Hahn harvester head…anyone ever use one

[Big Rooster]

Bargemonkey what is the 133 you are referring to.  Also what machine do you run yourself. 

Lot's of good ideas.  It does sound like there are guys processing long logs out in the woods with a dangle head.  Logloper what state are you in.  I'm not sure if all the midwest, east, and southern folks understand the problems with forwarders out here.  There are some guys running them for sure but you are limited in where you can go.

The head that is on those 501's is what?  An upgraded version of those fabtek heads found on all the old JD 490's?  Those 501 are neat machines.  I checked out the weight and it was under 40K pounds.  The problem I have would be if buying a real harvester (not excavator) I would have to get a tilt cab.  Does anyone make something similar to the 501 in size?  It sounds like the head is a bit slow (relatively) speaking but can handle wood from 20-24 inch.  That is a great all purpose machine size.  It does not sound like there are a ton of options for a fixed head.  I did see even Waratah entered the market with a fixed head on their 624.  That is a roadside processing head.

Still no one who has run a HAHN?

What are the ramifications of cutting with those fixed heads on steep ground.  How do you avoid cutting into the hill.

[logloper]

Im in Colorado. We cut some fairly steep ground. I started with a Cat227FB, went to a JD120 with a Fabtek, and now run a TJ 2618 with a LogMax 750. it is so nice to have a machine that levels. The Hahn doesn't look much different than tha Fabtek to me. With the fixed heads I used to pull myself up some steep ground. Only cut from 10:00 To 2:00 in radius or I couldn't swing uphill in a thinning. ( those two machines didn't level)  In a clearcut you can cut below your machine and then get a run to lay the wood uphill. Makes you pucker when you take off slideing downhill in 6" of snow. In deeper snow it helps hold you kind of. Can a forwarder back up steep ground and load?

[1270d]

We ve worked ground steep enough that the forwarder was sliding down at times, even with tracks.  Had to come down from the top though, no way it could be climbed.  And working straight down was imperative, not much side hill capability with a forwarder. (Unless you want to take a tumble)

[Big Rooster]

Hey logloper it sounds like you do long logs and skid with a grapple skidder?  Does it work good.  What kind of production did you get with that 120 and fabtek.  Also if you are doing tree lengths how do you lay them with the dangle head?

[logloper]

5 loads a day processing spruce. In aspen we had a bucker in the landing , and jumped to 8-10 loads. With the dangle head you  fall into the cut and drag the tree butt over to the bunch. If you are off a bit on the falling, suck the tree through the head until the top comes off the ground and then shoot it back to the bunch. I wouldn't want to bunch with it in a thinning. Processing in the woods, it takes 2 processors to keep up with 1 good skidder operator. Of course that's not on a half mile skid either. one of our loads is usually over 5500 BDFT.

[Big Rooster]

Logloper

That is 5 loads/day with your 2618 correct.  What was your production with your 120 deere? 

So just to get the feel for your operation you cut long logs and bunch and then skid or cut tree lengths and reprocess on the landing?  It sounds like you mostly work in clear cuts as you mention dyou would not want to do it in a thin.  That is where I thought a fixed head would come in super handy. 

[logloper]

No, that was with the 120 in decent wood. The fixed head would work better all the way around for me. The 2618 produces more, but most of that is because of the bigger, leveling, machine. I would really like to see what a Fabtek fixed head would do on a 425 Timbco, or on a 2618. I definitely worked less on the Fabtek head. A large part of that is because all of the valves and the electrical are mounted back at the carrier on the Fabtek. On the LogMax, and most other heads, they are mounted out at the head. In my opinion, that causes them to take a tremendous beating . I really liked the ability to directionaly fall(with real control) that the fixed head gave. If you are processing bunches behind a buncher, or in the landing, the dangle head will run off and leave the fixed head. In aspen, I would bunch and buck out any rot,(not possible with a straight bunching head) then the skidder would skid to bucker at landing. Average 6 loads a day, best day we had was just over 12. In conifer, I would process into bunches. Average 5 loads a day, best day mabe 8. The conifer is usually much better wood, that's why we produced well even when processing. Usually get a long log(33') and a 16' or a 25'. When processing, the skidder had time to go push brush, build road, etc.  . When bunching, the skidder was pretty busy.  I just sold my skidder on Tues, and am hopeing to sell the 2618 soon. Life is takeing me a different direction than full scale commercial logging.