Forestryparts.com specializes in providing forestry and heavy equipment replacement parts. Gearmatic Winch Parts, Filters, Seal Kits, Drive Shafts, Saw Parts, AC, Parts, Grapple Parts, Ball Bushings and more. All parts are OEM quality. Barko parts,Caterpillar parts,CSI parts,CTR parts,Franklin parts,Hydro-Ax parts,John Deere parts,Prentice parts,Tigercat parts,Timberjack parts. Heavy Equipment Manuals & Books. Email to friends Share on Facebook - opens in a new window or tab Share on Twitter - opens in a new window or tab Share on Pinterest. We offer some franklin skidder parts: we do not have any books or service. Manuals for sale unfortunately & cannot order them. We need machine serial number. For most applications. Franklin & tree farmer have been out of business for many. We have some friction discs, bearings, seals, solenoids & a few shafts for. Powershift trannies. Re: Franklin 170 manuals « Reply #2 on: November 27, 2013, 01:40:44 PM » Thanks Woody, I was able to order an owners manual from Baker and Sons out in OH, the machine was a sticker on the machine from them so it was there at one point. In addition, we have an extensive database of manuals, which are all available in txt, DjVu, ePub, PDF formats. Downloading Franklin Skidder Manual from our website is easy, so you shouldn’t have any problems with it even if you’re not very tech-savvy.

Franklin Skidder Parts Manual
Franklin Skidder Parts Manual
170 Franklin Skidder Parts Manual
170 Franklin Skidder Parts Manual

In the mid fifties, Roger W. Drake, a native of Southampton County, started his business career in a service station repair shop on the banks of the Blackwater River. This business, known as Cavalier Auto Service, was located across the river from Camp Manufacturing Company and catered to the Logging contractors that worked with Camp.

His work with local loggers made him realize that a need existed for a more efficient method to move logs from the stump to a central loading point. He built a couple of prototype skidders from used parts. These rubber tired, articulated vehicles would become the forerunners of the Franklin Logger. The first of these units is located today near Franklin at the Southampton Agriculture and Forestry Museum in Courtland, Virginia. The second, which was sold to Dan Koliadko and later traded on the 100^th Franklin Logger, is in a logging museum in Lufkin, Texas.

Meanwhile, Mr. Drake had acquired a Poulan Chain Saw Distributorship and set up a dealer network for Poulan in a localized area. He purchased a building next door to Cavalier and opened an automotive parts store known as Franklin Auto Supply.

While operating Franklin Auto Supply, an opportunity arose to become a distributor for Pettibone, a rigid Frame, Rubber Tired Skidder. Al Rollison came on board to sell these machines and to establish a dealer network in several southern states. This program was abandoned due to a misunderstanding between Pettibone and Franklin Auto Supply.

Mr. Drake then set the wheels in motion to build the Franklin Logger. The Manufacturing and Equipment Division of Franklin Auto Supply Company was born. The original manufacturing facility was located in a building at the Franklin Airport. The first units to get a serial number were built in 1962 and sold locally. Reception for the new 'Franklin Logger' was excellent. In 1963 the company moved its operation from the Franklin Airport to the shop behind the Franklin Auto Supply.

Franklin started as an assembly operation, building its own frame and using components built by Rockwell, Carco, and Allison. These first units had Continental engines, both gasoline and diesel models. All of these vehicles had a torque converter but none were equipped with a blade.

Franklin operated without the services of an engineer, although they did have engineering advice from the component manufacturers. These engineers, however, gave little or no consideration to the severity of the woods application, which resulted in a trial and error program. After some trying times with the originally recommended components, some major changes were made. Planetary axles were used in place of drop center axles. A gear driven winch replaced a hydraulic version. A heavier torque converter was used as well as a new radiator with twice the capacity of the old one. A switch was made from Continental to GM engines. Skidders were also being built with blades as a result of customer demand.

Marketing the 'Franklin Logger' was done on a direct basis, largely through the efforts of Al Rollison. Service was done by service people traveling out of Franklin, Virginia.

Mr. Drake realized the need to have parts and service closer to the customer, and moved to establish a dealer organization. The first dealer signed in 1963 was Tidewater Equipment Company, which would sell and service 'Franklin Loggers' in five Southeastern states. Other dealers followed in the next several months, two of whom were Cochran Farm Equipment in Pennsylvania and The Oliver Stores, in Maine.

In the mid 1960’s the manufacturing facilities underwent several expansions, including the purchase of a building adjoining the property. The Parts and Service operations were located in this building. The Franklin Automotive Parts operation was also relocated across the street. Franklin Auto Supply was sold within the next few years as more of management’s time was taken by Franklin Equipment Company.

By 1966, the company had outgrown its facilities and decided to relocate on a 34 acre site east of Union Camp in Isle of Wight Country. Franklin moved into the new plant in 1967 and the old facilities were sold.

Franklin was still basically an assembly operation at this time. Our sheet metal was formed and tanks built by a local sheet metal shop. Within two years, these operations were being done in house. The new plant went through the first of many expansions.

During this period, the first Powershift and Grapple Skidders were built.

Franklin Skidder Parts Manual

In 1968, the Franklin Sweed Division of Franklin Equipment Company was born when Franklin purchased controlling interest in the Holt Division of Jeddeloh Bros. Sweed Mills, Inc.

Holt started in 1946 as a job shop and later manufactured dozer blades. They bought a small foundry in 1950 and started casting operations. They also developed a small crawler tractor and a forklift. Jeddeloh Bros. purchased Holt in 1963. In 1964 Franklin Equipment Company approached this division to buy winches for their new skidder. In January 1965 Franklin took delivery of 20 winches. The orders grew and after several months were up to as many as 100 per month.

In 1967 the Holt Division negotiated a license agreement with Franklin Equipment Company for manufacture of skidders to sell on the West Coast. New buildings were constructed for this purpose and production began. In 1968 Franklin Equipment Company bought the majority of stock from Jeddeloh Bros. and created a subsidiary in Independence, Oregon, under the name of Franklin Sweed Inc. Franklin Equipment Company merged with Franklin Sweed in 1970 and named this operation the Franklin Sweed Division of Franklin Equipment Company. This division produced castings, winches, transfer cases and Model 170 through 195 Skidders until 1971, when the skidder line was transferred to Franklin, Virginia.

Later in 1971, Franklin Equipment Company purchased a complete axle and transmission line from Dana Corporation and transferred the machinery and inventory to the Independence plant. This division produced winches, transfer cases, axles a