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Timber Harvest Methods & Equipment

Started by Ron Scott, March 24, 2002, 02:14:52 PM

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SteveB



Hopefully I did it right and attached to this post ther'll be a picture of a buncher working in a mixed poplar, white pine shelterwood cut.

Regrading cutting big trees with a boomed feller-buncher:  they cut a bit from one side of the tree and then move the carrier a bit and cut from the other side to get the big ones down with a buncher.  (commonly refered to as "double cutting") It takes some skill and experince to do it well (and safely).  The operator pushes the tree and lets it fall, instead of really guiding it down the whole way like they do with the smaller ones.  The way they do it is similar to the way a single grip harvester (dangle head) fells trees.  It's important to make sure trees that are borderline too big for a singel cut with the buncher head are cut using this two-cut method.  Bunchers trying to cut trees that are too big in one cut, will "barberchair" them, causing a strip of wood to tear off the side of the lower portion of the cut stem.  This greatly reduces the size/quality of the part of the tree with the most value.  Barberchairing can also happen on smaller stems, if the buncher doesn't cut parrallel with the ground, and instead angles the head into the tree, pushing it more from above before it can create a clean cut.  As swampdonkey said earleir, a good buncher operator can do a great job of protecting regen. by lifting small and medium sized trees that they cut up and over regen, but obviously can't do the same with a tree that's too big to do anything with, other than guide it down in the direction they want.

SteveB


Scott

Very nice machine 8). You don't see many new cable skidders around anymore. What model is it?

SteveB

It's a 540G III.  It's a very popular model around here. 

Bunchers and grapple skidders probably cut about 60% of the wood around here though.  In the pine shelterwood and hardwood selection cuts of central Ontario, full tree harvesting isn't allowed, so everything is done tree-length.  Because of the size of the pine and limbs of the tolerant hardwoods there is concern about the limbs causign too much damage to residual trees, so everything has to be delimbed with chainsaws in the bush, even if you're using a buncher-grapple skidder system.  Cut-to-lenght systems are almost non-existant aroudn here, although I think processors behind bunchers, then frowarders might hold promise.

barbender

SteveB, what is the difference between the terms "full tree" and "tree length"? Is full tree just tree length with the limbs on?
Too many irons in the fire

David_c

Full tree or whole tree is more acurate meens just that. The tree is cut and skidded to landing with branches and crown. Tree lenght is tree cut limbed and topped, then skidded to landing.

SwampDonkey

Yup, that's my understanding of the terms as well. Whole tree also can include the stump and roots. Some time ago some university type did some experimenting with whole tree harvesting, which included stump and root extraction. Very expensive way to get fibre in my opinion. It really went against the grain, so to speak, because the university was teaching it's students of the day how to get wood out the cheapest. Since, I graduated they changed the faculty name at the local university to 'Forestry and Environmental Management'. More emphasis placed on environmentalism, although we had courses on ecology, soils, fire, stand dynamics, hydrology, meteorology.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

SteveB

You're all right.

Generally, in Canada, "logging method" refers to the form in which trees are moved to roadside/landing.  Full tree = stem with limbs and tops skidded roadside for all processing, tree length =  delimbed at the stump and entire stems skidded roadside, and cut-to-length = delimbed and bucked to log lengths at the stump for forwarders.  As I understand, the U.S. definition of "whole tree" is what a canadian would refer to as "full-tree".  As Swampdonkey explained, in Canada (and internationally) academics define "whole tree" as harvesting trees with stumps and all, and "complete tree" refers to the tree, stump AND major roots.  I dont' think anyone in North America harvests stumps and roots on a large scale, although aboriginal people traditionally harvested several types of roots for tying things together, medicines, etc.  I beleive there are places in scandinavia where stumps are harvested for energywood, and I imagine in a place like africa it'd be harvested for fuelwood, so I think that's where our textbook definitions came from (I could easily be wrong on this part).

Ron Scott

5010 Iron Mule Forwarder. A load of pulpwood and sawlogs is carried out to the landing. Gothard timber harvest; 12/06.


~Ron

SteveB

Ron,

Can you fit 16' wood on those small size forwarders? 

Also, do you have any experince with using large (18tonne) 8 wheel forwarders in selection cuts?  I've worked with them alot before, but always on flatter ground and mostly in clearcuts.  Now I'm working with more hilly ground and exclusively (95%) in selection and shelterwood cuts.  Wondering if anyone has experince with these big machines in rougher partial harvests?

Reddog

Yes you put the 16's on the bottom and stack some 8-12's on top to hold them. You just have to be carful not to ding up other trees on your way out.

Ron Scott

Yes, we carry up to 17 feet if necessary, but with care. The shorter logs are placed on top as Reddog said.

We haven't had many 8 wheelers in the woods here. The smaller units are preferred in the selection harvests, esspecially by the land owner's for less tree and regeneration damage.
~Ron

Ron Scott

Tracked Processor. Processor cuts tree, delimbs it, cuts product lengths and piles them for forwarder removal to the landing/decking area. Gothard timber harvest, 12/06.


~Ron

Ron Scott

Forwarder Operator Unloads A Large Oak Log. Such large heavy logs can damage or break a forwarders boom if the operator is not careful. Gothard timber harvest; 12/06

The Valmet forwarder operator backs up to the landing/decking area and gently slides the large 8 foot oak log to the back of the bunk with the boom without lifting the log.



The operator then drops the large oak log off the back of the forwarder bunk in position on the landing/decking area.



The operator then drives the forwarder away from the landing/decking area dropping the large log on the ground beside some similar large oak logs unloaded the same way without any damage to the Valmet's boom.


~Ron

Ron Scott

Valmet Forwarder Assists Faller. The Valmet forwarder picks up the oak sawlog tree to assist the faller in bucking it in a heavy jack pine slash area. Gothard timber harvest; 12/06.


~Ron

OneWithWood

I really want one of those!  I bet they cost a few dinero. . .
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

farmerdoug

OWW,

Why don't you ask about how to built one.  You never know. ;D

Farmerdoug
Doug
Truck Farmer/Greenhouse grower
2001 LT40HDD42 Super with Command Control and AccuSet, 42 hp Kubota diesel
Fargo, MI

Samuel

Quote from: David_c on December 07, 2006, 09:15:36 AM
Full tree or whole tree is more accurate means just that. The tree is cut and skidded to landing with branches and crown. Tree length is tree cut limbed and topped, then skidded to landing.

Our operations harvest and process full tree as we use the Peterson Pacific 5000 G Portable Chippers.  We currently have 10 working for us and we estimate with the chipping of the tops and large diameter branches we are gaining approximately 12-17 % uplift on our utilization which in turn spills over onto our AAC.  Also if the blocks are close enough to the mill (100 km radius) we will send in our hog procurement contractor to grind the hog fuel and haul it to the mill for power generation as our facility is 100 % run from hog fuel, plus the extra power is then pumped to the grid for distribution.


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Bill Johnson

 


If I've followed the directions correctly my image should be here when I hit post.

I wonder what they do with this big guy during the rut?? This photo is attributed to an operation in Newfoundland.

Thanks for the help SD
Bill

SwampDonkey

Bill here's the code, you can hit the modify button in your post.

[img]https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10003/terre.jpg[/img]
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Bill Johnson

Last winter this happened.


Now this winter we have this.








I'm pretty sure someone had some pretty mean explaining to do after this was all said and done with.

These pictures are attributed to logging operations in the central part of Ontario, say Bancroft-South River area or so I've been told.




Bill

SwampDonkey

What kind of a lame brainer would take a piece of heavy equipment out into that soup swamp. Any man with intelligence could see that wouldn't be a good idea.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

stonebroke

I guess they don't float so well do they. I bet the owner was not the one who did it.

stonebroke

SteveB

It's easy to look at that picture and wonder why anyone would venture into that area with equipment, but soft spots can sometimes be deceptive.  I've seen guys with many years of experince get in a pickle in areas that didn't look bad at all before-hand (never seen anything in real life go out of sight quite this bad, other than the odd picture floating around the internet)  A tracked machine like a buncher has a lot more flotation on their first pass through an area, and I've worked with them on ground that seems almost too soft to walk on.  It's the forwarders, or especially wheeled skidders that usually get into the trouble on the multiple passes over wet trails.  If the buncher's getting stuck you're prety much ... we lets just say good luck getting the wood out.

logger

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