This spring I purchased a cobbled up skidder that turns out was an International S8 powered by a straight 6 chevy mated to a powerglide trans, Hough loader axles, with an old military winch and 16 ply 16.00 x 24 Grader tires. I borrowed a gooseneck trailer from a friend. My brother and I pulled it home with my brother's 3/4 ton truck. My brother tells his work partner about this and his partner says," My brother-in-law has an old grapple skidder he's thinking about selling". Turns out not to be a grapple skidder, but an old ironmule. Made a deal and bought a 98 one ton dually to drag that home. I work in a foundry, the guys at work ask me, "How do you tell your wife you bought a skidder?". I tell them it wasn't hard, but telling her I bought another one was a little tricky. The old Ironmule is the Massey Ferguson with the 3 cylinder perkins diesel. How can I determine if it is the 203 Massey Freguson? The tires on the Ironmule are not great and I will probably need to change at least two. I'm thinking that maybe best to go to the same size as the S8. The tires are mismatched and foam filled and two look two be to big, one rubs the back of the cart and has chewed away the inside one third of the lugs. I'm having a ball with this old iron and the wife even gets in on the fun.
Consider your self lucky... the wifey/war department put her foot down with the skidder, from now on I have to pay for new, to me, equipment out of my logging money :D. Looks like an excavator is still a few years off... and then a dozer, and another skidder, and a log truck, and a yarder, and another log truck, and maybe a crew and and and...
But there is just so much old Iron out there that just needs me to save it!
And you have to pay for her too.... ;)
She stopped and looked at and International T340 dozer yesterday and I had to inform her that it was to expensive and we needed to wait till next year. She has been wanting a dozer for a couple of years. I'm not sure why, I worry that it has something to do with disposing of my body. LOL.
The wifey just mumbled something about loggers being biodegradable... should I be worried...
To thenorthman,
Be afraid, Be Very AFRAID!!!! :o
What year is your 'mule? We bought a brand new 4501 in 1983 from Ison Machine in Pelican Lake Wisc. Ran it for about 3 years in the woods and upgraded with a Franklin 132 pack a back. The 4501 had the 3 cyl Perkins. The 5000 series had 4 cyl engines in them. Ours was a full enclosed cab with pop out plexi panels. Great little forwarders!
I have no idea what year it is. It is built on the Massey Ferguson platform so, as I understand it, that makes it one of the eariler models. It has the three cylinder perkins and seeems fairly short so I would guess the 4501 model. Any help that can be offered in finding out the year and tracking down mauals would be very much appreciated.
A picture would help zero in on its vintage. The earlier 3 cyl models had an open cab, with a ROPS canopy.
I'd guess that it's a 4000.
I'm trying to attach a couple of pics, and it keeps giving me an error box when I select the " Click here to add Photos to post" bar. It says "Error. You don't have permission to preform this operation."
Do you have a picture gallery in your name? I did not see one when I looked in the galleries. You have to load a pic in the forestry forum gallery, then you can post it to your message from the gallery.
nastcat
If having some hangup, go to this help thread
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,61788.0.html
Let us know where the problem shows up, as we've likely been there too. :)
These were taken by my brother when he went to make the deal for me. If you would like to see something in particular let me know and I can take some more pics and post them.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/31607/forwarder9.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/31607/forwarder5.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/31607/forwarder2.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/31607/forwarder6.jpg)
Is it still covered in snow and still sitting at that location?
I would guess a mid 70's 4000 series mule. The '83 model we had was basically the same, just a lot more creature comforts, i.e. enclosed cab, reversible radiator fan blades, and the like. Very good machine for select harvesting, and precision, "surgical" forestry work, as they can be towed behind a 1 ton pickup on a good trailer, and are just barely 8' wide. They are extremely easy on fuel and can get around the woods real well! It will do you very well. 8) 8)
I can't seem to get this thing to upload photos again.
I keep getting "error you don't have permission to perform this operation" when I click on the "click here to add photos to post" I do have a few of albums. I am logged in and I have typed text in my post. The curser is in the dialog box where I would like to place the pic. Please save my laptop from a sudden and voilent death
Quote from: nastcat on May 09, 2013, 09:38:30 AM
I can't seem to get this thing to upload photos again.
I keep getting "error you don't have permission to perform this operation" when I click on the "click here to add photos to post" I do have a few of albums. I am logged in and I have typed text in my post. The curser is in the dialog box where I would like to place the pic. Please save my laptop from a sudden and voilent death
i copied and pasted this pic from your gallery. (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/31607/timberjack02.jpg) how fast does your winch work being converted from direct drive PTO to hydraulic?