tree extraction from forests where vehicles cant get

[Lukey boy1]

hi guys,

what's peoples opinions on removal company using skidder winches and tractors to get off steep banks that vehicles wont get down or back up? is there the work out there? have many people already thought of this and its got loads of people in that side to the industry?

cheers

[treequip]

I think a lot will have thought of this then thought, then thought, "sod that for a game of soldiers"

[drinksloe]

I used to cut for a sky line.

Don't think there is many sky line companies in Eng but a few in Wales and know of a few in Scot. mates gota welsh company working for them in cumbria the now

 

Makes it very dear timber when u add in labour costs and the slow production etc. Doubt there is many really good staff oput there to man and maintan 1 as so few will have worked on them.

 

May be work for a smaller tractor triple drum winch/high lead type system but still need boys with a bit of common sense to set them up and run safely.

 

Like everything else it will depend on ur contacts and the type of work u do.

Probably work for 1 based in steeper heavily forested country but that tends to be where the set ups already are. 1 i know tends to sit doing nothing a lot of the time but is needed to tidy up jobs behind there harvesters

[Jimbo 76]

Lukey I can't comment on steep sites however we use,and indeed are required to operate skidder winches on certain SSSi sites. The damage caused by ground compaction is substantially reduced compared to that of our forwarder. However as stated in previous posts can be very time consuming.

[drinksloe]

Just to add, most decnt sized harvesting companies in my area will have an old county skidder sitting in the yard for tricky trees/jobs, and generally sit's there rusting for large chuncks of year. 1 has an old skyline that tends to do the same. A mate only had a skyline and he went bust, now just got harvester/forwarder.

 

 

No doubt work there, but with low timber prices not really vaible commercially and possibly most of it already sewn up

[timbernut]

I'm not experienced with skylines but have operated a high lead system on fens for scrub clearance and coppicing alder carr, was slow but minimal ground impact was always of paramount importance (sssi etc), maximum pull of 90m and not a huge amount on each haul in.

 

I looked in to buying old timbermaster skyline while working in Scotland with a view to bringing back down south and using on marshland and even got as far bein pointed in the direction of a couple (but in need of tlc) for 4 to 5 k the cost of haul in haul out carriage started at about 8k and km or so of cable, I decided it was probably not economically viable as it would spend a good 6mths a year in yard.

[Lukey boy1]

yeah so from what you've all said really its not worth buying the kit thinking your going to make thousands off it alone. its more of a if you've got the kit already advertise it and take what work you can get sort of thing.

[drinksloe]

It depends on ur area and contacts and wot u've got at minute.

Have u heard of local contractors needing 1?

Possibly a shortage/gap in market in ur area for it? But unless ur well conected and have plenty of contacts for people wanting a skyline or skidder, prob not woth buying 1 just on the off chance.

I'd imagine most folk will have them for handiness for their own work and subby them out if needed but that is just an extra. So if u have a few harvesters prob be worth if for urself alone

 

Plus u will need a few mento work it, prob a 2/3 man team so u then have to need employees to pay if not working or trying to get hold of them if SE

[roseyweb]

We did a site once which was hilly and steep but relatively small hills, 8 toner with grab did the job

[Pete Mctree]

I fell on bankside sites primarily (otherwise the harvester would usually do the job). It is standard to fell them & then winch them to a place where the harvester can process them (if cost effective). Dependent on the form & size, I might dress them off or leave them whole.

The real nightmare is having to winch downhill, as there is no greater joy than hauling a winch cable up a steep slope