HELP picking a truck to go logging

Looking at a day cab Freight Liner 2 ea Columbia 2007 455 HP Detroit with 700k mi + or 1 ea KW T800 CAT 500 HP C14 990k+ mi.
The 455 can be turned up both have fatory settings. I can get 200k/2 yr warranty with the Columbia, KW is as is.
one columbia has the ultra shift that i know nothing about the other Columbia is manual 9 spd.
My opinion is the Columbia is a slam dunk.

 

would depend on where you are gonna be logging? If it's anywhere in the mountains on the west coast I would def. grab the t800. not a huge fan of the CAT when it comes to the jake in the woods but the t800 is awesome for turning radius and being able to see

 

How much are the they asking for them?

 

What rears do they have?

 

For logging in my area I would want walking beam suspension first and foremost for traction. 3.90 or 4.10 rears, with a 13 or 18 with a final ratio of .73 and tall 24's for clearance. From there engine and horsepower is just what ever you are most comfortable with. There's good and bad in all of them

 

Might consider a Western Star day cab for the ground clearance and go with the full locker rears.

 

Skip right over that Freightliner. A Columbia will quite literally fall apart under logging stresses. That and it's highly unlikely to be specced out anywhere near what you'd need for even light offroad. Need more detailed specs to be sure, but for a dedicated log hauler that's in and out of the woods daily, you're going to want fun (and expensive) things like a double frame, full lockers, and a lower-ratio rear end. That and tall tires, I've never seen a woods truck running 22.5 low-profiles.

Pay now or pay later. It's definitely in your best interest to buy the right tool for the job.

 

We have never had any trouble with the 40K or 46K air ride hendrickson suspension/ Eaton axles. Single frame Western Stars. 3.55, 3.90, 4.11 rears, full locks or not. Its ALL the driver. We have permits for 107000lbs on 6 axles here. Most the time we were at 120K. N-14, 12.7 DD, 3406, C-15s, 13 or 18spds.

 

When hauling "BIG" sticks, the only truck that comes to mind is a Hayes HDX.

 

In the mud all that HP is just good for braking more stuff unless maybe you can drive both trucks yourself, add more power buy more stuff. All the Columbia's I am familiar with are low ground clearance and have air leaf suspensions. That is good for knocking the bottoms out of the tanks and the suspensions seem to have limited travel causing spin outs. Our old KW 350 HP 8 bag drives around them all the time. The ultra shift is just more stuff to ultimately brake in rough conditions. If you pull out of a drop yard I'd consider the Shakers, they should have 3 more years before overhaul before the KW's. I agree with most everything others have stated but will mention, that we have had good service out of late model Pet's and they are air ride. That good service does not include emissions and we just play in the dirt, no woods. Just my opinion Good Luck.