iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

best machine for me ?

Started by lebonski, November 29, 2016, 11:20:26 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

lebonski

I have recently bought 125 acres of matures woods. mostly aspin, birch black spruce fir ( boreal forest ).

No mountain of any kind realy just flat terrain. very dense kind of forest ! some place barely can walk.

Im now looking for a machine to play around as a " side line " nothing very hardcore !

10-30 cords per years depending ! + firewood for cabin

I was thinking a cable skidder ( for my budget ) timberjack since they seem to be the most reliable and popular! 230 seem to be the most common but mabe 200s would be enuff idk.

Im reaching out to you guys for tips and help for my kind of situation, what model and size would be best !
Mabe some advice on old forwarder, would it be better than skidder ?

thanks

joe
125 acres of matures wood by the lake
soon hopefully a skidder to play with !

DDW_OR

Good question. I have 166 acres of hilly/wooded
for me i like to use a machine for more than one thing.
so i use a 50 Hp 4x4 shuttle shift tractor with pallet forks and a Farmi skidder winch rated at 11,000 pound pull.

this way the tractor can also be used to move dirt, rototill, road grading, and so on.
i recommend getting the skidsteer quick attachment for the loader.

and my Bobcat E80 excavator will also have other things it can do.
buckets, frost ripper tooth (tree stumps), concrete breaker, Post driver, and in the future a tree thinning head.
"let the machines do the work"

lebonski

yeah i know tractors would be the logic here but my grandfather already have john deere near me .

i want something more oriented for forestry to add to the actualy machinery options we have and stay as independant from the old man as possible .( not that he is grumpy or anything but he work all his life for not very much ... i would be devastated to broke any of his gear )

125 acres of matures wood by the lake
soon hopefully a skidder to play with !

barbender

I think you already know the answer- an old Timberjack would fit the bill quite nicely ;)
Too many irons in the fire

lebonski

Quote from: barbender on November 29, 2016, 01:07:35 PM
I think you already know the answer- an old Timberjack would fit the bill quite nicely ;)

i know .. but DanG its hard to stop the choice on something .

ive seen many 240 350 380 450 for cheaper but they seem so big !! prob too big for what i have to do .

i know 230 a nice models but higher price.

im wondering if 205 - 207 -225 are in the same weight and quality as the 230 .

joe
125 acres of matures wood by the lake
soon hopefully a skidder to play with !

logman81

Precision Firewood & Logging

Ken

I think a TJ 225 or 230 is one of the toughest small machines out there.  Pretty hard to go wrong with one
Lots of toys for working in the bush

coxy

the 240 is not that much bigger than a 230 if you can buy a 240 cheaper that's what I would do most every thing on a 230 will fit a 240  the older ones 230 had a 353 and 240 453 little more power and a little bigger axles  I could be wrong but didn't all 240s have the g matic 19-119 and the 230s have the eaton/herc  winch

62oliver

Look at what is available in your area, in my part of the world you can get decent old timberjacks or clarks for somewhere in the $8-$12K range, buying local is the easiest and cheapest. For what you said you wanted to do, any of the machines you named would be fine.  Good luck.
Husqvarna 266, Case 90xt, JD310C, TJ240E, 02 Duramax

62oliver

Quote from: coxy on November 29, 2016, 04:44:43 PM
the 240 is not that much bigger than a 230 if you can buy a 240 cheaper that's what I would do most every thing on a 230 will fit a 240  the older ones 230 had a 353 and 240 453 little more power and a little bigger axles  I could be wrong but didn't all 240s have the g matic 19-119 and the 230s have the eaton/herc  winch

When I got my 240, I was looking for a 230 but the 240 was just down the road, looked good and the price was right. At 9' it is a bit wide with the 24.5 x 32s on it but stable as a rock. It has the Gearmatic 119, I had to fix it but has been perfect since, but I'm just playing.
Husqvarna 266, Case 90xt, JD310C, TJ240E, 02 Duramax

Maine logger88

Quote from: coxy on November 29, 2016, 04:44:43 PM
the 240 is not that much bigger than a 230 if you can buy a 240 cheaper that's what I would do most every thing on a 230 will fit a 240  the older ones 230 had a 353 and 240 453 little more power and a little bigger axles  I could be wrong but didn't all 240s have the g matic 19-119 and the 230s have the eaton/herc  winch
I have seen a few 240s with eaton/herc winches but for the most part did have the 19. I don't have much experience with the gmatic 19 but from what I've heard they don't like to sit without use. If that's the case then a eaton/herc would be better for only doing 10to30 cord a year. Or maybe the gmatic is fine if it sits and that's just biased opinions but I have heard it from multiple people. Either way 205 208 225 230 240 or about any skidder in decent shape would be more than adequate for that amount of wood I would think.
79 TJ 225 81 JD 540B Husky and Jonsered saws

starmac

If you are just be going to use it for your own property, why would you not consider one of the bigger machines for equal or less money. To my way of thinking the only disadvantage would be if you were needing to trailer it often.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

Spartan

Larger ones can dig stumps out and move dirt and rock easier if you want to put some trails in.  blade extensions make for decent snow plows too.
Just sayin

DDW_OR

Quote from: lebonski on November 29, 2016, 12:48:33 PM
.......my grandfather already have john deere near me .

........stay as independant from the old man as possible .( ...... i would be devastated to broke any of his gear )

I agree with your two statements. having family/friends to help is great, but braking their stuff is not good.

in your case i would also go with a skidder.
"let the machines do the work"

logman81

Look into a clark 664 they to are tough little skidders
Precision Firewood & Logging

coxy

Quote from: logman81 on November 30, 2016, 11:43:37 AM
Look into a clark 664 they to are tough little skidders
ya they are there are only a few around these parts one I looked at I would not want to drive it 50ft and they work it every day that thing is beyond beat but stills runs and makes them a living

logman81

Thats what im going to look at one this Sunday close by.
Precision Firewood & Logging

Upnorth

Personally, I think  a 230 would be ideal for you, but any of them will work. As much as I enjoyed my 205 years ago, I would avoid them only as parts can be hard to find. The 230/240 series still have parts availability, and hold resale value better than the others. I would certainly avoid a Gearmatic winch as well if you are only using it occasionally. They pull great when they work, but can cause headaches if they sit for long. Mine was terrible, eventually swapped it out for an Eaton on my 240. 
TJ 205
TJ 240E
TJ 350A x 3
TJ 230D x 4

Northern Logger

I'd consider these three machines in no particular order: TJ 230, Clark 664, and TF C5.

They are simple machines that share a lot of the same parts.  But the condition of the machine is most important.  Don't be fooled by a new paint job.  Paint is used to hide things or to convince you to buy something you normally wouldn't overlook.  Take your time looking and be patient.  And thoroughly inspect the machines as well as you can to know what you're getting yourself into regarding work and repair.  As others have said, often times a machine is for sale b/c of a problem.  Know what the problem(s) is.

Gary_C

First question you guys should have asked is "how much money do you have in your pocket?" because at 10-30 cords per YEAR, this is NOT going to be a for-profit-enterprise.

Second question (assuming "none" is the answer to the first) would be how much do you have in your recreation/exercise budget per month to make payments on toys and how much can you scratch up to make a down payment, assuming he can get a loan.

The answers to the two questions will determine what equipment he needs. He could get by with an arch with winch for what little he is planning to cut and process.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

lebonski

i apreciate you guys taking time to help !

i will probably go with something the weight of a 230 ! try and find it near me to avoir too much transport price !
i dont think bringing something from usa is an options .
ill inspect and try to pay the right price also.

another question i got in the back of my mind for all old skidder guys out there! How far is too far for this type of skidder loaded 1000ft ? 1 mile 2 ? how far the trip as to be to start to impact fuel and mechanics.

thanks again.

joe
125 acres of matures wood by the lake
soon hopefully a skidder to play with !

Northern Logger

Skidding distance will vary depending on terrain, load, skidder size, etc.  But if the terrain is good - meaning fairly level, solid ground - then 1500 feet is about as far as I would want to turn a hitch for a 230 machine.  Having the landing within 1000 feet of cutting is good.  If you're doing this for a living, be careful of the distance between the load and the landing.  Long turns will burn through more fuel and increase wear and tear on the machine and leave you with nothing in your pocket.

Thank You Sponsors!