pm »

I know but your still talking 40,000 more. so the 648 would be about the same price. which meens there not out pricing themselfs.

David_c · « **Reply #50 on:** April 12, 2005, 09:55:58 pm »

guy was telling me there (Deere) iscomming out with a 848

Scott · « **Reply #51 on:** April 13, 2005, 05:04:00 pm »

That's just what the operator told me, they just bought a new excavator(kobelco) and small dozer(deere) so I'd think they shopped around. I'm pretty sure Deere's 848 is already available

. I'd still buy a cat dozer over any other brand and i think their excavators are right up there. A lot of loggers seem to like thier 535, 545 and crawler skidders out west. Those are pretty rough conditions out there and they seem to hold up well. I'm not trying to knock other brands, just putting my 2 cents worth in.

duramax · « **Reply #52 on:** April 13, 2005, 09:08:45 pm »

The 848 is actally the Timberjack 660 painted yellow. Jd engine and axles.

skidderman · « **Reply #53 on:** April 16, 2005, 01:54:38 am »

I first started running a john deere 440 a cable skidder in 1969 at 8 years old.today I am 45 years old and am skidding with a john deere 440b cable skidder still setting my own ckokers and bumping the knots.

timberjack240 · « **Reply #54 on:** April 16, 2005, 06:53:37 pm »

skidderman
sounds like you and my pap would get along good. hes 58, had his femur bone busted in december of 03 , and still cuttin/draggin himself except for a day now and then when my uncle cuts a couple for him. i work with him in the summer but hes still goin strong - knock on wood - he even cuts em apart by hand when he doesnt use his slasher

Frickman · « **Reply #55 on:** April 23, 2005, 02:53:46 pm »

timberjack,

You wrote that it's not that hard to learn to steer a Timberjack, and once you do it comes naturally. That may be so, but I have employees, and I don't need something else to complicate things for them. With most of them the steering wheel is the only thing they can figure out, and I don't need to take that away from them.

tiny3 · « **Reply #56 on:** April 23, 2005, 07:36:08 pm »

hi
our logging operation is looking at buying a 848g(660 timberjack)to replace 1 of our older 748e

,any one know much about them.also can you get them direct drive or are they all powershift.
regards tiny3

duramax · « **Reply #57 on:** April 24, 2005, 03:18:36 pm »

As far as I know they only come in powershift. They have the JD engine, axles and grapple. You can check out the specs here:[ftp]http://www.timberjack.com/downloads/pdf/skidders/660D-Brochure-NA.pdf

tiny3 · « **Reply #58 on:** April 25, 2005, 05:18:07 am »

thanks alot duramax, ill see how i go

timberjack240 · « **Reply #59 on:** April 25, 2005, 02:03:55 pm »

frickman

"but I have employees, and I don't need something else to complicate things for them"

i know how that is not knowin but they ll catch on
my pap says it takes a real logger to run a timberjack with all the levers sticking at ya. he was kiddin but i thought it was funny

Ironman · « **Reply #60 on:** January 26, 2006, 02:18:19 pm »

440s are great machines. I am trying to buy a 440C right now. The 518s are awesome but you can't find them anywhere and salvage parts are extremely hard to come by since people who own them seem to always repair them and keep them running. Reason being the South Americans and other very remote logging operations are sucking them all out of North America. They are extremely reliable in very high humidity regions because they have no electronic components.

You can sell a completely ragged out, salvage 518 to someone in Bolivia or Brazil or Africa for $10-12,000 USD. They will take them and completely rebuild them using CAT technicians overseas that are top-notch and earn only a dollar or so per hour.

The 518C has acheived cult status, just like the 450C TJ and the JD 440C. I beleive the new machines are just as good, but with the only exception being they are complicated. The more complex somethin gis the more likely it is to fail.

Also the new machines are so big. It seems to me that CAT and JD, if they were smart they would come out with a smaller machine that could satisfy the mom and pop select cut logger as well as overseas eco-sensitive markets where wheelbase dimmensions drive much of the loggers buying criteria in an effort to appease governmental restrictions.

Ironman

Ironman · « **Reply #61 on:** January 26, 2006, 02:56:51 pm »

CAT 525B - JD 648G3

The JD is a great Skidder but it is at least $20k more than the 525B and that is if you are here in the Southeastern US where prices are more competitive and JD makes a real effort to discount there machines. I can't say that the G3 is that much better of a machine. If you have a logging operation, how much wood do you have to skid to pay for that extra $20 or $30k plus interest over several years. In some parts of the country the difference is even more significant, as the previous fellow pointed out.

JD has the reputation for Skidders...but CAT is killing them on price and the 525B is a great machine. If it is taken care of the drivetrain will easily outperform the Deere. I have seen CATs with ten and eleven thousand hours with all original components. What's more when er run pressure tests on the main hydraulic pump, transmission and engine they are all spot on spec. Granted these are machines that had one-owner and were properly maintained. Since Deere changed there engine design they have not had the same famous reliability. I talk with loggers from all over the country and this is just what I am hearing.

Ironman

tiny3 · « **Reply #62 on:** January 26, 2006, 10:47:04 pm »

hi guys
well im finally retiring the jd 748g and have brought a 560 d timberjack(748g3 painted green)with low hours on it.in ten years(22000hrs)the old 748g has had 3 sets of tires,9 hoses and 3 hrs welding on it.were now going to re bush it and give a paint job to be used as a spare skidder.have had ALL the other brands of skidders but nothing compares with the jd,not even close.now to find some deere stickers for the new skidder.....

Hoop · « **Reply #63 on:** January 31, 2006, 09:55:41 pm »

$10000 - $15000 for a 440B with a gutted engine is an outrageous price. About the only way its worth this much is if the remainder of the skidder is so clean you can eat off it. And you know for a fact that the skidder was used exclusively by a little ol grandma that used it to haul a few drags of firewood every fall.

Of course, with it sitting out in a field for the last 7 years, we all know that it will require significant work before you can even think about hooking up that first drag of wood. Hoses are probably all shot. It may have water seepage into the hydraulic system. The transmission is a big question mark. Tires probably gutted/dry rotted as well.

$5000 for a machine of this caliber IMHO is too much. Too many unknowns. The person that left the machine sit for 7 years had a major case of stupidity. If you believe stupidity needs to be rewarded, go ahead & buy the machine.

You can purchase a 440B, maybe even a 440C or 440D in running condition ready to work for $15000.

WAGZ · « **Reply #64 on:** November 11, 2008, 08:34:15 pm »

there's an old lumberjack about 20 miles south of me that has an old JD 440 , its in running condition and he's got it for sale , asking price is $6000.00

Kodiakmac · « **Reply #65 on:** November 12, 2008, 03:19:17 pm »

Hi Buck5611. Good choice if the buggy is in decent shape. I just bought an old 440 JD this morning after spending months looking at JDs, TJs, TFs. Had my eye on an old TF in good shape but owner never got winch problems sorted out. I don't get hung up on the make. Whether its a JD440, a TJ225 or a TFC4, if you get a good one and treat it well, they'll serve you well. On the downside, JD axle/planetery and hydraulic components can take a real bite out of your wallet when compared to the TJ and TF stuff, but, on the other hand, the engines and trannie components are the same as in farm tractors, so those used parts aren't too pricey.

Checklist for buying a used bushbuggy is the same regardles of make:

Check engine oil, hydraulic oil for water.antifreeze contamination when the machine has been parked for a few days. just crack open the oil-pan drain plug a wee bit and let out a 1/2 cup of fluid...if it doesn't look like waste oil, it's probably water or antifreeze.(Water in hydraulic fluid not usually a big problem, but water in engine oil can be)

check pins at the tickle points (have the owner raise front end with blade, put skidder in gear and let the clutch in an out a few times, if the pins/bushings at the articulation points are shot, you'll see the machine buckling up/down at this point)

Check brakes and clutch by holding brakes, putting trannie in a lower-mid gear, and letting out clutch while reving engine. If engine doesn't stall, the clutch is shot...if you go ahead, brakes need work.

Check skidder and winch by using it.

As far as price goes, I paid $13,500 Cdn. ( think we're at .84 US) and other than a leak in one of the steering rams, this machine is in great shape (engine totally rebuilt last year and all axles/planetaries changed wihin last 2 years, tires at 70% and 1 set ring chains included) Hope this helps.

I know that there are lots of other folks on this site who can add to this checklist. happy Skidding!

God luck with it.

zackman1801 · « **Reply #66 on:** November 12, 2008, 06:32:33 pm »

the JD 440 is a good machine, they will pull good and do what you need them to do. but after running one i know they like to be tippy and can turn over easily so watch yourself on side hills and uneven ground.

Arich · « **Reply #67 on:** November 12, 2008, 08:51:15 pm »

I have a Tree Farmer C6D. The machine is rock solid and the only complaint I have so far is that amount of attention I have had to pay to the winch. I may be wrong but I think that the John Deeres didnt have planetarys.

Stephen Alford · « **Reply #68 on:** November 13, 2008, 07:52:10 pm »

A lot of the older skidders only had one cylinder in the middle for steering. I would consider a skidder with dual cylinders worth just a tad more. Stephen

zackman1801 · « **Reply #69 on:** November 13, 2008, 10:11:50 pm »

a little off topic but how do you steer skidders like that, ive seen some with controls like a dozer, and then i saw a Clark ranger the other day that had nothing, just a flat dash and 2 pedals one on each side. On the sides of the seat it had 4 levers, one prob for blade, one for winch, one for brake mabey whats the other for? and how does it steer? really strange. ive see tree farmers with the sticks you move but nothing like that.

Maineloggerkid · « **Reply #70 on:** November 15, 2008, 09:46:40 am »

Clarks steer with a lever down by your side. It would take some getting used to. Timberjacks steer with a lever right in front of you- usually the one on the far left of the dash panel, and you move it up for left, down for right (I think).

J_T · « **Reply #71 on:** November 15, 2008, 10:44:08 am »

T J 225 that I got is far right winch center stear far left blade .Stear lever is a tad longer than the others . Thank they make a conversion to install a half wheel

Maineloggerkid · « **Reply #72 on:** November 15, 2008, 11:49:44 am »

I ran my buddies 240A, and I thought that the steer was far left, maybe not.

J_T · « **Reply #73 on:** November 15, 2008, 12:24:13 pm »

Some may be or someone may of changed it cause they liked it that way

Maineloggerkid · « **Reply #74 on:** November 15, 2008, 12:26:57 pm »

ya. I don't know- I just ran it for a little while- I stick with john deere for my own skidders.

J_T · « **Reply #75 on:** November 15, 2008, 01:00:48 pm »

Had a J D once

T J seams easeyer for an old man to get on an off

And I like that all time 4 wheel drive

Maineloggerkid · « **Reply #76 on:** November 15, 2008, 01:35:05 pm »

JD is all time 4 wheel, just not full time diff lock.

J_T · « **Reply #77 on:** November 15, 2008, 01:48:27 pm »

Yep mine is all locked all time . Front and rear fun turning sometime

Ironman · « **Reply #78 on:** November 18, 2008, 04:25:56 pm »

Biggest issue with a machine sitting up for years is the hydraulics, seals, rings and whatnot being dry rotted and cracked. Soon as you run it and get ti hot they start coming apart everywhere, leaking real bad, throwing trash into the pumps. The machine has simple gear pumps but still you don't want to replace that too many times before you are so aggravated with it that you wish you'd bought something else.

Also the steering orbital valves on these tractors are notoriously weak for forestry. A farm tractor can run the same valve forever because it does'nt steer hardly at all. A skidder is steering constantly, navigating around stumps and trees and whatnot. They wear out fast and start leaking and then they start pouring fluid. They cost several thousand new from John Deere. A machine shop can make you one, but it is still expensive. Blades are a little weak, beefed up in later years. Early models had useless blades. Most older tractors have beefed up blades because the owners took them into the weld shop and added some steel to them.

Otherwise, one of the best skidders ever built. Not as good as a CAT, but pretty darn good.

News:

Author Topic: Buying a skidder (Read 10988 times)