I don't see much in the way of modern CTL equipment on here. Im still trying to figure out how to post some pics. It seems most guys here are on the left coast or pacific somewheres. Id love to see how the steep slope, tall timber sites work someday. Tallest trees I cut are 80 to 90 ft. Mostly shorter hardwood though. Is anyone else in shortwood equipment?
I don't log anymore, but I mostly work in the woods, building logging roads, supporting loggers, and fixing their employees' mistakes. A lot of my customers have talked about CTL equipment, but nobody around here has bought any that I know of. BTW, you have to have 3 posts, and log out and back in to get promoted to junior member before you can post pics.
I guess I overlooked the junior member thing in the rules. That would explain. With picsthe troubles
I am definitely in the shortwood business and I once started a thread named something like "Swedish and Finnish CTL Equipment". Doing only yarding in piles for almost 5 year I suddenly found myself as owner of a 1470D harvester and a 1710D forwarder this fall (because of external circumstances ). Forwarder have been working very well but it has been some issues with the Harvester. I'll post some pictures later.
TorkelH, I am also in the john deere equipment. Mostly in the 1270 harvester. Many times in the winter we work in bogs, some as deep as 30 ft. They will never freeze. How is the forest where you are working in Norway?
Steep sites you say? Most of this is mechanically bunched. Select trees will be hand fallen. Grapple yarder drags them to the landing where the processor grabs em, loader sorts and loaders..
Nice photos miller. Does the grapple yarder work line of sight, or with a spotter? What are the markets for the wood? The 626 waratah is still looking pretty shiny
NIce shots Simon.
What exactly is CTL?
Cut-to-length I believe. I'm not a fan. Doesn't make sense to cut the logs up in the woods and have to handle the pieces a bunch of times, seems inefficient. The only time you see it around here is when there is a commercial thinning on flatter ground (<30% slopes). CTL systems are good at not causing damage to residual trees.
Cut To Length They go out in the woods w/ the harvesters and process the logs there, then carry them out on forwarders.
Grapple Yarder works both, Depends on the block. Depending on the grade, landing, dips, valleys, highspots, Size of wood, etc. Most of the shots are of the same two coastal outfits working together. One is a product shot that was taken upon delivery of a new cutting head. The offhighway and hitachi 450 are a island outfit taken by the faller who works there.
Yes I meant cut to length. It is a common system in the midwest and eastern US. There are many reasons we use this method. It works well in hardwood thinnings, minimizing ground disturbance. Our timber volumes are much much lower per acre. Some timber blocks are not available to crews who skid tree length, all timber must be carried out, not drug on the ground. Also the trees are generally far shorter and smaller in diameter than most western timber appears. The largest I have cut here was a 40" pine. Average is probably closer to 12". We also use bunchers. No need for yarders etc around here. Its generally flat. The wood is handled by the harvester, forwarder and selfloading haul truck. I believe a yarder side would be handled just as much. Faller, yarder, loader/haul truck. Our truck loads average 50-60 ton I can't figure out how to resize my photos small enough to upload.
Cutting beech/hardwood thinning
Go to Microsoft Windows and download there Image Re sizer program, easy to use and works great for pics on this site
I am doing steep terrain with yarders, but we need to cut it to lenght and forward the logs with forwarder to roadside. I'll come back with some Pictures later.