Jeff Adams started his own logging company 15 years ago but his ties to the industry go much deeper. “My family is a long line of loggers. I grew up in logging and it’s about the only thing I’ve known.” His father owned a sawmill in Pike County, Ohio for 30 years.
Jeffrey Adams Logging Inc., based in Bainbridge, Ohio, moves 1.5 million to 2 million board-feet of timber annually. Adams buys standing timber and land with timber, primarily in Ohio, but “if the quality of the trees is right we might go to Kentucky or West Virginia,” he said. He sells hardwood to local sawmills such as Superior Hardwoods and Crownover Lumber, and paperwood goes to Glatfelter.
After years of buying a competing brand of knuckleboom loaders, Adams decided to try a Barko. In 2008, he purchased a Barko 295ML knuckleboom, and he has never looked back.
With fuel prices continuing to rise, it’s no surprise that Adams mentions the Barko’s fuel efficiency as one of its best features. “I would say the 295ML is 20 to 30 percent more fuel efficient than other loaders I own,” he said. The machine’s large fuel reservoir, holding 120 gallons, helps to remind him just how low the 295’s fuel consumption is—there are times when Adams doesn’t have to fill it for a week or more.
But fuel economy is just one of the notable features of the Barko, he added. “I am impressed with how sturdily it is put together. It’s a well-built machine—you can see that in the amount of steel in it, in the size of the pins. It is rugged.”
Adams’ 173-hp 295ML is equipped with an optional 30-foot boom, and he finds the long boom a “big plus” for his operation. The grapple controls work quickly and efficiently, and the machine has a quick swing, he said. Adams estimates “an operator working in the Barko knuckleboom loader can have an 800-board-foot tree worked up and on the truck in four to five minutes.”
The Barko 295 also provides a comfortable environment for the operator, he said. “There is plenty of leg room in the cab, and the joysticks are perfectly in line, where they need to be.”
After four years on the job, his Barko 295ML is showing no signs of wear or leakage, he added. Oil changes and greasing have been all the maintenance the machine has required. “I see no seepage of fluid around the boom, and the engine shows no signs of leaking gaskets. Everything seems as tight as the day I bought it,” he noted.
Adams and his three employees take care of the basics like oil changes, but the logger is glad to know Columbus Equipment Company stands behind Barko equipment and is ready to provide service if he needs it. “As an owner, it’s a good feeling to know there is someone you can count on to service and troubleshoot your machine and take care of any problems,” Adams said. “Columbus Equipment has always been a sound company that has shown they are committed to their customers.”
While buying his first Barko was a leap of faith, Adams has become a convert. “It’s a good strong machine and I would buy another one,” he commented. He would also recommend the machine to other loggers. “I have to think any Barko customer would be satisfied with the machine and the service they get from Columbus Equipment Company.”