Looking for Advice on Operating a Forwarder

[martinact]

Hello All! I am brand new to the forums and brand new to the logging industry.

I got my first job in logging yesterday operating a forwarder. To be specific, it is a Fabtec 6 wheel single bunk. My first day on the job was yesterday and it was horrendous. I have never operated before and I did an absolutely terrible job.

My job is to pick up the sticks and sort them into Hard and Softwood Pulp, Bolts and Saw Logs.

I am wondering if anyone has some tips and tricks that will help a noob like myself. Please fire away, ask questions, or tell me I am a dumb@ss.

Thanks, Tom

[beenthere]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum.

First day on the job, and without training on the machine or training id'ing species and grade for sorting??

And posting mid morning the following day??  Did you get sent home? 

Any previous knowledge of working "in the woods" ? 

If completely green, then some serious training needs to happen, not only for your safety but for the product mix as well.

Where are you located in general, as it will help knowing what type of forest you are working.

But there will be some good help here as several members are doing what you are attempting. Wish you luck and hope you stick around. We can learn things too. 

[chevytaHOE5674]

When operating the machine try to be smooth even if that means slow at first, you will get the hang of it and get better with time.

As for the sorting you really need to have somebody that knows the species, products, grades, sorts, etc there with you to show you what is what. A lot of time and money can be lost on the landing with mis-sorts, and re-sorts.....

[nk14zp]

Learn how to do it right first then the speed will come on its own.

[thecfarm]

martinact,welcome to the forum. Would watching videos help??? Must be a pile of them. The sorting-grading part takes time if you have never been around it before. Good luck. It will all come in time. I just hope the boss knows that. I have worked with some bosses and they show you 20 things in 5 minutes and expect you to remember all 20.  :

[loggah]

My first opinion is that experienced help must be hard to find where you live !!! no way would a green guy who has never worked in the woods get put on a forwarder around here ,or any other expensive piece of logging equipment!! that said being careful and not try to hurry to much as you learn,  stumps,sidehills, rocks,and gravity are your enemies!! ;D ;D On second thought your "BOSS" may be an idiot ,not you !!!!!!

[1270d]

Work slowly and carefully.  It feels like a big steady machine but use plenty caution as they can be pretty tippy with a load on.  Try not to bang anything into anything else.  And the sorts are important.   

Be careful and ask lots of questions. Everyone has to start somewhere.

[furltech]

Every one  has to learn sometime ,we were all green one time .So far good advice, take your time .an oldtimer once told me first you get good then you get fast.i run lots of gear before my first forwarder and i had a heck of a job getting the hang of it .thankfully i had a patient boss .or one with nerves of steel  :D

[martinact]

Awesome replies everyone!

So I am starting part time on a as needed basis which will be 3 - 8 pm. No work today for me as they had a processor breakdown yesterday.

The owner of the company is a personal friend of mine and I convinced him to let me have a shot as he needs good help (people who dont use alcohol and or drugs).

The owner did tell me that there is no pressure as I am working after the daily production has been met by the regular guys and he understands that this is going to take some time for me to learn.

We spoke today and I explained to him that I need the most help with the hydraulic controls when loading and un-loading the buggy and I told him I would like to come in early for the next shift and shadow the guy operating the same machine before I try again.

I live in the Upper Peninsula of MI so we have a pretty good mix of wood as far as pulp, bolts and saw logs. I have a cheat sheet in my pocket and am expected to start by only picking up one type of sort for the loads.

Where would I find the videos at? On this forum?

Slow and steady seem to be the consensus so far which is obviously excellent advice.

[snowstorm]

youtube watch the ones that look like the guy knows what he is doing. run the motor slow at first. there should be a training game for x box

[chevytaHOE5674]

Where abouts in the UP are you located?

[martinact]

I am in L'Anse chevytaHOE5674. Small world eh?

Also I have been watching a ton of videos on YT. I think they are helping me understand how to have the grapple hook ready to go on both ends and where to put the buggy when loading and un-loading.

What I need to do is practice with the hydraulics controlling the boom and hook, otherwise the driving of the machine itself isnt really a problem.

[martinact]

Uh-Oh chevytaHOE5674. I see you are a forester...

[1270d]

A six wheel single bunk?

[thecfarm]

Maybe like this fabtec?



 

[colincb183]

A six wheel single bunk?

I was going to ask the same question!

[barbender]

I'd hate to be trying to learn species and sorts from a forwarder seat, I was fortunate to have prior experience from sawmilling, logging a bit with a cable skidder and hauling wood. Can you fit in the cab with the regular operator (not sitting in their lap )? The big cab on our Ponsse forwarders is a nice feature, another person can easily ride along to get or give pointers. Forwarders are easy to tip over, too. I haven't laid mine over, yet Otherwise, move slow with the crane and make your piles as neat as you can.

[mad murdock]

go slow and steady.  Slow and steady will get you more accomplished over time with fewer breakdowns vs trying to be fast.  speed comes with experience, like has been stated.  Cannot over ephasize the importance of trying to keep your log ends even and straigtht as you can.  That will make moving, stacking, and loading trailers or trucks that much easier, which is a pain at first anyways.  Learning to pile straight and even is probably the one thing that will make your work go and look like you know what you are doing.  Nothing worse than trying to straighten out a messed up stacking job.  Does the loader have a by-pass bucket on it? or is it a pulp style "closed" bucket, that does not have by-passing "jaws"?  Remember the tortoise beat the hare in the end ;)

[Ken]

I also read these responses with interest as I have only had my forwarder for a little more than 2 years.  Although I am far faster than I was at first I'm still learning.  There are tricks to every trade and if you don't spend the time watching other experienced operators you are not going to get efficient anytime soon.   You Tube videos are one way to learn some tricks.  As has been mentioned it is important to make neat piles to keep whiney truckers happy. 

Some people can run hydraulics and some can't.  Simple as that.  It takes a lot of hand/eye coordination to get fast.  A processor operator that cares about his piles is also a big help.

[MUDDY]

Does the processor operator sort the products out as he cuts? If so it should be easier for you to keep seperate. I also run a single bunk and i find it easier/faster if i go in backwards filling up the bunks on the way in picking up one sort. like everyone said speed will come.

[thecfarm]

MUDDY,welcome to the forum. What kind of forwarder or you using?
Have you found this thread yet?
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,68561.0.html
This will keep you busy for a few minutes.     :D

[North River Energy]

What I need to do is practice with the hydraulics controlling the boom and hook,

Be aware of what you are doing with the controls, but try not to think your way through the actions.  Rather, look at where you want the bucket(hook) to go, and find relevance between what movement you see, and what you feel through the controls.  (I.E., a specific hand/finger sensation leads to movement of the bucket in a particular direction.)

If it were my machine you were learning on, I would temp. adhere small objects of different texture to the four sides of the joysticks. 

A shirt button, a BB, a strip of emery cloth, etc.

Depending on the machine, you may also be able to feel or hear the variable action of the fluid moving through the valves.

While a given power plant delivers optimal performance at a specific RPM, don't feel like you have to run at that speed while learning.  Find a pump delivery rate that feels comfortable, and use that to develop your sense of touch.  Gradually increase engine speed when you feel like the machine, rather than yourself, is the limiting factor.

If possible, work on this stuff where there aren't too many objects around that you can smash with the bucket.



And don't carry a load over anything you can't afford to lose.

[barbender]

I don't know how the Fabtek is set up, on Ponsse forwarders the crane controls are all computerized. You can control the speed of individual functions and the overall speed of the crane in the computer settings, also things like up ramps and down ramps that can really add some forgiveness for a new guy. You don't want to adjust the settings other than speed, someone would have to walk you through it. If your's doesn't have computerized controls, just slow the engine down until the crane is manageable ;)