Timber Harvest Methods & Equipment

[rfm7fxfox]

I believe it was. The other Pete he drives I know for sure did. Just picked it up from there about a month or so ago.

[smwwoody]

I thought it looked like their work.  the shape of the standards and the Hydra head board gave it away. 

I grew up with those guys. they build great trucks

Is the new truck on their truck of the month web site?

Woody

[rfm7fxfox]

Not that I'm aware of...

[Ron Scott]

Fabtek 344B Forwarder. Works a hardwood selection harvest this past winter  January, 2013.


  

 

[Clark]

Ron - What species of tree is it that the forwarder is loading?  I presume the one on the ground is from the same tree...my guess is beech but since my experience with them is very limited it's a WAG at best.

Clark

[Ron Scott]

Yes, American Beech.

[NWP]

Those are nice looking trucks. I really like that Pete with the Prentice loader.

[thecfarm]

That forwarder really caught my eye. I have never seen a short one like that around here.
You guys may have long trucks,but short forwarders.  :D

[keen]

Nice pic Ron. I like those fabteks. I see Jason Lutke has a 344b for sale right now.

[Ron Scott]

John Deere 1270E Processor. Getting ready to start a CTL pine and aspen harvest. A Ponsee Elk forwarder will be picking up the CTL wood behind  the processor. Dunn Timber harvest, September 2013.


  

 

[Ron Scott]

 The Ponsee Elk Forwarder follows the John Deere processor in the CTL pine and aspen harvest. Dunn timber harvest, September 2013.


 

[ga jones]

My little log truck. Mixed hardwood Evans job aug2013

 

[ga jones]

My 1964 c4 treefarmer pulling a 42 inch red oak

 

[thecfarm]

You may have a little truck,but that loader looks big.  ;D

[Ron Scott]

Oak matts are placed across the wetland on the access and forwarder route to prevent excessive rutting and ponding by the CTL harvesting equipment.


 

[JohnM]

Oak matts are placed across the wetland on the access and forwarder route to prevent excessive rutting and ponding by the CTL harvesting equipment.


 

Ron, are those mats 'tied' together (spikes, webbing, other?) or the cants just laid side by side?  And are they left to rot after the job?

JM

[stumpjumper83]

Those look to be pipeline style mats that are 4' x 16' and 8" thick, and bolted together with 4 long bolts.  Yes, you usually save them for the next job as they are not cheap.  look up "pipeline mat" and you will see companies that specialize in producing, selling, and renting them.

[barbender]

What Stumpjumper said. I was out the other day retrieving some with a grapple skidder, some areas we put them in with the skidder because our forwarders can only lift the mats right next to the machine, they are heavy.

[thecfarm]

We are having a power line upgrade. I see them things 3 deep in places.    I see truck loads of them things now. And stacked by the roads waiting to be hauled under the power lines. When all this is done,I would think those could be bought cheap.
They use to make them out of hemlock in this area. I was talking to a logger and he was selling hardwood,maple, to a place in New Vineyard,ME that makes them.

[Ron Scott]

Yes, they are the type mats used for pipelines and power lines. They are carried out to the job site on logging truck or flat bed, placed by the forwarder and then retrieved when the job is done for use elsehere. The are bolted or cabeled together in 6 x 20-22 foot oak plank sections.

A good time to get them is when the power or gas line company's are done with their use of them. They often give them away for the taking.

[JohnM]

Good to know, thank you guys.  I've seen those on powerlines as well Ray, just couldn't tell if those were the same thing that Ron posted...they are a bit 'rougher' than I had seen. ;D

[Ron Scott]

The John Deere 1270E  processor works a CTL harvest in a red pine plantation. Bougrand timber harvest, October 2013.


 
Various CTL products such as 22 foot hops poles (becoming popular with the increasing brew makers), small sawlogs, and pulpwood are cut and placed for the following forwarder to pick up and forward to the landing. 


 

[WDH]

Those are some straight logs.

[Gary_C]

Nice looking red pine stand Ron. Tell us more about the 22 foot hops poles. I've never heard about that product here. Are the volumes needed significant?

Gary

[thecfarm]

I grew some hops this summer. Did not do much last year,first planting,but they grew this year. We did not havest the fruit.