which skidder?

[treefarmer87]

i was set on buying a treefarmer c5 from a good friend, but now i found a 230 E timberjack in almost perfect condition. they are both in good shape, the c5 has new tires the TJ has 75% tires. the c5 is $6600 and the TJ is $7000, the TJ is at a dealer, and i can have them both delivered. i have been told that the c5 is easier to get parts for, what about the TJ. which is the better buy? thanks

[HolmenTree]

Take the TJ 230. Parts are no harder to find for a 230 then a C5. I've run and cut for  both and found the 230 took a little longer to get used to operate over the C5, but the 230 was the better machine for cut & skid.
People who weren't familiar with the 230 would say "the 230 has poor operator visability from the left side off set cab. You can only mount and dismount from one side."
Well the 230 was designed for one thing and that was cable skidding off a straight face on a block or strip of timber. The highest producers I cut for ran 230, 240 TJs. These guys would front or backblade "bunch" my swath of felled trees on a full width strip face in only one direction. That was from the left side of the machine they were sitting in.
The operator is sitting right behind the blades left side and thats the side he works with while bunching and running off limbs of the felled timber, excellent visability from this area where the cab is.
 He is always working down the face in a left hand side direction. I'm following behind him limbing and topping his bunched wood. In cold winter months no limbing because the blade breaks all the limbs, only topping with the saw. When he finishes bunching at the end of my swath, I'm there to help him pull out the mainline and help him choke up 1/2 or most of his chokers [15-20 total on mainline] Then I start falling again filling in the area of the face where he just skidded from. I at most times fall 1/2 tree length deep on a straight face. Always falling 45 degrees to the face with the trees average south east lean. The very 1st tree you cut on your block to start your face and landing is in the S.E. corner.
If he had holes to back into the strip he would bunch with the front of the blade and knocking down underbrush and snow for me as he goes along. If the timber is too thick he would backblade bunch and delimb. If the trees were small and thick enough I would hand bunch fall all my wood and he would only have to back blade delimb and skid.
The TJ 230 has all its controls in front of the operator, just one low step to get on/off, winch is a breeze to use.
The Tree Farmer C5 has a high center of gravity where the operator sits. With the narrow canopy its easy to bang your head on it from side to side if your faller leaves high stumps. Don't laugh its happened to me a few times and the hard hat didn't help much.
On the C5 you have controls on both sides and in front of you, too many levers. Long ways up to get on/off and the winch is usually always hard to pull out and a PITA to maintain.
If you decide on the 230 there is one thing you must do to it, thats to add on a low steel door about 24" high at its doorway step. Many operators have broken their legs when running over a pushed down tree that was cut about 3- 6 feet from the uprighted roots. The machine would drive over the uprighted roots and then the short log would flip up inside the cab and pin the operators legs against the seat sometimes breaking them. The steel door would offer protection from this happening.
A saw can be easily carried on a 230 too. Put a cut 1/2 ways through a 8" round X 10"  long log block 3 inches from the end then pound the blocks cut down onto the 1/4" X 6" steel between the fuel tank and the seat. Cut another cut 1/2 ways through the block on the seat side and that cut holds your saw in place sitting on the cover behind the forward/ reverse stick.

Willard.

[quietrangr]

The TJ 230 has all its controls in front of the operator, just one low step to get on/off, winch is a breeze to use.

That says just about all of it. Especially that one step part.

[J_T]

Well here goes  When i was 22 it didn't matter that much but at my age it would be hard to give me anything other than an older T J  And they are posi trac 4x4 .

[treefarmer87]

the guy that has the treefarmer says that he likes timberjack but he like the simplicty of the treefarmer

[HolmenTree]

the guy that has the treefarmer says that he likes timberjack but he like the simplicty of the treefarmer

Someone with just a woodlot is probably better of with the old C5 if he's not doing alot of skidding.
 You gotta watch some of those older C5 s with the lighter planetaries, they break easy and not cheap to fix.
Willard.

[Maine372]

the 230 is by far the more popular. more made, more still availible for sale and as parts machines.
C5 is a little more of a make-your-own job. its a chassis, and you can put whatever motor and transmission you want in it. not sure a TJ is that easy to do where the gear box sits to one side.

the TJ is full locked all the time. the inside wheel tends to tear things up when youre turning. but also gives massive amounts of traction. deeres have open diffs with a manual locker. im not as familiar with TFs so im not sure how they are set up.

neither one is obscure or hard to find parts for. but if you buy the TJ you will have to change your handle here.

[treefarmer87]

i have 2 tracts lined up after this one, i do smaller tracts 10-50 acres but i need something to help me get 2-4 truckloads a day monday thru thursday. the treefarmer has the can car rears and axles

[HolmenTree]

i have 2 tracts lined up after this one, i do smaller tracts 10-50 acres but i need something to help me get 2-4 truckloads a day monday thru thursday. the treefarmer has the can car rears and axles

TF how many cords or cubic meters are on your truckloads?
Willard

[treefarmer87]

i can haul 1500-2000 bf on 1 load and the last load of pulpwood was 20000 lbs

[HolmenTree]

I guess I'm old fashioned. I don't calculate bf. All the pulpwood I cut was scaled in cords or cubic meter.
So you have 20,000 lb load of pulpwood, that would be approx 5,000 lbs per cord divided by 20,000= 4 cords or almost 10 cubic meters on one load.
Ok 8- 16 cords is a good day with one man cutting, skidding, bucking and loading  pulpwood.
Willard

[bushmechanic]

By all means get the 230E it's a way better machine to use and HolmenTree sums it up good.I have also used both machines and would go with the Timberjack,hands down.Hey you can always change your user name to Timberjack87!

[treefarmer87]

yea i know im suprised twig farmer has commented yet

[treefarmer87]

my brother in law and even my wife are tellin me to get the TJ mainly cause its at a dealer

[Mark K]

There both decent machines, but I prefer the TJ. Parts are fairly common, can get most parts at auto parts stores. I think the TF is decent machine also, I looked at a C5 before I bought my 225. My log buyer told me to stay away from the deutz engine but from what I heard here people seem to have good luck with them. As others have commented, TJ's are easy to get on and off of. If your setting your own chokers it saves on ya a little bit. Only down side is you tend to eat alot of snow and mud sitting behind the front tire.

[stonebroke]

Yeah but he is still young, probably does not mind climbing up and down all day. Wait till he is older.

Stonebroke

[treefarmer87]

if i get the TJ i can also go buy another one i passed up a few months back as a back up or parts machine. i also know 5 people that have them. but the treefarmer has 4 brand new firestone forestry specials, but has a 4 cyl deutz the tires are 23.1x26s. the way i usually work is cut and drag out on monday haul tues, and the same on wed and thurs. and i like the way that detriot sounds, and im sure that 353 has got more power than the 4 cyl deutz what are the positives of a detriot or deutz which one do you guys think will last me longer?

[mr T]

   
Sounds like a good deal either way I wish that c5 was closer id buy it   Delivery cost to maine??
 

[Mark K]

How are the tires on the TJ? If there bald I would seriously consider the Tree farmer, if there both mechanically are in about the same shape. The tires are worth what they are asking for the Tree farmer. My 225 has a 353, it gets kinda old listening to the noise in a 10 hour day. I wouldn't be afraid to buy one again though. They are a tough motor.

[treefarmer87]

the tires on the TJ 70-75% they are both in equal shape which is great. the c5 has just been painted. it will cost like $100 for me to get it hauled to my house. the tires on the c5 still have the blue marks on the side. i love the way the 353 sounds i want to get something that has power and can bring out lots of wood. the c5 has a 4 cyl and the TJ 353 which has more power? i like the 23.1x26s on the c5 stay up better in the swampy areas we cut better than the 18.4x26s. but the man i got my log truck from has a 230 d. the radiator is a milky color, i can buy it for around $1500. i could get the good TJ the get the other and have a spare parts machine. i just like the way i sit on the c5 and i like the big tires and plus they are brand new, the motor dosent have any grease or leaks on it.