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Ponsse processor

Started by lumbertick, November 05, 2014, 07:03:01 PM

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lumbertick

Who has ran a Ponsse processor?
What were the pros and cons to it...
Many break downs?

We are looking to get a new machine just trying to see what people think of them that have ran them..

barbender

Well, I have a limited amount of Ponsse harvester experience, and I've been following them around in the forwarder for the last 3 years. I don't have experience from any other brand. I was just talking to another logger yesterday who had Ponsses and is running a Deere right now. He said they've had it over a year and haven't touched anything, except a few hoses the operator tore up. Another friend went to Deere after starting out in Ponsses, he felt the Ponsse was faster, but you more than gained it back in the Deere in uptime. He did have a new Ponsse Scorpion on order, however. I have heard the same reports from other loggers in the area. Ponsse was the first to make inroads up here in the CTL market, so a lot of guys started out in Ponsses.  A few of those loggers have went to Deere and none of them came back. Mainly because of reliability issues.
Too many irons in the fire

chevytaHOE5674

What kind of wood are you cutting?

Have a few thousand hours picking up wood behind a 6 wheel Ergo with a 125 crane and an H73E head, and a few hundred hours running it.

When its working and in the right wood (smaller diameter wood without large limbs) it can lay down an amazing amount of wood. But it has its fair share of reliability issues (just spent the last 11 hours wrenching with the Ponsse mechanic, and he will be back in the woods at daylight).


Gary_C

I run a Ponsse Ergo 6-wheel machine and can only say it's far better than my old Valmet harvester. The Ponsse will go for weeks with no problems while my old Valmet needed something fixed every day. They all need fixing at times as they all do some amazing hard work.

A lot does depend on the type of wood you are cutting. My Ergo spent it's earlier days busting limbs off of hard maple pulp and that takes a toll on everything. Pine and Aspen are easier on machines.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

Ken

I don't have any experience with a rubber tired harvester but spent a lot of time researching them earlier this year.  The largest forestry company here in NB purchased nearly 30 new Ponsse machines this year so they must be a quality machine.  In terms of dollars/cord processed many other machine owners told me that tracked machines were a better option given the conditions that I normally work in.
Lots of toys for working in the bush

Corley5

When I first started looking into harvesters I asked the guy who does my trucking what he felt from his observations trucking wood from jobs all over Northern Lower and Upper Michigan which machines he felt had the most up time.  Machines with four roller heads got his vote.  He felt that Ponsses needed the most wrenching. 
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

lumbertick

Ya we Got a 05 fabtek 133 with the 4 roller... Been a good machine just looking for something a little faster... For pine and popal

barbender

I'm not disparaging Ponsse- they are a quality machine, and very productive. My impression is that Ponsse focuses on harvester production numbers with their R&D, and not as much attention to reliability (or their forwarders). I haven't gotten an opportunity to run one of the Deere forwarders with the rotating and leveling cab, but it looks like a large step up in operator comfort to me. One of my buddies went from a Ponsse Buffalo King (like I run) to a Deere 1210, he's not looking back. Member 1270d will likely be chiming in with production numbers from the new Ponsse Scorpion he's running, after coming from a Deere. He can tell us if the Scorpion is much faster.
Too many irons in the fire

MT logger

One word SUPPORT! Ponsse has the best support they only do cut to length, no lawn mowers just ctl.

lumbertick

I have had bad luck with john deere In The past...
Not with cut to length stuff but out tree length stuff... Not so much the machines but there service department..
I know the old man won't go with a john deere.. Maybe I will just have to go with another new cat 4 roller

SliverPicker

We might have to change 1270d's screen name to "ScorpionKing".
Yooper by trade.

wannaergo

I've met guys who run ponsse ergo's, and they really dont cut that much wood if they're in junk wood. If you're cutting mostly pine and popple though, then i'd go for it. why not stick with a 4 roller? My 501 cuts a lot of wood if the conditions are right. In good pine and popple, i'd be willing to bet you'd average over 10 cords an hour. We're in decent hardwood right now, and I'm getting around 7-8. We did a job that was a mixed bag with some nice popple, some decent jackpine, and a bunch of crap oak and averaged 9.7 cords per machine hour. If you're already familiar with the fabtek, I'd almost say just buy a new cat. (that's almost. ponsse's are still better machines) I will say, service is next to none from fabco.
2016 Ponsse ergo 8w
2014 Cat 564
Husky 385

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