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230A Timberjack

Loony661

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Do any of you have experience owning/operating or working on one of these?

I’m considering purchasing one from my neighbor and I took a good look at it and drove it around a bit the other day. Seems like a good machine, just all manual. Is powered by the Cummins 4BT. Only issue I noticed is the shifter is very sloppy for the transmission..

I have experience running Deere and CAT skidders, but the price is right on this ol’ girl and I know that if I pass on it, I’ll regret it. Any information is helpful. Thanks in advance!
 

Int1968

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The gearmatic winch can be troublesome if equipped, break band problems ? and having to leave tail so you can tie it off to free it.


I wouldn’t pass on a machine because of a sloppy shifter, could be shift forks, shift fork pads or rails in the top cover, as long as it’s not poping out of gear.
 

Loony661

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The gearmatic winch can be troublesome if equipped, break band problems ? and having to leave tail so you can tie it off to free it.


I wouldn’t pass on a machine because of a sloppy shifter, could be shift forks, shift fork pads or rails in the top cover, as long as it’s not poping out of gear.

The winch on this machine is an Eaton. I don’t know much about them..

And thanks for the info about the shifter - I figured it shouldn’t be too costly or difficult to repair. I have heard a lot of Timberjacks used common truck parts that are still available at auto parts stores.

Any idea what the 230A weighs? Or what years they were produced? How about a serial number location?
 

Int1968

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Sorry just going by coworkers experience with em in the private world. We have an old relic we use at work for water hauling when spraying chemicals on hydro right of ways. Unsure of the model. For the 4bt case/ih usually has decent prices on parts. Cummins is weird as they want the serial number for the engine when buy parts, not just a cpl #. It’s on the timing gearcase. I’ll ask some guys that own em at work.
 

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Sorry just going by coworkers experience with em in the private world. We have an old relic we use at work for water hauling when spraying chemicals on hydro right of ways. Unsure of the model. For the 4bt case/ih usually has decent prices on parts. Cummins is weird as they want the serial number for the engine when buy parts, not just a cpl #. It’s on the timing gearcase. I’ll ask some guys that own em at work.

Thanks! I appreciate any information I can get for it.
 

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Friends is an older 350 model with a 2stroke it’s a personal use dink around machine, he was saying tires and chains are probably the biggest thing that determines value of an older machine. If anyone has priced out quality skidded tires it makes tractor tires seam like a bargain. At work we run ice chains on some of the tigercats with lifts on em, I’ve got no experience with ring chains other than when there worn out, there worn out.

he also mentioned the eaton diffs being more desirable than the Rockwell ones
 
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Loony661

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This machines tires are at 65-70% tread and it comes with a full set of ring chains that are currently not mounted.. I personally like the diamond style ice chains better, but chains are chains at this point and I might as well run ‘em until they’re worn out. ..I really don’t want to pass on this machine. It’s flaws are far outweighed by its assets at this point and for the money, would pull wood and make me some $$ in a hurry. I know what I want to do, now I just have to make it happen.
 

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Don't be slackin' that one won't last!
You don't want to be renting RANDY'S steers to pull that
$I#% out!

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk
 

Loony661

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Don't be slackin' that one won't last!
You don't want to be renting RANDY'S steers to pull that
$I#% out!

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

Although I agree with you, lets not forget that Paul Bunyan got it done with 1 Ox! :cool:
 

timberjack90

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The eaton/Hercules winches are cheaper to work on but not quite as strong as the gearamatic, I prefer the eaton/Hercules. A series started about 1984 till mid 90's they are nice machines, depending how it was maintained in the past. We do a good bit of the eaton winch repair work for the loggers in about 100mi radius
 

timberjack90

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Hey just seen you were in Winona mn area I'm just south of lacrosse by stoddard wi
 

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The eaton/Hercules winches are cheaper to work on but not quite as strong as the gearamatic, I prefer the eaton/Hercules. A series started about 1984 till mid 90's they are nice machines, depending how it was maintained in the past. We do a good bit of the eaton winch repair work for the loggers in about 100mi radius

Hey just seen you were in Winona mn area I'm just south of lacrosse by stoddard wi

Great information! This is what I’m looking for. And yes, I am from Winona County and work between here and also in Buffalo Co, WI quite a bit.. The machine seems very tight. I checked the center pins and they are tight, blade is tight and straight, Cummins fired right up after sitting for months and also doesn’t leak. The only thing we didn’t test was the winch when I looked at the machine. All the hoses were clean and did not have any weather checking.. Is there anything else I should watch out for on these machines? How well do the axles hold up? Do you know what kinds of fluids everything takes? If I buy this, I will want to change ALL the fluids so I know what I have.
 

timberjack90

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15w40 in the engine, 80w90 in the transmission and Axles, 80w90 or 85w140 in transfercase, and 85w140 or some special brass gear oil in the winch. Check the brakes, titan machinery in saint Joseph wi is your go to place for parts 1-608-788-1025, ask for arvid, if he ain't there try again when he is,
 

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15w40 in the engine, 80w90 in the transmission and Axles, 80w90 or 85w140 in transfercase, and 85w140 or some special brass gear oil in the winch. Check the brakes, titan machinery in saint Joseph wi is your go to place for parts 1-608-788-1025, ask for arvid, if he ain't there try again when he is,

Axles are good and strong

Thank you very much! I appreciate your willingness to help me. There’s so little information on the search engines about these machines that it’s hard to decipher what is, and is not, truth. Does the Eaton winch rust up like the earlier Gearmatics? I have heard horror stories about the winches rusting over a weekend or whatnot and needing to be pulled out by the machine and drawn back in before they can be used again.
 

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Not nearly as bad as the gearamatic once you learn how to adjust it they last pretty good, what does go bad most of the time is the main bearing by the clutches and brake, it will wear its way in to the main shaft and slip
 

Loony661

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Not nearly as bad as the gearamatic once you learn how to adjust it they last pretty good, what does go bad most of the time is the main bearing by the clutches and brake, it will wear its way in to the main shaft and slip

Thanks, I’ll watch for that.
 
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