Madill: Who Are They?

At Wheeler Equipment, we’re proud to repair and refit some of the best logging machinery offered on today’s market, manufactured by Madill. A local company with a connection to Nanaimo, BC that spans more than a century, Madill is well known worldwide as one of the leaders in the manufacture of forestry equipment.

Founder Sam Madill started his career as a blacksmith at a time when the coal mining industry was king. But once the coal ran out, Madill and his family turned to the ever-expanding forestry industry and began repairing logging equipment. That eventually lead to the development of the first Madill yarder, manufactured in 1955. This portable spar tree yarder set the course for much more, including the opening of a large facility in Nanaimo, where a complete logging line was developed throughout the 70s and 80s.

Eventually, Madill yarders and the company’s other quality equipment became so sought after that another plant was built in the small port town of Kalama, Washington, USA in order to keep up with the demand. By the late 1980s, Madill controlled the bulk of the worldwide ‘over 200hp’ cable yarder market.

Madill was acquired by Nicholson Manufacturing of Sidney, British Columbia in 2011, and the Madill line of equipment is now manufactured at that company’s huge 110,000 square-foot facility. But while their location has changed, the quality of Madill yarders and other equipment has remained the same, still known for their superior performance, simple design, and long service life.

Madill machinery

Experts in West Coast logging, Madill has manufactured some 4,000 machines during its lifetime, each one setting the standard against which one can measure other logging equipment on the market. These machines are lauded for their reliability and durability in even the most difficult environment and terrain.

Madill manufactures the following:

• 3000 Log Loader – A 95,000 lb. machine with a Volvo engine for superior hydraulic flow and swing power. Lift capacity – 45,000 lbs.
• 4000 Log Loader – A 106.000 lb. machine with 139,000 ft. lbs. of swing torque and nearly 47,000 of lift capacity.
• 124 Swing Yarder – Ideally suited to grapple yarding, this is a powerful interlocking swing yarder with a 60-ft. yarding boom and 3 guylines.
• 172 Tower Yarder – Perfect for skyline carriage logging, this Madill yarder has a 72-foot telescoping and tilting tower with hydraulic cylinders, and offers 5 guylines as standard.

Madill repairs

At Wheeler Equipment, we’re proud to boast that we are experts at refitting, upgrading, and repairing your Madill machinery. We’ll make your yarders more efficient and less costly to operate and can customize your unit to fit your specific needs. We’ll help you meet the logging challenges you face and will do it all at a price that fits your budget.

For more information on Madill services offered by Wheeler Equipment as well as other repairs or sales, including Washington Yarders, call us at our Delta, BC location or contact us via this website.