Woodworking
Definitions
Definitions
Feller Buncher:
A feller-buncher is a hard-working machine
that takes the danger out of felling trees
with a chainsaw. These are rather small
machines in order that they fit in between
trees. Still they are expensive. The machine
pictured here, with the felling head
attached, will cost a logger around 300,000
dollars!!
The felling head can be simple or complex.
Many now not only saw the tree off the
stump, they also tip the tree sideways,
delimb the tree and can buck it up into logs.
With sophisticated computers and a lot of
skill, a lot of forest products can be
produced in a day. In fact most logging
crews only run a feller-buncher a few days
a week because the skidders and
forwarders just cannot keep up with them.
A feller-buncher is a hard-working machine
that takes the danger out of felling trees
with a chainsaw. These are rather small
machines in order that they fit in between
trees. Still they are expensive. The machine
pictured here, with the felling head
attached, will cost a logger around 300,000
dollars!!
The felling head can be simple or complex.
Many now not only saw the tree off the
stump, they also tip the tree sideways,
delimb the tree and can buck it up into logs.
With sophisticated computers and a lot of
skill, a lot of forest products can be
produced in a day. In fact most logging
crews only run a feller-buncher a few days
a week because the skidders and
forwarders just cannot keep up with them.
Skidder:
My grandfather used to say, "a chainsaw
would impress the old time loggers, but a
skidder would blow them away," and I
agree.
A skidder is a powerful machine that pulls
the felled trees out of the wood. They are
big machines that must have weight and
traction as can be seen by the four sets of
chains on this skidders tires.
Skidders come in two types. A grapple
skidder seen here, and a cable skidder. As
a rule grapples are used behind
feller-bunchers, and cable skidders are
used when felling trees with chainsaws.
My grandfather used to say, "a chainsaw
would impress the old time loggers, but a
skidder would blow them away," and I
agree.
A skidder is a powerful machine that pulls
the felled trees out of the wood. They are
big machines that must have weight and
traction as can be seen by the four sets of
chains on this skidders tires.
Skidders come in two types. A grapple
skidder seen here, and a cable skidder. As
a rule grapples are used behind
feller-bunchers, and cable skidders are
used when felling trees with chainsaws.
Delimbers:
If a feller-buncher does not have a head
that can delimb trees (a very expensive
option), a delimber is used. This is a
picture of a stroke delimber knocking the
limbs off a tree after it has been felled by a
feller-buncher and pulled out to the landing
by a skidder. These machines can also cut
and stack the wood to any length and in
neat piles as seen here.
If a feller-buncher does not have a head
that can delimb trees (a very expensive
option), a delimber is used. This is a
picture of a stroke delimber knocking the
limbs off a tree after it has been felled by a
feller-buncher and pulled out to the landing
by a skidder. These machines can also cut
and stack the wood to any length and in
neat piles as seen here.
Log Loader:
Log loaders such as this load the logs
onto the trucks. A log is absolutely
worthless if it never gets to a sawmill to be
weighed or scaled up.
Back in my fathers day when loaders such
as this were in their infancy, my
Grandfather used to make my father and
my Uncle load the biggest logs on TOP of
the pile just so people thought he was up
and coming and had one of these new
fangled log loaders.
Log loaders such as this load the logs
onto the trucks. A log is absolutely
worthless if it never gets to a sawmill to be
weighed or scaled up.
Back in my fathers day when loaders such
as this were in their infancy, my
Grandfather used to make my father and
my Uncle load the biggest logs on TOP of
the pile just so people thought he was up
and coming and had one of these new
fangled log loaders.
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Forwarder:
This machine is very expensive, but is
regarded as a the answer to mechanical
selective logging. Teemed up with a
feller-buncher with a delimbing head, this
machine can replace the skidder, delimber
and log loader thus mitigating its cost.
It has super traction so it does not harm
the soil, but can come in behind the
feller-buncher and pick up the wood and
bring it out to the landing. It can hold
several cords of wood and can even load a
truck if a log loader is not available.
This machine is very expensive, but is
regarded as a the answer to mechanical
selective logging. Teemed up with a
feller-buncher with a delimbing head, this
machine can replace the skidder, delimber
and log loader thus mitigating its cost.
It has super traction so it does not harm
the soil, but can come in behind the
feller-buncher and pick up the wood and
bring it out to the landing. It can hold
several cords of wood and can even load a
truck if a log loader is not available.
ATV Logging:
Surprisingly, this type of logging is really
catching on here in Maine. With the ability
to go just about anywhere, and yet leave
logging trails just wide enough for walking
paths, they are well known for low impact
logging.
Here an ATV is using a logging arch to get
the logs up off the ground so the ATV can
pull them. While not destined for major
commercial logging sites, they do work
well for small hobby farms and woodlots.
ATVs can also be teemed up with pint
sized forwarding trailers and log loaders,
as well as regular trailers, winches and
logging arches.
Surprisingly, this type of logging is really
catching on here in Maine. With the ability
to go just about anywhere, and yet leave
logging trails just wide enough for walking
paths, they are well known for low impact
logging.
Here an ATV is using a logging arch to get
the logs up off the ground so the ATV can
pull them. While not destined for major
commercial logging sites, they do work
well for small hobby farms and woodlots.
ATVs can also be teemed up with pint
sized forwarding trailers and log loaders,
as well as regular trailers, winches and
logging arches.
Tractor Logging:
Logging with tractors has been around as
long as tractors have been around. This
picture shows my very own tractor used to
do a small logging harvest to build my new
woodworking shop.
While somewhat limited, logging with a
tractor is pretty common here in Maine. It is
a slower method of logging, but widely
regarded as low impact logging.
(To see more about this virtual small scale
logging adventure, please take THIS LINK.)
Logging with tractors has been around as
long as tractors have been around. This
picture shows my very own tractor used to
do a small logging harvest to build my new
woodworking shop.
While somewhat limited, logging with a
tractor is pretty common here in Maine. It is
a slower method of logging, but widely
regarded as low impact logging.
(To see more about this virtual small scale
logging adventure, please take THIS LINK.)
