Buying a forwarder

midwestlogger · January 04, 2014, 01:56:38 PM

Hey yall hope all is well in your neck of the woods. I am going to buy a forwarder and need some input. Found a good franklin 132 with cab mounted boom, and a timber jack 230a not a cab mounted boom. My ? is does the boom setting on the load of logs but mounted on cab keep you from turning tight turns? Or is the boom free float while not in use? Sorry if this is a dumb ? Just alot of money to spend and no one around here has them so i have never seen one run.

MUDDY · January 04, 2014, 02:44:40 PM

We have a valmet with a cab mounted loader. It has detense(sp?) and it doesn't interfere with turning. only issue i have is when i have wood on the bunks but not enough to lock my loader into. the boom and bucket want to swing into things when i turn the machine.

hope this helps

1270d · January 04, 2014, 04:30:50 PM

I've worked around the franklins a little bit. They do have a float setting for both swing and main lift functions. Like muddy said, you have to work the bucket down into the load a little to keep the loader from falling off on rough terrain. Not to big of a deal I don't think.

BargeMonkey · January 04, 2014, 05:58:26 PM

I ran a 546 valmet with a cab side mounted loader, it is a pain. Ive got a timberjack 230 that has a serco 4k, and its so much nicer. Little slower but heavier built loader.

midwestlogger · January 05, 2014, 10:53:30 AM

Thanks a bunch for the info. The cab mounted boom may cause me trouble to haul also. Looks like they are close to 11 ft tall?

BargeMonkey · January 05, 2014, 11:05:19 PM

Another thing to consider, which I didnt till after I bought mine, is how long the deck is on your lowboy. Ive got 22ft in the well and I barely fit, I mean inches. If your running on any hills or steep ground go with a 6 or 8 wheeler, a 4 wheeler can be very tippy.

midwestlogger · January 07, 2014, 10:53:38 PM

Thanks Barge Monkey for the info. Ground is steep on many jobs i have but, i run a 540D on some of the jobs when land owner is concerned with the width of machine. That keeps you on your toes (talk about tippy)!!!! Kinda leaning towards a 230A timberjack? Need something to get into tight spots and a 6 or 8 wheeler may be a little big to get around.

BargeMonkey · January 08, 2014, 12:18:26 AM

Some how I will figure out how to post pictures on here. Lol. Ive got a straight 230 jack forwarder, the 230A was from 92?-97? Then they went to a 610. A friend of mine had 2 230A and 2 610's for a while, he encouraged me to buy a straight 230. The 610's had a weak transfer case and electric over hydraulic issues he had said. The 230A's are a nice machine, but they can be pricey. My machine is a 89-90, 353 with a serco 4000 loader, I get about 2200 feet to a heaped bunk load, if your man enough to pick it up its going. They are nice as long as you dont get off the skid roads, mines a long bunk and it doesnt take much to get her a little tippy. I run 23.1 tires and thats the smallest tire I would dare run. You will love being able to pile wood, a forwarder is handy, we used it for 3 months picking up flood debris, mountains of stumps and brush. I can get 24' wood on the bunks, after that its a pain, we cut our pulp 8'6" or 17' which is nice because you stack the bunks and go. If you can find one with a cummins I would suggest it, the detroit is ok, but somedays mines getting a heart transplant. If you find a detroit one, be careful because the engine in those is set up a little different than a skidder motor, I learned the hard way.

midwestlogger · January 08, 2014, 10:09:03 PM

Thanks again for your in put Barge Monkey. Went with a 96 230A should be in the woods next thur or fri. Yea it looks to me like a forwarder is as handy as a pocket on a shirt. Got a very nice patch of timber and no way to get trucks into the center of the job but job has an oil road that runs past and no landing by road.Small spot that i could stack logs then trucks can load off hard road. Forwarder seems to be the smart $ way of being efficient.

mad murdock · January 09, 2014, 01:56:54 AM

We owned and ran a 132 pack a back with the 100hp turbo allis Chalmers engine. It had a hawk roof mounted loader on it, and it was a very good forwarder for its day(new in 1984). Straight forward machine, built real tough and we moved easily 3-4 truckloads a day hand cutting and bunching for it, and later on snipping trees for it with a JD450C w/morbark shear. With the shear we would do 4-5 trucks a day. 2 cutters and 2 machine operators.

PaulBunyan · February 06, 2014, 02:01:20 PM

I definitely would check into parts and availability. We have a Franklin 132 with the 4600 Loader. Recently some of the teeth on the Gear Rack (part # 1501255) inside the swing Assembly broke. Had it welded by a professional. And broke again. I have called everywhere across the Nation searched everywhere online, posted on craigslist. Still cant find the part. Now looking into machine shops.. So just keep that in mind too.. And if anyone out there has any ideas please let me know, It would be Greatly appreciate.

jwilly3879 · February 06, 2014, 04:28:58 PM

You may be able to have one fabricated by a shop with a water jet, they can cut some amazing things, use a broken piece for the pattern for the teeth. If they can't cut thick enough material you can stack thinner pieces and bolt them together.

thecfarm · February 06, 2014, 04:31:04 PM

PaulBunyan,welcome to the forum. Been logging long?
Check out this thread.Put some pictures of your equipment in that thread.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,13313.0.html

danabg · February 06, 2014, 04:56:18 PM

A 230A is a tough machine,you made a good choice in my opinion.I tried one of those Valmets with the boom mounted on the front part of the machine,I hated it. Ifound the loader would fall off the load way to easily.Does your 230 have the loglift loader with joysticks?

craigc · February 06, 2014, 08:49:41 PM

Buy East Perry's. They have a nice Cat 6 wheel.

deutz4 · February 07, 2014, 09:17:57 PM

We have had a 132 around since we bought it new sometime in the early 80's. Very stable for a 4-wheeler. Only flopped once and that was because it was fully loaded with 12 foot red pine. Makes the front half way to light. Not a production machine anymore but nice to have around for firewood and other chores.

midwestlogger · February 21, 2014, 06:04:25 PM

Hey yall sorry for the time away from key board, been working alot while ground was hard! craigc that was just out of my price range but i had talked to tommy about what they run b4 buing my 230A. Anglebeck has a big cat 6 wheel forwarder but looks to big for my landowners. Thanks to all for input.