John Deere 648 (timber jack 460) vs cat 525

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Deere doesn't do anything here, they don't even understand what a skidder is even. They just deal with compact tractors and smaller construction equipment like skid steers and small dozers.

We have to get parts from Pape in Oregon.
I hate doing business with Pape they are a pain in the rear to say the least, now for a skidder they aren't used much out here for small ones such as a 648 lots of clam bunk style and shovel logging as well as the 517 527. Now for the difference the older cats the front diffs were always locked up and you'd hop a lot plus they had air brakes.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
 
I hate doing business with Pape they are a pain in the rear to say the least, now for a skidder they aren't used much out here for small ones such as a 648 lots of clam bunk style and shovel logging as well as the 517 527. Now for the difference the older cats the front diffs were always locked up and you'd hop a lot plus they had air brakes.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

A 648 is small? What do you consider a 440?
 
No trouble with Pape either, been using them for 20+ years.
Been dealing with them since they bought out Hessel Tractor in Portland knowing what I do about them and how the company is i prefer to not do any business with them.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
 
A 648 is small? What do you consider a 440?
Out here they are on the clear cutting sides, if you see a skidder out here its one of the 6 Wheel tigercat clam bunk setups. We ran a 440 converted with a 540 long grapple back end in the thinning when we tree lengthed all the time but here for other then a one or two guy show you won't see small equipment. The standard shovel has become a 568 cat, cable assist cutting is getting big here as well too everything is getting well our wood is getting smaller.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
 
Interesting.

Out here there's only maybe 7-8 skidders around and the 648s are by far the biggest. Got laughed at when bought actually... "too big".
Only 2 other guys I know with buncher and 1 with a delimber. We are pretty much the "big dog" haha.
 
The 648s are very common out here in western mass. Skids are getting longer and terrian is getting real rough. Finding spots to put landings are becoming more difficult and this young gen of loggers (like myself) are very rare.
 
Back
Top