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A skidder does one job, but that job makes or breaks a logging operation’s daily output: getting felled timber out of the woods and to the landing. Get the wrong machine for your ground, and you’re either burning fuel spinning tires in mud or overpaying for horsepower you don’t need. Lumbermens lists skidders for sale from sellers across the United States, spanning cable, grapple, and track configurations from established forestry equipment brands such as John Deere, Caterpillar, Franklin, Timberjack, and Tigercat.
Most of the buyers who come through this page already know their ground. What they’re really deciding is which configuration fits it, and which listing is worth a phone call. That’s what the rest of this page is built to answer.
Ask ten loggers which skidder type is “best” and you’ll get ten answers, because the honest answer is: it depends entirely on your ground and your budget.
Cable skidders use a winch and cable system to pull felled logs to the landing, making them a practical choice for operations where manual chokering and cable-based skidding fit the workflow. They generally cost less to buy and maintain than grapple configurations.
Grapple skidders can improve cycle times because the operator can pick up a turn of logs hydraulically without leaving the cab to attach individual chokers — a meaningful difference once daily volume climbs high enough that cycle time becomes the bottleneck.
Track skidders solve a different problem entirely: traction. Wet ground, steep grades, snow — conditions that can create traction challenges for wheeled machines — are where tracks can earn their keep by spreading weight over a larger surface area.
If you want the full breakdown of how each type performs across different terrain, our guide to skidder types and operation goes deeper than we have room for here.
Browse by type: Cable Skidders · Grapple Skidders · Track Skidders
John Deere and Caterpillar are the names most buyers already recognize, with established dealer and parts-support networks. Timberjack and Tigercat built their reputations more narrowly, focused specifically on forestry equipment rather than a broad agricultural or construction line, and that specialization shows in the details.
Then there’s Franklin — a name worth understanding before you shop, because Franklin no longer manufactures new equipment. Every Franklin skidder on the market today is used, which means the machines still trading hands earned that longevity the hard way. Our Franklin For Sale page covers what to know before buying one.
New skidders run well into six figures. A well-maintained used machine can do the same job at a fraction of that cost — the catch is that “well-maintained” is doing a lot of work in that sentence, and it’s on you to verify it, not take the listing’s word for it.
Before you call about any listing, read our 5 essential tips for buying a used skidder. It’s the difference between a machine that pays for itself and one that becomes a parts-chasing project six months in. And if you’re building out a fleet rather than buying one machine, our used forestry equipment inventory page covers current availability across skidders and loaders together.
Sellers price skidders on a fairly predictable set of factors, and knowing them means you’ll spot a fair deal — or a red flag — faster:
Lumbermens has been in the forestry equipment business since 1986, connecting buyers and sellers of forestry and logging equipment across the United States.
List your equipment for sale and reach buyers across the country.
A skidder pulls felled logs from where they’re cut to a landing or roadside, where they’re loaded onto trucks for transport. It’s one of the core machines in any ground-based logging operation.
If your budget is tight and manual chokering fits your workflow, a cable skidder does the job for less. If your volume is high enough that cycle time is costing you money, a grapple skidder’s hydraulic pickup usually pays for the price difference.
When your ground is wet, soft, steep, or environmentally sensitive — conditions where a wheeled machine loses traction or tears up the ground, a track skidder keeps working.
Based on current market listings, used skidders typically range from around $20,000 for an older cable skidder to $250,000+ for a late-model machine in strong condition. Configuration, hours, and documented maintenance drive most of that spread.
Verify engine hours against a service record, check hydraulics for leaks, inspect tires or undercarriage closely, and — if it’s a cable machine — test the winch under an actual load, not just running free.
Not necessarily. Franklin built a reputation for mechanically simple, easy-to-service machines, which is part of why used units are still working reliably decades later. It does mean parts sourcing takes more legwork than with an active brand.
Yes — horsepower and size range from compact machines suited to small-scale or firewood logging up to high-output units built for large commercial operations.
Yes. Lumbermens connects equipment owners, dealers, and businesses with buyers nationwide looking for skidders across every configuration and brand.
Lumbermens is a nationwide marketplace for new and used skidders, built on decades of experience in the forestry equipment industry.
