What are some typical traits of how forwarders
- moderate terrain capabilities (0-40%).
- can move through felled timber and forward logs to roadside.
- 1-3 swings usually required to reach landing.
- Lower site impact than skidders or tractors.
- 120 m is reasonable for distance. 200m downhill.
What is a strategy used by Hoe forwarders to reduce site impact?
place waste wood in piles where they need to do allot of moving around.
What are the acceptable terrain conditions for HF
20% favourable slope, can be done at 40% by skilled operators
20% maximum adverse, but there are some methods used by skilled operators to exceed this slope
What is the lower volume threshold to make HF feasible?
at least 400m3/ha
How can HF productivity be enhanced?
Working with a feller buncher which allows for higher turn sizes
What level of processing is the norm for HF yarding?
Full Tree
Why would a HF leave some space between the road and the last chuck?
Most logs are delivered at tree length. leaving that space allows for a processor to cut to length.
What do hydraulic cylinders on the upper side of the boom indicate? What about the lower side?
Upper - Hoe forwarder
Lower - loader
What is the key to loading?
Why is it complicated to do?
- Finding the best match between truckimng capacity, yarding capacity and loading capacity.
- Can be complicated due to variable production from the yarder
- solution is COLD DECK
What is the solution to yarder production variability?
Separate the loading period from the yarding period by cold decking wood.
What is hot logging?
when would you do it?
loading wood straight from the yarder to the truck. Only done when there is absolutely nowhere to deck logs. Big long full length logs since loggers cant buck on 60% slopes.
2 things that make hot logging slow are:
- logs have to be loaded from the yarder as a pose to a loader from a cold deck.
- processing is done log by log because logs on steep slopes are usually delivered at tree length since it is unsafe to buck.
What are some characteristics of a self loader?
- Easy to operate and no problem matching trucks to loaders
- Often used by small operators
- can unload themselves
- Loader weighs 7000 lbs that comes off the payload
- Logs must be near to roadside due to short reach (5m)
What is the main characteristics of a but n top loader?
- They can spin trees 360 degrees while loading to optimize weight ratio on trucks.
- Good in small wood because it can grab bunches of small wood.
What are the characteristics of a heel boom loader?
- Very versatile
- Can hoe forward
- Pick up wood without breakage
- fast but not long reach (10m)
- best with separated loading and yarding periods.
What are characteristics of a front end loader?
- Need lots of room (usually only at sorts)
- require loading ramp to reach high enough to build big loads
- cheap to purchase and operate
- very fast in ideal conditions
What are some characteristics of a line loader?
- Big reach with snorkel (20m each side)
- highest lifting capacity (OG logging)
- requires skilled operators
- will crush small wood
- fast in OG / Large wood
What are some characteristics of Cold Decks?
- Pile of logs stacked at roadside
- Usually the yarder is working somewehre else
- creates a way to separate loading from yarding to maximize production.
- Main reason why swing yarders work so well.
What are important requirements of log landings?
- Room for 2/3 of log lengths to be landed
- Flat surface (so log doesn’t slide)
- workers must be able to unhook chokers without the aid of a loader
- Enough room for 2’ counterweight clearance on yarders and loaders
What is a step landing?
A plausible solution to steep slopes where a flat area is artificially created.
What is a supersnorkel?
Up to 60’ snorkels on modified line loaders
Used most by WFP
