Yep, I had an affair on you guys. For most of the winter I put good ole John Deere 350D into hibernation and dragged out ole Clark 664D (a cable skidder). Its done pretty well for a 37 year old (not to mention the old 42 year old logger piloting it). We did not make any records that was for sure, maybe averaging 40-60 cords per week.
But the skidder had an issue. The winch would not stay on brake (hold), it would constantly try to winch in. That kind of sucked, but if you jostled the control lever just right all was well and out to the yard you would go with a twitch of wood kicking you in the rump as you went. Today that ended.
The winch motor in the tranny went, and so I had to rev it up to release the winch line; at an idle it just would not release. Unto its own, that is no big deal; just cut a stick, jam it between the seat and the accelerator and I could pull the winch cable out (I always cut wood alone so I needed the stick). But with the winch sucking itself in all the time, and no way to release it when it did, when I backed off the throttle to go over a bump, "whoooooosshhhhh"...in came the winch line; chokers, slides, clevises...and all wrapped up around the drum and no earthly way to release it really. This happened ALL THE TIME.
"Fooey with that", said this old logger, parking said skidder and jumping on ole faithful; my 1988 John Deere 350D. It might be slower then the wrath of Job, but by goodness it gets the wood out, and honestly... I prefer to cut wood with a bulldozer.
Had to Go Back to Ole Faithful
- CuttingEdge
- 2010 crawler
- Posts: 534
- Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2014 5:13 pm
- Location: Maine
Had to Go Back to Ole Faithful
I have no intention of traveling to my grave in a well manicured body; instead I am going to slide into heaven with a big power turn, totally wore out with busted knuckles, jump off my dozer loudly yelling, Woo Hoo, another Shepard has just arrived!
- Stan Disbrow
- 350 crawler
- Posts: 2899
- Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2005 3:13 pm
- Location: Raleigh, NC
- CuttingEdge
- 2010 crawler
- Posts: 534
- Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2014 5:13 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Had to Go Back to Ole Faithful
My wife has noticed I do not smile on the skidder, but on the bulldozer I just can't stop smiling. If I ever get to a place in life, I think I would just stop all the nonsense and buy a tracked skidder. I know its not a John Deere and without question John Deere makes the best bulldozers, but a tracked skidder, that I think would be the best of both worlds.
Of course while I was at it, I would have a track machine and work on nothing but bulldozers.
Who knows, maybe I am in the Lavoy of the Northeast, though they would be might big shoes to fill. (I have the greatest respect for you Lavoy all joking aside).
Of course while I was at it, I would have a track machine and work on nothing but bulldozers.
Who knows, maybe I am in the Lavoy of the Northeast, though they would be might big shoes to fill. (I have the greatest respect for you Lavoy all joking aside).
I have no intention of traveling to my grave in a well manicured body; instead I am going to slide into heaven with a big power turn, totally wore out with busted knuckles, jump off my dozer loudly yelling, Woo Hoo, another Shepard has just arrived!
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