Steep slope harvester

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StihlKiwi

StihlKiwi

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This is becoming a thing in NZ, machinery capable of working on the steeper ground.
Curious to know if anything like this is being developed in the 'other' hemisphere.

http://www.climbmax.co.nz/#!/splash-page

I'm aware of the fallers not liking harvesters thing, just interested too know if the concept is purely local thing or if it's catching on.
The ClimbMax is supposedly good for 50 degree slopes, the stuff I don't even like to do plots on
 
StihlKiwi said:
This is becoming a thing in NZ, machinery capable of working on the steeper ground.
Curious to know if anything like this is being developed in the 'other' hemisphere.

http://www.climbmax.co.nz/#!/splash-page

I'm aware of the fallers not liking harvesters thing, just interested too know if the concept is purely local thing or if it's catching on.
The ClimbMax is supposedly good for 50 degree slopes, the stuff I don't even like to do plots on
Click to expand...
Yeap, seen some steep slope harvesting/forwarding online somewhere in Europe.
Did you see the tarzan robot engineering project:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/9859457/Tree-felling-robot-nabs-design-award

A long way to go but interesting approach.
 
They have some self leveling machines out here, not sure what their max slope is, but I've seen em on some steep dirt, Timbco comes to mind, maybe one of the tiger cat machines. Luckily for most of the cutters left they still can't work on most of the ground around here.
 
You can go on steep stuff with those Timbcos, but you can't reach out very far. I had quite a discussion with a very good operator.
He said that the self leveling sometimes lets you forget how steep the ground is (a bad thing) and yes, he tipped one over. He is the one who mentioned not reaching very far on steep ground. He was working on steeper than I thought he could work on, and slipping at times on rocks. That was a poorly planned sale. The steep ground was designated as skidder ground and the gentle ground was designated as helicopter ground. Somebody got mixed up, I guess.
 


I think this is the best one. Can you imagine these things clinging to the side of a mountain? Can you imagine operating one?! Not that I'm all for having these machines, as a hand cutter myself.
 
kentishman said:


I think this is the best one. Can you imagine these things clinging to the side of a mountain? Can you imagine operating one?! Not that I'm all for having these machines, as a hand cutter myself.
Click to expand...


looks like a hydraulic nightmare, better have a good warranty

we work some pretty steep ground with our timberjack that has the engine mounted in the chasis not above. good low center of gravity.
 
StihlKiwi said:
I'm aware of the fallers not liking harvesters thing, just interested too know if the concept is purely local thing or if it's catching on.
Click to expand...

Logging machinery is constantly evolving. It has to be. From a production point of view mechanical harvesters make sense. The limitations now, as you know, are timber size and steep ground. Each year those boundaries are pushed farther. I see harvesters working on ground now that the older machines never would have attempted.
As time goes on and the machinery gets better the day will come when all cutting is done with machines and the chainsaw will be a toy for hobbyists and firewood cutters. With the technology advancing as fast as it is and the pressure to keep production levels high it's inevitable.

I'm glad that I won't be here to see that day.
 
IDK Bob, my grade buyer hates disc saws........says he has to trim off at least 2-3' to get back where the fibers not seperated.

plus i ain't seen one yet to handle sticks in the 60" class and 10,000lbs.
 
treeslayer2003 said:
IDK Bob, my grade buyer hates disc saws........says he has to trim off at least 2-3' to get back where the fibers not seperated.

plus i ain't seen one yet to handle sticks in the 60" class and 10,000lbs.
Click to expand...

Wait, that day will be here before you know it. I look at how far advanced today's equipment is over the stuff that was state of the art in the 60's when I started and it just amazes me.
I can't help but believe that the equipment 20 or 30 years from now will make today's stuff look like something from the dinosaur age. It's a natural progression. We don't have to like it, and most of us don't, but it's coming.

Now, that being said...the day that the sound of the last big saw fades away, the day that a guy with a tin hat, 'spenders, calks, and a hickory shirt is replaced by a machine, and the day that brains, skill, stamina and pure guts are replaced with a soulless computer driven piece of machinery will be a sad one indeed and another piece of our unique history will be lost forever.

You younger guys will feel like the old sailing ship hands when the first steamships appeared on the horizon. And you'll either adapt or get out. There aren't any other choices.
 
Never do the kind of stuff they do with the Climbmax here. There is too much disturbance. Remember in NZ they don't have the regulatory environment we do here. As I understand it it is due to the plantations being on old farm ground and burned over areas.

Once machines can hover so there is no disturbance than everything will be mechanized but no matter how steep or how much you can get a machine to level doesn't mean it will be allowed or should be allowed to be used. I think we're pretty much at the max for now. If I remember and understand correctly DNR (may only be their ground) has a 45% slope cut off for shovels. Now they have allowed some exceptions for the new Tigercat leveling shovel. I should have some pics of one soon working on job pre-bunching fell and buck for the yarder. Need full suspension so nothing longer than 40 ft. Not much equipment this yr. Mostly down in some brush hole hanging flagging and paint. It isn't too bad. Had fun on the flat but swimming through the scotch broom was no fun. Found two bees nests too! Gonna be a bad yr for em I'm thinkin.
 
Weren't the old Allied Washington feller buncher set up for steeper ground?


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My Timbco cab can be leveled in a nose forward position at up to (I believe) 24 degrees (about 53% slope). Get on some rocks and geezle on to a good sized tree out to one side or the other when its that steep and you might be in the market for some new undies.
 
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Has anyone seen one of these work? I'm too young and have only seen the one at camp 18 and one on a lowboy with the cab off?


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No, but that is one interesting outfit. I just don't see mechanization taking hold here either. We are supposedly the "Hardwood Capital of the World" but almost all logging out fits around here are gypos (myself included) A big outfit might have two or three skidders a knuckleboom (or excavator) a larger (750 size) dozer and a couple of tandems or a semi. The vast majority of gypos (myself included ;) ) Run one skidder, a smaller dozer, a loader (tractor, track loader or knuckleboom) and one or two single axle trucks. I have never understood why things have not progressed past that here.............
 

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