95 540E gable vrs 95 648E grapple

[Barnie]

I operate a firewood business and currently operate a John Deere 540 E cable skidder to haul out my log to be processed, I am thinking of upgrading my skidder to a grapple a 95 648E to be exact, It seems like every year its getting harder to run the chokers. I would cut and limb the trees then chock them and haul them out but this year i hired a feller buncher to do the felling and i plan on hiring the feller for future jobs. my question is "is the 648 grapple to much skidder" for an operation like mine, I cut approximately 1,000-1,200 cord per year.
The 648's engine has recently been redone along with the trans and centre pins and the 540 is to me a ticking time bomb, the 540 has had the water pump, hydraulic pump and the winch rebuilt in the last year and I'm kind of worried that the motor or transmission is next.

 

[northmanlogging]

They say bigger is better...

The big question is can you afford it? Bigger machine bigger cost, more fuel, and more stuff to break, that's my opinion.

 

[Barnie]

They say bigger is better...

The big question is can you afford it? Bigger machine bigger cost, more fuel, and more stuff to break, that's my opinion.

I think the same but does a grapple haul more that a line skidder ? the 540 would bring out 6 face cord per load which isn't that much. the crew would have that done by the time i come out with a second load. (thats with me cutting the trees down delimbing them then chocking and hauling to the processing site)

 

[northmanlogging]

Never ran a grapple skidder, but I suppose they could haul a little more, sounds like your limited by how much you can limb and fall. Perhaps getting one of the crew to fall and limb for the skidder would be more productive. Just my uninformed opinion on that but at least then someone could be falling and limbing while the skidder is traveling to and from the landing.

6 face cord is only a cord and a half, unless its small stuff and your just running out of chokers that's not a very big turn for a 540.

 

[nhlogga]

The grapple on a 648E doesn't really hold a whole lot due to it's shape. I have came out of the woods with 2+ cords behind a 540B and I believe a 540E could do a little bit better than that. I would look for a 648G as the grapple has a better design. If you are getting a grapple skidder and are skidding a long way I would highly reccomend a 648. What size rubber on the 648? Single or dual arch? I have came out of the woods with around 3 cords behind a 648G up hill skid and extended tongs. The skidder I currently run has is a Tinberjack 460C/ Deere 648GIII with a 748 grapple on it and have had 4+ cords behind it.

 

[slick700]

I operate a firewood business and currently operate a John Deere 540 E cable skidder to haul out my log to be processed, I am thinking of upgrading my skidder to a grapple a 95 648E to be exact, It seems like every year its getting harder to run the chokers. I would cut and limb the trees then chock them and haul them out but this year i hired a feller buncher to do the felling and i plan on hiring the feller for future jobs. my question is "is the 648 grapple to much skidder" for an operation like mine, I cut approximately 1,000-1,200 cord per year.
The 648's engine has recently been redone along with the trans and centre pins and the 540 is to me a ticking time bomb, the 540 has had the water pump, hydraulic pump and the winch rebuilt in the last year and I'm kind of worried that the motor or transmission is next.

if you had a bucncher cut the wood it will be easier to skid with the grapple. i ran one and it would burn about 20 to 30 gal a day working it hard. the 540 is a good machine will last a long time if taking care of

 

[Barnie]

if you had a bucncher cut the wood it will be easier to skid with the grapple. i ran one and it would burn about 20 to 30 gal a day working it hard. the 540 is a good machine will last a long time if taking care of

I plan on having a buncher do all my felling from now on so i figured a grapple would be the way to go, I'm just waiting to finalize the sale of the 540 then ill have the 648 shipped to my site. change all the oils and filters on it grease er up and look it over again then let er go to work. I had a buncher cut down a patch late last fall (the operator was french and couldn't speak a word of english). I did the best I could and told him to cut the trees that were marked by the MNR (red =cut and blue=don't touch), well he went in while I was away for five days and levelled the whole patch blue marked trees n all, so a patch that was marked for 500 cord turned out to be around 1,200-1,500 cord with some really nice oak sawlogs which ill keep for the mill. Ill stay with him next time he cuts as I'm sure the MNR would be happy to write up a fine next time.