still in use commercially....

[maple_leaf_eh]

Don't write off the entire class of vehicle as completely "home made", but rather serial factory built examples depending on supply and demand.

From what I've seen, the Madill Company did a lot of adapting to suit their customers. If the logging companies in BC needed a chassis that could climb 10% slopes with a 50' mast and a 30ton winch, that is what the engineering department drew. I have snaps of chassis used for open pit mine drag lines that had 4 suspension stations. Likewise, there are shots of shortened chassis with only 2 stations for increased mobility.

Madill went bankrupt a few years ago, and resurrected as a parts and tech support company owned by someone else. I don't think anyone is making new spar yarders in this economy. Several factors may be at play. The US housing market is really slow, so they aren't buying Canadian logs. Maybe every marketable big log has been cut, which I find hard to believe. Maybe the cut blocks are restrictive enough to use other recovery methods. Or, the economics are right for selective heli-logging. Don't know.

[easo]

So the next generation of spar yarders might hopefully be based on say and M113, M60A3 or C1 Leopard!

Easo

[things_green]

I just returned from a weeks holidaying in Golden Bay (top of the South island) .... cruising a gravel road and ....



so at least 2 Madill yarders survive in New Zealand....

I still think one would make a superb RAM project....but then Im not an armour guy.

[Lew Skelton]

I spotted that one just out of Renwick 3 years ago, bugger as didnt have a camera. Last Christmas it had moved to a yard in the Rai valley( took some photos from the fence with my phone, crap as quality) spotted what looked like it up on a ridge christmas just gone.... No camera again. Lucky you had yours Brent.

[maple_leaf_eh]

http://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/...-in-Nanaimo-BC

A whole lot of knowledge on the heavy equipment forums dot com. I keep learning more about Madill every time I scroll through the 107 pages! There are a few NZ spar yarder posters on there too.

[maple_leaf_eh]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4_Tractor

One recurring theme is which chassis' were used for these forestry vehicles. Here is part of the answer, with some maker's names and model numbers. GM Philpott became Finning. Now we know another piece of the puzzle.