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FRANKLIN VS. CLARK VS. JOHN DEERE VS. TIMBERJACK

Started by captainelvi, December 01, 2014, 02:22:31 PM

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captainelvi

I'M LOOKING FOR SOME INPUT ON BUYING A USED SKIDDER. I'M LOOKING FOR A USED SKIDDER IN THE UNDER $30,000 RANGE AND WANT TO KNOW THE POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES OF FRANKLIN AND CLARK SKIDDERS AGAINST JOHN DEERE AND TIMBERJACK. ANY INPUT WILL HELP. THANKS!!

mad murdock

That is a really generalized question, because there are so many different models each manufacturer you listed made/makes.  Of the ones you listed, if it were me, I would look for a Clark, because I think they offer the most bang for your buck in a solid skidder, but be aware of what the drive train (transmision mainly) components are in the machine I buy, to make sure it is comprised of parts that are still available.  some of the older machines have component parts that are no longer available.  I am sure others more in the "know" on this subject will chime in.
Turbosawmill M6 (now M8) Warrior Ultra liteweight, Granberg Alaskan III, lots of saws-gas powered and human powered :D

captainelvi

Thanks! yes i'm concerned about parts for the Clarks and Franklins. I thought I wanted a JD 640 model but.... I hear they aren't as stable as others. I'm in West Virginia so I need stability. I'm only looking at using the skidder for the next 5 years or so to manage 800 acres of forest that mostly has been managed the last 40 years or so to get it the point its at now in need of a light harvest. I need reliability but not sure about not having a steering wheel like older Timberjacks and Clarks, I need good brakes to. Just looking for some discussion on the pro and cons of different skidders.

Kodiakmac

Quote from: mad murdock on December 01, 2014, 02:44:18 PM
That is a really generalized question, because there are so many different models each manufacturer you listed made/makes.  Of the ones you listed, if it were me, I would look for a Clark, because I think they offer the most bang for your buck in a solid skidder, but be aware of what the drive train (transmision mainly) components are in the machine I buy, to make sure it is comprised of parts that are still available.  some of the older machines have component parts that are no longer available.  I am sure others more in the "know" on this subject will chime in.

if it were me, I would look for a Deere,

unless, of course....

if it were me, I would look for a Timberjack,

or....

if it were me, I would look for a Treefarmer,

on the other hand...

if it were me, I would look for a (fill in the blank),  :D
Robin Hood had it just about right:  as long as a man has family, friends, deer and beer...he needs very little government!
Kioti rx7320, Wallenstein fx110 winch, Echo CS510, Stihl MS362cm, Stihl 051AV, Wallenstein wx980  Mark 8:36

treeslayer2003

clark transmission is largely unchanged.........any machine from the mid 70s on up will not be a problem on parts. Allied systems is what to look up, not ranger.
i didn't say they'd be cheap, but then neither is deere or cat.
i never liked a franklin, had several........but thats just me. it does seem like they changed drive line components almost yearly.
deere, no problem with parts if ya got the money.......workin on it a different story.
personaly, i will never own another 200 series jack.........or any skidder with a manual trans. 300 series i would try.
i would like a 665 Clark grapple or maybe a 360 jack grapple.........wish list lol.

treeslayer2003

Quote from: captainelvi on December 01, 2014, 04:11:14 PM
Thanks! yes i'm concerned about parts for the Clarks and Franklins. I thought I wanted a JD 640 model but.... I hear they aren't as stable as others. I'm in West Virginia so I need stability. I'm only looking at using the skidder for the next 5 years or so to manage 800 acres of forest that mostly has been managed the last 40 years or so to get it the point its at now in need of a light harvest. I need reliability but not sure about not having a steering wheel like older Timberjacks and Clarks, I need good brakes to. Just looking for some discussion on the pro and cons of different skidders.
the clarks steer very well and you won't miss the wheel at all. thats all in your head, the franklins with quik steer just have a rod from the wheel to a valve.....same thing as a lever.

loggah

The Franklins with the center oscillation are more stable then the other machines with the front cradle. the Clarks have a good transmission and winch,the timberjacks are pretty easy to work on ,and John Deere parts are everywhere ,if you can afford them. ;D
Interests: Lombard Log Haulers,Tucker Sno-Cats, Circular Sawmills, Shingle Mills, Maple Syrup Making, Early Construction Equipment, Logging Memorabilia, and Antique Firearms

ga jones

This question is relative and has been discussed here before. Are you a good mechanic with a lot of money? Get a Deere. Do you like chasing parts all over the country? get a franklin.are there many Clarks in your area accessibility to parts and people who know these machines?it may sound silly until the winch won't work or the charge pump quits for the transmission then your on here for hours searching for info cause no one around your parts has ever had one..steep ground deep hollows? Timber jack.240 power shift.simple, easy to get parts lots of them around .thats just my opinion.
380c timberjack c4 treefarmer international trucks jonsered saws. Sugi hara bars d31 komatsu 350 tj grapple

captainelvi

NICE! GOOD STUFF. YES STEEP GROUND DEEP HOLLOWS. ITS WEST VIRGINIA. IF I HIT THE LOTTERY YEAH I'LL JUST GO BUY A NEW DEERE AS I ALREADY SELL JD FARM EQUIPMENT...... I CAN TURN A WRENCH AND HAVE ACCESS TO A COUPLE GUYS THAT ARE GREAT MECHANICS. WE HAVE A JD 450C WITH 25,000 HRS.??? ON IT. IT'S BEEN (OVER MAINTAINED PROBABLY) BUT I KNOW WHEN I HIT THE STARTER IT'S GONNA WORK  WITH NO OR VERY LITTLE PROBLEM. YEAH PARTS AREN'T CHEAP BUT LAST TIME I CHECKED A NEW ONE WAS $140,000 AND IT'S GONNA NEED PARTS SOON. IT'S JUST 800 ACRES FAMILY LIVED ON IT FOR 200 YEARS. JUST ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT SKIDDERS BEFORE I BUY SOMETHING TOTALLY NOT RIGHT. HOPE I KEEP GETTING SOME RESPONSES ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED.

Maine logger88

I have ran 3 out of the four mentioned I have never ran a franklin so I can't comment on them. Deeres are a good machine and the most operator friendly of the bunch the steering wheel is nice but I don't mind a stick either as far as stability a 540 or especially a 640 is quite stable, tho they may seem tipy because you sit up higher than say a 200 series jack. A Jack is a real good machine I really like the 200 series but I also don't mind a standard Trans. A machine with a standard Trans will also use less fuel. Parts availability is right up there with Deere and a lot cheaper. As far as yarding the most wood for the least $ there they way to go IMHO. A Clark is also a nice machine very simple to operate and has the most blade power I of any skidder I have used. The torq converter is nice in a lot of situations but they sure like fuel I figure 12 gal to the load vs 5 for my tj and 6 or 7 for my Deere of corse this is all relative to the skid length. They are lacking on brakes  tho. As far as working on them they all suck to work on lol but the deeres are a little harder.
79 TJ 225 81 JD 540B Husky and Jonsered saws

KyLogger

I am a little biased, but I would go with a Deere. I live in similar terrain (E.KY) and the skidders here come in every shape, size and color. The thing I like about a Deere is the parts availability. You cannot throw a rock without hitting a Deere dealer. They claim parts are high....but you can get them. I have found alot of times on ag, forestry and const. equipment that the dealer beats the prices of aftermarket parts (sometimes) My filters for all my equipment is cheaper through Deere than the parts houses, so are head gaskets, and several other parts I have recently purchased. the 540's (B's and up) and 640's are hugely popular around here. I currently have an old 440B and the thing I like about it is that on the older stuff alot of the parts cross over to the 10 and 20 series Deere ag tractors. All of the previously mentioned companies made good machines. They all will break down. Getting parts, and getting them quick is one of the most important things in my book.

Just my $0.02

Tom
I only work old iron because I secretly have a love affair with my service truck!

ehp

have owned most of them and worked around all of them, my favorite would be the 66/67 series clark , I have put a ton of hours on them and had very little trouble , not a real fan of the older JD's but they are forsure the most common machine out there , franklin I'm not a good person to say about them but from what I have seen they seemed ok but as long as you can get parts , TJ , the 450 was a good machine , the 350 was ok but needed more power but of all the machines I think for $30,000 find yourself a later 230/240 with a cummins motor in it , parts are cheap compared to the others , easy to find and the machine is easy to fix but thats just my thinking

deastman

I've owned TJ, Clark, JD and Cat skidders, both cable and grapple. I always thought it was hard to beat a 518 Cat cable skidder for power and pulling ability. To me it was the most comfortable machine to run with powershift and air brakes, and it rode good with the center oscillation.  They are more expensive to work on and use more fuel than the others but I think that they're a tough skidder. Probably a 200 series TJ would be the most economical skidder for what you're looking to do as far as parts and fuel go. They're all good skidders, everyone's gonna have a different opinion based on what they've had the most experience with.
Samsung 130 LCM-3 with Fabtek 4-roller and Cat 554 forwarder, Cat EL 180 excavator, Cat D3C dozer, Cat D7E dozer, '92 Ford LTL 9000 dump, Easy-2-Load 25 Ton tag-a-long, current project under construction: '91 Peterbilt 379 with a Hood 8000 w/extenda-boom loader

Kodiakmac

Quote from: KyLogger on December 01, 2014, 05:35:00 PM
... The thing I like about a Deere is the parts availability. You cannot throw a rock without hitting a Deere dealer. They claim parts are high....but you can get them. ....Just my $0.02
Tom

Yep.  And the motors and trannies on the older 440s and 540s were put in farm machines, loaders, etc...and lots of compressors and generators.   So what I'm saying is that I've never had any difficulty finding good used components at a whole lot less than the price of new stuff.

Having said that, my favourite buggy was a two-and-a-quarter jack with a General Moaner 3-53.  But, that's just the kid still in me...I don't think it was any better than the other skidders I ran, I just loved the sound! ;D
Robin Hood had it just about right:  as long as a man has family, friends, deer and beer...he needs very little government!
Kioti rx7320, Wallenstein fx110 winch, Echo CS510, Stihl MS362cm, Stihl 051AV, Wallenstein wx980  Mark 8:36

Maine logger88

Quote from: deastman on December 01, 2014, 06:22:33 PM
They're all good skidders, everyone's gonna have a different opinion based on what they've had the most experience with.
I agree 100% with that!
79 TJ 225 81 JD 540B Husky and Jonsered saws

BargeMonkey

 This discussion can go on forever, alot of it depends what is for sale when you start looking to buy. Theres quite a few places down your way. 30k for a turn key, no issue machine newer than 1995 lets say is going to be hard to find. Cable or grapple ? Size. All those things affect which machine i would chose.
Had a Franklin skidder, most stable machine ever, and wasnt to wide, didnt burn much fuel. Never had alot of parts issues, and the aftermarket has picket alot of it up.
Ive got 2 Timberjack machines and they are tough, parts are pretty easy to get, but aggain your getting into stuff thats been rebuilt a few times. Its been what, 13yrs since they where bought out ?
Deere makes a good machine, but just like Cat sometimes the parts and service are alot. If this is just a toy for yourself, and your own land i would buy an older 240. I watch the internet very close for equipment, a clean nice 640D that isnt beaten to death doesnt exist anymore. I saw 1 in NH a few yrs ago and it was gone quick. Saw a clean 380C in VA few months ago, perfect machine, someone snatched that up quick. Just watch stuff and be prepared to jump if you find a good deal.

captainelvi

WOW. LOTS OF GOOD CONVERSATION. I HAD LOOKED AT CAT 518S BUT JUST DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THEM. I DIDN'T COME FROM AN AREA WITH A LOT OF SKIDDERS, DOZERS MOSTLY USED TO PULL IN WITH. I NEED TO PULL SAW LOGS AND SOME WOOD FOR OSB BOARD SO PLEASE KEEP THE COMMENTS COMING!

captainelvi

YEP, I'M PREPARED TO JUMP AND BEEN LOOKING AT A FEW. JUST WISH I HAD SOME EXPERIENCE WITH SKIDDERS. TRACTORS COMBINES PLANTERS AND DOZERS NO PROBLEM....WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THOSE?  SKIDDERS I JUST DON'T HAVE ANY GOOD EXPERIENCE AT ALL.  THEY ALL HAVE GOOD THINGS ABOUT THEM. I LIKE THE FRANKLIN FOR THE WAY IT OPERATES, THE CLARK T/C TRANSMISSION NICE TO OPERATE, TIMBERJACK PARTS AVAILABLE AND THEY'VE GET LOTS OF EXPERIENCE BUILDING SKIDDERS, DEERE USER FRIENDLY LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE AND CAT... WELL ITS CAT YEAH ITS EXPENSIVE TO FIX BUT TOUGH!!

treeslayer2003

sounds like you got a good handle on it..........cable skidders are cheaper down south than up north.

chester_tree _farmah

Quote from: Kodiakmac on December 01, 2014, 04:16:26 PM
Quote from: mad murdock on December 01, 2014, 02:44:18 PM
That is a really generalized question, because there are so many different models each manufacturer you listed made/makes.  Of the ones you listed, if it were me, I would look for a Clark, because I think they offer the most bang for your buck in a solid skidder, but be aware of what the drive train (transmision mainly) components are in the machine I buy, to make sure it is comprised of parts that are still available.  some of the older machines have component parts that are no longer available.  I am sure others more in the "know" on this subject will chime in.

if it were me, I would look for a Deere,

unless, of course....

if it were me, I would look for a Timberjack,

or....

if it were me, I would look for a Treefarmer,

on the other hand...

if it were me, I would look for a (fill in the blank),  :D

Very well said Kodiak mac! :-)
254xp
C4B Can-Car Tree Farmer
Ford 1720 4wd loader hoe

captainelvi

thanks for all the comments!!! I will let you know what I find and decide on. Going to look at Franklin but keeping my eyes open during deer season!

thecfarm

Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

ForestryEquipment

I think Clark skidders are the most reliable & most reasonably priced to work on.  Their winches & transmissions are bulletproof.  We like the 80's machines with Cummins motors.  Many parts will be available at your local parts store, which probably won't be the case with the others.  Parts are also available through Allied Systems & Aftermarket Parts, and you can download user & parts manuals for free at Allied Systems web site.  Just my 2 cents..  Good Luck!

captainelvi

thanks to everyone that replied! i found a 1996 Timberjack 460 with 4277hrs. It's more skidder than I really need but it was a great price and I have enough left in my budget to put in the condition I want it in. does anyone here have any experience with a 460? thanks again! the Captain 8)

BargeMonkey

 The Captain ?    ::)

The electronic 460's worked good when they ran, but there is a reason why you see so many of them for 12-18k. The frenchman down the road has one and has done a few wiring harnesses. They do have a jack up cab which is nice, my 450C is a 95 and can be a pain to work on under the pans.

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