Alpine tractors for low impact forestry

[Big J]

Can anyone share their experiences working with alpine tractors in a forestry setting? 

 

There is a fairly large woodland locally with an abundant stock of decent hardwood in it and I am fairly sure that if I offer to thin it for free (ie, in return for the timber) that they will bite my hand off. Access is poor and the extraction route is long. With my little forwarder, an alpine tractor skidding and a cutter felling, you'd be lucky to do 20 tonnes a day.

 

The woodland in question has a good access track right through it, but it slopes quite steeply up from that, and then falls away at the bottom. I had through that a reasonably meaty alpine tractor with a skidding grapple (with a rotator) would work quite well to skid the stems down to the track, where they could be cut to length ready for forwarding. Division of labour would be cutter fells and sneds out, tractor operator skids out and cuts to length and I forward out. 

 

What really appeals about the little tractors is the versatility. A reasonable sized winch could be fitted when needed, and there is enough power for a branch logger if I ever get round to scratching that itch. 

 

What are your collective experiences, oh wise folk of Arbtalk ??

[johnnyboy158]

Can anyone share their experiences working with alpine tractors in a forestry setting? 
 
There is a fairly large woodland locally with an abundant stock of decent hardwood in it and I am fairly sure that if I offer to thin it for free (ie, in return for the timber) that they will bite my hand off. Access is poor and the extraction route is long. With my little forwarder, an alpine tractor skidding and a cutter felling, you'd be lucky to do 20 tonnes a day.
 
The woodland in question has a good access track right through it, but it slopes quite steeply up from that, and then falls away at the bottom. I had through that a reasonably meaty alpine tractor with a skidding grapple (with a rotator) would work quite well to skid the stems down to the track, where they could be cut to length ready for forwarding. Division of labour would be cutter fells and sneds out, tractor operator skids out and cuts to length and I forward out. 
 
What really appeals about the little tractors is the versatility. A reasonable sized winch could be fitted when needed, and there is enough power for a branch logger if I ever get round to scratching that itch. 
 
What are your collective experiences, oh wise folk of Arbtalk ??

Works pretty well this is a 4 ton winch will pull a good load could do with some tyer chains for the tractor as the stumps are a bit slippery on the steeper slopes but works well

[Andrew McEwan]

They are great for the jobs you describe, unless deep brash as not much clearance. You need front wheel weights if skidding anything large, and ideally reverse steer, and you're right about having a rotator on the grapple, much more versatile, and with correct geometry you can build a basic stack, I also have a drop down blade on mine for tidying up and shunting large lumps which has been invaluable. I don't think you'd enjoy any length of time on an alpine though! Shorter mans machine.

[MattyF]

Think your pretty limited on the winch front .. I think only uniforest make winches that fit the linkage out the box, we have a 2 tonne igland on ours and we had to mod the linkage tofit ... good thing about the little winch is one person can take it off move it for storage , does the job and anything bigger the 8tonne tajfun comes out.

[spuddog0507]

Hi J got a lad with me at the moment who has had a lot to do with alpines the one they have is about 65hp antoinio carreres or something like that he says the terrain is a big issue flat or gentle slopes ok but where they had it reacently was quite rocky and again ground clearanc stuck on top of rocks slipping and slidding sideways  and cant get traction on steep mulchey woodland floor he looked at my kubota and said wider more ground clearance bigger wheeels on back make for better ride over stumps, i think in this low impact side of the game you could spend a shit load of money and still not be much nearer your actual goal of doing the job swiftly and effiecently, seem to have been there a few times with quad and trailer extraction,

[tcfengineering]

I skid a lot of timber out with a Holder A55 and it is absolutely fantastic. Its built like a tank, super simple, plenty of power and good on fuel. A friend of mine got stuck in the forest the other day with a Valmet and after we winched him out, I drove through the same place without spinning a wheel. My Holder is not the forestry version, just a normal agricultural type one. I have a simple frame on the 3 point linkage which I put the choke chains on, but I am going to make a grapple skidder over winter - will make the job much quicker and easier I think. 

 

I have only ever had a go on the smaller alpines, but from what I saw, the Holder will run rings round them. 

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, tcfengineering said:

I skid a lot of timber out with a Holder A55 and it is absolutely fantastic. Its built like a tank, super simple, plenty of power and good on fuel. A friend of mine got stuck in the forest the other day with a Valmet and after we winched him out, I drove through the same place without spinning a wheel. My Holder is not the forestry version, just a normal agricultural type one. I have a simple frame on the 3 point linkage which I put the choke chains on, but I am going to make a grapple skidder over winter - will make the job much quicker and easier I think. 

 

I have only ever had a go on the smaller alpines, but from what I saw, the Holder will run rings round them. 

Yes I agree.  It needs a niche though because if you can get a 100hp 4wd tractor in there productivity increases many fold.

 

I ran, and still have somewhere, an ag A55 with hydratongs and an ex FC A55F with igland 3000/2 but they didn't get a lot of work after 87 as things moved to accommodate forwarders. Mind Surrey isn't renowned for steep hills either.

[Big J]

Thanks for the replies chaps. 

 

Whilst some of the alpines listed are lovely, I think I'm persuaded not to get one on account of the ground clearance. I've got two large jobs coming up where a larger tractor and timber trailer would be called for so I might end up going in that direction. 

[arboriculturist]

A smaller Valtra and compact timber trailer / skidder / winch would compliment your setup 100%. I know of a few with this and its definitely low impact and very productive. 

[spuddog0507]

On 10/10/2018 at 17:07, tcfengineering said:

I skid a lot of timber out with a Holder A55 and it is absolutely fantastic. Its built like a tank, super simple, plenty of power and good on fuel. A friend of mine got stuck in the forest the other day with a Valmet and after we winched him out, I drove through the same place without spinning a wheel. My Holder is not the forestry version, just a normal agricultural type one. I have a simple frame on the 3 point linkage which I put the choke chains on, but I am going to make a grapple skidder over winter - will make the job much quicker and easier I think. 

 

I have only ever had a go on the smaller alpines, but from what I saw, the Holder will run rings round them. 

yes i will agree on that one a holder i have always looked up on as a mini county, and just as countys the holders will run rings round other tractors in there class, the only problem with holders are they are like rocking horse shit to find , people buy them and just dont sell i think i have only come across about 3 for sale and i think they where all bar one across the water on the continent