Continuing the theme of 'pimp my forwarder'....

[openspaceman]

16 minutes ago, Woodworks said:

It's good to question these things. Sooner or later the value of firewood is going to be too high to leave brash to rot. Branch loggers need to have some stoves developed to make the most of them IMO

Beau I had the impression that these branch loggers would not pull difficult material through as a roller feed would, what's your  experience?

 

Having had a few bags of logged slabwood from Willsmills one I would be happy to only burn this and as you have found it's ideal for charcoal making, even more so if the fines can be profitably sold.

 

What's needed is a simple separating method to skim off the logwood.

 

I'm very wary overall of whole tree harvesting because of its effect on Soil Organic Carbon.

[arboriculturist]

17 minutes ago, Woodworks said:

It's good to question these things. Sooner or later the value of firewood is going to be too high to leave brash to rot. Branch loggers need to have some stoves developed to make the most of them IMO

Totally agree and if you retail firewood and are already out delivering then a branch logger can work for some, however I would suggest not in Big J's scenario at this time in history. 

 

I would suggest that possibly over time a 'harvester based' dedicated chip harvester could be designed that processes the brash follows the harvesters and similarly a 'forwarder based' dedicated chip forwarder operating in tandem could be an answer - huge production costs needless to say, but a feasible solution in large scale plantations - Economies of scale again.

 

Given the future timber shortages this approach may become reality. 

 

[arboriculturist]

5 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

Beau I had the impression that these branch loggers would not pull difficult material through as a roller feed would, what's your  experience?

 

Having had a few bags of logged slabwood from Willsmills one I would be happy to only burn this and as you have found it's ideal for charcoal making, even more so if the fines can be profitably sold.

 

What's needed is a simple separating method to skim off the logwood.

 

I'm very wary overall of whole tree harvesting because of its effect on Soil Organic Carbon.

I would send it up a conveyor with a screener at the end or use a small tromell screen ?

[Woodworks]

1 hour ago, openspaceman said:

Beau I had the impression that these branch loggers would not pull difficult material through as a roller feed would, what's your  experience?

 

Having had a few bags of logged slabwood from Willsmills one I would be happy to only burn this and as you have found it's ideal for charcoal making, even more so if the fines can be profitably sold.

 

What's needed is a simple separating method to skim off the logwood.

 

I'm very wary overall of whole tree harvesting because of its effect on Soil Organic Carbon.

I posted a video in another thread or what my old small one could handle. It cant compare with a chipper but it not  bad. Yes a separator would be very helpful. 

 

[LGP Eddie]

5 hours ago, Big J said:

Logbullet mini forwarder - all the details are on their website.

 

Thanks for all the insightful responses. I feel I may be on a hiding to nothing, but I feel that without explorative discourse, I'd just keep doing the same old same old. I like brainstorming ideas, even if they are daft!

 

Back to the drawing board!

Think you’re on the right lines to be honest, just you need to go a bit bigger on the chipper to get the best from it.

However if you can crane feed 12” stuff and also forward some product with a low impact unit, that’s a very valuable service.

A demount Bandit 105 that can be both hand and crane fed on a turntable is the one to aim for.

Have a setup to use it traditionally on a road tow chassis, then 4 legs (hi lift jack) setup to demount and back under with the Forwarder if required.

The 105 is a fantastic size unit, the engine is side mounted so almost a square super compact machine, but typical Bandit tank build!

 

Eddie.

[openspaceman]

4 hours ago, Woodworks said:

I posted a video in another thread or what my old small one could handle. It cant compare with a chipper but it not  bad.

Yes I saw that but I had also seen a guy with a similar branch logger hold a pole back to stop it feeding, you couldn't do this with a two roller feed so I surmised it would not handle widely spreading branchwood.

[monkeybusiness]

Bandit 105 would be awesome, but that’s some lump (I don’t think you’d get one much under 2.5 tonnes). What weight can the forwarder carry? 

[openspaceman]

6 hours ago, arboriculturist said:

I would send it up a conveyor with a screener at the end or use a small tromell screen ?

It doesn't look as simple as that because the twigs will  be branchy and hence pass the same  screen as the preferred loggettes. I'd be looking at a vibrating conveyor with 15mm holes for the fines and a height classifier for the  rest.

[arboriculturist]

20 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

It doesn't look as simple as that because the twigs will  be branchy and hence pass the same  screen as the preferred loggettes. I'd be looking at a vibrating conveyor with 15mm holes for the fines and a height classifier for the  rest.

OOh that's like a Warrier powerscreen

[LGP Eddie]

1 hour ago, monkeybusiness said:

Bandit 105 would be awesome, but that’s some lump (I don’t think you’d get one much under 2.5 tonnes). What weight can the forwarder carry? 

I’d have thought 2.5 tonne wouldn’t trouble it at all? I’m certain it’s all hardox chassis etc, it doesn’t bother your average Ifor Trailer and they’re nothing special in build.

However a Jensen A340 turntable is a more realistic proposition financially to get going as they’re available used, and will undoubtedly be lighter in build.

 

Eddie.

Edited September 9, 2018 by LGP Eddie