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Description

This study evaluated precommercial, full-tree thinning of saplings and small poletimber (1-8 inches dbh) using chainsaws and modified farm tractors for skidders. To facilitate cutting large numbers of small trees (1-5 inches), the chainsaw was fitted with a felling frame. The cutter felled and manually bunched up to 145 trees/ 2.7 tons per productive man- hour. Average production, assuming 73% efficiency, was 90 trees/1.8 tons per scheduled hour at a cost of $6.22/ton. Skidding was done by a two-wheel drive grapple skidder and a four-wheel drive farm tractor with double-drum winch. The grapple skidder produced 3.8 tons per scheduled hour at a cost of $8.25 per ton, assuming a 75% utilization rate. The cable skidder produced 4 tons per scheduled hour at a cost of $7.00/ton; preset chokers increased production to 4.7 tons/hour at a cost of $5.96. The key to production was a modified herringbone pattern of corridors which facilitated skidder access to the wood. The weakest link in the operation was the difficult, labor-intensive work of felling and bunching.

Document Type

Bulletin

ISSN

0734-9548

Volume

813

Publication Date

2-1986

Publisher

Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station

City

Orono

Keywords

stand characteristics, spruce-fir forests, pre-commercial, full-tree thinning

Disciplines

Forest Management

B813: Harvesting Small Trees for Biomass

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