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TurboForest & Awassos mini skidders

Started by BigelowMountain, March 11, 2011, 08:47:01 PM

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BigelowMountain

TurboForest & Awassos mini skidders
   I purchased a 1998 TurboForest in 2006 that had had 12,000 hrs. of commercial operation. I have read other postings over the past few years about these mini skidders as a guest on this forum and elsewhere. I have no connection with either company that manufactured these great little machines. I met the folks at a trade show and they have been most helpful with any questions I had.
   I would not consider purchasing a new one, as logging on my own land is just a hobby that maybe pays for itself. I was lucky to find my TurboForest here in Maine at a very reasonable price, it had been purchased new by the previous owner and he had taken excellent care of it. His major complaint was that it was hard to start in cold weather and it was too slow hauling a twitch.
   The cold start problem was an easy fix, discovered quite by accident. The TurboForest is slow due to its hydrostatic drive and small 50 hp Perkins engine but I am not usually in much of a hurry. This machine does have incredible torque and traction though, if it does lose traction all you have to do is flip a toggle switch to lock the axles and engage all four wheels, I rarely spin a tire.
   The slowness of the travel speed of this machine is compensated by the agility of its joy stick control for forward, reverse, turning and speed control. Additionally the remote controlled twin hydraulic winches on this machine are powerful and fast at engine idle speed allowing the operator to be careful and efficient while doing quality work.
   The TurboForest is a solid and well built skidder that will pull up to a one cord twitch on flat ground, uphill will really slow it down but it will keep pulling.
   Not all TurboForests were built using the same winches, look closely at a machine with a serial number less than 19 except #11 and #15 were retrofitted with the more powerful winches.
   Awassos mini skidders are a newer version of the TurboForest that use a larger engine and a three speed gear transmission instead of the hydrostatic drive along with a few other modifications.
   A logger friend said "this machine looks and runs just like a skidder...that had been put in the dryer."
Turbo Forest mini skidder

sprucebunny

Welcome to the Forestry Forum !

Good review.

Do you have mostly hardwood or softwood ?
MS193, MS192 and an 026  Weeding and Thinning. Gilbert Champion sawmill

Maine372

bigelow, im about 40 minutes west of you and would love to get an upclose introduction to that machine. most of my experience has been tractor logging and one of those little machines seems like it would have similar footprint with greater production.

any chance you would want to show it off?

thecfarm

Welcome to the forum.Right next door to me.Glad you like the Awassos.Wonder if they will be at the Bangor Expo in May?Have you been there yet?

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,49610.msg716924.html#new
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

BigelowMountain

Mostly I've been cutting fir for lumber market and some salvage of mature pine and spruce. Also have been cutting damaged hardwood for firewood.

I would be willing to show this machine when I bring it home for mud season which means pretty soon around here.

I posted my experiences with this machine because much of what has been posted online has been misleading in my opinion. I will figure out how to post pictures in the near future. In the meantime a internet search will likely bring up Awassos on youtube. The difference is my machine is painted yellow and has a wider blade which has both good and bad points.

I did meet the Awassos guys in Bangor in 2007 I think.
Turbo Forest mini skidder

g_man

I am also a tractor logger. It sounds like you have the answer to my dreams. Take some action shots in the woods and on your trails before you shut down for mud season. I hope you are going to prove to us that your machine has been misrepresented on the internet. There is nothing more valuable than the opinion of an unbiased operator. Thanks for piping up here on the forum.

gg

beenthere

south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

thecfarm

I found a whole bunch too.They can make anything look good on TV. ;) Not saying anything bad about it,I like to see things myself and talk to people who has ones.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

critter



               The old 50,60, vintage Garett C4 was the meanest peace
               of little iron ever put on four wheeles     

treefarmer87

i agree with critter, the garretts are good skidders. i was researching the awassos when i was looking for a skidder, but i heard brand new they were $60,000. i found a turboforest TF 42 in penn, or maine a while back for $16,000. i figured parts would be hard for me to get.
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

bkellyvtme

If they were 60k U.S. I probably would have gotten an Awassos. I was told 80k for the MD-60 and I heard the MD-80 is like 96K. That is crazy money. I like the idea of pulling it behind my F-350 dually.  Looks like it would be an awesome machine, but I don't think you could get the production to pay for it.

treefarmer87

yea, i like how small they are. minimal ground disturbance
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

lumberjack48

I don't know guys, i just don't know, I'd have to have hands on to give a straight up answer. Watching the videos the machine looks like its built pretty light, by light i mean the size and thickness of the iron.

That's way to much money, but i'm old school , that dollar don't stretch anymore like it used to.

It would really be a nice machine in row cut pine or selective cut timber. It doesn't look like it really wants to pull hard.

The old TF's and TJ's are hard to beat, and they don't complain about hard work.

I pulled my C5D and S8 all over with a 3/4 ton pickup.
Third generation logger, owner operator, 30 yrs felling experience with pole skidder. I got my neck broke back in 89, left me a quad. The wife kept the job going up to 96.

treefarmer87

ill take a franklin,TF,or TJ first though. :)
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

Maine76251

cant beat a 440C! until it breaks down :'(

Awassos

In fact, the video show the MD-50 that was with gear transmission.  Actually, the MD-80 is build with an hydrostatic system (more performant than the turboforest was).  Yes the price can seams high, but it, but it is not as the steel cost thant the parts by itself.  There is not much price difference between parts for a 80hp machine than a 200hp.  But to have run it by myself and having seeing it in operation by professional, It can do the job for sure.  You have take note that the operation cost for this kind of machine will be way lower than a big one. 
The MD-80 can be build with single or double winch or with grapple.

treefarmer87

i saw a grapple version on the net one time. nice looking little rig :)
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

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