Best/worst skidder?

[Meadows Miller]

ok but can you buy one for under 150k?

When I was up at the Sawmill Shootout for Lucas Mill I did a quick scoot around and had a look went to the John Deere Stand and asked what the price was on their smallest cable machine which was still big He came back with about $100 to $110000 which is still pretty reasonable I told him it would be a little cheaper if they ditched the Aircon cab all the glass and abit of the other stuff thats was not needed and built a good basic workhorse 

[Okrafarmer]

  Fair dinkum, mate!  Who needs all those modern conveniences anyhow? I never had them! And that Chamberlain Countryman I drove about in Victoria didn't have them either! not even power steering! But it seemed to get the job done, right??? 

[bushmechanic]

I'm partial to anything Timberjack but the worst in my experience was the S7 International with the 220 Ford engine in it.We used to call them pigs because the whole time you were using it as soon as you went downhill the front of the machine would dig into the ground-like a pigs nose.The engine was crap,couldn't get it started in the cold,overrev it and it was toast.Then to top it all off it had a Gearmatic number nine winch so when you did get it going and ready for work the winch wouldn't pull or wouldn't hold up.The only good one of those I saw was one that was made into a single bunk forwarder. 

[jocco]

You must have ahad an early hough if it had the #9 Your right on the ford diesel (the detroit was much better) but the s7 and #9 winch were good machines for 1-2 men.



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I'm partial to anything Timberjack but the worst in my experience was the S7 International with the 220 Ford engine in it.We used to call them pigs because the whole time you were using it as soon as you went downhill the front of the machine would dig into the ground-like a pigs nose.The engine was crap,couldn't get it started in the cold,overrev it and it was toast.Then to top it all off it had a Gearmatic number nine winch so when you did get it going and ready for work the winch wouldn't pull or wouldn't hold up.The only good one of those I saw was one that was made into a single bunk forwarder.

[acl2]

I started pulling wood with a jd 440c when I was 14, then upgraded to a 540b that we ran for years. They both are great machines I preferred the 540 mainly because the extra length made it much more stable and able to pull more. I pulled some big stuff off of real steep ground, and it loved it didnt pull fast but it always pulled. Then we got a 540g and that machine simply stomps the rest, more operator friendly, 6 cyl power, much more stable, and nothing will stop it from pulling, some thing comes or something breaks, thats always a fine line. Its surprising easy on fuel too, usually less than 15 gallons a day. After running it for a couple years i would never be able to go back to the 540b for long, and forget 440c. 

[acco1840]

Caterpillar 518. I learned to drive on one of these and it was a great performer, Though a bit hard on fuel. Really liked the suspension on the cat, as it isolated at the pivot point and lets the front stay put. I now own an International S7B with the Detroit 353, T98 manual trans, 16.9x30 and Gearmatic 19 winch. Great little skidder for my job, and as I run lots of Australian International trucks, I have a lot of driveline spares!! Only thing I dont like about the 7 is the Isolate on the front axle suspension. Took a lot to get used to after the Cat and as our 600 acre block is a bit steep, I travel with the blade closer to the ground!! But is is a nice little machine that has caused me no problem since I brought it  and it fits on the back of my old IH Acco, so I can cart it myself.

[lumberjack48]

Heres a Hough S11,  4-53 [130 hp] Detroit or a 6 cylinder [130 hp] International motor. You could get a straight stick or Allison power shift, Gearmatic 19, this ole Hough weighed in at 15000 lbs.
This would be a good skidder, same style build as my S8 or S8A.