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what is the smallest skidder?

Started by ozarkgem, April 19, 2014, 05:39:49 AM

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ozarkgem

Most of my logging I do with my tractor but sometimes I need more pulling power. I am looking for the simplest and smallest and easiest to get on and off skidder. Prefer older. any suggestions? My only experience was with a JD 440. A standard tranny is ok with me since I won't spend 8 hrs a day on it.
Mighty Mite Band Mill, Case Backhoe, 763 Bobcat, Ford 3400 w/FEL , 1962 Ford 4000, Int dump truck, Clark forklift, lots of trailers. Stihl 046 Magnum, 029 Stihl. complete machine shop to keep everything going.

thenorthman

Garrett model 10 then a 15, they are about the same size physically but the 15 has a bigger winch.
Think they weigh in around 7-8k. Most had gas engines, the later ones had a diesel, or someone swapped in a diesel.

Can car c4 is more or less the same as a garrett 15.

Also a little heavier would be the International s7-s8's (I know where you can find 2 for 5500 right now, both need work)

And the Timber Jacks in the 200 series are nice machines too.

A Deere tips the scale at 11-12k

There is also some skidder found in Europe that is about the size of a geo metro...

There was also a log ox or some such small tracked machine, honestly not impressed by them but they are small enough to ride in the back of a truck, and the tracks make up for a little bit of the weight loss.  If all your pulling is firewood around the homested they are probably great, I just wouldn't want to try commercially logging with one.  That and the conveyor belt track system belongs on a snow cat...
well that didn't work

chester_tree _farmah

Nothing left to say really. Except if ease of entry is a major concern u want a Timber Jack. Only down side is visibility on the right side of the machine.

So from another post on a garret 20 the brochure posted says it weighs 11500?  The machine looks pretty much to be a c4 except for some of the trimmings?
254xp
C4B Can-Car Tree Farmer
Ford 1720 4wd loader hoe

logman81

Look for a timberjack 205-225 nice small machines, easy to get in and out off and simple to work on . You get used to the little lack of visibility on the right side.
Precision Firewood & Logging

CCC4

About 15 years ago a skidder came up for sale that was the smallest skidder I have ever seen! It came from S. Arkansas and was said to have been used in pine plantations. It was a little biddy thing...prolly about the same scale as a Willy's jeep, maybe a little bigger but not much. I almost pulled the trigger on it but due to it's very small scale, it was lacking the ground clearance I needed for up in my area. I have no idea the make or model, I am assuming there are more of them out there...surely it wasn't home made.

barbender

I'very heard a guy up here used to have a Mountain Logger that had a 2-53 Detroit in it. A small machine there, I'very also seen a few old Jacks, I don'the know what model but they look like about an 8000 pound machine.
Too many irons in the fire

logman81

Pettibone also made a very small skidder the master 5 think it was powered by a 4 cylinder Wisconsin.
Precision Firewood & Logging

Jhenderson

John Deere made a few 340 series machines. Gafner also made a skidder for a short while.

BargeMonkey

Quote from: Jhenderson on April 19, 2014, 05:20:43 PM
John Deere made a few 340 series machines. Gafner also made a skidder for a short while.
There was a clean looking 340D in CL in NH a little while ago. Not much difference between a 340-440, alot of 340's didnt come with a blade.

tj240

small old twigfarmer franklin would be ideal
work with my father[jwilly] and my son. we have a 240 tj 160 barko[old] works great three generations working together

logman81

funny you mention gafner skidders i have two original sales brochures for them. :D
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ozarkgem

thanks everyone for the info. Now I can start looking.
Mighty Mite Band Mill, Case Backhoe, 763 Bobcat, Ford 3400 w/FEL , 1962 Ford 4000, Int dump truck, Clark forklift, lots of trailers. Stihl 046 Magnum, 029 Stihl. complete machine shop to keep everything going.

thenorthman

be careful, first its a skidder then its dump truck, and a trailer, now a backhoe, this summer it'll be a dozer...

Don't forget a few more saws... but baby the 088 is the biggest they make, I'm not a real logger until I have a way oversize saw...

Next you'll be wanting a business license and wondering why your not making any money ;D
well that didn't work

BEEMERS

logman81....Are you saying Gafner Skidder..as in a cable skidder? I know they made a forwarder,,which some people here call a short wood skidder..or just a skidder.But its a forwarder...by todays terminology.
I own one of the Gafner Iron Mules...but if they made a skidder.. I would give a lot to see those brochures!!
Either we are confusing our terms of a "skidder" vs "forwarder".. Or you just turned my world upside down!!!

ozarkgem

Quote from: thenorthman on April 19, 2014, 11:07:20 PM
be careful, first its a skidder then its dump truck, and a trailer, now a backhoe, this summer it'll be a dozer...

Don't forget a few more saws... but baby the 088 is the biggest they make, I'm not a real logger until I have a way oversize saw...

Next you'll be wanting a business license and wondering why your not making any money ;D

LOL Already have the dump truck and trailer. Funny a guy just called me yesterday about a deal on a 580 K backhoe. I guess we must all be alike. After 35 yrs of being in business I have changed my strategy. Keep it small and keep it all. I just do what I can get done by myself. I turned down an 80 acre logging job the other day. 
Mighty Mite Band Mill, Case Backhoe, 763 Bobcat, Ford 3400 w/FEL , 1962 Ford 4000, Int dump truck, Clark forklift, lots of trailers. Stihl 046 Magnum, 029 Stihl. complete machine shop to keep everything going.

logman81

Yes beemers, we have a few iron mule forwarders around here. These brochures are in fact for gafner cable skidders , two different models where made. A super rare machine I've never seen one in person let alone any pictures on the net of them.
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thenorthman

Quote from: ozarkgem on April 20, 2014, 05:57:25 AM

LOL Already have the dump truck and trailer. Funny a guy just called me yesterday about a deal on a 580 K backhoe. I guess we must all be alike. After 35 yrs of being in business I have changed my strategy. Keep it small and keep it all. I just do what I can get done by myself. I turned down an 80 acre logging job the other day.

I pick up a case 580 friday...

everything else is looking for somewhere to park...  The Dozer is my uncles, just need to rescue it from the middle of nowhere, and fix the pinion bearings...
well that didn't work

BEEMERS

logman..Id love to see those brochures..can you post them?

logman81

 

  

  

  here you go beemers enjoy! These brochures are very rare !
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terry f

   Sure seems like there would be a market for them, but todays prices would probably be crazy.

BEEMERS

Now that I think about it..I have heard of the Gafner mini skidder,but I assumed (wrongly) that it was the trailer mounted unit they made with the boom and grapple to be towed behind a tractor or dozer.Thank you.

chester_tree _farmah

Awesome brochure. How come no one has one for the early c4s. :-(

Anyway there is a small skidder being produced.  I believe it was first built by Nova Sylvia in Quebec.

http://www.awassos.com/awassos_MD50_MD60.html

There are videos on you tube. It is pretty small though.
254xp
C4B Can-Car Tree Farmer
Ford 1720 4wd loader hoe

barbender

That is a slick little machine, a Mercedes diesel to boot! With all the compact tractors that a are on the market  in the $20-30K range, you would think Deere,  Kubota, etc. could use their components to build a "compact" skidder for small woodlots. I have a Pettibone 501, it's comparable to a 540 or C5 in size (it weighs 17K). It's even a bit large for for taking care of a woodlot. A small machine like that that could use 3 point implements might be handy too. That size machine would always be more for property management and TSI work, if you could pull implements to do food plots and what it might increase it's utility. It's never going to be a production logging machine.
Too many irons in the fire

Dave Shepard

I have an issue of Sawmill and Woodlot that has a couple of Holder tractor in it with Farmi type winches. They would be a great step in between a tractor and skidder. They had three point hitch and FELs.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

BEEMERS

Did a little research online.Alot of what I found was previous psots from this site.Found a newspaper article on Gafner teaming up with Mercedes Benz to build a small skidder using Unimog (owned by Mercedes) Axles engine and transmission.What I got was that it was only built for one year..1968.I had no idea.
BTW,thats my Gafner last winter in my Avatar.

logman81

beemer one of the brochures is the one you are talking about, a very unique machine indeed. The model MB 411 spes are.
Ground clearance 23''
width                  74''
height                 92''
total weight        6,660lbs

Powered by a Mercedes-Benz 4 cyl diesel OM 636 107 CU. IN. 38HP at 2,750 RPM
Transmision Mercedes Benz all- syncromesh 4 forward and 4 reverse

Axles 4- Wheel drive with high-built planitary-type axles at front and rear: Front axle drive can be switched on and off during operation. Differential lock in both axles
gearmatic model 9 winch
these are just some of the specs, seems to be a very advanced little machine for its time period hope you enjoy! ;D
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mad murdock

That Gafner MB411 sounds a lot similar to the size of the Garrett model 10, except the inch is larger. The model 10 I think had an 8A.  Last guy could always do like Gafner did, pick a favorite tractor and modify it into a skidder. You cold save some $$ and buy a 2wd tractor, since you would probably be making the rear tires of the tractor, the front tires of a skidder.
Turbosawmill M6 (now M8) Warrior Ultra liteweight, Granberg Alaskan III, lots of saws-gas powered and human powered :D

logman81

I actually just found a guy that has the model 4000ms right in Brooklyn ct! Bought it locally a few years ago and uses it to pull firewood on occasion. Can't believe theirs one this close to me.
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Reddog

Quote from: Dave Shepard on April 20, 2014, 01:51:10 PM
I have an issue of Sawmill and Woodlot that has a couple of Holder tractor in it with Farmi type winches. They would be a great step in between a tractor and skidder. They had three point hitch and FELs.

Seeing the EU and UK use the Articulated Orchard tractors with a 3 point skidwinch or forwarder trailer for thinning and small site work also.
Also a few of the orchard tractors have reversible operators stations.

But I would guess the 60+ hp Articulated orchard tractor with a cab to be $50K or more.

logman81

After talking with the guy that has the mini skidder he is think about getting something a little bigger and selling the mini. I told him I'd be interested in it if he does. I'd like to have it to do small jobs and TSI work. I could haul it with my one ton pickup and trailer, no trucking cost!
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BEEMERS

If you get it..please post start to finish in photos...maybe Im a little more into it than most....but I do have IRON MULE belt buckle!!

logman81

Absolutely Beemer I'm going to do my best to get it. He's going to think about it for a bit. He's looking for a 440 size machine. Only does firewood so the machine isn't worked hard. I like these small skidders their so handy. If I get it I'll restore it and used it on small jobs pulling firewood and small logs and use the tj on larger lots when needed.
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barbender

I think you could almost haul it in the back of a one ton pickup ;D
Too many irons in the fire

logman81

No it's a little bigger then that, weighs a little over 10,000 lbs and is 5ft wide and 15ft long. But I could move it with my pick and trailer pretty easy.
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barbender

Too many irons in the fire

logman81

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logman81

 

 


 


 


 



 

Here's a few pictures he sent to me of the gafner skidder nice little skidder!
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Maine logger88

That's cool! Is that a #9 winch? What's it have for a motor?
79 TJ 225 81 JD 540B Husky and Jonsered saws

chester_tree _farmah

 Very cool. Thanks for sharing!
254xp
C4B Can-Car Tree Farmer
Ford 1720 4wd loader hoe

logman81

It's suppose to have a 12,000lb line pull tug master winch I'm not sure if that's what it has. Doesn't look to be a gearmatic. It has a 3 cyl Perkins diesel. Your welcome these rare machine need to be preserved and saved I think.
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Maine logger88

That must be a similar motor to what a 135 Massey has
79 TJ 225 81 JD 540B Husky and Jonsered saws

mad murdock

The small 'mules were built on the Massey tractor. Gafner just took the front end off and put the back axles on. We had a 4501 forwarder which had the 3 cyl Perkins. Very easy on fuel. Great machines.
Turbosawmill M6 (now M8) Warrior Ultra liteweight, Granberg Alaskan III, lots of saws-gas powered and human powered :D

John Woodworth

Barbender the Mountain logger your talking about is the Mdl. T Mountain Logger, a real cute little skidder, a little bigger than the Garrett 10 but built a lot huskier.
The Garrett 10 and 15 are not about the same size the 10 is about 2/3 the size of the 15, the early 15's used the same mdl 8 Gearmatic, later mdl 9 really not that much diffrence.
Antoher thing i'll through in I just Picked up a complete 172 Ford Industrial with Trans, hasent been ran for a while so when I see what shape it's in will probably be for sale.
Two Garret 21 skidders, Garret 10 skidder, 580 Case Backhoe, Mobile Dimension sawmill, 066, 046 mag, 044, 036mag, 034, 056 mag, 075, 026, lewis winch

logman81

Yes I think the gafner skidders also used some of the Massey parts.
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BEEMERS

The first mules were built on a massey ferguson tractor.The later mules were on a Ford.Mines a ford.Its a 4501 originally a ford 3 cyl. but later repowered with a 4 cylinder.later when they bought out Pettibone they gained the means to build it all in house.Then they got bought by Valmet around 1989.
Id love to get that little skidder,it looks awesome.

logman81

Hay beemers that's some good info! I'm going to do everything in my power to get that skidder it's the perfect little firewood skidder!
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BEEMERS

There are some very old Iron Mule brochures on Ebay right now...the Forwarders..They are pretty neat also.My photos show the later Ford based machine....and they have they last incarnation of the mule for sale after they bought out Pettibone and made their own machine with neither ford Nor Massey.  Its a nice one for $37,500
Its the big one a 5510. I just typed in..Iron Mule.

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