Low impact forestry services in Devon and the South West

[openspaceman]

34 minutes ago, Big J said:

 
With the forwarder, you just have to make sure that when you do the steep bits that you are absolutely dead square to the hill and that you don't have to make any turns, as it'll seriously destabilise you. I never descend with a full load, rather picking up bits along the way so that I'm only full right at the bottom. 

 

For reference, the largest log I've loaded on the fairly steep bits was a 4.9m douglas, 43cm TDUB and 60cm base diameter. A smidge over a cubic metre. That's starting to become a little oversized for the machine, at about 850kg.

You misread me, I used to pull a Botex trailer with a MF1200 tractor

[Big J]

1 hour ago, openspaceman said:

You misread me, I used to pull a Botex trailer with a MF1200 tractor

 

I think I had you right - I was just explaining that it's much less unpleasant with a purpose built. I've only once had an uncontrolled descent in a tractor/trailer combo and it wasn't something I'd like to repeat.

[openspaceman]

28 minutes ago, Big J said:

 

I think I had you right - I was just explaining that it's much less unpleasant with a purpose built. I've only once had an uncontrolled descent in a tractor/trailer combo and it wasn't something I'd like to repeat.

Okay  but were you considering what happens when an articulated tractor pulling a trailer gets out of line, if the trailer overcomes the steering ram  it forms a letter N

[Big J]

10 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

Okay  but were you considering what happens when an articulated tractor pulling a trailer gets out of line, if the trailer overcomes the steering ram  it forms a letter N

That would indeed be a very ugly situation. I'm always really careful when descending not to hit a larger log or stump with just one of the front wheels. 

 

When breaking into a rack for the first time (after hand felling), it's inevitable that there will be product lengths in the racks. Sometimes I climb up into it to sort it out, but I can't always actually climb them if they are steep. I sorted one rack descending backwards, meaning easy sorting, but no product pickup and having to drive back to the top to load. Normally I just force my way down, reaching around the cab to move the logs. A big saw is a necessity to cut stumps down as even a tidy stump can be too much for the 40cm ground clearance on a steep slope.

[Big J]

Finally finished up at Minehead. 

 

• 172 forwarder loads
• Around 700 tonnes
• 220 hrs on the clock on the forwarder
• 5 weeks, discounting the week lost to the broken axle

It was undoubtedly the toughest job of the year. I drove the whole slope, which involved a lot of time on slopes steeper than 1 in 2. I really didn't enjoy that at all, but the woodland looks great.

 

A few monster logs from the penultimate day on site. Just about 5t in one tree, with almost 4 tonne in the first 4 lengths. They were cut at 2.5, 3.1, 3.7 and 4.9m as they went up the tree and each one was a struggle to load. The tree was 77cm at the base and was right at the limit of what the grab could handle. 

 

[Khriss]

Cracking job Jon' looks like yr lost weight too. K

[Big J]

5 minutes ago, Khriss said:

Cracking job Jon' looks like yr lost weight too. K

 

Thanks Khriss.

 

Yep, about 10kg down on Christmas. Combination of a shoulder strain keeping me out of the gym and way too much time operating machines this year. The weight just falls off me unless I train.

 

It was a very challenging job and it's patchy in areas where we've halo thinned around remnant ancient woodland trees (mostly chestnut). Give it a few years and it'll look much more consistent. It's been about 30 years since it was last thinned.

Edited June 24, 2021 by Big J

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Big J said:

I drove the whole slope, which involved a lot of time on slopes steeper than 1 in 2

I've never driven slopes that steep apart from short steps with agri-based forwarders. I would consider it with a purpose built forwarder but not if I was depending on that cage for braking the rear bogie.

[Big J]

6 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

I've never driven slopes that steep apart from short steps with agri-based forwarders. I would consider it with a purpose built forwarder but not if I was depending on that cage for braking the rear bogie.

 

The wheels are really solidly (hydraulically) pressed against the cage, and the cage isn't open, rather there are plastic inserts between the metal cogs (so a big contact surface). I would have preferred to have had the band tracks on the back for the descents, but the very long and very rocky extraction route precluded that. 

 

Much of the grip comes from the front wheels, which being chained have loads of grip. Given that I've put almost 500hrs onto these chains and they're looking a bit tired, I might upgrade them to more aggressive climbing chains later in the summer.

[Big J]

Finished up at Minehead. 700 painfully difficult tonnes.

 

The block looks really nice now though. Plenty of space for the remaining douglas fir and sweet chestnut to grow. Minimal ground impact anywhere on the site.