What Are The Types of Logging Equipment Used in the Forestry Industry
Forestry equipment has been used for many years to aid in the process of logging, but with so many different forms of equipment, one must carefully consider what can actually fill the needs of their business.
What Are The Two Main Methods of Logging?
Logging can be categorized into two main methods: Selective and Clear-Cutting. Selective logging is when loggers only choose to cut wood that is highly valued, such as mahogany, maple or oak wood. Clear-Cutting is not selective and therefore loggers cut down all the trees in a given area, regardless of their type
WHAT EQUIPMENT IS USED FOR FORESTRY AND LOGGING?
Here are some of the most popular pieces of forestry equipment for logging:
Forestry Skidders
A forestry skidder drags material from the woods to a landing or roadside. Skidders remove trees from the forest, transporting them to a clearing in a process called “skidding.”
Feller Bunchers
A feller buncher is a type of harvester used in logging. It is a motorized vehicle with an attachment that can rapidly cut and gather several trees before felling them. John Deere offers tracked feller bunchers and wheeled feller bunchers.
Knuckleboom Log Loaders
Knuckleboom loaders are swing machines that are designed for handling logs. They are designed with quick hydraulics for efficient swing and boom movements. The grapples are pin mounted with a rotator, aiding in the positioning of the logs for loading.
Swing Machines
These machines are very multi-purpose-oriented. They can be used as roadbuilders, shovel loggers, harvester/processors, stroke delimbers, or log loaders. Though swing machines look extremely similar to excavator machines, their purpose is very different.
Wood Chippers
A wood chipper is a machine used for reducing, or chipping, wood into smaller woodchips. This wood is typically larger tree trunks or limbs. These machines are often portable andmounted on wheels, so they are suitable for towing behind a truck or van.
Forestry Mulchers
Forestry mulchers use a rotary drum equipped with steel chipper tools, aiding in shredding vegetation.
Forestry Harvesters
These machines help to harvest logs. They have a typical heavy machine base with an attached arm utilized for grabbing and clear-cutting areas. These machines come in different forms, such as wheeled and tracked harvesters.
Forestry Forwarders
Forwarders are vehicles with carrying capabilities that are used post-harvesting. They are designed to be used alongside John Deere tractors and can generally cover most terrain.
Shovel Loggers
A shovel logger is used to operate in wet terrains, such as swamps or wetlands, and recover valuable products. As these machines feature high flotation, they ensure ground compaction and disturbance is kept to a minimum.
Stump Shredders
Stump shredders remove tree stumps with a rotating cutting disk that shreds the material and turns it into small chips that ensure easy cleanup on any jobsite.
Forestry Mulchers
Forestry Mulcher implements are used to shred underbrush and woody materials into mulch in minutes. This is accomplished via a fixed tooth rotor system or a swinging hammer.
What is a Logging Machine Called?
There are a variety of machines that can be classified as logging machines including, a feller buncher, harvesters, skidders, and forwarders.
What Equipment do you Need to Load Logs?
The most common equipment used to load logs includes log loaders, cranes, forklifts, and winch machines.
What do Loggers Do?
Loggers help harvest, move, and transport logs and play an important role for extracting trees from forests or designated logging areas for various purposes. Loggers also help to manage forests by removing unhealthy or dead trees and thinning out dense stands of trees.
For more information regarding forestry equipment and logging machinery, contact your local John Deere dealer.
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