I brought my "new-to-me-homemade" skidder back home Sunday. 4 hour drive up to almost Canada and a good 6 hour ride back. Stopped to eat and had a little overheating issue. Some hose pulled off the radiator and the truck overheated. We stole a hose clamp off the skidder, reattached the hose. and luckily found a culvert running where I could fill a jug with water. Then, back on the road! I know, the skidder is loaded a little too far forward on the trailer than I'd have liked, but honestly, it pulled very nicely!
These are the pictures from the ad. It has a Chevy straight six, 3 speed (I think) Hi/Low range transfer case, narrowed Deuce and a half axles, and PTO powered home made winch.
Is there a base machine under there, or is this custom the whole way through? Engine? Transmission? Steering (looks like she won't turn super tight)? Whatever it is, it looks like a lot of fun!
I believe the frame came from the Deuce and a half as well. Turning isn't quite as tight as my Massey Ferguson, but it's tighter than you'd think. The rear axle is solid mounted. The front is mounted on a shaft on the center axis of the frame and allows the axle to pivot up and down like a tractor.
Ought to be a good tool, not to mention a good time . Iirc you have a tractor and winch also. It's always nice to have another machine capable of yanking out the other just incase you get a little "adventurous "
Yes, yes it does. When the internet works better I'll try uploading a couple pics. That thing looks awesome!
That is straight awesome. I'm always on edge skidding with my compact tractor, especially since it's not armored underneath.
Now that I've played with it a little I have one complaint: the winch. It's made from a rear axle from the 6x6 the other axles came from. It's powered by a PTO off the transmission, goes through a gearbox with forward, neutral, and reverse selection, then through the gear reduction of the differential. When you are trying to pull cable out, you have the PTO off (obviously) and the gearbox in neutral, but you are still pulling cable out against the gear reduction in the differential, plus the driveshaft going back to the gearbox. It pulls out HARD! That sucks. I need to find another PTO driven winch with a true freewheel... Winch as viewed from seat: winch from the right side showing brake: Winch from the left side:
