Plans changed

[lopet]

Some of you guys may know that I mostly work with tractors but I do have a C5 parked in the shed for a few years.  Always had the intention to get her fixed up and back in the woods.

Now plans have changed when I went on a Europe trip a couple of weeks ago and came across this.

I drove it and tried everything and just fell in love with it.     Long story short, i ended up buying it and right now it's in the belly of a big cargo ship on the Atlantic somewhere between the Netherlands and the UK.   In a week or so it should be in Halifax.

Yes I am a little exited and can't hardly wait for the arrival.  8)



 

It's called a Welte Junior skidder . The machine is about 25 years old and has 17000 hrs on the clock.  Has a replacement 5 cyl Deutz in it with about 5000 hrs, a dual drum winch  with a mechnical PTO drive. Clutches are controlled either from the cab or from a little radio controller.
Good rubber, front and rear hydraulic blades and a Patu swing grapple boom, which was added about 5 years ago.



    

Shipping isn't cheap, but I figured by the time I have my C5 fixed and rigged up the way I want it or the way this one is, I have as much or more money tied up.  Just hope I have enough years left in me to get my money back. ;D



 

[luvmexfood]

Good looking rig. You will love the remote control for the winch.

[thecfarm]

That would my car into the ditch. Meaning I would be looking so hard at it,I would drive off the road.  ;D  But I do know that would get me to turn around and look at it again.

[gww]

To the uneducated eye (mine) it looks clean with good glass and good rubber for that many hours.  I know nothing but sure like the way it looks in the picture.
gww

[Corley5]

Interesting  8) 8) 8) 8)

[sprucebunny]

Yes, very interesting.
Is there a trailer ?
Are there any feet to keep it from tipping ?
How wide is it ???

[Bruno of NH]

The is cool looking rig !
Jim/Bruno

[bushmechanic]

I've looked at the Welte products on you tube and they look great. Only problem you may encounter are replacement parts in North America. Well now then what's going to happen to that C5 you have in the shed??? Good luck with the "new" machine! 8)

[lopet]

Yes, very interesting.
Is there a trailer ?
Are there any feet to keep it from tipping ?
How wide is it ???

No, it didn't come with a trailer, but there is a built in hitch in the rear blade.
Lifting on your side will be limited, but you can press both blades on the ground and get a little more stable.
It's about 96" wide with the tires turned inside.

[mad murdock]

That is a very cool looking "swiss army knife" of a skidding rig there!! I bet you ate chomping at the bit to get it into some wood!! 8)

[lopet]

I've looked at the Welte products on you tube and they look great. Only problem you may encounter are replacement parts in North America. Well now then what's going to happen to that C5 you have in the shed??? Good luck with the "new" machine! 8)

I know parts might be a issue.  For the Deutz  diesel I am not too worried and the standard 5 speed is probably not much different than the one in my C5 and supposed to be bullet proofed. Parts for the axles  might be a problem but they're supposed to be bullet proofed as well. The winch controls are all electric over hydraulic, that might be fun to trouble shoot.

Yeah all in all it looks like a very clean and well taken care off machine.  The dealer I got it from said he knows the previous owner and he was a very picky guy.

I was kinda debating between a forwarder or a " do it all machine ". I know it won't be as nice to work with as with a forwarder but I can also skid with it and I also plan on feeding a chipper with the grapple sometime down the road.

As far as the old C5 goes probably going to gut it, pull engine and tranny , tc, drive shafts, eventually axles and planetaries, has two new 18.4-26 forestry tires on and the Can Car 20 will go free to a good home. If anybody interested can pm me.  I am not really too attached to that winch, but that's just me. ;D
Was joking to my wife, maybe I could make a lawn ornament out of the carcass and call it " money pit for ever "  :D :D
Well she didn't like the idea.

[David-L]

seen these on you tube. a trailer set up would be sweet on that bad boy. nice rig and good luck.

[ehp]

looks pretty neat , Someday once your up and running I might have to come over and watch her in action

[celliott]

I always thought those European style dual drum winches with remote controls were pretty cool. Wonder why it never caught on here? In North America it's rare to not see a single drum winch.

[coxy]

that's neat   good luck with it  and we need lots of pic of it working and you working on it  :D :D :D :D :D

[lopet]

More pics will come, as soon as it gets here.

[larry1]

Nice looking unit , keep us posted on how you like it .

[teakwood]

Very nice Welte. I would love to have remote controled dual drum winch! and a loader on the same machine! and a turning seat, no more stiff necks!
Can we know how much you payed for the machine?

[lopet]

Price is probably equal with a twenty years old forwarder. If you want to know details, you can pm me.

Ship supposed to be in Halifax at August 17 and then I don't know  if they gonna ship it on rails or on a truck to Toronto where it should custom clear.

I taped a piece of  paper inside the cab with instructions how to operate it. Hope everything goes well and with no damage .

Will update.

[Dom]

Nice machine.

It will go through Customs in Halifax, right off the boat at the dock.
I hope for your sake that the machine was exceptionally cleaned of any dirt/wood debris. Any type of organic matter can have the machine either ordered to be washed by Customs, or refused entry.

When we shipped machines, we would also tape instructions inside the machine.  Never had any issues to my knowledge.
Looking forward to seeing this machine work!

[teakwood]

 Did you baby arrived?

[lopet]

Unfortunately no, it's still in Halifax.  Got bad news from the shipping company, told me the unit didn't pass inspection because they found wood debris and organic matter in or on the machine. It would need to get it power washed and disinfected at cost of $ 1000- 1500.
I asked if they would take a picture of the area so I can show it to the vendor, as I think he should cover that. He assured me that everything will be clean when ready to ship.
After that I got a message from the agriculture inspector who said there will be no pictures taken as they always run in to discussions and arguing.
We have three options either we get it cleaned and treated, or it gets sent back or destroyed .      Wow......

Buddy asked me if they gonna send some vaseline along.    Well, didn't think that was funny, but when I heard the shipper is gonna cover that,
I calmed down a bit.

Dom, you were right.      Lesson learned, but nobody really told us.  Also when I asked around for info about importing equipment, nobody could answer my questions and now I am getting hammered with fees and charges.

- terminal charge
- customs inspection
- delivery order fee
- courier fee
- cartage charges.

So it's really turning in to a costly adventure and even if would know now,  how to do it, I am NOT going to do this again and for anybody who's even considering.   Don't  do it !!!!!!!!! Let somebody else do it and buy it when it's here.

At least the taxes weren't too bad . 5% GST which I can claim again, thought they want 13% HST. The foreign countries are not allowed to charge any taxes on equipment what gets exported.

Tons of paperwork, e-mails and phone calls.  All in all pretty nerve wrecking and I think I've got a few more grey hairs.

What I heard the unit is ready for re inspection and I hope it will go on the truck next week.

I also delayed it a bit because I mailed them a copy of the shipping document instead of the original one.  My fault.

Let's  hope for a happy ending  .    Pfffffff......

[teakwood]

Im sorry to here that. a stressful situation! they are a PITA

Look at the bright side: you will have lots of happy hours driving this machine! cheer up. ;)

[gww]

lopet
Next time you go on vacation, make sure you leave logging at home
gww

[lopet]

In hind sight we are always smarter, aren't we   

[lopet]

More headache........

Last Monday I got the message that the cleaning and reinspection  have been delayed due to the fact that the skidder was  found as a "non-runner".

It's just frustrating dealing with somebody in a office in Missisauga and not somebody on site. All attempts to get a connection to the person in charge have failed and they ended up pushing/towing it on a float to get it to the cleaning facility.

I was assured that everything is handled in professional manner and workers on site are used to operate any type of equipment on a daily basis and that any instructions left in the cab have been certainly followed.

But..............  those so called professional are not capable to get a diesel engine started .

I can only think of three things......... 

.... the person who drove it of the boat turned off the master switch
.... somebody left the ignition on and drained the batteries
.... kill cable/switch is in off position.
 
My buddy said, I worry too much , maybe it gets her fine and we find out that the key is broke off.  Hope he's right.

By Friday we received the customs release of the shipment and we hope it will go on a truck beginning of the week.

Maybe I do worry too much and things are gonna be fine .

[Hilltop366]

At least the taxes weren't too bad . 5% GST which I can claim again, thought they want 13% HST. The foreign countries are not allowed to charge any taxes on equipment what gets exported.

If I recall correctly the federal gov will only collect the GST.

If it is a vehicle that needs to be registered you pay the provincial portion of the tax when registering with proof of GST paid. Not sure about being required to pay the provincial on a non registered item.

Lots of fun isn't it!

[Stephen Alford]

 Awww Lopet ya don't want to be draggin  all that ol iron way out west.  Just have that boat pull up within 100' of PEI and I will get it ashore. Then it would be sorta mine and not yours and really that is our only "custom".  Have her producing firewood in no time. Make her feel usefull.   :D



 

[lopet]

Little late Stephen, she's already ashore and even passed inspection. 8)

I 've read many posts here where FF members got frustrated when things don't work out , things brake down,deals won't go through and on and on.

I guess it's just my turn now and I don't even know if things gonna work out or not , but will let you know.

[thecfarm]

Looks like things are going good now.

[isawlogs]

 Federaleese at there best, glad you got her ashore and passed inspection.  8) 

[lopet]

Well last Tuesday my " new puppy " has reached its final destination. I had some kinda crazy week and didn't had time to examine her until last night.

It looks like they have messed around with the ignition switch and had it turned and or pushed in and got some of the light on and couldn't figure out how to get them off again.  By charging and or boosting it, they cooked one of the two brand new batteries. Unfortunately  access is from the side and not from top and it doesn't take much to short out a battery with a wrench or a non insulated booster clamp.  Also while unloading I have noticed some glass missing in the cab. It looks like some of them have been replaced with plexi glass.  The trucker said the small one was already out when he loaded it and then, when air got in the cab by going down the road at 60 mph, that took out the front windshield.
Also somebody messed around on top of the boom and bend a guard and busted of a connector for the grapple solenoid.

I figured if that's all the damage from shipping, I will just deal with it and it will not be worth the hassle.
As the machine was parked in the shop this week I also noticed a couple of oil puddles who appear to be hydraulics and need some attention.
It's not a perfect skidder, but since I am not looking for production anymore  and more for making things a little easier in my life, this piece of equipment will be a big improvement for my operation.
It's got a few things on it, I really like.  Front blade has some guides along the frame as it goes up and down and will keep it from twisting when you're pushing on a angle.  Rear blade has built in trailer hitch, big storage box for chains and hydraulic down pressure.
Tires are 19.5 - 24s, no cracks , all even wore and probably 50 or 60 %. Just couldn't figure out how many ply.
Every little pivot has a grease fittings and there is a lot of them.
The only weld I found was the one on the cross bar on the front blade.

Ok here is the thing I dislike most. The cab is too tight ( same as the Tree Farmer  >:( ) which I knew about .  The seat only turns to the side or not even and doesn't make it easy to operate the boom.
The next series who had the booms mounted at the factory had way more room in the cab and with running on torque converters or hydrostatic, you can turn the whole platform with all the controls and foot pedals 180 degrees.
The only thing is those machines are a little out of my price range.

It will be another month or so until I start working in the woods again, but I will take some action shots when we get there.

Now I need a name for that baby.               Any ideas  ??????

But " lemon " and " bumble bee " are taken already.  :D



 


 


    


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 
   

[WV Sawmiller]

    Might name her Hard Times Hattie or Bad Luck Betty.

    Good luck with her.

[chester_tree _farmah]

I would just call her Junior. :)

[jd540b]

"The Beast"

[lopet]

Keep them coming !!!  ;)

[Hilltop366]

Dutch.

[mad murdock]

"Treeminator"  Not a bad looking piece of equipment!

[bushmechanic]

Id go with "The Unit" :D

[dustintheblood]

Speaking as a half-breed wooden shoed, wooden think guy....

when you get the glass in and are running next summer......

"The Dutch Oven"  8)

[Corley5]

I like "Junior" too and it looks like it's already been named.  Isn't it bad luck to change a boat's name  ???

[Dom]

I missed this thread for a bit.
Glad to see the machine in your hands lopet, she's a beauty!

My vote is for Betsy.

[lopet]

Thanks for all the inputs.  I may stick with " Junior " as it's  actually  meant for  that certain model. 

It turns out I have to buy two new batteries as the second one doesn't hold the charge either.   What a waste, they only lasted four weeks.
Also have to mount some scabbards, as I couldn't figure out where those guys had stored their saws.

Probably unionized, one guy running the skidder, one choker guy and a saw guy who carries his saw.  :D  :D

[mf40diesel]

Lopet,  What the latest?  I realize it has only been 10 days, but curious if you have had a chance to use that bad boy.

[lopet]

No , it's kinda low priority now. Busy with firewood delivery.
And then we are also building a new garage  with laundry room this fall to keep the Mrs happy, and there is a leak in the roof too.

Finally we are getting this nice stretches of beautiful fall weather and we have to catch up on all the other things.

"Junior " is getting the battery box, which is built in to the steps, changed  over so it's accessible from the top and I have the steps adjusted to the highs  I am used to.  I am a little fussy that way .   Also I have to find a place to store my saws.

Thinking about another three or four weeks until I am back in the woods.    

[timberlinetree]

Glad to hear it's home. Congratulations!

[lopet]

Managed to spend a couple of days on Junior . Built a different box for the batteries, a box for the saws and a handrail for the old guys. ;D
Now it's actually not bad to get in and out.


 


 

O yeah, and Junior got " abused " before it even pulled a log.


 

Hope to be in the woods soon and take some action shots.

[lopet]

I promised to take some more pictures of that new baby.   The ground finally froze enough so I was able to skid some logs from the " back landing " to the front. I had made a couple of piles  back there last November and I also took a few pictures of it in the woods, but unfortunately they got deleted by somebody who didn't know what he was doing. :D



 


 


 


 

I found it a very useful piece of equipment, especially the remote controlled winch.  Unfortunately the batteries for the remote didn't stand up very long in - 15 degree temperatures. Guess I need some new ones, but it has some electric over hydraulic controls in the cab, which work fine.

It also needs some work on a few things. Spline shaft for winch drive is pretty sloppy and needs attention some time, main cylinder on the boom needs repacking and some of the gauges don't work.

All twelve grapple function run of one joy stick controller and will need some more getting used to. Sometimes it's a little much for that little brain. ;D
I also found as much that boom is handy on the landings or to pick up a lost stick on the trail, as much it gets in the way in tight trails where you always have to watch your high and your hydraulic hoses. Limited visibility to the back and  not enough room in the cab, but unbelievable tight for having 17000 hrs on the clock.

All in all I am a happy camper, but there in no guarantee I change plans again some time down the road.  ;D 

[mad murdock]

nice looking machine!  thanks for posting the "action" shots 8)  How long is the boom on "junior"  looks to be all of 20' or more

[lopet]

Yeah it's probably around 18' and extends another 5'.

[deerguy]

Lopet,
I keep looking at the pic's and for the first time ever I've considered trading Beatrice ( my 330 TJ ) in. That looks like the most versatile unit I've seen in a long time. I run the 401 from Northern Ont to my corp office in Ann Arbor Michigan quite often, so if you're ever offering tours of that sweetheart, I'm in !!!!
At any rate, it looks like a great unit and I wish you nothing but success with it !!

Deerguy

[lopet]

Thanks deerguy

I do firewood only and deal with a lot of small diameter stuff and wanted something to make things easier. The dual drum remote controlled winch is very helpful and so is the grapple boom.
It's a little early to say how " Junior " will perform, but I am just happy if I don't run into big repair bills and hope, I didn't open another can of worms.

If I had to do it again, I probably would just buy a winch and/or grapple and mount it on a north american made skidder. Winch drive is mechanical and the controls are electric over hydraulic. No computers. 8) 
Looking forward to kiss my Can Car 20 good by. :D :D   And now as I have two skidders I can always work on one.  ;D  That took quite a bit convincing.

If you are ever in the neighborhood and like to check it out, just pm me,  but I only log 2-3 months per year.  Right now " junior " is parked  while I am getting the Mr's new laundry room finished.   

[thecfarm]

There,glad it all worked out for ya.